5/5/2023 0 Comments Franz josef land![]() Probably the most wondrous surprise is to be found on Champ Island, where visitors can wander among numerous naturally occurring geodes (stone spheres) strewn across a stark polar desert landscape. A plaque commemorates the famous meeting of Fridtjof Nansen and Frederick George Jackson, which occurred here in June 1896 – an amazing coincidence that saved Nansen’s life. Artefacts visible all across the tundra can still be assigned to these various dramatic episodes in polar history. This site, lovely in the light of summer, was the scene of many harrowing ordeals and incredible feats of winter survival during that era. Cape Flora, Northbrook Islandīeing one of the more accessible locations in the archipelago, Cape Flora on Northbrook Island served as a base for many polar expeditions in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. One can still see the walls and even the weathered log beam of the shelter they called “the Hole”, a chilling reminder of the privations endured by these polar pioneers. Here, legendary explorers Fridtjof Nansen and Hjalmar Johansen spent the winter of 1895-96 in a dwelling consisting of a shallow hole, low earthen walls and a roof of walrus skins supported by a driftwood log. Among the many historical sites nestled within this desolate wilderness, perhaps none is more poignant than Cape Flora. Nowhere in the Arctic is the heroism and drama of early polar exploration more plainly evident than in Franz Josef Land. In some parts of the archipelago, compelling secrets reveal themselves as if coming back from the depths of history. Access is permitted only with an expedition cruise ship or icebreaker. Even now, independent travel to the Franz Josef Land Archipelago is nearly impossible. An Austrian-Hungarian expedition accidentally drifted there, trapped by ice floes, and named the islands to honour their emperor.ĭuring the Soviet era, travel restrictions imposed by Russian authorities made these islands almost completely off limits to tourists. The archipelago remained virtually unknown until 1873, when it was discovered purely by chance. Unlike Greenland or Svalbard, Franz Josef Land does not have and never has had a resident population or hunting tradition. ![]() Located northeast of Svalbard and between the Russian mainland and the North Pole, these remote islands are notoriously inaccessible due to heavy sea-ice conditions and severe weather for a good portion of the year. The 192 islands of the Franz Josef Land Archipelago have long been shrouded in mystery and secrecy. ![]()
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