We are looking for women from across Europe and the Middle East to form an international team to ski the last degree to the North Pole in April 2017. The expedition will face many physical challenges – temperatures down to -40°C, polar bears and shifting pack ice - but the core purpose of the expedition is to foster greater dialogue and understanding between women from Western and Arabian cultures. In addition, the expedition will work to inspire all women to reach beyond the expectation of others to fulfil their own ultimate life ambitions.
The Journey
The expedition will gather in Longyearbyen, Svalbard (which is part of Norway) and fly to Barneo, a floating base camp located on the Arctic ice. The team will ski from a latitude of roughly 89°N to the Geographic North Pole, covering a distance of 60 nautical miles (approximately 100km) in around ten days. They will sleep on the ice in tents and travel by ski, pulling behind them sledges containing food, fuel and supplies for the entire trip. Estimated date of departure is April 2017.
The Team
The team will be made up of 12 women from across Europe and the Arabian Peninsula, in addition to as many leaders/guides as we feel is necessary. Team members will be recruited through the online application on this site and applications are open to women of all ages, backgrounds and experience from any country in Europe or the Arabian Peninsula*.
To apply, you do not need to be a super-human athlete. More important is a passion about the opportunity to travel to the high Arctic, enthusiasm for the cultural aims of the expedition and a willingness to work wholeheartedly to achieve the experience of a lifetime. We are particularly keen to hear from women who have a clear idea of how they will put their experiences as part of the expedition to good use when they return home.
We are looking for a team with a range of backgrounds and levels of experience. Anyone, from practised Polar Explorers to those with no previous experience of outdoor or adventurous activities are welcome to apply, as long as you fulfill all the Eligibility Criteria (see below).
We are particularly keen to hear from women in their 40s and 50s (who tend to be under-represented on polar expedition teams), women who are in a position of leadership or influence (for example, young leaders, community leaders, business leaders, thought leaders, internet commentators, teachers and more) or women who have a clear idea how they would use this expedition experience to influence positive change in the world around them.
Full training for the expedition will be provided so that by the time the chosen team leave for the Arctic, they will have been transformed from a group of strangers into one close-knit and highly capable unit. All the core costs of the expedition will be met through commercial sponsorship so you will not be asked to pay for anything, although you will be asked to help in the team effort to find sponsors. We will need a six-figure sum in sponsorship, so the effort needed to raise this level of support will be considerable.
Prospective applicants should be aware that preparation for the Expedition is likely to be time consuming and hard work but the reward is to be part of a truly inspiring team and an unparalleled adventure. You will return from the Arctic with experiences and memories that will enhance your life.
Leadership Team
Felicity Aston is a record-making British Polar Explorer who has been leading and organising polar expeditions for almost 20 years. She is the first woman in the world to ski across the Antarctic alone and in 2009 led the largest and most international team of women ever to ski to the South Pole (www.KasperskyCommonwealthExpedition.com).
Julie Lewis is a British personal leadership specialist who has been living in the United Arab Emirates since 1997. She has lead over 55 expeditions for multi-national teams of women to over 20 countries and is passionate about creating cross-cultural and cross-generational connections that enable and empower women. (www.juleslewis.com)
Application Closing Date 30th March 2016
How to apply
To apply to join the team you must fill in the online application form and, if short listed, attend an interview in your home-country or via Skype. Successful applicants will then be invited to attend a selection/preparation event in northern Europe, where the final team will take shape.
Please see here for further details and to fill in the application form: