For a guy who claims the Arctic is overheating, he seems to complain a lot about the cold

The Canadian Press: U.K. explorer plans to kayak to North Pole to urge climate change action

After last year's record-breaking loss of sea ice in the Arctic, many scientists are predicting that waters all the way up to the North Pole will be largely ice-free by the end of the summer.

"It wouldn't have been possible to do this kayak even last year," said Pugh. "The Arctic has changed so much in just one year."

Pugh's route will take him 1,200 kilometres from Spitsbergen Island, Norway, to the Pole. He's been training for the two-to three-week paddle in northern Norway in conditions, he said, "that, frankly, frightened me."

"Not only was I wearing a wetsuit, I was wearing a drysuit over top and I was still getting cold.

"It's very cold up there and it's going to be even colder on a kayak."

Two notes:

1. It's almost August, and those "waters" are still far from ice-free.

2. There's much more ice up there this year than last year.