COLD CULTURE
THE ARCTIC
The land of the midnight sun takes centre stage in a
major new exhibition at London’s British Museum
The Arctic is changing dramatically. Often
imagined as a timeless, frozen landscape,
scientists believe the region could in fact be
ice-free in 80 years. Temperatures there are
increasing at twice the world average and
last year was the second-warmest summer
since records began in 1910. The impact of
this is being seen in shrinking ice coverage,
thawing permafrost and extensive wildfires.
The Arctic’s staggering transformation is
at the heart of a new exhibition set to take
place at the British Museum this year. Arctic:
Culture and Climate has been curated in
partnership with indigenous communities
from across the region and is the first show
to look at the Arctic from the perspective
of its people. As well as exploring how
contemporary groups are responding and
adapting to climate change, the exhibition
will also take visitors through the region’s
fascinating anthropological history.
Four million people live in the Arctic
— including 40 different ethnic groups
— and evidence of human settlement goes
back millennia. Far from being an emptywilderness, the Arctic has a rich cultural
tradition. Highlights of the exhibition
include 28,000-year-old jewellery made
from mammoth ivory and sewing needles
carved from walrus tusks, which were
discovered at an archaeological site in north-
east Siberia. While providing a fascinating
insight into a prehistoric community, the
site was, rather poignantly, only discovered
because rising temperatures have
melted the permafrost.
Elsewhere in the
exhibition, new artworks
including an Inuksuk (an
iconic Arctic monument
of stacked stones) will
be on display as well as
immersive photography
of the captivating
landscapes. The imagery
has a dual purpose: to bring
the Arctic’s breathtaking beauty
to life, while also serving to show us
exactly what we stand to lose.
britishmuseum.org GAIL TOLLEYNEW ARCTIC TOURS
ICELAND & GREENLAND
This summer, glide through Iceland and
Greenland onboard the luxurious liner
Le Boreal. Offered by Abercrombie
& Kent, this two-week excursion will
be accompanied by mountaineer Alex
Pancoe, fresh from completing the
Explorers Grand Slam (climbing the
Seven Summits and trips to both poles).
Excursions include kayaking Tunulliarfik
Fjord in Greenland and summiting
Iceland’s magnificent Dynjandi Falls.
15 days from $15,995 (£12,425). 13-
August. abercrombieankent.comSWEDEN
Here’s a new way to see the Northern
Lights — from the dizzying heights of a
hot air balloon. Starting this winter, Off
the Map Travel is launching the very first
ballooning trip into the Arctic night sky.
The experience will take you some 130ft
in the air as the Aurora Borealis dances
around you. You’ll stay at the Aurora
Safari Camp, a collection of heated
tipis nestled among the trees in remote
Swedish Lapland. Three days from
£2,275. offthemap.travelRUSSIA
Next year, the National Geographic
Endurance will take to the seas for the
first time. The state-of-the-art vessel
has been designed to navigate the polar
seas year-round without compromising
on comfort. The ship heads to the
remote Franz Josef Land archipelago
and the Kara Sea for an Arctic trip that
truly is at the edge of the world, taking
in captivating Arctic wildlife and some
of the remotest islands in the world.
24 days from $26,680 (£18,160).
28 June to 21 July 2021.
nationalgeographic.com/expeditionsDON’T MISS
The Inughuit
(Greenlandic) sled made
from narwhal, reindeer bone
and driftwood. It was traded
with explorer Sir John Ross
on his expedition to the
Northwest Passage
in 1818.18 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
SMART TRAVELLER18 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel