15 May 2015 – The Philippine Embassy in Oslo takes pride in the daring feat of Ms. Samelene “Sam” Bernardo Pimentel, a Filipina who joined the last degree ski expedition to the North Pole. She was the only Filipino in a team of five members, who successfully reached the 90° North last April 21 at 5:00 a.m. Norwegian time.

Ms. Pimentel visited the Embassy on April 07 prior to the expedition and again on April 30 after her return from the North Pole, where she was received by Philippine Minister and Consul General Charmaine Rowena C. Aviquivil.

She recounted the challenges that she encountered during the expedition organized by Børge Ousland Polar Exploration. Mr. Børge Ousland is described as “the leading polar explorer of our time,” who has gone on solo expeditions to both the South and North Poles and crossed both the Antarctic and the Arctic by himself from coast to coast. 

According to Ms. Pimentel, the expedition offered the participants the experience of crossing the massive Arctic sea ice on the Arctic Ocean, with depth of 4,000 meters and constantly drifting. To reach the Geographic North Pole, each team member pulled sleds carrying their equipment and provisions that weighed up to 40 kilos.  The trip started from Longyearbyen, Svalbard, after which the team was flown to Ice Base Barneo, a floating base camp on the Arctic sea ice, then flown in again by helicopter to a drop-off point at 89° Parallel where they skied for several days until they reached their ultimate destination, the Geographic North Pole, the True North – on Top of the World. The team braved the extreme cold (which reached minus 40 degrees or more at times) and the harsh Arctic environment. The last degree ski expedition normally takes ten days, a distance of 111 kilometers, but her team made it to the 90° Latitude North in five days.

To prepare for the trip, Ms. Pimentel had to undergo weeks of rigid endurance training with Philippine Marines in Fort Bonifacio. In Norway, she spent several days training on winter survival and learning how to ski.  

Ms. Pimentel said that the expedition was a once in a lifetime experience that she will never forget. END