PONANT: the exclusive polar raid can begin… resas open!

The mythical Commander Charcot of the PONANT cruise line offers its passengers the opportunity to live a new and original experience: a polar raid of two days and one night in total immersion in Greenland. Two expeditions with only 10 participants have opened for sale for spring 2023.

As the boreal spring lights up the eastern coast of Greenland, THE Commander Charcot is the only one to approach these icy shores, still largely inaccessible to traditional navigation. Among the passengers who will discover the hypnotic landscapes of the Ammassalik and Blosseville regions aboard the polar exploration ship, a small group will have the privilege of leaving the cocoon of the ship to independently explore this isolated and wild land.

In total immersion in polar nature

For two days and one night, in total autonomy, the group of about ten people will share the experience of Greenlandic nature as the Inuit have always practiced it. Wearing Nordic skis, equipped with sleds – or pulkas – loaded with equipment and food, the participants will complete a loop of about fifteen kilometers, at a time when the sun is shining, from polar day to midnight sun without ever really set, and where the temperatures fluctuate between 0 and -10°C.

Accompanied by three English-speaking Greenlandic guides and a French-speaking PONANT naturalist guide, the explorers will bivouac in tents in the middle of the snowy immensity, in the pure tradition of Inuit hunters. Immersion in the heart of a wild and majestic nature makes you lose the notion of time and space. The sensations are increased tenfold, everyone feels both infinitely small and totally connected to the surrounding nature and to their intimate emotions.

An exclusive adventure to book now

To participate in the polar raid, prior experience in Nordic sports (skiing, snowshoeing or cross-country skiing) and good endurance (ability to walk 10 to 15 kilometers per day) are necessary. The route provides approximately 7 hours of Nordic ski touring each day, with frequent breaks (8 kilometers maximum), for an elevation gain of 300 to 500 meters. A good physical and mental condition, and a sense of adventure are essential.

The polar raid will be offered for the first time on two departures in 2023 for 10 participants only, at the price of 990€/person, depending on weather and ice conditions. Three expeditions are also scheduled for 2024.