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Final Preparations for the Expedition to Greenland

This Sunday afternoon in Utrecht, we are busy with the final preparations for our expedition to Greenland. As you read this, we are probably at Schiphol Airport checking in for our flight with Icelandair. (That will be Monday at 12:00) Via Reykjavik, we travel to Kulusuk, where our adventure begins.

Technical Challenges and Solutions

During the preparations, we encountered some technical problems. The Garmin Messenger Plus, which we planned to take with us, could not be activated. Therefore, we decided to take another tracker with us: the trusted Garmin inReach that I still had. In addition, there appeared to be a software error in our handheld GPS, which prevented it from getting past the loading screen. Even a factory reset offered no solution. Fortunately, at Arctic Adventure, we have multiple teams and therefore multiple devices at our disposal. We brought another GPS, and it works properly. Normally, I navigate with a compass and my mobile phone, using various navigation apps. It is always important to have a backup, or redundancy, as it is called.

Extra Communication Equipment

We are now taking two Garmin inReach devices with us. If we manage to activate the inReach Messenger Plus while we are on the ice cap, we can send photos. That would be great, of course.

Ready for Departure

The last things are now being taken care of. The hand luggage is already ready, and I’m going to call my family before we leave. Tomorrow morning at 12 o’clock, we will be at Schiphol Airport. If you want to see us off, you are welcome at the Icelandair check-in desk. We look forward to the adventure that lies ahead and hope that everything goes according to plan!