Baggage delays disrupt expedition plans

The waiting game

The waiting has begun. The expedition to Greenland is about to start, but before that happens, we must be patient. Patience is essential when conducting arctic expeditions. Sometimes it is a matter of a little bit of patience, sometimes our patience is really tested. Weather could throw a spanner in the works, preventing boats from setting sail or helicopters from landing on the ice sheet. People in Greenland may have different priorities than we do. For example, if a seal is spotted, the captain of the boat may briefly go seal hunting, taking us to the ice cap later. But right now we are waiting for something else – our luggage.

Baggage delay

The luggage that was supposed to be sent to Greenland with a pallet has been delayed. The boat on which we put the luggage was delayed. Something is wrong with the luggage, because when I wanted to have the pallet picked up in Holland, the luggage flap of the truck turned out to be broken. Fortunately, a truck was able to arrive the next day with a working valve so the pallet could be loaded. The truck was driven to Denmark, where the pallet was loaded into a container and put aboard a boat. Now we have been told that the boat has had engine problems and has been idle in Åhus harbor for two weeks, along with all the other containers destined for Greenland, including the one with our pallet. Normally, the pallet should have arrived in Tasiilaq on Aug. 11, but it did not. If all goes well, the pallet will arrive in Tasiilaq this Sunday morning at 10 am.

Delay of expedition

Due to baggage delays, our expedition will start at least three days later than planned. If we take delivery on Sunday, the earliest we can leave is Monday. This means we have three extra days to train. We can practice our crevasse rescue skills and pack our sled with the gear we have so far. We can revisit the communication and daily schedule and even go to the museum twice. But there are also logistical matters that need to be taken care of, such as reporting our late departure to the police.

The wait continues

Right now we are twiddling our thumbs and drinking extra cups of coffee while enjoying the beautiful weather in Tassilaq. It is sunny, cloudless and windless here, perfect weather to start an expedition. But unfortunately, we may not leave yet. We will continue to update you from Greenland as we enter the village on our way to the museum.

🗺️ Our live position on Greenland.
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