What draws travelers to the top of the world?

What is it that draws travelers to the world’s polar regions — some of the harshest and most remote places on the planet?

Aside from occasional research stations and scientific outposts, there are just a few ways to explore the far reaches of the polar regions: by air, overland or by sea.

Many Alaskans get a taste of the area when flying nonstop to Europe. The air route goes north off the coast of Alaska, over the frozen Arctic Ocean and then down over Greenland and Norway before ending in Frankfurt. Sure, it’s awe-inspiring, but it’s just a light taste, compared to being on the ground.

Most modern-day polar explorers sail by cruise ship, since cross-country travel, with or without sled dogs, can be daunting. But these are not the same types of ships that cruise Alaska’s Inside Passage during the summer.

“In 2013, my husband, Mike, and I went on a trip to Antarctica,” said Anchorage resident Rocky Plotnick. “He turned 70 on that trip. We went to the Falkland Islands, to South Georgia and the Antarctic Peninsula aboard a Russian icebreaker.”

This was not Dr. Mike Singsaas’ first trip to Antarctica.

“Mike had dreamed of polar exploration since he was 12 years old,” said Rocky. “In fact, two weeks before our wedding, he had returned from a two-month sailing expedition with seven others from Sydney to Antarctica and back.

“The people on board all had lots of sailing experience. But there wasn’t even any heat on the boat,” said Rocky.

After sailing on the icebreaker to Antarctica, the couple talked about transiting the Northwest Passage, over the top of Canada between Greenland and Alaska.

“Even though we had a 48-foot boat, we never considered sailing it ourselves,” said Rocky. “But the idea of taking the trip was always out there.”

Sadly, Dr. Singsaas died in December 2020.

It wasn’t until a couple of years later that Rocky received a brochure in the mail featuring a trip to the high Arctic.

“I made a phone call, but the departure was all booked up,” said Rocky.

Curious, Rocky called the cruise company directly. Sure enough, Adventure Canada had room on their ship, the Ocean Endeavor, for a sailing on Aug. 27, 2024.

The Ocean Endeavor is not an icebreaker. But it’s a 449-foot “ice-strengthened expedition ship,” accommodating 168 passengers, plus the crew.

Rocky’s entire 17-day itinerary on the ship was above the Arctic Circle.

The first stop was the Toronto airport, where Rocky joined her cruise mates for the charter flight to Kangerlussuaq, Greenland. The airport used to be Sondrestrom Air Force Base and is the main international airport in Greenland. That is due to change later this month when Nuuk Airport Terminal is set to open in Greenland’s capital city, 198 miles away.

On the ground in Greenland, passengers boarded buses for a 30-minute ride to a fleet of Zodiac inflatable boats. There are no ports to accommodate ships as large as the Ocean Endeavor in Greenland or along the Northwest Passage. So the ship’s fleet of 20 Zodiacs is how passengers got from ship to shore.

After boarding everyone, the ship sailed to the nearby community of Sisimiut, Greenland’s second-largest city of 5,580 residents.

“I was surprised by all the colorful houses and buildings,” said Rocky. “The architecture was kind of European — very clean.”

Before going into town, staff on the ship warned travelers to be respectful of people. “They specifically warned us not to pet the sled dogs,” said Rocky.

The most populous group in Greenland is the Greenlandic Inuit. On board the ship, Adventure Canada has several Inuit people as program leaders, lecturers and guides.

Cultural programs are featured on board the ship.

One of the Inuit leaders aboard Rocky’s cruise was Aleqa Hammond, the first female prime minister of Greenland.

After another port call farther up the coast in Ilulissat, Greenland, the Ocean Endeavor turned west to cross Baffin Bay and enter the Northwest Passage near Pond Inlet in Canada.

Getting on and off the ship involved several steps. First stop was the mud room. Each traveler had a locker for rubber boots, a big jacket and a life preserver. Guests are advised to bring their own rain pants. Since all the landings are via Zodiac inflatable boats, Stepping in the water and getting in or out is part of the program.

There’s also a special protocol in polar bear country. There are several “bear guards” who set up a perimeter before anyone goes ashore.

“We did see polar bears from the boat,” said Rocky. “I felt very safe in terms of the decisions they made on the trip. We had to change course a couple of times because of the ice and one day it was too foggy to go ashore.”

Once in Canadian waters in the Territory of Nunavut, there are few communities and lots of icy, rugged landscapes.

“You’re so far from safe harbors or ports out there. You really need to have everything with you,” said Rocky. “There’s not a lot of protection on the land or on the water. It’s quite desolate.”

Although there is a medical clinic on board the ship with a doctor and a paramedic, serious illness or an accident could require evacuation by helicopter. All travelers must purchase a separate insurance policy to accommodate air evacuation. Costs vary depending on the length of your trip and the specific itinerary. Rocky’s policy cost $2,500.

Rocky felt her late husband was with her in some ways on the trip. “Mike would have loved this trip. This journey was bittersweet for me — but very healing,” she said.

Sailing through the Northwest Passage to their final port call at Kugluktuk, Rocky had time to observe the desolate beauty of the high Arctic from the observation deck.

“It’s pretty in a weird way,” said Rocky. “I appreciate the beauty of the polar region. It’s beautiful in a clean way. You embrace the snowflake and the crystals in the air and the light.”

The final leg of the trip was a charter flight back to Yellowknife, where travelers went their separate ways on other commercial flights.

“This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I’m grateful I could do it. Still, I think I’m done with polar expeditions,” confessed Rocky. “I kinda like not having to wear my coat.”

Adventure Canada is a small company with five ships that concentrates on travel to the polar regions. A core value of the company is “regenerative travel.”

“Essentially, regenerative travel seeks to leave ecosystems, communities, and economies better off than we encounter them, through a holistic process in which the host community’s priorities are more valued than those of the traveler,” writes Bill Swann, co-founder of Adventure Canada.

Perhaps it’s the harshness, the remoteness and the desolate beauty of the landscape that draws a special traveler to the bottom of the world. Or the top of the world. Or both.

[Correction: This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Rocky Plotnick’s last name in multiple photo captions.]