MrAndMrsJones

I’ve been enjoying the trip reports on these forums for a little while now, and thanks to the knowledge over on the BAEC forum, have gleaned so much useful information which has transformed the way my wife and I travel.

So I thought that after months of consuming the material on here, it was time to add some of my own!

Background: My wife and I live in Dubai running a specialist travel company. We are both keen outdoors people, and travel frequently on recce’s all over the world. We can often be seen bouncing around Nepal in the back of Land Cruisers or rafting on the Ganges!

I’m a keen climber, and needed a personal challenge this year, so decided to plan an expedition to the Arctic, specifically Greenland. It was to be a tough ski mountaineering expedition, climbing the highest peaks and making an ascent of an un-climbed peak. My better half would be joining me for the first time too, so it was something we were looking forward to sharing (and I’d need someone to keep the tent in order!).

This is a fairly abridged report of the trip, and Ive tried to make it a bit FT-centric, in the format of other TR’s. I hope you enjoy it!

The flight routing was as follows and the TR will be split in a similar way:
DXB-LHR: 9 days in the UK visiting friends and family (and working)
LHR-KEF: Overnight in Reykjavic
KEF-AEY: Overnight in Akureyri, Northern Iceland.
AEY-CNP: Neerlerit Inaat (Constable Point, Greenland)
CNP-XXX: Remote glacier in the Watkins Mountains!

Now to figure out how to add photos, of which we have plenty..

MrAndMrsJones

Step 1:
DXB-LHR
BA 106
Club World
Seats 62A/B

It was hard to imagine the polar climate of the Arctic as we packed our kit bags in our home in Dubai. The temptation to be dismissive of just how cold it might get was something we were very mindful of as we shuffled down jackets and heavy duty mittens into various piles on the floor of our spare room.



Finally though, it was time to start our long journey, and it was with some relief that the day had finally come to leave Dubai and start heading North.



(We hoped it would be a big taxi!)

We snagged a couple of seats in the sale and managed to UUA from WTP to CW for both legs. The BA 106 is my favourite flight out of DXB, as despite the anti-social take off time, I find I feel more refreshed after 6+ hours sleep than taking the day flight which makes for an early start and long evening in the UK. The flight was uneventful, and to our surprise the bags (even skis) arrived first at the baggage carousel in T5.

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We cleared immigration and headed for the Arrivals lounge for a quick breakfast (black pudding isn’t so easy to come by in Dubai!), and then pick up our hire car from Avis. 40minutes from landing to being in the hire car, a new record I think!

We spent a little over 1 week in the UK where we saw friends and family, who seemed a little concerned for us! We repacked, shaving more weight off our kit and leaving behind all of our luxuries.


Step 2:
LGW-KEF
Iceland Air (FI)
Saga Class
Seat 1A/C

We hadn’t been through LGW for a while, except a couple of flights to JER and a trip to RAK (another TR coming I think!). IcelandAir offer a service to KEF from LHR too, which is far more convenient for us but the total price was around 75% more expensive, so we elected to go from LGW. Saga Class is the unfortunate name of the carriers J product, and I wasn’t sure what to expect. We’d booked it primarily due to the flexible conditions and more generous baggage allowance, making the difference in fare negligible.

We arrived at check in to an empty Saga Class desk, and waited to be called forwards. We then proceeded to oversize baggage to check in the skis, which we hoped we would be reunited with in Iceland! FI J doesn’t entitle pax to use Gatwick Premium, but luckily queues were short. We arrived at the No1 Traveller Lounge at 1 minute past the cut off time for a full breakfast, which was most disappointing!

Finally, it was time to board the aircraft, and after a fairly poor ground experience we were curious about what to expect onboard. The crew member in charge of the forward cabin was excellent. Very attentive and gladly brought us some champagne to toast our trip! The seats were a big step up in terms of size and comfort compared to BA CE and it made for a very comfortable couple of hours.



The food was also pretty good for a relatively short (3hr) flight. The onboard wifi (free in J) was also useful, but the view from the window was far more satisfying. Living in Dubai, we really miss the greenery of England. The beautiful rolling hills made us feel most fortunate to be able to call that land home.



We arrived in KEF and caught the FlyBus to Reykjavic centre. This is the best (and most cost efficient) way in to town, but is a bit of a hassle. It involved changing to a smaller bus at the Terminus, and everything is more awkward with a large ski bag and 2 expedition kitbags!

