Greenland Expedition 2008 (11)
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Traveling East to West, Steger and three Ellesmere Expedition team members will kite-ski 500 miles across the Greenland Ice Cap following Nansen's historical route of 1880 to begin documentation of the rising summer thaw level and the changes global warming has had on the ice cap.
The team arrived in Greenland on June 27th, 2008 - follow their progress by listening to the audio dispatches.
Day 2 of the expedition
Distance traveled: 5km
Position: N 65,48.783 W 038,38.025
Elevation: 1085 m / 3.599 ft
After no less than 5 plane flights and one helicopter flight the team has finally arrived on the Greenland ice cap. The weather is warm and the sun is shining almost 24 hours a day and at least during the evening the winds are blowing.
Yesterday we were dropped off at Greenspeed Ridge, a location where Sarah and I departed from on a similar expedition 3 years ago. After watching the helicopter take off we promptly started to ski towards a location where we would acquire better winds and flatter terrain. Here we set up a basecamp and have been training, improving our skills and teaching Will how to kite ski. When we feel he is ready we will head out over the ice cap towards Dog Camp, a location near the west side of Greenland where we will be picked up by plane. A total distance of roughly 500 km / 310 mi with a maximum elevation of 2300 m / 7,545 ft. Along the way we hope to encounter DYE 2 an abandoned DEW Line station, and we may go out of our way to locate its sister station DYE 3, if we have time.
But for now we are going to enjoy our coastal view and the steady evening winds.
Eric McNair-Landry
Day 4 of the expedition
Distance traveled: 0km
Position: N 65,48.783 W 038,38.025 - Basecamp Eastcoast Greenland
Elevation: 1085 M / 3,559 ft
Due to the normal lack of winds in the daytime we are now using the nights to further develop our skills on both the ski sails and the kites. My background is with the ski sail and it is great to be on the Greenland ice cap and teach Sarah, Eric and Will the sail while I can learn to be a better kiter from Sarah and Eric. The ski sail has shorter lines than a kite; it is steered through a bar and it is very easy to control in high winds. The sail cannot replace the kite on an expedition but the two systems compliment each other. In heavy winds and bad visibility the ski sail is a better option, while the kite is superior in lighter winds.
The idea of combining the two systems was developed and perfected by Niklas Norman and Ronny Finsaas at Finse in Norway. Finse has more gusty winds than Greenland but with its large frozen lakes and close proximity to the Hardangerjokulen Glacier it is an Eldorado for kiting and ski sailing. Having tested out their systems at Finse both Norman and Finsaas have continued to conduct record breaking expeditions in Greenland and in Antarctica. For any expedition that wants to visit either Greenland or Antarctica a visit to Finse would be useful. Both systems can be learned there in very challenging conditions. On this expedition we are using sails, skiis and other equipment from Hotel Finse 1222. This is the same equipment that can be used on Finse if one wants to take a skisailing course there.
We are hoping to start our traverse tonight if the winds are favorable. It is great to be able to travel in the footsteps of Fritdjof Nansen who conducted the first crossing of Greenland in 1888 and pioneered the use of sails on the ice cap. I will write more about this in my next dispatch.
All my best,
Toby
Day 7 of the expeditionDistance traveled: 65.7km / 40.8 mi
Position: N 66,08.278 W 040,38.339
Elevation: 1873 M / 6,145 ft
It's been a long haul through the night, with our combination of ski sails and Ozone kites and we traveled only a few miles for our efforts. Yesterday our progress was cut short by an ice fog, a giant life like beast that consumes all in its path. At first all you see are a few tendrils of vapor far on the horizon, but steadily the fog begins to grow, till the point in which it looms like a giant advancing wall, stretching out as far as the eye can see in both directions. We attempted to out run it and as always it swallowed us up, consuming both our wind and our visibility.
Today's travels took us in and out of a moving weather system, with fluctuating wind, occasional snow and somewhat dismal contrast. We have to change our kites several times in accordance with the change in wind. A few times we were forced to wait out wind lulls, and after 12 hours of being outside we decided that it was time to quit, set up camp, eat and finally get our beloved 8 hours of sleep. Tomorrow if we get winds we will surely once again be off.
