Few places have stirred the hearts and minds of explorers more than the North Pole. At the turn of the last century, voyages of discovery and adventure by sled, balloon, airship and ship set off for the top of the world ­ and failed. It was not until 1926 that the pole was seen for the first time and not until 1948 that anyone actually stood there.

This is perhaps the most amazing location on our entire planet. There are no four corners of the World there: the South is all around you and any wind is southern. Over this “Top of the World” stars never rise or set together with the Earth’s rotation. The Polar Star, the beacon of all travelers in the Northern Hemisphere, is invariably in its zenith.