We checked in to Center Hotel Thingholt, which is right in the heart of Reykjavic. The room was comfortable and we knew would be the best accommodation we’d see for a few weeks!



We ate at Le Bistro, a short stroll up the road. By this point the apprehension started to really kick in.


Step 3:
KEF-AEY
Air Iceland
Economy
Seats 3D/F

We took a cab for the 5 minute journey from our hotel to the Domestic Airport, which somehow still cost us almost £10! (note: taxis are very expensive in Iceland). We arrived 1hr before take off, but were told check in didn’t open until T-30mins! So we sat and waited patiently before walking to the literal “gate” outdoors, and across to the aircraft steps.

The 40minute flight was mostly over cloud, but as we banked in to Akureyri to land, the mountains were snow covered, which was the first we’d seen for a little while.



We ate that night at a local restaurant called Noa’s, which I can’t recommend enough. We were the only diners, and opted for the tasting menu. The chef came out between courses and asked us what we wanted to try next, and every dish was incredible. The prospect of 14 days on a glacier and eating freeze dried food seemed decidedly less attractive and we started to question what on earth we were thinking!



We overnighted in the basic but comfortable Hotel Akureyri, had one last shower, and the following morning took the 5minute ride back to Akureyri Airport (costing, you guessed it, £10!).

Step 4:
AEY-CNP
Private charter
Front seats

Our kit was loaded on to a ski-equipped Twin Otter to fly to Constable Point, a small gravel runway and airport (in the loosest sense of the word). We’d then fly in the KingAir, which was fast and more comfortable, at around 1hr20mins vs 2.5hrs in the Twin Otter.



Freezing fog at Constable point delayed our departure though, by six hours! Tedium quickly set in as we waited on news from our pilots, and we sat around a small table in the tiny Akureyri Airport drinking tea and getting restless.



Finally, we had the all clear and boarded the KingAir for the hop over the water.



It was a breathtaking flight over the frozen ocean and we landed at Constable Point where there was a fairly good mix of transport gathered at the airport!



We were hoping our pilots would be able to fly us further in to the mountains on the ski plane, but they'd run out of flying hours due to the delay. So we spent the night at the Hilton Constable Point. Although the accommodation block shares it's name with the popular hotel chain, that's pretty much where the similarities end. It is officially minus one star(!) and is a few portacabins bolted together. However, it was very warm and actually not a bad nights sleep at all!

Number of HiltonHonors collected: 0



The following morning, we made our preparations for our onward flight to the glacier. The boarding process was a little more involved than the usual scrum at T5, and we started by helping to push the plane so it could make the turn to get back on to the runway.



More coming soon...

MrAndMrsJones

With the Twin Otter now facing an angle appropriate to the runway, it was time to board. We were initially mildly horrified that there was no priority boarding for OneWorld Emerald and Sapphire, but this quickly turned to relief, as we were the only two passengers.



Obligatory legroom shot



After a short take off, we reached our modest cruising altitude and trundled our way through the skies towards the highest mountains. There was no in flight meal, but we were too excited to eat anyway. And with views like this, I couldn't take my eyes off it!



We touched down on a remote patch of glacier in the Watkins Mountains. It was an interesting landing but very smooth. The small door of the aircraft opened and the cold air hit us like a slap in the face.



The plane quickly turned around and left, and as it did so, a blanket of silence fell around us as we realised that the three of us were now very much alone, in a vast white canvas landscape.





After tea and introductions with Simon (our Guide), we had a full briefing on bear safety, including being talked through the small arsenal of deterrents we had at our disposal. First a slim trip wire, no more than 2mm cord and within a bear’s arm reach of the tents. Then pepper spray, the use of which I thought was a particularly bold notion. Then we had flare guns, and finally a full bore rifle with big bullets which we prayed we would never need.




That afternoon we fitted “skins” to our skis too, which for the uninitiated are mohair strips with glue that stick to the bottom of skis, and went for a short walk. The skins effectively give you grip when going uphill as the small hairs provide friction against the snow. They’re a cinch to fit, but it’s slightly embarrassing to admit that those first steps were the first we’d made with our full touring set up. We’d hoped it would be straightforward, and fortunately it was. Moving over soft snow on skis was very efficient, but the downside of touring means walking in ski boots, and spending 14 consecutive days in ours was another concern. Laura is prone to blisters, but didn’t get one for the entire trip, which is testament to the boot-fitters at Sanglard in Chamonix who have seemingly endless patience and skill to match.



