Greenland Expedition: Early Start and New Challenges

Greenland Expedition: Preparations are in Full Swing

It’s incredible, but we are still more than a month away from our departure for the Greenland expedition, and today I already received an email from the Greenland government expedition office. It contained our permit. This is truly unheard of. Never before have I received a permit so early in the process. In fact, I’ve even applied for a permit that we only received on the day of departure. But now, forty days before the expedition, we already have it. This is really good news. Now nothing stands in our way to begin the crossing of Greenland.

Preparations and Unexpected Obstacles

Of course, there are still many hurdles to overcome, and unexpected obstacles can arise. For example, in 2023, we faced an unexpected hurdle when the boat we were sending all our materials to Greenland on didn’t depart due to engine trouble in the harbor. We then had to wait a week for our supplies. Such things are not always under your control, just like with the permit. A few days ago, I submitted all the necessary papers, and they were sent to the police for consultation. Fortunately, they reviewed them quickly and granted the permit.

This naturally raises the question for me of why they granted it so quickly. Is it because I submitted everything neatly, fully, and completely? That certainly, because otherwise, you don’t get a permit. But maybe there are also just very few expeditions doing the autumn crossing.

The Challenges of the Autumn Crossing

The autumn crossing is indeed more challenging than the spring one. In the autumn, there is a higher chance of meltwater, especially at the beginning, and the weather can be more extreme. Still, it’s always nice to be in Tasiilaq, the village where the expeditions begin. There, you often meet two or three other expedition teams. It’s nice to have a cup of coffee, discuss strategies, and exchange inReach addresses so you can encourage each other on the ice cap.

However, it may be that we are the only ones taking on this challenge this year. I will consult my network to see if there are others going to Greenland in August, but there is a chance we will be alone. That’s not a problem either, because you don’t encounter many people on the Greenland ice cap anyway.

Our Strong Team

What did we have to do for that permit? Of course, we had to submit resumes of all participants and myself as the expedition leader to demonstrate our experience. We have a strong team, including someone who has climbed several eight-thousanders, including Mount Everest. I myself have crossed Greenland three times, and the other team members also have good experience.

Additionally, we had to provide a weapon permit and radio permit and demonstrate that our safety and communication procedures are in order. And they are! We have an excellent basecamp manager, good medical backup, and a meteorologist for weather forecasts. Everything is done to ensure the expedition’s success on paper.

Automation of our Blog

Today, I have also been busy with automation. I want blog posts like this to be automatically uploaded to our website as soon as I dictate them. Then, a transcript is automatically created and processed into a readable blog article thanks to AI technology like ChatGPT.

If you’re reading this blog, know that it was written by ChatGPT, which can sometimes differ from what was actually in the spoken message. But we take that in stride.

Once the blog is online, I also want notifications to be automatically sent to those who have signed up for them. Do you want to receive notifications too? Sign up for our newsflash! This way, you’ll always stay updated on our adventures.

Friday evening here in Utrecht; time to turn off the computer and have a beer. Tomorrow is another day!