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Arctic Adventure Greenland expedition 2023

Welcome to the audio blog updates from Arctic Adventure, where I, Henk-Jan Geel, take you on the 2023 Greenland expedition. In this exciting adventure we go from the east coast to the west coast of Greenland, a journey of almost 600 kilometers. Read on to learn more about our preparations and the challenges ahead.

Preparing for the expedition

Our team of five Dutchmen, consisting of Robert, Marijke, Volkert, Wouter and myself, trained hard for this expedition. We have been preparing for about a year. Our training included not only physical strength training and exercise, but also team-building activities. For example, we trained by dragging car tires behind us to strengthen our thighs and lower back. We also practiced with each other at a shooting range, because we bring a weapon in case we encounter a polar bear and need to be able to defend ourselves.

We also had an explanation on how to rescue from a glacier crevasse, just in case we find ourselves in such a situation. Of course, however, we will be careful to avoid this. We keep in touch with other expeditions making the same crossing and try to follow in each other’s footsteps. All these preparations have prepared us for the challenge ahead.

The challenges of the expedition

The Greenland expedition takes place in the fall, which is always a bit heavier than an expedition in the spring. Temperatures are more changeable and winds can be stronger in Greenland. Especially in the beginning, we will have to deal with the katabatic winds, which blow from the center of the ice sheet toward the rim. Since we start on the east coast, we will be walking against the wind at first, which can be quite intense. Sometimes the wind can even be so strong that the sea is too rough and we cannot be taken by boat to our starting location. In that case, we will try to go by helicopter to our starting point.

Our expedition begins from the small village of Tassilak, where we will stay in a hotel for the first two nights and make final preparations. From there we take a boat to a bay near Isertok, where we unload our sleds and the expedition officially begins. The first three days we will ascend about 1,000 meters through an area of glaciers and crevasses, requiring extra vigilance. Then we get to the ice sheet itself, where the terrain flattens out a bit. We expect to cover about 20 kilometers daily. If all goes according to plan, after about 24 to 25 days we will arrive at point 660, where we will be picked up by Chris Sørensen, our contact in Kangersluiswak. We will spend one or two more nights at a hotel in Kangersluiswak before flying back to the Netherlands via Copenhagen.

Stay informed about our expedition

We are extremely looking forward to this expedition and we would like you to follow us on this adventure. Sign up for our Expedition update to stay up to date with our liveblogs and updates. You will then receive an e-mail whenever new information is available. We will do our best to update you by phone or satellite phone and if possible, we will even send pictures of our experiences. Thanks for listening and we hope you’ll continue to follow us on this exciting Greenland expedition!