You are adventurous-minded and wish to experience the Arctic?! Whether you join any of these journeys here or you book a similar tour with an agency, you'll be buying a product. Travels are being sold like soap nowadays. And as a self-evident matter you expect, that you'll experience everything according to the promises on the package.
I'm sorry, but in a polar environment, nobody can promise you anything. And if one does, you're being told lies.
Above: You trust in the soap, you are sure, it will not do any harm to you. Have you ever thought of, that travelling to polar regions might be different, that you'll be undergoing personal risks? I'm sure you haven't! However, isn't it, that terrible catastrophies took place long ago during the times of the pioneers?
Please call in mind, the polar pack-ice has not changed since and the Arctic storms are still very powerful, the dangers the same... . You might become bothered, as long as you are not sailing on an ocean-going cruise-ship! You'll probably say: we have better materials, tents, clothing etc. nowadays, could be rescued by helicopter from any place in case of emergency... . True, we also have/use MayDay-transmitters, radios, GPS and other devices, which the pioneers didn't have to their avail. If your trip includes a boats-tour you will be even equipped with bright red life-jackets for your safety. And you feel safe, absolutely safe!     But are you really safe?
Despite all modern equipment, at least keep in mind: Polar regions are still life-dangerous for all those, who are not ready for it.
I noticed many times, that my participants were not really aware, whereto they were travelling. It's only if the unusual happens, once they become conscious of it. For example, if sudden winds are coming up, once spray-water comes over. (I always try to avoid this, but it cannot be excluded at all times). You will feel very lonely then, caught in a "nutshell" on an icy sea. That's the time also, when you feel, how small we (human beings) are and apparently at the mercy of nature's power....
I noticed, that it's going to be very silent on the boat then. The participants blindly trust into the person standing in the back, steering the boat. "He knows, what he is doing". "He will take us out of this mess". For sure, he will! He has to!
And he's doing this since 23 years meanwhile, without a single accident. But what do I really want to tell you?
Leave off from your accustomed way of thinking for a moment and become aware, that you are not going to buy a piece of soap, nore will you book an excursion to a sunny beach. Once you'll start such a journey, you are being catapulted to a completely different world within a few hours. If you think, your accustomed standards are valid there, you are in error!

Your desires, your expectations are very important, however, your safety always has absolute priority to me. I won't move, if weather-conditions are doubtful, I won't care about your complaints or any itinerary, as long as your safety is at stake!

Source of danger: sea-fog. The Eskimos wait, sometimes days...

Marvelous moods, if you drive into the fog

Since GPS is existing, no longer a problem - but still better to avoid

You should be aware and will have to accept, that with your participation in such an adventure, you are also undergoing a personal risk. Nobody can spare you from that, noone may guarantee for an absolute safety. You won't have such a guarantee either, if you drive on a highway. In short: you will have to sign a waiver for all liabilites as precondition for your participation.

I may assure you: I know the conditions, which we could meet in the Arctic, either on sea or on land, either in winter or summer. We just experienced beautiful weather and a calm sea with all tours during the past years. The conditions were really fantastic. I wish it will remain like this in future, but still I'm always alert, this might change abruptly.

a house in Thule

snow storm, in the midth of summer

and later

And I'm going to prepare you for that: Before we start, we'll be training emergency situations. You will learn some knots, manouevres and the use of the transmitters. We always drive in a convoi of at least two boats during summer. The engines are being maintained in the best possible way. As a measure towards more safety, but even this is no absolute guarantee versus an unexpected break-down. If it would happen, we would be safe, could pull one boat towards land. While in a storm, we could not do this anymore. But in this worst of all conceivable cases, the passengers could jump over to the other boat. We would loose some baggage, but not our lives!
Very important is: the boats we use, are unsinkable! You also have no chance to go over board coincidentally, while we are driving. Nobody ever sits on the tubes of the zodiacs or on the side-boards of the Eskimo boats. And you will be trained to form a crew! The extraordinary always happens unexpected and without warning. In order to avoid an accident, you have to act very fast in potentially dangerous situations and thus have to know your own part in advance.

The Eskimo constantly live with the dangers of their environment, but they are not afraid of it. First, because they respect nature as it is, and second they are well prepared to counteract in potential dangerous situations. During their journeys they constantly observe the surroundings. Intuitively they watch the sky and its changes. We don't have to do this. In our daily routines we no longer depend on environmental conditions. Eskimos also show a different behavior: They have no imagination of schedules, itineraries, programs. Time for them has a completely different value. They survived in the Arctic for many centuries, because they fully adapted to nature. Their pace of life is another.
One of the unwritten Eskimo rules says: keep away from every danger as long as you can. But if you can't avoid the danger anymore, face it as a man, with calmness. Do the necessary! Be prepared and don't expect any help. You have to be capable to help yourself in every situation. The absolute autarchy is a characteristic of the successful Eskimo-hunter.

During the time, I stayed with my Inuit-companions, I have learnt a lot from them - for myself. And - to a certain extent- changed my own behavior. In the Arctic I strictly follow their rules and that's probably the reason, that I never had an accident during so many years of operation, and this after thousands of miles on sea and on land.
Well, I also listen to the weather-forecast like you, but with regards to necessary decisions, I rather rely on the sum of previous experience, let's say my proverbial "Eskimo-nose".


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© 2008 Dr. Christian Adler - letzte Änderung: 06.10.08 Impressum zur Startseite     to Homepage