<p>It is interesting to read reports from explorers Nansen, Amadeo, Cook, Peary, and others who all tried (and some of whom -- possibly -- succeeded) to reach the North Pole by skis and sleds in the years around 1900. They all complained bitterly about the fact that the ice cap is not continuous, even though they all left their wintering bases at the end of winter -- during the time when there was the most ice, the sun was barely out, and it was incredibly cold.</p>
<p>Part of the problem is that the ice, even during winter months, keeps moving with the currents, the tides, and the wind, and not as one rigid body but as separate &quot;plates&quot;. This creates gaps between the individual floes that, in winter, freeze over eventually but not quickly enough to completely cover the entire area.</p>
<p>All of the explorers mentioned above did not make it to the pole, or maybe just so did, with skis and dog-drawn sleds. It seems hard to believe that they could have made it with motor vehicles (even ones from our current times) and it certainly seems inconceivable that one could make it today given how much less ice there is a hundred years on from their reports. Yet, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Pole#MLAE_2009_Expedition" rel="nofollow noreferrer">it appears that some Russians managed to do exactly this</a>, but I'm not familiar with any of the details.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-02-11T16:07:42.103Z
Looking into more, there's also a guy who apparently did it on motorbike in 1989, [an interesting read](https://www.elsolitariomc.com/blog/2017/11/13/the-polar-adventures-of-shinji-kazama/).  Someone else is [trying to repeat it recently](https://www.motopinas.com/motorcycle-news/dutch-rider-taking-his-yamaha-r1-to-the-north-pole.html).  Perhaps there are more cracks in some areas than others?  Or the plates typically come close enough to cross in spots?  (Also of interest, the [Russian North Pole station](https://luxuryrogue.wordpress.com/2019/01/02/ice-camp-barneo-89n-north-pole-russia/))
JeopardyTempest
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-02-16T00:40:23.493Z
@JeopardyTempest Well, those are some good reads! Thanks for the links.
Wolfgang Bangerth
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-02-11T03:54:57.347Z
2023-02-11T05:31:59.407Z
2023-02-11T05:31:59.407Z
Wolfgang Bangerth
<p>In the footage of Arctic sea ice in the spring or summer you can see gaps of water, lines of water between ice sheets, or kind of lakes of water mixed with icebergs. Even as far north as the North Pole there are still water gaps between ice.</p>
<p>Is it the same in winter, or does Arctic in winter form a single continuous sheet of ice? Does it stretch all the way between Russia and Canada? So in theory you could drive a vehicle over it?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-02-11T06:49:00.993Z
slightly related https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jul/02/fantastic-arctic-fox-animal-walks-3500km-from-norway-to-canada
trond hansen
<oceanography><ice><arctic>
Does Arctic sea ice form a continuous flat sheet in winter between Russia and Canada, or are there gaps of water?
SkyParticle
# Does Arctic sea ice form a continuous flat sheet in winter between Russia and Canada, or are there gaps of water?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2023-02-09)

In the footage of Arctic sea ice in the spring or summer you can see gaps of water, lines of water between ice sheets, or kind of lakes of water mixed with icebergs. Even as far north as the North Pole there are still water gaps between ice.

Is it the same in winter, or does Arctic in winter form a single continuous sheet of ice? Does it stretch all the way between Russia and Canada? So in theory you could drive a vehicle over it?

**Tags:** oceanography, ice, arctic

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: slightly related https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jul/02/fantastic-arctic-fox-animal-walks-3500km-from-norway-to-canada  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2023-02-11. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

It is interesting to read reports from explorers Nansen, Amadeo, Cook, Peary, and others who all tried (and some of whom -- possibly -- succeeded) to reach the North Pole by skis and sleds in the years around 1900. They all complained bitterly about the fact that the ice cap is not continuous, even though they all left their wintering bases at the end of winter -- during the time when there was the most ice, the sun was barely out, and it was incredibly cold.

Part of the problem is that the ice, even during winter months, keeps moving with the currents, the tides, and the wind, and not as one rigid body but as separate "plates". This creates gaps between the individual floes that, in winter, freeze over eventually but not quickly enough to completely cover the entire area.

All of the explorers mentioned above did not make it to the pole, or maybe just so did, with skis and dog-drawn sleds. It seems hard to believe that they could have made it with motor vehicles (even ones from our current times) and it certainly seems inconceivable that one could make it today given how much less ice there is a hundred years on from their reports. Yet, [it appears that some Russians managed to do exactly this](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Pole#MLAE_2009_Expedition), but I'm not familiar with any of the details.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: Looking into more, there's also a guy who apparently did it on motorbike in 1989, [an interesting read](https://www.elsolitariomc.com/blog/2017/11/13/the-polar-adventures-of-shinji-kazama/).  Someone else is [trying to repeat it recently](https://www.motopinas.com/motorcycle-news/dutch-rider-taking-his-yamaha-r1-to-the-north-pole.html).  Perhaps there are more cracks in some areas than others?  Or the plates typically come close enough to cross in spots?  (Also of interest, the [Russian North Pole station](https://luxuryrogue.wordpress.com/2019/01/02/ice-camp-barneo-89n-north-pole-russia/))  
> **username_2**: @username_3 Well, those are some good reads! Thanks for the links.  

---

