Polar Exploration. Dixie Dansercoer

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      Dixie Dansercoer has joined, led and guided polar expeditions since 1993, accumulating in-depth knowledge of the extremities of our globe. His close-up experiences have enabled him to compile all the necessary ingredients for a polar expedition, and this is now presented in the first ever guide book for polar enthusiasts who want to discover the Arctic and Antarctic regions in an independent manner.

      Married to Julie Brown, and with Jasper, Evelien, Thijs and Robin sharing their nomadic lives between Belgium, Switzerland, Oregon (US) and the polar regions, Dixie is on a lifelong quest to share his passion for the fragile frozen ends of our world by writing books, producing films and engaging in public speaking. For more about Dixie, and to contact him, go to www.polarcircles.com.

      © Dixie Dansercoer/Polar Circles 2012

      First edition 2012

      ISBN: 978 1 85284 665 7

      Printed by KHL Printing, Singapore

      A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

      All photographs are by Dixie Dansercoer except those on the following pages: 23, 26–27 (Victor Serov); 31, 45, 49, 55, 108, 75, 146–148, 161 (IPF/Alain Hubert); 35, 93, 152, 154, 157, 176, 179, 180 (Christian Hoffman); and 64, 67, 79, 83, 87, 90, 101, 103, 109, 120 (Henk Van Rensbergen).

      Images on pages 9, 18, 21 and 153 are used by kind permission of the de Gerlache family.

       Images on page 96 © Polar Circles www.polarcircles.com

      Dedication

      If there is anyone I should douse with ice crystals, as precious as diamonds, it is my wife, Julie Brown.

      True understanding and genuine support can only come from those who bond.

      The polar regions have helped us with that.

      Acknowledgements

      My thanks are due to all the following people:

      family, both near and far away

      friends, both crazy and normal

      expedition partners (Alain Hubert, Troy Henkels, Sam Deltour and many other people with whom I have shared cold tents)

      expedition participants during guiding trips

      expedition sponsors

      faithful technical partners who delivered, over and over again, that little competitive edge that helped us to achieve even more ambitious goals

      individual supporters, known and unknown

      Arctic and Antarctic logistics companies

      expedition communicators for base camps

      aircraft and helicopter pilots

      people who make it their business to help us out in sticky situations

      all the individuals and organisations helping to preserve the polar regions

      Cicerone Press (Jonathan Williams, Lois Sparling), not only for believing that this book could help readers live their polar dreams in a well-prepared way, but also for flawless communications

      Sue Viccars, not only for her polished editing but also for her passion behind this project.

      Advice to Readers

      While every effort is made by our authors to ensure the accuracy of guidebooks as they go to print, changes can occur during the lifetime of an edition. If we know of any, there will be an Updates tab on this book's page on the Cicerone website (www.cicerone.co.uk), so please check before planning your trip. We are always grateful for information about any discrepancies between a guidebook and the facts on the ground, sent by email to [email protected] or by post to Cicerone, 2 Police Square, Milnthorpe LA7 7PY, United Kingdom.

      Warning

      Polar exploration can be a dangerous activity carrying a risk of personal injury or death. It should be undertaken only by those with a full understanding of the risks and with the training and experience to evaluate them. While every care and effort has been taken in the preparation of this guide, the user should be aware that conditions can be highly variable and can change quickly, materially affecting the seriousness of an expedition. Therefore, except for any liability which cannot be excluded by law, neither Cicerone nor the author accept liability for damage of any nature (including damage to property, personal injury or death) arising directly or indirectly from the information in this book.

      Front cover: Wandering thoughts on a freshly frozen Arctic Ocean © International Polar Foundation

      Back cover: After 106 days out on the Arctic Ocean, making the final camp on Terra Firma, the Greenland Coast © International Polar Foundation

      CONTENTS

       FOREWORD BY ERIC PHILLIPS President of the International Polar Guides Association

       ABOUT THIS GUIDE

       1 Introduction

       2 Motivations and limitations

       3 Understanding the cold

       4 Preparations

       5 What to take

       6 Out there

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