Polar Exploration

Johan Alfred Bjorling inset into image of Bjorling Island.

Johan Bjorling, the 21-Year-Old Who Disappeared in the Arctic in 1892

By October 12, 1892, the situation was desperate for...
March 6, 2026
Maciej Besta on the Anabar Plateau, Siberia, in February 2025.

The Man Who Climbs the Coldest Peaks on Earth

Unless you live in Siberia or the Canadian Arctic,...
February 27, 2026
subarctic winter scene

Polar Expedition Tip: The Best Way to Go to the Toilet at -40˚

At the risk of being too graphic, the hardest...
February 24, 2026
man repairing gear in cold tent

Borge Ousland’s Polar Equipment List. Part IV: Repair Kit

Borge Ousland, the greatest polar traveler of the last...
February 21, 2026
head and shoulders shot of Ousland

Borge Ousland’s Polar Equipment List. Part III: Medical Kit

Borge Ousland, the greatest polar traveler of the last...
February 19, 2026

Borge Ousland’s Polar Equipment List, Part II: Key Gear

Borge Ousland, the greatest polar traveler of the last...
February 18, 2026
Borge Ousland pulling sled

Borge Ousland’s Polar Equipment List. Part I: Clothing

Borge Ousland, the greatest polar traveler of the last...
February 17, 2026
Two portraits of men

Roland Huntford, Polar History Author, Has Died

Roland Huntford, author of polar histories and biographies, passed...
January 29, 2026
A photo from a submarine of an algae-covered ship's wheel.

New Scans Show Fate of Sunken SS Terra Nova

This week, a team of maritime archaeologists completed a...
June 8, 2025
front and backside of a weathered medal

UK Bans Export of Final Shackleton Medal

Sir Ernest Shackleton is one of the most heavily...
April 4, 2024
A skier manhauls across Antarctica.

Polar Thigh: Antarctica’s Mystery Ailment

You can't imagine Amundsen or Shackleton complaining about chafed...
November 20, 2023
Tilman on his stomach reading

Great Explorers: H. W. Tilman

As a dedicated technophobe, I’ve always felt a certain...
October 15, 2023
the discovery hut on the antarctic coast

A Video Tour of Robert Scott’s Discovery Hut in Antarctica

When Antarctica's Discovery Hut was built for Robert Falcon...
March 13, 2023

In Antarctica, Any Claim Goes

Yesterday Briton Preet Chandi triumphantly announced on social media...
January 21, 2023
Five rowers in a boat at the end of the trip

Row from Antarctica to South Georgia Aborts

Health problems -- compounded with the predictably difficult rowing...
January 20, 2023
worst journey

‘The Worst Journey in the World’ Becomes Graphic Novel

Exactly 100 years after its original publication, the greatest...
December 5, 2022
Preet Chandi holding an airline ticket to Antarctica.

Antarctica 2022: The Season Begins

For some, the Antarctic season has kicked off. For...
November 18, 2022
A man on skis drags two sleds behind him over the snow.

Antarctica 2022: Busiest Season in a Decade

The Antarctic summer is shaping up to be the...
October 22, 2022
skiers from Vinson of Antarctica passing over snow through mountains

Across South Georgia in the Footsteps of Shackleton — Sort Of

There's a reason that adventurers continue to marvel at...
October 21, 2022
Shackleton Endurance Ship discovered

Another Famous Polar Ship Found! Shackleton’s Endurance in Prime Condition

After 107 years, the mystery of where in Antarctic...
March 9, 2022

Science Links of the Week

Elks are too smart for their own good: Elk...
February 26, 2022

As COVID Eases, Arctic Expeditions Resume

Even after the early lockdowns lifted, severe travel restrictions...
February 24, 2022

Tip: To Avoid Frostbite at Polar Temperatures, Cut Off the Elastic Cuff on Gloves

The first time I realized that your circulation is...
February 16, 2022
Photo Tete-Michel Kpomassie, the first african in greenland

At 80, Greenland’s First African Visitor Returns to Live Out His Final Years in the Arctic

In the summer of 1965, Tété-Michel Kpomassie became the...
February 9, 2022

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