Ajeet Bajaj

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 &ndash70 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&rsquos 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&rsquot 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.