In early March, Alban Michon will head to the Arctic ice and the Inuit village of Kugluktuk for a solo expedition that will take him to Resolute Bay after a journey of nearly 2000 kilometers. Before his departure, he shares his preparations with us, as well as his adventurer’s dreams and his concerns..
Text: Isabelle CroizeauPhotos: Andy Parant(Find this article in issue no. 8 of Dive In!)Crossing the Arctic solo is the on-land equivalent of major ocean crossings, but at -45°C… Like at sea, everything can come to a halt after just a few days due to an accident, a major unforeseen event, or a memorable storm. To increase the chances of completing the adventure, nothing, down to the smallest details, should be left to chance. One must anticipate, imagine small troubles and big problems with the same determination because in these regions an incident can quickly mean the end of the journey.
An oceanic router to guide him
Michel Meulnet will be his guide. As an oceanic router, he has notably collaborated on around-the-world tours by catamaran, the Route du Rhum, and the Transat Jacques Vabre. He has also « routed » crews by rowing, kite, or kayak on all the world’s seas. And he knows this region of the Canadian far north well, having guided mountaineer-sailors who approached the peaks of their dreams by sailboat. His task is to transmit all necessary data for Alban’s progress every day: temperature, wind force and direction, but also ice conditions, to choose together the fastest yet safest itinerary. He also started working well before Alban’s departure, studying statistics from recent years to identify trends, although, there again, nothing is set in stone. » And that’s what’s interesting and motivating, he explains, knowing that nothing is ever certain, that you have to anticipate and change course if necessary « . Michel maintains permanent vigilance and can, beyond their daily meeting planned by satellite phone, contact Alban in case of a sudden weather event.
Equipment weight: 200 kg.
Planned distance covered: 1700 kilometers.
Daytime temperature: -45°C.
Water temperature: -1.6°C.
2 resupply stops.
Endless training in the mountains of Tignes
It is on the glaciers around the Tignes station that the adventurer prepares to face long hours of effort, handle his sleds, but also endure the frosty Arctic nights. Sheltered during his resting hours by a simple tent, he has to exert considerable effort every day. Depending on weather conditions, he plans to make progress for 10 hours on the best days, but reduce to half if necessary when conditions are too bad. For weeks, beyond running, which he practices all year to stay fit, he has followed a specific sports preparation program concocted by Benestar France, one of his partners in the adventure. And with his accomplice photographer Andy Parant, he has gotten used to using his diving gear under the ice of mountain lakes.
Nutrition also plays an important role: throughout the expedition, Alban has to significantly increase his daily intake. » But in the beginning, he explains, people often struggle to eat enough and don’t reach the 5000 or 5500 daily calories that are essential in these conditions. » As a result, the first few days are particularly challenging: the body has immense effort to exert and must adapt to a difficult environment without sufficient fuel! But once accustomed, it’s muesli in huge quantities in the morning, cereal bars, dried fruits, chocolate, snacks throughout the day, and a real meal in the evening, warm under the tent. « You have to avoid stopping during the day, » says Alban, « everything is tiring, melting ice to prepare food is a real energy expense, in the cold, it’s not feasible. »
A project born three years ago
« Leaving alone has been a dream I’ve had for a long time « , continues Alban. After returning from Greenland in 2012 (Editor’s note: after the Under the Pole 1 expedition in 2010), he already has this desire but no real project in mind, and takes a break. Until a few months later, when he discovers in a report by Christophe Cousin broadcast on Thalassa, a handful of Chinese billionaires drinking champagne on the North Pole ice, dropped off by a nuclear icebreaker, where it had taken him so much effort to reach 6 years earlier! » I had a lightbulb moment, he recalls, « Ithought that our polar world would never be the same again, that this expedition six years apart had lost its meaning and would no longer have been possible. We need to show its raw beauty before it changes, sharing it could be more powerful than any political speech. » From these two desires – to go alone and to become an « ambassador » of the Arctic – the Arktic project was born. « Everything starts with the ice, insists Alban, it tells the history of our planet, it influences the rest of the oceans, and thus the climate, and I want to touch people by showing them its beauty, even if the polar world is changing. »
Sleeping with his rebreather
With touring skis on his feet, Alban drags behind him two sledges, each loaded with about 100 kilos of equipment. And if he chose two sleds instead of one, it is in anticipation of the most difficult passages, when he will need to take off the skis, push, pull, or, conversely, cross open water spaces: his two sleds can then, when attached to each other, float and become a makeshift boat that avoids a massive detour. When a steady but moderate wind blows, and the terrain is not too rugged, Alban can rely on a kite sail, allowing him for a few hours to save effort and cover a greater distance during the day.