The reality of being on expedition was starting to hit home too. If we wanted to drink, it was down to us to melt snow. Likewise at dinner time we lived in our tent whilst Simon lived in his. It was very much an independent trip and by no means beginner friendly. It was a semi polar environment and I’d say it was akin to climbing Denali starting at around 14,000ft in terms of temperature and conditions. It was Laura’s first “proper” expedition aside from a hike up Mount Toubkal and stacks of UK hillwalking. I knew it would be a baptism by fire, but at that moment, watching snow melt in the MSR pans, I was starting to wonder if we’d bitten off more than we could chew.





We slept badly, a mixture of cold, daylight, apprehension and unfamiliar surroundings, but were excited to start the expedition the next day. We loaded our pulks, which are 4ft sleds on runners with aluminium poles, and we planned to move up to a high camp on Gunnbjornsfjeld. We were due to spend one night there, and then summit the next day, and ski back to Base Camp. With this is mind, we went lightweight, with 3 main meals and a selection snacks. It was also my birthday, and marked 8 years to the day since climbing Everest.

Cake for breakfast



Highly appropriate birthday card



It seems I like to suffer on my birthday, and the load haul to camp certainly didn’t disappoint. It was brutally demanding hauling the pulks, and after about 5 hours I’d reached a whole new level of respect for anyone who’d completed a long polar journey hauling one of these bloody things.






Simon was strong after already being on expedition for 3 weeks, and swiftly skinned in to the distance until he was a distant black spec against the white canvas. We arrived at Camp after around 6.5 hours, feeling pretty broken. We put up the tent and bedded down after we’d eaten our freeze dried dinners.

Laura's frozen hair



Aim for the horizon and keep walking..



The wind picked up overnight, and we set off at around 10am for the summit. The beauty of Arctic summers is that there’s never a time pressure as it never gets dark, so it always felt like a leisurely start compared to climbs in the Alps and other ranges. We walked in to a bitter head wind, and instead of warming up as we exerted ourselves, instead we were grasping for all of our extra layers until we had nothing more to put on. We decided to retreat to the tent, and that continuing would have been the frostbite express.



We spent the rest of the day in the tent listening to the wind picking up, but I was secretly glad of the rest. It didn’t get any better the next day though, or even the day after. We’d eaten all of our main meals, and on that fourth morning we knew it was make or break.



Essential sleep kit for eternal daylight




We’d either have another go at the top, or have no choice but to retreat all the way to Base Camp for food and supplies. Thankfully, the weather gods smiled and we could head up.





More soon...

MrAndMrsJones

We skinned for around two hours on easy angled glacier, dodging a few crevasses. Then we hit a ridge where we stashed skis, fitted crampons and walked to the base of the beautiful summit pyramid.





The vista was amazing, like nothing else on earth apart from Antarctica. Unclimbed peaks as far as the eye could see, and not another living soul within 200 miles. The crest of the lower ridge felt quite alpine but wasn’t particularly exposed, so very enjoyable to actually walk along.





After the first couple of hundred metres of the summit pyramid, the slope steepened considerably to around 65 degrees. The snow conditions were pretty variable too, sometimes breaking through crust and sinking to the knee, other times on hard nevé. One of the crux sections traversed about 20 metres of brittle ice which had been scoured by the wind.



I watched Laura thrash across it, clearly at the limit of what she’d done on snow and ice before. The ice shattered like dinner plates as she swung her ice axe in to it. It rejected the pick many times, sending it bouncing back out of the ice like a spring before finally finding purchase and sinking the front few teeth in.




It was much steeper than I’d expected, and led to a spectacular section of narrow steep ridge which dropped away in every direction.



It was like walking along a pyramid, which was just wide enough for a pair of boots, and a terrifying drop in every direction. At that moment, a simple slip would likely have killed all three of us. With no medical help for hundreds of miles, it made the whole climb feel more intense. There was no back up or Plan B. We had to keep calm and keep climbing.

Shortly afterwards, we took the final steps across the plateau on to the summit, where we tried to comprehend the incredible bird’s eye view which lay beneath us.



It was still painfully cold so after a short break and celebration, it was already time to descend again. The cruelest part of mountaineering is surely to spend so much trying to reach a summit, and having so little time to spend there and enjoy it.