Eric McNair-Landry
Day 9 of the expedition
Distance traveled: 0km
Position: N 66,08.278 W 040,38.339
Elevation: 1,873 m / 6,145 ft
We want wind!
It's our second windless day in a row and we are getting restless. The days are very hot as there is no wind to cool us down. If there is no wind tonight we will haul our sleds to make some ground and get a workout while we wait. Norwegian Fridtjof Nansen who was the first to cross the Greenland ice cap in 1888 hauled all the way across using a route similar to ours. Nansen was the first person to seriously utilize the ski in polar exploration. The ski and Nansen's Greenland crossing revolutionized polar travel and he paved the way for the later successes of Norwegian explorers Sverdrup and Amundsen. Sverdrup actually participated on Nansen's Greenland crossing and learned firsthand the superiority of skiis in polar travel.
After Nansen's crossing, skiing as a sport also started to spread across Europe and in the U.S. Nansen's book on his expedition was widely read internationally and was important in the development of skiing as a sport. Ski's have been used in Norway since the stone age but the sport did not spread outside the Norwegian borders until the late 19th century. In my next dispatch I will write more about the history of skiing.
All well and hoping for more wind.
Toby
Expedition day: 15Distance traveled: 126 km / 78 mi
Position: N 66,29.482' W 046,18.260'
Elevation: 2097 meters / 6,879 ft
The winds started to gradually increase as we ate breakfast. Eager to move as soon as the winds had reached a high enough speed for us to travel, we were out of the tent unrolling our kites.
The sun was out and for a change we kite-skied through the day, enjoying the sun and warm weather. With steady winds, a flat surface and an inch of powder snow, the conditions couldn't have been more enjoyable. These moments were what I loved most about Greenland!
After a full eight hours of travelling, a black dot appeared on the horizon. Within a couple more hours we approached the abandoned building of Dye-2. Built during the cold war by the Americans, it was part of a chain of 5 buildings that acted as distant early warning stations. In the late 80's, the building was quickly abandoned, according to rumors due to structural stability.
Twenty years later, Dye-2 still stands abandoned and out of place, slowly the snow drifts pilling up higher and higher. But there is life a couple kilometers to the West at Raven camp were two people are stationed for 5 months of the year to maintain a snow runway, were Hercules aircraft pilots practice landing on snow.
Tired after a long day, we erected camp just beside the old building and got some rest.
We were woken early the next morning from the sounds of a plane landing and taking off. The winds were blowing, but we had other things to do on our agenda. We dug out our head lamps and ventured up the rusty stair case into Dye-2. The place was abandoned very rapidly, and everything was left in place; eggs in the fridge, food in the kitchen and spare parts in the storage rooms. The paint peeling off the walls gave the building an eerie feel. We made our way from floor to floor, through the bar to the living area until we reached the top dome, where inside is a huge satellite dish.
After our venture inside Dye-2, we headed over to say hi to the two people stationed at Raven Camp, before calling it a day, and crawling back into our sleeping bags.
Sarah
Day 7 of the expeditionDistance traveled: 8.2 km / 5 mi
Position: N 65,55.710' W038,55.605'
Elevation:1,401 m / 4,596 ft
After spending 4 nights basecamped on the east coast of the Greenland ice cap, we packed up and headed west, leaving behind us a beautiful view of the mountains.
Our route is similar to the Norwegian explorer, Fridjtof Nansen, the first to cross Greenland. Leaving from the east coast, close to the town of Tasilaq, we will head west towards the town of Kangerlussuaq, located just above the Arctic Circle.
The first couple kilometers after leaving camp we skied to avoid the crevassed areas. From there we waited for winds which eventually came. Excited, we rushed out of our tents and packed up. What a feeling to be on the move, the mountains disappearing behind us as we kite-skied towards the interior of the ice cap. The winds didn't last long and after an hour of travel they died. But the sun is rising, and with luck they'll pick up again some time soon.
