Poles of inaccessibility: in the middle of nowhere

Poles of inaccessibility: in the middle of nowhere

The poles of inaccessibility are arguably the true final frontiers for explorers. But where and what are they?

I have long been fascinated by the most remote places on earth and the epic journeys of discovery to reach them. I have spent countless long mornings lying in bed leafing through massive reference books about the heroic age of Antarctic exploration, and even longer afternoons poring over giant maps detailing epic adventures across untamed oceans.

It was the names Amundsen, Livingstone and Magellan and their unfathomable stories of distant lands, high seas and adventure that first inspired me to travel. For modern explorers, the Poles of Inaccessibility represent the outer limits of humanity's grip on our planet.

What are the poles of inaccessibility?

Not to be confused with the North and South Poles, the Poles of Inaccessibility are the hardest places to reach on the planet. They are defined as the geographical location furthest from an access point, be it coastline, landfall or notable geographical feature. They are often faceless, hostile and always distant.

Typically there is no landmark, monument or spectacle to see when you reach them, so they are usually only of interest to the world's explorers, adventurers and mavericks.

Northern pole of inaccessibility

85°48′N 176°9′W

Often called the Arctic Pole of Inaccessibility, the North Pole is located at a point in the Arctic Ocean equidistant from the islands of Ellesmere, Komsomolets and Genriyetta. Modern satellite data has confirmed the distance to be 1,008 km (626 miles).

alt="Pole of Inaccessibility – North Pole">DreamtimeThe poles of inaccessibility are usually far away

It was originally thought to be 214 km (133 miles) from the current position and several expeditions were made to cross it, first by Sir Hubert Wilkins, who flew an aircraft over it in 1927, and then by a Soviet icebreaker in 1958. Sir Wally Herbert claimed to have been the first to reach it by dog ​​sled in 1968.

Most agree that the current North Pole of inaccessibility remains unconquered with the last unsuccessful attempt in 2006.

alt="Pole of Inaccessibility in the North of Google Earth">Google EarthThe North Pole of Inaccessibility

South pole of inaccessibility

82°53’14″S 55°4’30″E

The South Pole of Inaccessibility is the point in Antarctica furthest from the Southern Ocean. Due to the constantly shifting ice shelves surrounding the continent, the exact location of the South Pole of Inaccessibility is still open to interpretation.

For years, the South Pole was considered inaccessible at the site of the Soviet research station Polyus Nedostupnosti, where a bust of Vladimir Lenin was erected in the direction of Moscow in 1958. This historic south pole of inaccessibility was reached in 2007 by a team of researchers who found the abandoned train station and the bust of Lenin.

alt=“Pole of inaccessibility – Lenin Antarctica”>Cookson69/CC BY-SA 3.0The southern pole of inaccessibility was originally thought to be a Soviet research station

Using different criteria, the Scott Polar Research Institute has identified the South Pole of Inaccessibility at a different location (see map below).

In addition, the British Antarctic Survey located it in two different locations: one reflecting the furthest distance from the coast proper; the other, furthest from the outer edges of the ice shelves.

alt="Pole of Inaccessibility Antarctica">Google EarthThe different locations of the South Pole of Inaccessibility

Oceanic pole of inaccessibility

48°52.6′S 123°23.6′W

The oceanic pole of inaccessibility is also known as "Point Nemo", a reference to Captain Nemo, a character in Jules Verne's 1869 book Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. Point Nemo is the point in the Pacific Ocean furthest from land, 2,688 km (1,670 miles) from Ducie Island, part of the Pitcairn Islands.

alt=“Pole of inaccessibility south of Google Earth – 1″>Google EarthThese stars mark the closest point we have reached to the Oceanic Pole

The landmasses closest to the oceanic pole of inaccessibility are:

• Ducie Island im Norden
• Motu Nui (Teil der Osterinsel) im Nordosten
• Maher Island in der Antarktis im Süden
• Chatham Island im Westen
• Südchile im Osten

Continental poles of inaccessibility

Eurasia46°17′N 86°40′ELike the southern pole of inaccessibility, the Eurasian pole is located at a point on land furthest from the ocean. It is located in northwest China near the border with Kazakhstan, 2,645 km (1,644 miles) from the sea and 320 km (20 miles) north of the city of Ürümqi.

alt=“The Eurasian Pole”>Colegota/CC BY-SA 3.0The Eurasian pole of inaccessibility

A 2007 study questioned this and suggested two other possible locations. The study argued that the original calculation did not take into account the Gulf of Ob in northern Siberia, which penetrates 1,000 km (600 miles) into the landmass.

These poles are still located in China in the northwestern province of Xinjiang. The distance to the sea at these locations is 2,510 km and 2,514 km respectively, about 120 km closer than previously thought.

North America43.36°N 101.97°WSouth Dakota in the USA is home to the North American Pole of Inaccessibility. Located just 11 km (7 miles) north of the city of Allen, the Pole presents no major challenge for the modern adventurer. It is 1,650 km (1,024 miles) from the nearest coast.

South America14.05°S 56.85°WThe South American Continental Pole of Inaccessibility is located in Brazil, 44 km (27 miles) from the nearest city, Arenápolis, in the state of Mato Grosso. It is 1,512 km (940 miles) from the nearest coast.

Africa5.65°N 26.17°EThe African Pole of Inaccessibility is 1,814 km (1,127 miles) from the nearest coast. It is located near the tri-border border between the Central African Republic, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The nearest town is Obo in the Central African Republic, 49 km away.

Australia23.17°S 132.27°E or 23°2′S 132°10′There are two points that can mark the Australian Pole of Inaccessibility, both of which are 920 km (570 mi) from the nearest coast. The nearest town is Papunya, 30 km southwest of both positions.

Atlantic Ocean 24°07'36.1″N 42°12'07.7″WAlthough no official location has been identified, one estimate has placed the Atlantic Pole of Inaccessibility at halfway between Bermuda and Cape Verde.

Indian Ocean 45°42’22.2″S 93°30’03.5″EESimilarly, the inaccessible pole of the Indian Ocean is estimated to be located almost halfway between the Kerguelen Islands (more commonly known as the Desolation Islands) and the west coast of Australia.

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Main image:Dreamtime

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