Noted Grand Marais arctic adventurer and explorer Lonnie Dupre is planning a dogsled exploration of Greenland and will attempt to reach the North Pole in 2019. Dupre has circumnavigated Greenland by dogsled and kayak, and on the return trip wants to document some ancient sites the encountered he first time he visited.
It’s a year and a half away, but Lonnie Dupre is planning another expedition, heading back to Greenland and the North Pole with a team of seven world class explorers and scientists.
With more than 25 years of polar exploration under his belt, Dupre’s Pulling for the Planet expedition will take place from January 1, 2019 to the end of May.
But first things first.
“It’s going to cost a lot of money, especially to cover the travel expenses,” said Dupre, who is now trying to raise funds for the trip. Locally he said Jana Larson and Kelly Dupre had volunteered their time and expertise to help him.
Based out of Qaanaaq, the northernmost community in the world, the team will set out to travel over 1,000 miles by dog team. The adventurous nature of the expedition will engage the imaginations of people worldwide by sharing the fascinating Inuit culture, the exploration, history and scientific discoveries of a rarely visited place on our earth.
When he first reaches Qaanaaq, Dupre will purchase enough dogs to make up four sled dog teams.
The exploratory and historical segment of this journey will see the team on an exploration of Warming Land, a series of unexplored icy fjords located on the northwestern tip of Greenland. Following that the team will travel to the northernmost islands of Greenland, with a mission to discover a cairn built in the early 1900s by Robert Peary – the first to reach the North Pole. The team will also document three centuries-old Inuit tent rings at the mouth of Bessel’s fjord – discovered by Dupre in 2000, during his circumnavigation of Greenland, but never excavated or measured.
Because this is in one of the most remote and harshest climates in the world, the expedition will capitalize on these extreme conditions to conduct product testing. The team will also be collecting samples of ice, snow, plant life, and the inhabitants themselves for various pollutants. . Joining Dupre will be Cristian Donoso, an expert in kayaking the harsh environments of some of the southernmost areas of the world. A cultural expert, Cristian will uncover and share with the world the significance of kayaks in Inuit lives. . Joseph Cook is a 2016 Rolex Young Laureate in the Exploration Category. Cook is a glacial microbiologist who measures and models containments in ice and snow. . John Hoelscher spent six years in Antarctica before joining Dupre on their first ever non-motorized circumnavigation of Greenland. . Pascale Marceau is a chemical engineer who has numerous mountaineering expeditions in cold and remote areas, some with Dupre. . Ulyana Horodskj is a scientist, adventurer, and entrepreneur who holds a Ph.D. in geology. Her focus has been furthering understanding of climate change. . Carlos Montagut is based in Patagonia, Argentina, who will support the logistics and document the expedition. . Stevie Anna Plummer has long led Dupre’s social media, public relations and has led the marketing and PR support for Dupre’s many adventures. Plummer, who has been working remotely from Patagonia, will join the team in Qaanaaq and manage all of the communications and marketing aspects of the project.
Pulling for the Planet will pay homage to the Inuit people, unsung heroes of countless Arctic expeditions and pioneers of ingenuity to create rich lives. The Inuit exemplify a small carbon footprint existence; they lead their lives on simple living principles such as valuing strong communities, family, and unified work. Their innovation through trial and error and their creative improvisation has amazed Dupre on past expeditions. The expedition will convey these aspects of their culture to the world.
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