Cruising to the End of the World (40/59)

Cruising to the End of the World (40/59)

Once a year at most, an unusual cruise sets off from northern Scandinavia in one of the most powerful ice-breakers in the world. The "Kapitan Dranitsyn" departs from Murmansk and heads into the Arctic Ocean taking with it a party of adventurers who wish to take an ice-breaker to the edge of the world. Outside the summer months, it is used as a pathfinder for Russian supply ships in the Siberian Arctic. Life on board is simple. The destination is a pair of forgotten islands in the ice, discovered in the 19th century and named for an Austrian emperor: Franz Josef Land. This, the most northerly island group in Eurasia is just 900 km from the North Pole and even in summer is largely covered by ice. Shore leave for the passengers is an adventure in itself.This contribution to the "Distant Journeys" series asks what attracts people to take this exceptional journey to one of the most hostile regions on earth.

Also available: 25 min version

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