On Friday, March 21, the sun finally returned to the North Pole, casting its first rays on a vast, frozen nothingness. Three days later, according to sources affiliated with Barneo, the annual North Pole season has been canceled for the seventh year in a row.
For those unfamiliar with Barneo Ice Camp, it’s a temporary base that appears each year on the drifting sea ice near the North Pole. It’s built for the kind of people who respond to the question, “Would you like to spend $40,000 to be very cold?” with an enthusiastic yes.
Scientists, marathoners, adventurers, the occasional prince or sheik — people with expensive parkas and a deep need to suffer in extreme environments — flock to it. That is, unless the season is canceled, which has become a trend in recent years.
For a moment, it seemed like this year would be different. The internal squabbling between Moscow and Krasnoyarsk had resolved in favor of Moscow. This, in turn, meant victory for the Frederik Paulsen Group, which owns Barneo.
Politics and Barneo
What was this internal squabble? Last year, the North Pole season didn’t just fail because of a cracked runway and bad weather. There was a power struggle behind the scenes between two groups: the Krasnoyarsk faction –- regional players who wanted control over part of the Barneo operation and attempted to use their local influence to block access to the route through Khatanga — and the Paulsen Group/Barneo AG –- the Moscow-backed organization in charge of the North Pole season.
In 2024, the Krasnoyarsk side used bureaucratic and security excuses (claiming Khatanga was a secret military zone) to trap international athletes and travelers in Krasnoyarsk and prevent them from reaching the North Pole.
This year, however, that conflict was settled in favor of Moscow and Barneo AG, likely because Krasnoyarsk lacked the political and financial backing to fight back. Essentially, the Paulsen Group has won control, ensuring that this kind of interference won’t happen again.
Geopolitics also played a big role in the failure of 2024 North Pole season. Russia’s internal narrative painted the U.S. as an enemy, which made organizing international events like Barneo, popular with Westerners, more complicated.
Now, however, Russia’s state rhetoric has changed, portraying the U.S. as a sort of ally rather than an antagonist. This shift has likely made it easier for Barneo organizers to proceed without political resistance.
All this made Barneo seem at least possible this year. But it still wasn’t enough. Suddenly, it’s canceled again.
Warning signs
There were warning signs. First, news trickled in that construction of the camp had been delayed. Then came the real kicker: Murmansk airport — normally the launch pad for Barneo operations — was going to be closed for a week. Why? Because Vladimir Putin was attending the International Arctic Forum, and when Putin is in town, flights are grounded.
To the untrained eye, one week might not seem like a deal breaker. But in the high-stakes game of building an entire pop-up city on a chunk of floating ice, that’s all it takes. Delay the start, and suddenly, the weather shifts, the ice cracks, and your $40,000 North Pole dream melts away like a popsicle.
So here we are. Another year, another cancellation. Was it logistics? Politics? Who’s to say?
What is certain is that the adventurers who planned to run, ski, dive, or dogsled near the North Pole will now have to wait until at least next year. But don’t hold your breath.
