OT: When did you decide to ski to the North Pole?
Ajeet Bajaj: A trip to the North Pole has always been at the back of my mind. In January 2006, I went cross-country skiing in Northern Minnesota and after that I felt confident about skiing to the North Pole.


OT: How did you cope with the conditions?
Ajeet Bajaj: Temperatures dropped to –70 degrees. We wore layers of clothes, jackets, gloves and special boots. We had to be very careful. Even if a little skin was exposed very briefly, frostbite could have set in. While skiing we had to be careful about the pressure ridges (uneven ridges of snow), open water leads (long, narrow stretches of water), blizzards and polar drift. Sometimes we would ski six-seven miles, pitch our tents and realise in the morning that the polar ice had taken us back a mile at night.


OT: What did you do for food?
Ajeet Bajaj: Skiing, while dragging a 40kg sledge, is hard labour. So we ate butter, cheese, meat and other high-calorie food. I had even carried ready-to-eat Indian food, which was a hit with the rest of the team.


OT: What’s your favourite holiday spot?
Ajeet Bajaj: A holiday, to me, entails some adventure activity. Alaska, the Alps and the Himalayas are all favourites.


OT: Your next holiday?
Ajeet Bajaj: Switzerland.


OT: Any travel tips?
Ajeet Bajaj: Indians haven’t realised the potential of the Himalayas. Before going abroad, we should explore the Himalayas, right from Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh. Also we need to be sensitive about the environment. Leave no trace of your visit.

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