Anisa Al Raissi could become the first Omani to ski to the North Pole

Muscat: Anisa Al Raissi, 34, from Muscat will depart next week to begin a 10-day expedition on the shifting pack ice of the Arctic Ocean, attempting to ski roughly 100 km over treacherous terrain to reach the Geographic North Pole, the top of the world.
If successful she will become the first Omani to ski to the North Pole.
Anisa will make the trek as part of the Women’s Euro-Arabian North Pole Expedition 2018, led by British Polar Explorer Felicity Aston MBE. As well as reaching the Geographic North Pole, the aim of the expedition is to promote greater intercultural understanding between Europe and the Middle East as well as to inspire others to achieve their ambitions.
“Challenging young people and having them push and test their limits has been my mantra over the last 4 years working with Outward Bound Oman – this expedition is a chance for me to practice what I preach and I hope be able to inspire the youth by my actions and overcoming the hardships I know I will certainly face. Yes, it is great to be able to be the first Omani to ski to the geographic north pole, and I will be very proud to hold the Omani flag at the top of the world – but this never has been about me, or being the first. This is about empowering young men and women to face the adversities life throws at them, and in fact actively seeking out challenges which will help us grow as individuals.
**media[851805]**
“Having said that, it would not have been possible for me to do this without the support I have been getting from everyone – be it random strangers, who have nothing but kind words to motivate me; the participants I go on courses with, whose admiration pushes me on; be it my friends and family (at home and Outward Bound), who have been nothing but supportive and the pillars that keep me up; and most importantly, the team at Omantel, who I am proud to say are my national sponsors and have believed in this expedition from the get-go,” said Al Raissi.
Anisa and the Euro-Arabian team will be sleeping in tents on the ice when they are not skiing, and will haul in sledges everything they need to survive in the Arctic. As well as the perils of temperatures as low as minus 40 degrees Centigrade, other hazards the team will face include movements of the pack ice that may split apart to reveal open water or push together to form walls of ice that have to be crossed. There is also the threat of predatory polar bears.
The team will gather in the remote Arctic archipelago of Svalbard at the end of March from where they will fly to the floating ice station known as ‘Barneo’. They will start their ski journey across the Arctic pack ice to the North Pole from the station. Preparations for the expedition have been ongoing for nearly two years including training expeditions in Iceland and Oman.
The team will be conducting two important science experiments during the expedition and will be sharing their experiences live from the ice with schools and via social media.