The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word NORTHERLY
I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
N
O
R
T
H
E
R
L
Y
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Heading for a pole" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case heading for a pole = northerly.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does NORTHERLY mean?
NORTHERLY noun- A wind blowing from the north.
- Facing the north; directed towards the north.
- Located in a northern region
- Coming from the north.
- In an northward direction or position; (towards the) north.
- From the north.