Starting tomorrow, Eric Larsen and his 3-person team of adventurers will start off on an epic journey to traverse the Arctic Ocean from Northern Ellesmere Island to the geographic North Pole. The goal: break the current expedition speed record that was set in 2006 by a Norwegian team to cover the nearly 500-mile distance to the North Pole in less than 49 days.
To break the record, the expedition will travel across dangerous terrain that will be an increasingly unstable ice pack and shifting sea ice in temperatures hovering near 50 below zero. They will be using skis and snowshoes and have sleds made out of lightweight Kevlar that will be able to also serve as make-shift rafts as needed for large open-water crossings. The expedition will be unsupported, meaning the team will not receive any outside assistance or supplies during the journey. They will have to take all the necessary supplies for the entire journey with them when they set off – nearly 350 pounds of food and gear.
Throughout the entire journey, Eric will be providing daily updates, podcasts, photos and videos. You will be able to follow Eric’s updates here on his website or by following him on Twitter.
Microsoft is supporting Eric’s journey by providing him with Nokia Lumia 1020 and Nokia Lumia 1520 Windows Phones that he will take with him on the expedition. Using these Lumias, he’ll be able to take amazing photography documenting and sharing his journey with the world. As someone who also uses a Lumia 1020, I am super excited to see the photos Eric will be taking on his trip. Eric has also been using the Nokia Lumia 2520 and Panasonic Toughpad FZ-G1 tablets to track and train for the expedition.