Franz Josef Land

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About the trip

Adventure cruise on Russian icebreaker Kapitan Dranitsyn to the high Russian Arctic. Franz Josef Land is an archipelago of 192 islands 85% of which are glaciated at 81 degrees North 560 miles from the North Pole. These islands have a combined coastline of 2,750 miles. They have never had a permanent population being occupied briefly by Russian research and military facilities. In 2011 they were included in the Russian Arctic National Park. Some of the glaciers on adjacent islands touch so it is impossible to actually chart the islands coast lines. During the WWII a Nazi weather station was never discovered by the Russians. Our tour was organized by Polar Quest and began in Helsinki with a Finn Air charter flight to Murmansk where we boarded the icebreaker. The return trip was the reverse itinerary. I made pre and post extensions to explore Helsinki a very interesting city. We saw wild life, flora, and several abandoned Russian stations. I went with a British friend who lives on the Isle of Wight. The tour had been promoted in Germany so we were among the very few non-Germans on board.

Questions?

Reach Burr Preston at burrpreston@hotmail.com

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