18 September 2024 | A historic first on the edge of the world. Le Commandant Charcot becomes the first ship to reach the legendary North Pole of Inaccessibility. At the helm: Captain Étienne Garcia.

“Reaching the North Pole of Inaccessibility is a moment of rare intensity. Above all, it is a collective adventure, made possible thanks to PONANT’s passion and expertise,” says Captain Étienne Garcia.

On 12 September, Le Commandant Charcot reached the North Pole of Inaccessibility, thus recording a milestone in the history of navigation. While taking the Transpolar routefrom Nome, Alaska, to Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen, she also crossed the Magnetic North Pole on September 13 and the Geographic North Pole on September 15.

On board, 20 international scientists are on a mission to collect critical data in this unexplored
area. Le Commandant Charcot is specifically designed for expeditions in extreme environments. The only high polar exploration vessel, her Polar Class 2 (PC2) hull means she can navigate in polar regions while minimising her environmental impact thanks to her hybrid electric engine powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG).

The North Pole of Inaccessibility is defined as the point on the vast Arctic Ocean that is furthest from land. First described in 1909 by the Russian polar explorer Alexander Koltchak, the exact
geographic coordinates were established in 2013 by Jim McNeill with the help of NASA and satellites: 85°48’ North, 176°09’ East. It is located at 1,465km from Utqiasuk in Alaska, 1,390km from Franz Josef Land in Russia and 1,070km from Ellesmere Island in Canada. For comparison the Geographic North Pole is around 700km from land.

In 1927, Hubert Wilkins flew over this Pole of Inaccessibility for the first time in a plane, but no-one had ever set foot on it. This historic moment was celebrated on board by the entire crew, scientists and guests.