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Daring Japanese Explorer to Attempt Solo Trek to North Pole

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North pole lake vanishes
Image from one of the North Pole Environmental Observatory webcams. (Image credit: North Pole Environmental Laboratory)

A Japanese explorer will attempt to hike solo to the North Pole next year, armed with only as many supplies as he can carry. In March, Yasunaga Ogita, who was forced to cut short his first attempt at the harrowing 500-mile (800 kilometers) journey in 2012, is aiming to trek from the northernmost part of Nunavut, in Canada, to the North Pole, reported Japan Today.

Ogita will have only 220 pounds (100 kilograms) of supplies with him on the journey, and there will be no opportunities to gather more provisions along the way. The intrepid explorer will attempt to complete the grueling trek in 50 days, according to Japan Today.

Ogita will begin training in February, and is scheduled to depart Nunavut in March. If successful, Ogita will become the first Japanese person to complete the daring expedition, and only the third person to successfully trek solo to the North Pole.

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Denise Chow
Denise Chow
Live Science Contributor

Denise Chow was the assistant managing editor at Live Science before moving to NBC News as a science reporter, where she focuses on general science and climate change. Before joining the Live Science team in 2013, she spent two years as a staff writer for Space.com, writing about rocket launches and covering NASA's final three space shuttle missions. A Canadian transplant, Denise has a bachelor's degree from the University of Toronto, and a master's degree in journalism from New York University.