Greenland Crossing - A Cross Country Ski Expedition in a Class of its Own.

In May / June of 2011 Icelandic Mountain Guides organize their 6th expedition across the Greenland Glacier the worlds second biggest sheet of ice. The aim is to cross the interior of Greenland from Ammassalik/Kulusuk on the East Coast to Sondre Stromfjord on the West Coast. The entire expedition will take up to 32 days in total.

For any back country enthusiast this is the ultimate expedition, where one needs to overcome several challenges, not all of them physical!

Cross country skiing: 4 to 5 weeks polar expedition.
Walking per day: 6 to 8 active hours.
Total distance: 540 kilometers (335 miles)
Altitude: 900 – 2.500 m.y.s (2.950 - 8.200 feet)
Max elevation one day: 250 m (820 feet)
Duration: 4 - 5 weeks

Please contact office for Greenland Crossing departure date and price information.

Included : Guiding services, necessary permits and insurance for the crossing, flight Reykjavík - Kulusuk, boat or helicopter transport Kulusuk - Tasiilaq, helicopter transport Tasiilaq - Hahn Glacier, all food underway, pulkas, tents, cooking equipment.
Note : Because of some irregularities in flight to and from Greenland an extra day or two might be needed. Icelandic Mountainguides can not be held responsible for extra cost regarding flight delays or other unseen/unexpected situations.
Duration : 4-5 weeks

Not so detailed program:

Departure from Reykjavik city airport early May 2011 to Kulusuk Greenland (A detailed itinerary will be available in beginning of year 2011). Boat or Helicopter to Tasilaq (the capital of East Greenland) where the first one or two nights will be spent.  From Tasiilaq the group will be flown by helicopter either to the small village of Isertoq or directly onto the Hahn-glacier in about 900 meters (2700 feets) altitute where the skis will take over for the next 540 km (335 miles) or so.

It takes about 10 - 15 days to climb up to the highest part of the Ice sheet on this route, topping off at 2500 m.s.l. The gradient is gradual and the use of skins make sure that the skis move us forward. From the summit it takes about a week to get to the phantom radar station DEY2, surely one of the most bizarre buildings on the planet used to monitor the Russians during the Cold War. From this strange place it takes 5 - 10 days to get to Terra firma - Hill 660, the landfall on the westerns side of the ice sheet. Thus we plan for the expedition to last from 22 - 32 days in total.

Weather:
While climbing the east side the wind is generally steady from North West, up on the highest part the winds are a bit from all directions before the catabatic winds start to push steady from South East.  The temperature is most of the time from  0 to -15 °C during the day but can drop down to -10 to -30°C at nights. 

Luggage and food:
Expedition members haul all the baggage on pulkas (sledges) made of plastic. Each member will haul a sledge weighing about 85 kg (185 pounds) at the beginning of the journey (including clothes, sleeping bag, food, fuel, stoves, tents etc.) but closer to 50 kg (110 punds) when arriving at the other side in Sondre Stromfjord. On the way we expect to eat and burn at least 25 to 35 kg.