DECEMBER 2012 BACK ISSUE A century ago no one had been to the North Pole for certain. Today one can sail to 90° North as a tourist on a Russian nuclear icebreaker. Fellow of the Explorers Club Nick Smith did just that. by Nick Smith For more than a decade I've been writing about North Polar affairs, the history of the region's exploration, its climate, ice cover and biodiversity. And although I've interviewed climatologists, photographers, conservationists and sea captains, the people associated with the Pole that I've enjoyed listening to most are those explorers who have travelled in the region on foot. These are the people who seem to instinctively understand the big picture, the people with ice in their blood. I've learned much about the Arctic from classic explorers such as the late great Wally Herbert, as well as from today's most notable expedition leaders such as Pen Hadow. Over the years I've become fascinated by what draws human beings to this desolate frozen desert at the end of the earth. But never once did I imagine I'd get the chance to go there myself. To read Nick’s complete essay, visit his blog here Into the northern mists. The 50 Years of Victory nuclear icebreaker departs from Russia's northernmost city Murmansk. First stop Franz Josef Land. In the background are the twin spires of Cape Tegethoff, and in the foreground are the wind blasted remains of an explorers' hut. Steam rising from the marshes of Hall Island. Blood trail.  A two-year old female polar bear drags away with her the remains of a ring seal. The male remains to guard the territory and protect the female's retreat. A pan of 'multiyear' ice. This is the ice that in theory never melts regardless of the season. Rising global temperatures mean that this type of ice could be a thing of the past by 2050. The Geographic North Pole. Flags of the nations of every passenger on the icebreaker are flown in celebration, while a red rope is laid down on the ice to encircle the precise point of 90 degrees north. Not a real place. There is of course nothing at the pole, and often it is just water. But we were lucky and we marked the spot with our own signpost. With the 50 Years of Victory parked in the ice we were able to take a good look at her ice-anchor. One adventurer practices Tai Chi below the prow. Despite being the world's largest icebreaker and being powered by two nuclear reactors, the 50 Years of Victory could sometimes look small and vulnerable in the Arctic wasteland. There were also times when the ship looked enormous. Passengers here are celebrating at a 'ceremonial pole' set up a few miles from the 90 degree mark as we drift in the ice. Homeward bound. Sailing 'downhill' back to Russia, we passed Rubini Rock, home to 60,000 pairs of breeding sea birds. A polar bear waits patiently by a seal's breathing hole. An orthodox Russian memorial to explorers who died setting off north from Franz Josef Land. In the background 50 Years of Victory lays at anchor. Memorials to Russian and British explorers on Franz Josef Land. The remains of a meteorological station on Franz Josef Land. Dogs once played an important part in the daily life of these remote polar scientific stations, and they were housed accordingly. Anything man-made left in the harsh conditions will disintegrate quickly, starting with the paintwork that literally gets blown away in the Arctic gales. At Franz Josef Land the sky changes by the moment. Kittiwakes are one of the most common and yet most beautiful birds in the Arctic. Back to current issue