British explorer Chris Brown becomes first to reach seven Poles of Inaccessibility

British adventurer Chris Brown, 63, has become the first person to reach seven of the world’s Poles of Inaccessibility, a set of points that mark the farthest reaches from land or sea. He completed the Northern Pole of Inaccessibility, about 400 miles from the geographic North Pole, on Sept. 18 after mounting an expedition that began with a voyage aboard the icebreaker Le Commandant Charcot on Sept. 5.

Brown has already visited six PIAs across the globe — in North America, South America, Africa, Australia, the Antarctic and the oceanic Pole at Point Nemo in the middle of the Pacific — and is now one step from finishing the eight-strong roster. The Northern PIA, sometimes called the Arctic PIA, lies at 85°48′N, 176°09′E, though its exact spot shifts with drifting ice. The distance from land is about 1,008 kilometers (626 miles), a factor that has repeatedly complicated attempts to reach it. On this expedition, the ship’s crew and Brown’s small team navigated near the PIA coordinates and then pressed onto the surface to complete the ascent on the morning of Sept. 18.

The voyage also took the ship to the geographic North Pole, where Brown engaged in cross-ice skiing, snowshoeing and kayaking, and even attempted an Arctic plunge in water around −2 degrees Celsius. Wildlife sightings were part of the journey, with Arctic foxes, walrus, humpback whales and polar bears reported in the area. The closest coasts to the pole are Henrietta Island in the East Siberian Sea, Cape Arctic on Severnaya Zemlya, and Ellesmere Island in the Canadian Arctic.

The Northern PIA’s location has a long history of debate and recalibration. In 2005, Jim McNeill asked scientists at the National Snow and Ice Data Center and the Scott Polar Research Institute to refresh the pole’s position using modern GPS and satellite data, because the pole’s coordinates shift with ice movements. A revised position was published in Polar Record in 2013, at Latitude 85°48′ N and Longitude 176°9′ E, about 1,008 km/626 miles from land. McNeill attempted to reach it the following year but had to turn back, and he tried again in 2010 with his Ice Warrior team, only to be hindered by deteriorating ice. Over the years, other explorers such as the Norwegian Børge Ousland have come close, but the combination of shifting ice and logistical hurdles has kept the Northern PIA among the most challenging places on Earth to verify reaching.

Brown’s earlier bid in 2019 was cut short by geopolitical tensions that restricted access to a key staging point. At the time, the plan relied on Ukrainian-made Antonov An-74 aircraft operating out of Barneo, a temporary ice camp near the North Pole. Those flights depended on permission to operate in Russian airspace, which was curtailed after geopolitical tensions rose. Brown found himself stuck in Svalbard for about two weeks as weather deteriorated and Barneo’s operations were disrupted. Ultimately, the expedition could not proceed to the ice to attempt the pole.

For this current mission, Brown and his team boarded the icebreaker Le Commandant Charcot on Sept. 5 and persuaded its captain to deviate toward the target area, enabling them to approach within about 1 kilometer of the PIA coordinates. From there, Brown walked across the ice with a three-person team to reach the pole surrounded by a landscape of shifting floes and extreme cold. The voyage has also served as an opportunity to collect data and observations that could inform understanding of sea-ice dynamics and climate-related changes in the Arctic region.

“I’ve been chasing this for a long time,” Brown said after his arrival. “This one feels like it has been a long time coming. When I set myself the target of visiting all the poles of inaccessibility, I thought maybe three or four would be achievable. But here we are! Never give up. Just never give up. No matter how hard your dreams may seem, keep working and see what happens.” He added that while the Arctic may be warmer than the Antarctic, the moving ice and currents make the Northern PIA almost as difficult to reach as its southern counterpart.

The expedition’s leadership credited Captain Patrick Marchesseau for navigational support and praised colleagues Sigurdur Sveinsson and Simika Best for enabling the vessel’s capabilities and planning. Brown’s team documented the climb to the pole while the Le Commandant Charcot continued its Arctic itinerary, including a stop at the geographic North Pole where the crew and Brown conducted outdoor activities to mark the milestone.

With seven poles completed, Brown now has one remaining target: the Eurasian PIA in northwestern China. The Eurasian PIA forms the final piece of the broader challenge and has its own set of logistical and geopolitical complexities that could influence timing and access.

Supporters and followers can keep up with Brown’s adventures at brown.co.uk, and more information about the Poles of Inaccessibility is available at inaccessibility.net. The journey has highlighted how shifting ice, weather, and international logistics intersect in explorations that push the boundaries of human endurance while drawing attention to the evolving Arctic environment.

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