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A Day Full of Preparation and Practice

Welcome to the latest update from our expedition team. It’s Wednesday, August 13th, and we’ve had another intense day. Although I thought we worked hard yesterday, today turned out to be just as strenuous. The day started early with testing our burners. Fortunately, they all work properly, and everyone now knows how to operate them. After testing the burners, we packed our bags. This was an important step because before we reach the ice cap, we first have to walk a kilometer over rocks. Our bags are now packed in a manageable size. Next, we did a crevasse rescue exercise so that we are prepared for the unlikely event that someone falls into a crevasse.

Hike to Flower Valley

After lunch, we hiked to Flower Valley, a beautiful route from the Red House towards the outskirts of Tasiilaq. Along the way, we passed the local cemetery, which reminded us of the high suicide rates in Greenland. Robert Perroni, the owner of the Red House where we are staying, plays an important role in the community by providing employment to Greenlanders. In Flower Valley, we practiced firing flares and gunshots. This proved useful because one of our flare launchers didn’t work. Fortunately, we were able to solve this problem on the spot. We also reviewed procedures in case a polar bear shows up. It is important to make a lot of noise and stay close together.

Preparations for Departure to the Ice Cap

After our exercises, we returned to the village to do the last shopping for our feast: pancakes! This will be our last meal in the inhabited world before we head to the ice cap tomorrow. Tomorrow morning at 8:15 AM, we will be picked up at the Red House to go to the ice cap. Although there are always uncertainties in Greenland, the weather looks favorable, and we are well prepared thanks to our Basecamp manager and meteorologist. From tomorrow, updates will come via satellite phone, which means they will be less frequent. We look forward to this new adventure and hope everything goes according to plan. See you later!