Simonov met with a Sputnik correspondent to provide updates on preparations for a major expedition he has planned for March together with another famous Russian explorer, Fyodor Konyukhov. The travelers are set to cover 2,500 kilometers (1,553 miles) between Russia and Canada on dog sleds. They are expected to reach their destination within three months, as they must carefully choose their route through frozen lakes, hummocks, ice, cracks and tricky weather conditions.
"I have been to the super modern Nagurskoye Base, which is situated on Alexandra Land, part of Franz Josef Land, and in the Far East where we have a slightly smaller base which sits on Wrangel Island. No one has a base like the one on Franz Josef Land. We literally have no competitors in the Arctic region," Simonov, who has been working with the Russian Defense Ministry as an arctic expedition leader from 2014, said.
Russia unveiled its new military base named Arctic Trefoil in 2017. It is the Russian armed forces' northernmost permanent installation that houses some 150 personnel. Arctic Trefoil is also Russia's second major new base in the Arctic. The first, dubbed Northern Clover, is located on Kotelny Island, north of Siberia. The Russian Defense Ministry also has smaller bases on Severnaya Zemlya, as well as in the village of Rogachevo on Novaya Zemlya ,on Cape Schmidt and Wrangel Island.
Simonov told Sputnik that even though the Arctic had used to have particular strategic relevance because it comprised the shortest route between the former Soviet Union and the United States, strategic proximity had lost most of its immediate relevance because of modern communication and military technologies.
"I do not view the Arctic through the prism of great-power competition. It is not there and I do not see militarization of the region," Simonov said, adding that if we were to compare Russia's military capacities with the US ones, the point needed to be made that Washington was lacking the northern fleet needed to maintain the capability to protect its interests there.
"It [the US] does not have normal icebreakers, Russia has commissioned six or seven nuclear ones by now," the traveler told Sputnik.
The Arctic is a maritime region, and icebreaking provides a year-round access to the basin. The US currently operates two icebreakers — the large Polar Star and the medium vessel Healy. The US's first brand new heavy icebreaker in four decades, the Polar Sentinel, has been plagued by delays and will not sail until May 2025 at the earliest, according to the US Coast Guard that operates the icebreaker fleet.
Russia's state and private universal icebreaker fleet consists of more than 40 vessels, including nuclear, diesel-electric, and diesel-powered ones. In October, Russia raised the flag on the Ural and the Yakutia, two newly completed nuclear icebreakers belonging to the most powerful class in the world, the LK-60 class. Another four icebreakers are currently under construction in this class.
When asked whether the Arctic ice was melting, which potentially may increase the use of the icebreaker fleet and of the Northern Sea Route, Simonov alleged that scientists had too little data to say something with certainty.
"I am a geographer and have always been skeptical about the theory that the ice in the Arctic is melting. If you look at the annual monitoring of ice formation, you can see that it forms within the same boundaries. People have been studying the Arctic region for 100-150 years at the most. How can we judge about any changes without necessary long-term observation data?" the traveler stressed.
In this regard, Simonov also recalled that "everything on Earth occurs in cycles," which means that the planet might have dealt with the same warming about 200 years ago.
"It [the Arctic ice] melts and then it builds up again. I know, for example, that it was just as warm in the early 30s of the 20th century," the Russian explorer told Sputnik.
Average temperatures will be lower than minus 50 degrees Celsius (minus 58 degrees Fahrenheit) when the travelers hit the road in March. In the following months, before they expect to cross the finish line in May, average temperatures will rise up to minus 15 degrees Celsius at the most.
Each large-scale expedition to the Arctic is not just a journey, the polar guide said. The travelers are always tasked with specific missions. In addition to the fact that explorers often become pioneers and record holders for new northern routes, they carry out assignments from various scientific institutes and ministries.
For example, during their forthcoming expedition, Konyukhov and Simonov will test new communication devices adapted to low temperatures and perform assignments from the Russian Academy of Sciences, and the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute.
Simonov lives and trains in Russia's Karelia region, where he has a large kennel of sled dogs: Chukchi sled dogs and Siberian Huskies. He also heads several companies and organizations related to Arctic tourism.
"Dogs were used in the explorations of both poles. The snowmobile may break, dogs will pull the sled no matter what. The only thing that needs to be made is a reliable sled that will not break under any circumstances," the traveler explained.
Simonov added that he preferred sled dogs team to any other means of transportation since these animals immensely trust people and do what people say without any hesitation or fear.
"Our goal and responsibility is that they do not die. Konyukhov and I are very proud that during our last Arctic trip we did not lose a single dog," the explorer told Sputnik.
When asked about dogs' expeditionary team, Simonov said that the travelers favored "gender equality" and that females should be part of the team as it creates a normal microclimate motivating male dogs.
"In general, girls are often morally more stable. We put dogs in harness side by side in pairs. There are two leader dogs ahead, who have to be changed periodically, because they get tired not physically but from the responsibility they bear. We used to have a girl leader that managed to lead the team for thousands of kilometers," he said.
In conclusion, Simonov told Sputnik that the ice-covered landscapes that have long captured the imagination of European explorers will soon mesmerize a young explorer from Africa who will accompany the Russian explorer on the next Arctic trip.
"There are two candidates — one from Congo, another one from Senegal. We will bring them to Karelia to train and to get to know each other. These are the plans but first, we have to complete our upcoming mission," Simonov said.