Quark Expeditions announced it is completing preparations to take passengers to the remote Russian archipelago of Severnaya Zemlya —the last major territorial discovery on the planet.

“Exploring the Russian High Arctic can be a challenge, but it’s a challenge that Quark Expeditions is uniquely equipped to meet,” said Ed Bonner, vice president of product at Quark Expeditions, in a statement.

“We take pride in having the most experienced team in the polar regions and in doing the preparation required to create life-changing experiences in these remote wildernesses.”

Dominated by glaciers and polar desert and inhabited by a staggering array of wildlife, the hard-to-reach archipelago, located off Siberia’s Taymyr Peninsula in the Kara Sea, was only discovered in 1913 and remained virtually unexplored until it was charted in the early 1930s.

Quark undertook a reconnaissance voyage in September 2019 to explore Severnaya Zemlya and the surrounding region and lay the groundwork for the upcoming expeditions.

“We sent four experienced expedition team members on a 30-day voyage with Captain Nicolay Litau, one of Russia’s foremost polar explorers, on the expedition yacht Apostol Andrey, to scout out the best landing sites, the most unforgettable views and the unique landmarks that we hope will maximize our guests’ experience in this magical land,” said Bonner.

Guests interested in being among the few to visit Severnaya Zemlya can join the 22-day “High Arctic Odyssey: Remote Russian Archipelagos.”

In addition to exploring Severnaya Zemlya, guests on this expedition will also visit glaciated Novaya Zemlya, where the earliest Arctic explorers overwintered, explore historic sites at Franz Josef Land and the islands of the icy Kara Sea.

The company is also offering a shorter trip to Russia for travelers eager to explore the remote archipelagos of Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya: the 16-day “Jewels of the Russian Arctic: Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya.”

There are two July departures both in 2020 and in 2021.