The descent was tough, and the exposure felt very real once we were facing out from the slope. Going back down the steepest section of the ridge, out of the corner of my eye I saw Laura slip. My heart stopped momentarily as I waited to see if she would start to slide. Thoughts raced through my mind of the best side of the ridge to jump off to counter-balance the fall. The ropes came tight, I looked behind me, and she was stationary. Despite being very shaken, she quickly got back on to her feet and turned in to the ice to climb down step by step.



It took almost as long to get down as it did to get to the top. A mixture of fatigue and knowing that we couldn’t make any mistakes. We rolled in to camp late in the afternoon elated and with jelly legs, so decided to spend the night there.



Skiing down with the pulks the next day was almost as challenging as the way up, and definitely more frustrating. They constantly push from behind, making it almost impossible to control speed or direction. It was like skiing down a blue run, over a mixture of powder, ice and crust, with heels unclipped and 30kg pushing you down the hill. Being lousy skiers as we are, there was a lot of falls, and even more swearing.





As we skied over the final 6 or 7 kilometres back to Base Camp, the sky turned an ominous grey and the light was completely flat. It looked like weather was on the way, and we were to be proved 100% correct on that observation..



We spent the next five consecutive days stormbound in our tents as the wind and snow took turns hammering us with tedious regularity. At its worst, we were taking turns to dig out the tents every three hours, day and night, to stop them from collapsing. Sitting in the comfort of everyday life, it's hard to comprehend how long five days can feel. Days turned to nights as the spindrift swirled around our tents, banking on the leeward side before shifting to bury us from a different angle. The routine of melting snow, drinking tea and eating cake, great as it sounds, got really boring. We'd gone from the extreme of sled hauling and a significant climb, to vegetating in our sleeping bags for almost a week..



On the sixth day of the storm, the plane was due to collect us, but couldn’t because the weather was so bad. This almost destroyed our morale, as we were psychologically ready to leave the glacier after a long five days cooped up. Another three days passed until it cleared enough for the plane to come, and we’d been buried up to the very top of our tents.







First we heard the hum of the Twin Otter, then we picked out it's red fuselage and a wave of emotions washed over us when we saw it touch down. It made 4 journeys up and down the runway before coming to a complete stop, and when we slumped in to the basic bench seat it was a wonderful feeling. A hot shower and a warm bed were beckoning.



Some would say that those 8 days must have been the ultimate test for our relationship, but we came through it with our marriage and sense of humour in tact. Laura proved that she’s tougher than she looks (and tougher than she thought), and despite not getting as much done as we’d hoped, we came home feeling very satisfied with having climbed the highest mountain in the Arctic, also known as the Eighth Summit, and living through an 8 day Arctic storm along the way. Of a planned 14 day trip, we had 16 days in Greenland, 11 of which were bad weather. Hopefully next time we’re on expedition together (and there’ll be a next time), we’ll have better weather…


Thanks for reading! We have plenty of other trips to write about. Just wanted to finally add a little link to our website www.monixadventures.com

chicagodesi

Sounds great, looking forward to some amazing pics of Greenland, not just plane pics

MrAndMrsJones

Update 1 finally added with photos!

perthflyer

Loving this so far MrAndMrsJones - I'll definitely be following this thread. I can't even imagine what a 6 hour delay at AEY would feel like - I've been delayed there for 1 hour before and that was even far too much! At least it's a bit more modern and spacious than RKV!

Can't wait to read the about the rest of the trip!

DanielW

Looks like a great start to an awesome adventure.

SFOHPN

Your first installment was a great read. Looking forward to the rest!

BA5E

Wow this is going to be one hell of a TR, absolutely amazing already, and what a contrast from the heat of DXB, The pics so far are wonderful, and cannot wait to see and read the rest of the trip, what a feat you are both taking on, at least you are well stocked up with warm outfits,^

MrAndMrsJones

Thanks all for the comments so far! New update just added. Final update will be climbing to the highest summit, and a huge storm...

Will Coe

This T.R. is First Class material, Mr. Jones.

Mr. Smith

cs57

What an amazing trip (so far)! Thanks for sharing with all of us such a unique adventure.

DWFI

Fantastic and inspiring. Thanks for taking the time.

mad_atta

Amen to that. Absolutely breathtaking photos, and clearly a highly ambitious and extreme trip. Wow!

Looking forward to the next instalment