Whisky Focus - Old Pulteney Row To The Pole Success

British ‘Old Pulteney Row to the Pole’ expedition successfully navigates hazardous 450 mile Arctic route

Jock Wishart and crew make history as world’s first oarsmen to row to magnetic North Pole

British Arctic explorer and adventurer Jock Wishart today claimed a momentous world first as he and his six-man crew completed their ambitious ‘Old Pulteney Row to the Pole’, reaching the magnetic north pole (recognized and certified in 1996) at 12.30am GMT.

The momentous expedition, which is sponsored by Old Pulteney Single Malt Scotch Whisky, set out from Resolute Bay on Friday 29th July to conquer some of the harshest conditions on earth. The voyage, which was four years in the planning, was rowing through waters which are only open water for a matter of just weeks each year due to the recent increase in seasonal ice melt in the Arctic.

The voyage has been the challenge of a lifetime for Jock and his crew of adventurous rowers, as they steered the small ‘Old Pulteney’ ice boat through ice-strewn seas. The open water is still frequently filled with ice bergs and floating ice. They have had several incidents of collisions and have had to wait and watch the weather and ice blocking their way as Arctic ice closed in, threatening to put the expedition in jeopardy.

Throughout the journey, the crew has worked with scientific research partners to deliver fresh environmental data into the impact of arctic deterioration on the polar landscape. They have also used the opportunity to study wildlife, having had close encounters with some of the Arctic’s most impressive species, including beluga whales, walrus and polar bears.

The intrepid team has lived for almost a month on the compact, specially designed ice-boat the ‘Old Pulteney’, sleeping in shifts between grueling rowing stints and surviving on 7000 calorie-per day dry rations. The detail and drama of their 4-week adventure has been captured by a BBC cameraman for a documentary on the expedition.

For most of the voyage the crew has rowed through open water, taking advantage of favourable weather to make good headway, however the real challenge lay in the second and most significant part of the expedition – rowing all the way across to Ellef Ringnes Island. In the last few weeks of summer this area was the last to melt and break up, so the crew was confronted with both solid and floating sea ice which they painstakingly picked their way through – with the last part of their journey being a race against time as the ice closed in.

Today a triumphant Jock Wishart commented: ‘The final leg of our journey started on Wednesday night when a possible route through the disintegrating ice began to open up. We’d been pinned down for days by ice and heavy winds. But the conditions suddenly changed and we were able to pick our way through. The last three miles proved to be the hardest of all when we had to take the boat out the water and then haul it over the ice.

We’re all absolutely exhausted, but elated. No one’s ever even tried to do this. In fact most people did think it was impossible. But we’ve done it!”

Said Old Pulteney Senior Brand Manager Margaret Mary Clarke: ‘Huge congratulations to Jock and his team from everyone here at Old Pulteney Single Malt Scotch Whisky. We’ve tracked their progress with excitement and bated breath over the past month and we’re thrilled their efforts have been rewarded. Old Pulteney’s partnership with Jock and this expedition stems from the brand’s age old heritage of supporting maritime adventure, so it’s a proud day for us to be part of this momentous achievement’.

 

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