In February 2018, travelers Viktor Simonov and Fyodor Konyukhov will set off for the Arctic 2018 expedition, during which they will reach the North Pole on snowmobiles. The expedition team will include a representative from the Russian Defense Ministry's Arctic military forces and a professor from a military institute of physical culture, Interfax reports citing Viktor Simonov.
The expedition will be preceded by joint training of Arctic military forces and the travelers at Franz Josef Land. Then the team will reach the Arctic Cape and set off for the North Pole. The total length of their route to the pole will be 3,000-4,000 kilometers.
The original plan was that the travelers would ride Russian snowmobiles, but they eventually decided to stick with the Canadian ones. "These snowmobiles are more resilient, are of better quality and they are almost twice as light," Simonov explained.
During their expedition, travelers will also test the equipment designed by the Bauman Moscow State Technical University for measuring ice thickness.
The expedition is to reach the North Pole in early April when the Barneo ice station will begin its work, Simonov added.