Right now, six guys in a row boat are headed for the North Pole.

If all goes as planned, they’ll reach the Magnetic North Pole by water. Why by water? Because of all that ice-melt in the Arctic. The expedition is meant to highlight the effects of climate change.

Also, the crew will be able to gather data along the way that’s hard to come by, given the conditions in the Arctic. Eight times a day, or every 10 nautical miles, they’ll lower a probe to measure the depth and the temperature of the ocean. Meanwhile, GPS will track where those measurements were taken.

And then of course there’s the other scientific experiment — how cold, wind, rain and exhaustion affect the human body. Crew members will use biomarkers to measure their physiological state as they progress. It’s a 450-mile, four- to six-week adventure.  Right now it’s about 50 degrees Fahrenheit, but temperatures will drop below freezing eventually.

Unlike Columbus, these adventurers are blogging. So, you can keep up with the drama. For example, they’ve only been at sea three days and already the icebergs are giving them trouble. The boat’s anchor became tangled in an iceberg on Saturday while they navigated an ice field, and one of the crew members had to swim down to free it. Then, they were beached for longer than expected, waiting for the ice field to float away. To take advantage of good weather, they rowed all night (in broad daylight) in three-hour shifts.

This is exciting. I’m gonna keep following them.

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