Whether you are doing the Greenland ice cap, South Pole or North Pole, this course will provide the content on which to develop your polar career.
The Polar Training Course has been designed to introduce you to the skills and techniques you’ll need to prepare for a polar expedition and will give you greater confidence in the judgment and decision making aspects of polar travel. With departures available across the globe you can find a suitable venue that maximises the ‘polar’ conditions found in different locations throughout the year.
The Polar Training Course is run in the mountains but also introduces some planning and preparation components. You will learn about the equipment and how to plan and pack for an expedition.
Your guides will spend as much time as possible with you out into glacial terrain, where you will operate as though you are in the polar regions, dragging sleds, putting up tents and sleeping in cold environments. Crevasse safety and navigation will be covered as well as rescue techniques. The course also includes some classroom training on the technical aspects of polar travel and you will be actively involved in the planning and preparation for your food and equipment.
You will learn skills such as food preparation, navigation, camp management and even how to go to the toilet in a storm!
While no course can prepare you fully for the real thing, this course offers a variety of terrain that enables you to develop the skills you will use in polar environments.
Ski Ability
Ski Ability
Duration
Duration
Location
Location
There is a huge amount of information and learning required to operate safely in polar environments, as conditions can be so harsh that a minor period of inattention can lead to disastrous consequences. Our objective is to pass on the skills to enable you to safely partake in a polar expedition:
Generally, someone coming through one of our Polar Training Courses would use it as preparation for an expedition such as our Greenland Crossing or North or South Pole Last Degree Expeditions.
Should you aspire to partake in self-sufficient polar travel, your level of training would need to be a lot more intensive. In that case, we recommend you partake in our Greenland training option or a longer duration course that we can customise to suit your requirements and timeframe.
No matter what training you receive from us, we strongly advise a progression towards the longer duration and more serious expeditions through a series of ever more difficult trips.
We endeavour to cover the following skills during the course:
Participants may decide to focus primarily on one or two aspects of training to increase their skill set in that area. Factors such as weather and conditions may also dictate that some skills are not covered in full.
We are happy to arrange a programme to suit your needs. In some cases, a course can be scheduled just prior to departure on your polar expedition so you become completely immersed in the environment with a seamless transition from training to the event itself.
| Start/End | Departing from | Quantity | Pricing | Notes | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept - Dec 2024 | Chamonix, France | European Alps | €5,260 EUR $ | Book Now | |
| Feb - Mar 2025 | Reykjavík, Iceland | Greenland | €13,900 EUR $ | Book Now | |
| Feb - Mar 2025 | Reykjavík, Iceland | Iceland | €12,600 EUR $ | Book Now | |
| Jul - Aug 2025 | Wanaka, New Zealand | Pisa Range | $5,450 NZD $ | Book Now | |
| Sept - Nov 2025 | Wanaka, New Zealand | Tasman Glacier | $10,990 NZD $ | Book Now | |
| Sept - Dec 2025 | Chamonix, France | European Alps | €5,260 EUR $ | Book Now |
Looking for a polar training expedition? Check out the Greenland Crossing
To make the most of your training experience we encourage you to work on your fitness prior to the trip. If you can, prepare yourself by cross-country skiing or ski touring.
You will find that training with a 20kg/44lb+ pack is good preparation for the course, with the aim of getting ‘pack fit’ and building your endurance. Your guide places special focus on fitness levels and will regulate the pace accordingly.
The skiing component of polar travel is not very technical. The skis are used to slide along the snow and to stop you ‘breaking through’ the snow surface. It is a much faster mode of travel than going on foot. Having stated that, it is important that you have good balance on your skis and are familiar with the motion of skiing. Injuries could occur to those not, and any self-respecting polar traveller will make a point of learning the skill—Robert Falcon Scott decided against using skis on his journey to the South Pole with disastrous consequences!
If you are not already a skier, we suggest you arrange to arrive early and spend some time developing these skills. We can help arrange ski tuition.
Adventure Consultants is renowned for the quality of its service and strategy applied to high altitude expedition climbing and polar travel. Our reputation is attributed to meticulous planning and experienced logistics coordination. We have a philosophy of investing in every expedition to offer our climbers the best possible chance of success.
We employ strong and specialised Expedition Leaders and support staff, whom are some of the most pre-eminent in the industry. We pride ourselves on operating with small teams, the best back-up and support available. This includes nutritious and ample quantities of food, comfortable camp facilities, reliable communications systems and the necessary medical back up.
Many of our expedition members come to us because they have seen us in action on a previous trip and decide to opt for our level of service and proven experience. Others return because they know we do our very best to make expeditions safe and successful.
The course starts and ends in Wanaka, New Zealand, and will be operated in one of two location options:
In July and August, we operate in the Pisa Mountain Range or the Old Man Mountain Range close to our base here in Wanaka. Suitable terrain is easily accessible by road.
From September to November, we operate in the high alpine glaciers of the Aoraki Mount Cook region, offering a dramatic landscape accessed by helicopter or ski plane. Here we can specifically focus on glacier travel and crevasse rescue techniques. Terrain requires the additional use of ice axe and crampons and full training will be given in these techniques as well as rope work.
Departing from the easily accessible location of Chamonix, France this course takes advantage of the cold late spring and early winter conditions found in the European Alps from September until December.
The mountains will be accessed by utilising local lift systems and accommodation at serviced huts, with one or two nights spent in tents learning cold camping skills.
Departing from Reykjavík, Iceland, this course takes advantage of the Arctic conditions in the area over a 6-day period. Courses operate from February until March. Suitable terrain is accessed by 4WD road from Reykjavík, with the final course location varying depending on weather and snow conditions at the time.
Also departing from Reykjavík, Iceland our Greenland Polar Training Course offers an excellent authentic opportunity to prepare for longer polar expeditions. We would strongly recommend this option for aspiring All the Way polar adventurers.
This 8-day course operates from February to March and covers polar travel skills in-depth. Teams will fly from Reykjavík to Kulusuk, Greenland with the course operating in expedition style on the Greenland icecap.
