An adventure full of excitement and responsibility

An adventure ahead

The time has come, my adventure has begun. Right now I am in the town of Keflavik, just landed by plane from the Netherlands. I stay here one night before flying on to Kulusuk in Greenland. This is undoubtedly an exciting experience. I have shared my departure on social media, via WhatsApp, LinkedIn and Facebook, so people can follow me. I get many congratulations and enthusiastic responses. People also warn me to be careful and pay close attention. This is all part of it; after all, it is an adventure.

Well prepared for unexpected events

In an adventure like this, it is important to prepare well. I plan everything carefully and we all proceed with caution. Still, there are always unexpected events that can occur. Therefore, I train myself on possible situations and prepare for different scenarios. Of course I hope everything will go well, but you never know for sure what might happen along the way. This is precisely what makes the adventure so exciting.

Aware of the dangers

People sometimes ask me if I am afraid of what is to come. I always reply that I am not necessarily afraid, but I am aware of the dangers. Perhaps this is because of my experience or because I am getting older. Regardless, I am increasingly aware of the risks involved in this adventure. Consider freezing temperatures, a possible polar bear attack or the danger of falling into a crevasse. A highly respected and experienced colleague of mine perished in Greenland two years ago after falling into a crevasse. These are serious dangers I need to consider.

More nervous by experience

Ingrid, my wife, noted that I seem to be more nervous than before. Maybe she’s right. In fact, through my experience, I regularly see people with frozen toes, hypothermia or injuries. I myself broke my ankle once during such an adventure. These are things you don’t notice when you’ve only experienced something like this once, but you do when you’ve done it dozens of times. On the other hand, I also have a lot of experience in dealing with this kind of situation. Nevertheless, I am preparing more and more for what may happen. We have a serious professional medical team as backup, Outdoor Medicine. So no, I am not afraid, but conscious.

Responsibility as a guide

Because this adventure is organized by Arctic Adventure, I also feel responsible for the four participants. For them, this is a big dream they have long cherished. They have saved, trained and worked hard for it. Their family stands behind them and supports them. Of course, everyone is responsible, but as a guide, I still feel somewhat accountable. I realize this all too well. The adventure is waiting for us, and I am not afraid, but aware of my responsibility.

A safe adventure

Coming back to the adventure, we’re going for it. Am I scared? No, definitely not. However, I am aware of what I am about to do. We will do our best to make everything as safe as possible. Nevertheless, it remains an adventure. The more often I go through experiences like this, the greater the challenges become. Unfortunately, climate change does not make it any easier. Anyway, now I am going to enjoy a hamburger in Keflavik and get up early tomorrow morning for the flight to Kulusuk. My luggage has already been relabeled, so I hope everything arrives well.

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