Drumkeen man, Justin Toner is preparing to embark on an expedition of a lifetime, to become one of the first people ever to walk to the ‘Northern Pole of Inaccessibility.’
Working with a team of 28 people travelling a distance of 800 kilometers in 80 days, the Ice Warrior Expedition plans to be the first group to reach the Northern Pole of Inaccessibility also known as the Arctic Pole on foot. The Arctic Pole is 270 miles further from land than the much more well know Geographic North Pole.
But adventure is not a new concept to Toner who has lived his life exploring other cultures since 2006. After completing his first trekking trip in Morocco, Toner went on to explore parts of Nepal, USA Saudi Arabia and throughout the Middle East, Tanzania, and various countries in South East Asia.
However, this expedition will be totally unlike any journey he has done in the past. The Ice Warrior Expedition is led by renowned polar explorer Jim McNeill, who has been meticulous in planning out every detail in the training, gear and journey.
The mission will begin at Cape Isachsen on Ellef Riingnes Island in North Canada around Mid-February during the 24-hour polar night. It is there that the group will begin their journey, travelling 10-12 hours a day on foot or by ski, collecting data and performing experiments along the way.
The trip is partly funded by stake holders in NASA as well as in Russian, Canadian, Chinese and British scientific organisations. Throughout the trip the team members will be collecting data on ice thickness, temperature, salinity, and polar bear numbers to name only a few.
The teams are composed of people from all walks of life and of different ages with the youngest adventurer so far being 18 and the oldest being 60 years old. As Justin puts it, the trip has “ordinary people doing the extra ordinary.”
Justin has been dedicated to this cause, training tirelessly in the gym and attending survival courses Dartmoor and Svalbard as well as going to Sweden next October in preparation of the expedition.. Justin is also fundraising to qualify for the expedition while “trying to promote local businesses as much as I can.”
Justin is excited to take part in the journey and is counting down the days until his departure, however he acknowledges the dangers he faces, from the -50°C climate and thin ice to the polar bears “hungry enough they’ll come and have a go at you” and to the days or weeks from rescue the group are if something was to go wrong.
Each leg of the expedition will be different with some being harder than others and it will not be until later in the year before Justin will know which leg of the trek he will be on, but says that he “would like to do all four if possible.”
“Everyone wants to be the person that gets to the Northern Pole of Inaccessibility but not everyone could do that.”
For now, Justin is continuing to focus on his training and his fundraising and hopes that he can “get Donegal to get behind me and follow the journey.”
And on what he will miss most when on the expedition Justin said that he’ll long for a pint of Guinness, the scenery and greenery, and home comforts like having his “feet on the sofa.”
The Ice Warriors Expedition are still looking for volunteers and are especially looking for women to get involved in the adventure. For more information on the expedition or if you would like to sponsor Justin’s journey follow the links below:
Justin’s blog: justintoner.com
Justin’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/justin.toner.73
Expedition Website: lastpole.co.uk
Expedition Company: ice-warrior.com
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