Adventure in Greenland: Milestone Reached and Hail Carpet Discovered

Day 10 of the Expedition in Greenland

Welcome to a new update from our expedition team in Greenland. Today is Saturday, August 23, and we are on day 10 of this wonderful expedition. The day began just like the previous ones: white and sunny, with a slight rise of half a centimeter per meter. Yet, there was something special about today. During our journey, we saw dancing clouds that seemed to pull down a kind of curtain. Three kilometers further, we discovered it was hail, thousands of small pieces two to three millimeters in size. In the Netherlands, such a hailstorm would quickly disappear, but here it remained on the cold ground. We skied for five kilometers through a carpet of hail. Milestone reached Today we also reached an important milestone: a third of our journey is completed at 195 kilometers. Not long after, we celebrated reaching the 200-kilometer point with a high five. The sun came out later than expected, after first hiding behind a cloud cover. Despite the forecasted snow, the sun broke through, and I felt like a toasted sandwich, baked on all sides.

Nutrition during the expedition

During this expedition, nutrition plays a crucial role. Our breakfast consists of various types of oatmeal, both homemade and from brands like Adventure Food. Coffee and tea complete the breakfast. During the day, we don’t have time for extensive lunches. We take short breaks where we eat nuts from a large container, mixed with Callebaut chocolate drops, M “’s, Haribo candies, and marzipan. We also have energy bars that we break into smaller pieces beforehand to keep them edible in the cold. We drink two liters of fluids daily, divided over soup-like drinks such as tea, broth, coffee, and hot chocolate. Noodles are new to our assortment and prove to be an excellent addition.” In the evening, our ritual begins with making group soup and melting snow for water. We use this water to prepare our dinner: dry meals like pasta carbonara or pasta salmon. For dessert, we enjoy a small bag of candy and a cheese platter with aged cheese and salami.

The Day Ends with Snow

Our Basecamp manager predicted snow around half-past four, and indeed, at a quarter past four, it started to snow lightly. It was a mix of hail, snow, and rain. Statistics Today we covered 25 kilometers and reached an altitude of 2300 meters. In total, we have now covered 207 kilometers. The temperature hovers around freezing. Tomorrow is our rest day. I’m considering whether to take a break from the blog or to update you on other matters. Until then!