Sarah
Day 11 of the expeditionDistance traveled: 133.9 km / 83 mi
Position: N 66,30.532 W 043,28.892
Elevation: 2,488 m / 8,162 ft
We grew restless of staying still and in the absence of winds we were forced to ski. In six hours of skiing we managed a decent 27 km (17 mi).
This last night we managed to do much better with the aid of the winds, of course. We are now cruising at 2488 m (8,162 ft) of elevation, just high enough to feel the difference in our kites, and in our lungs. This will probably be as high as we will get, from here we cross over the saddle and start our decent on the west side. This is by no means the highest point in the ice cap though; at its summit the ice cap is more than 3 km (1.86 mi) high.
Above us a flurry of planes travel from Europe to the eastern United States and back, their east-west contrails leaving the sky scarred. There is growing evidence that these trails are having an impact on global climate, as part of a larger phenomenon known as global dimming.
Above the planes at an even higher altitude are an elaborate arrangement of satellites. A vast array of over 60 satellites make up the Iridium Satellite Communications network, others support our GPS, and currently two identical satellites are measuring the mass of the Greenland ice cap. These two are GRACE, an advanced system that measures the change in gravity around our planet. Using this information scientists can tell roughly if the ice cap is loosing or gaining mass, and while the system needs a bit more tuning, all the data that has been collected shows that Greenland is indeed losing ice.
Eric McNair-Landry
Day 15 of the expedition
Distance traveled: 58 km / 36 mi
Position: N 66,50 W 047,17
Elevation: 1774 m / 5,820 ft
Having spent a few days at Dye 2 it was great to travel again today. The winds were straight at our backs and it was nice cruising for 58km (36 mi). We now only have some 80km (49 mi) to the west coast, a distance we can easily do in a day. During the last part of our trip we will focus on testing equipment and training further on both skisails and kites. The snow is becoming increasingly rotten. Without skis we sink down over our knees and it can be difficult to move from tent to tent.
The skis that we use while kiting and skisailing are alpine or backcountry skis. These types of skis are all derived from the traditional Norwegian Telemark skis. Telemark is a rugged and hilly county in Norway and the conditons there meant that the local skiers developed a ski that was shorter, lightly carved and was easy to turn. These skis became popular in Norway in the late 19th century although they had been used in Telemark for centuries.
The skiers from Telemark were superior in competitions for many decades in the early years of the skiing sport. Legends like Sondre Norheim became famous internationally for his skills, and in particular, his ski jumping skills.
The skis that we use when we haul are longer and straighter than the Telemark skis. This is to get a better glide towards the flat horizon on the ice cap. While hauling there is no need to make sharp turns and a longer and uncarved ski is therefore an asset.
All good on the ice cap.
Toby
Day 18 of the expedition
Distance traveled: 0km / 0 mi
Position: N 66,50 W 047,17
Elevation: 1,774 m / 5,820 ft
No wind. That's probably the best way to sum up the last few days. Slightly un-enjoyable is another way to put it. Given the bad weather, a mix of head winds and snow that melts on contact, we have largely been confined to our tents. This confinement has its positives though, it gives us time to relax, read, charge our various batteries, film, and contemplate our futures. And when we have exhausted the joyfulness in these activities we can always resort to skiing.
We are easily a leisure 3 days ski from our point of departure, and a mere 8 hours by kite. Its staggering to note the difference, it makes one question whether skiing is even worth it, and we do pose the question often. As a general strategy we only ski to get to a location where we think there will be better winds, or out of pure boredom. We are quickly approaching the threshold of the second criteria.
Myself, I have spent these last few days enjoying the rest, reading a book regarding the future of electric vehicles and charging the variety of appliances in our possession using two Brunton solar panels. Currently they are strapped to the top of our hilleberg tent, and when wired in parallel they provide 28 watts of power. Inside the tent we have a solo battery pack which when fully charged has a capacity of 153 Wh, more than enough to power our satellite phones, palm pilots, music players, camera batteries, GPS, and even a small speaker. If this ever fails to be enough power we brought along, purely as an experiment, a 400 watt wind turbine.
Eric McNair-Landry
This dispatch was created and posted using Dispatch 1.0 - an expedition dispatch software developed by The Will Steger Foundation and Global Warming 101 Expeditions.More...
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