First unsupported expedition to the North Pole

The first unsupported expedition to the North Pole was achieved by the Steger International Polar Expedition led by Will Steger (USA) on 2 May 1986. The team had departed on 8 March 1986 from Ward Hunt Island off the north coast of Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada, and reached the North Pole 55 days later.

Led by Will Steger, the Steger International Polar Expedition had set out as an eight-person party. However, two members were injured during the trek to the North Pole, and had to be evacuated off Antarctica, leaving only six members to complete the journey. The team carried all its own supplies and equipment – weighing some 3 tons (2.72 tonnes) altogether – on five dogsleds, pulled by 49 dogs. One of the party, Ann Bancroft (USA), became the first woman to reach the North Pole on arrival.