Alban plans to conduct about ten dives during his journey. » Even though this is not a diving expedition strictly speaking, because it’s my passion and part of my DNA, I can’t imagine not getting into the water! » But alone and unaided, in temperatures sometimes approaching -50°C, he has to take maximum precautions. Michel Meulnet will inform him of possible weather windows, when he is sure to enjoy an entire day without wind the following day. These nights before each dive, Alban plans to spend them with his rebreather in the sleeping bag, to keep it warm! After a semblance of sleeping in to be in good shape, and a hearty meal to pack in calories, he can start setting up his dive site (see box). All in all, he forecasts at least three hours of preparation before each dive. Each immersion will likely last no longer than three-quarters of an hour, at a maximum of six meters depth as he dives with pure oxygen. Alban carries the smallest and sturdiest of all rebreathers, the M.O.D.E, provided by manufacturer Aqua Lung. Without a solid base, only equipped with a tent, maintenance is unthinkable. » So it had to be a light, reliable device with no electronic components « , explains Alban.
Diving protocol based on bears
Diving to study the ice
In diving and on land, Alban must collect information useful to researchers. Underwater, the state of the ice will capture his attention. The goal is to analyze it to determine its composition. Is it made up of annual or multi-year ice? Information that will help better understand how the famous Northwest Passage is evolving. On land, he will regularly need to measure the snow thickness. All valuable data to evaluate the impact of climate change on polar regions. Although surveys have already been conducted in the region, notably by the Norwegian Polar Institute, they date back several years. Moreover, they were sporadic, never carried out on as many points and for so long. Comparing them to the current reality will thus be interesting, with the aim of advancing knowledge on the climatic changes in the region. Valuable information, given the importance of polar regions in global ocean regulation.
An underwater filming in the middle of nowhere
To bring back the precious images that will allow the creation of a film and a book about the expedition, photographer Andy Parant plans to meet Alban for a few days: » I am going on an expedition parallel to the expedition « . The idea is to be present occasionally, to not alter the solo spirit of Alban’s journey. Thus, it’s at the beginning of the adventure, and during the two planned resupply stops, that Andy is expected to join him: first with an underwater cameraman, to supplement the footage that Alban will shoot himself during each of his dives, and the second time with another teammate. But again, nothing is set in stone: Alban’s progress depends on the wind and the terrain. » We don’t know where, when, or how we will be able to meet him, explains the photographer, we don’t even know if we will be traveling by snowmobile or dog sleds, although we’d prefer the latter option! ».
Almost alone in the world for three months
Except during these « appointments » planned with Andy, Alban will be alone. He will therefore carry a substantial medical kit with him and has prepared to manage emergencies. » I’m training to stitch myself up, he explains a few weeks before his departure, on chicken thighs when I can’t find a pig’s foot! » Because no one will be able to quickly come to his aid, but also because he would not want to have to renounce due to a few stitches or any other manageable medical issue. As a precaution, he also had his teeth checked, with x-rays, did a blood test as well as a stress test, and had a checkup with the osteopath. In the background, several doctors are on alert, to be able to guide him from a distance in case of an « incident », with the right actions, possible options, and to decide with him if he can continue or must give up. Every two or three days, he also plans to call his friend Vincent Berthet – his advisor, as he calls him – by satellite phone: Vincent knows the polar world perfectly and will be able to assist him when needed in making decisions. So he’s alone, but not completely. » But that doesn’t scare me, he comments, chosen solitude is nothing like imposed solitude. » Before leaving, Alban confided to us: » I know I can come back in three days, but that’s part of the game and I accept it « . Not controlling everything, giving true meaning back to the often-overused term adventure, is also the message of this journey. Trying, with humility, to forge a path in raw nature, a solitary navigator in an ocean of snow and ice.
