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East Greenland Expedition 2012 Report

West Lancashire Scouts

Paddlesport Group

Registered charity no: 521712

Kindly supported by the Gino Watkins Memorial Fund, The Arctic Club,

Andrew Croft Memorial Fund and Augustine Courtauld Trust

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Contents

Synopsis and objectives of the expedition 4

Members of the expedition 5

Introduction and training 7

Logistics 9

Food 11

Medical 13

Finance 14

Expedition log 15

Science 19

Conclusions 25

Appendix 1 Science data tables 30

Appendix 2 Bird observations 34

Appendix 3 First aid supplies 35

Appendix 4 Equipment lists 36

Acknowledgements 37

Map of kayak route and campsites 38

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Google maps

The Ammassalik area

Google Earth

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Synopsis

Following West Lancashire Scouts successful expedition to Scoresbysund in 2007 the lead kayakers had been keen to return to Greenland and further explore the eastern coast. The 2012 expedition team consisted of 5 leaders (aged 28-56) and 1 Scout Network member (aged 22). For three of the group this was a return visit to Greenland.

Over the course of two weeks of sea kayaking the expedition covered approximately 325 km exploring the Ammassalik area and its surrounding islands. In the main the ice was 'kind' to us and the weather and sea state good. Only on a few days did the wind pick up and cause conditions to become more difficult for short periods of time. Although rain and thick fog prevailed for the last three days, we only ‘lost’ one day to bad (stormy) weather

Four and a half days of trekking saw us cross Ammassalik to view Sermilik fjord and walk up a 680m hill to view Tasiilaq and its fjord from a height. The weather was predominantly overcast and dull.

Objectives

To explore the natural features of the Ammassalik area in sea kayaks with a view to returning to the location in the near future with a larger group of Scouts aged 16+. This would probably involve sea kayaking and trekking, including camping and travel on glaciers. To experience the culture of Eastern Greenland. To further develop a pool of leaders experienced in Arctic sea kayak expeditioning. ‘In the footsteps of Watkins’, to assess whether this longer and larger expedition could involve visiting a selection of the locations and bases explored by the 1930-1 British Arctic Air Route expedition and Watkins last expedition of 1932.

To spend 4 days trekking on the island of Ammassalik to assess whether there is the potential for project based work in the future based on mapping and marking trekking routes.

To promote Scouting.

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Members of the expedition

Stuart Dean – 48, BCU level 4 sea and level 3 inland coach, UK mountain leader. Geography BSc (Hons), FRGS, Head of Geography at Whitley Bay High School. A keen paddler be it on a river, lake or sea. West Lancs Scout County Paddlesport advisor. Joint sea kayak leader of the 250km water based legs of the WLS 2007 East Greenland expedition to Renland based in Scoresbysund.

Philip Haworth - 52, BCU level 3 coach sea and inland. A wide range of experience of sea and river paddling in UK and Europe. BSc (Hons) Land Management , FRICS. Assistant Group Surveyor with the OCS Group. A County Scout leader who sits on a multitude of Scouting committees! Joint sea kayak leader of the 250km water based legs of the 2007 East Greenland expedition . A keen geocacher and mountain biker. Father of 3 girls and grandfather of 2 girls – glad to get away for a bit of peace and quiet!

Ash Green - 36, UK Mountain Leader and Single Pitch climbing instructor, Ash is mostly out of his depth when taken away from the safety of rope and rock, hence sea kayaking is a bit of a challenge for him! Works as an ICT Engineer for the Local Education Authority, and spends far too much of his time attending and supporting West Lancashire Scouting events in the UK and overseas. A mountain leader on Greenland 2007 expedition and many seasons in the Alps under his belt.

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Kevin Day – 56, a BCU level 1 coach, RYA senior sailing instructor and County Sailsport Advisor.. He has also been active in Greater Manchester North, West Yorkshire and Merseyside Counties. He was part of the team providing water activities at Eurojam 2005, the centenary Jamboree in 2007 and Red Rose 2010, along with the Ardennes Adventure . He is also an Explorer Scout Leader in Ormskirk District. He has 3 grown up children and 1 granddaughter. In his spare time he is a Business Process Architect with CSC.

Michael Moul - 27, BCU Level 1 coach and BCU 3 star inland and sea. An agricultural Contractor who has been kayaking since he was 12 from being introduced to the sport though Scouts. Joined Ribble Canoe Club where he progressed to attain 3 star and gained river experience in the Lake District, Wales, South Africa and the French Alps. Since then he has become involved with the West Lancashire Scouts paddle sport team, from being a part of this Greenland trip to teaching youngsters kayaking and canoeing skills.

Andy Inglis – 22, BCU level 1 coach who is developing his skills and interests in all areas of paddle sports. Works as a bathroom fitter for Bathhouse. An Explorer Scout leader in Blackpool who has paddled in Canada, and is a regular instructor on the annual County Ardennes Adventure trip. Andy is also a keen rock climber

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Introduction

In 2002 Phil Haworth and Stuart Dean began the Expedition Kayak group as an ‘interest’ group within West Lancashire Scouts. In 2002 when West Lancashire Scouts first expedition to Milne Land was mooted we were not ready to take part in terms of range of experience and equipment. However by 2005 when the next expedition was starting to be planned we were ready and jumped at the chance to participate as a small water based team within a larger mountain based team. This fantastic 5 week experience left us with the feeling that we needed to do it again, hence in 2010 we started to plan for this expedition. We saw this trip as a small recce expedition in terms of assessing whether this is a suitable location for a larger trip in a few years time with Explorer Scouts and Scout Network age groups. This would perhaps link paddling and trekking/mountaineering as we did in 2007, making the experience a series of ’ journeys’. Hence leaving time to trek on Ammassalik and to try and visit some glacier snouts to look at access up the glaciers to the interior. On a personal note a contributory factor in selecting this location was being inspired by reading ‘Northern Lights’ and ‘The last expedition of Gino Watkins’, both about expeditions to the area in the 1930’s It was also an opportunity to further develop a team of paddlers experienced in Arctic paddling.

Training

The group was a diverse one in terms of experience and ability level at the start of our training, ranging from BCU Level 4 and 3 coaches to 1 star paddlers. In order that we all aimed for the same skill set, both in terms of kayaking and camp craft, a skills matrix was devised (see fig.1) This meant that individuals could identify any areas for development and then focus on these. Ash Green, a mountain leader on the 2007 expedition, was a relative novice who had the most ‘ground’ to make up. He approached the training with gusto and quickly achieved 2*, learned to roll and is now up to 3 * sea level of ability. and multi day camping experiences. The main training event was a week paddling For the rest of the team it was more a case of experiencing paddling on the sea, rather than on lakes and rivers; and to do this in a wide range of conditions. This included day trips off Mull and around the Treshnish Islands in the summer of 2011.

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During this week the group experienced the wide range of weather and sea states that only the West coast of Scotland seems to be able to produce in such a short period of time!

Weekend events included a weekend practice surfing / supporting / rolling/swimming (!) as well as touring around the Farne Islands off the Northumbrian coasts. This introduced people to strong tidal flows and over falls.

Team members also undertook their own individual training in locations ranging from Tynemouth to Anglesey. The sea training was supplemented with distance paddling training during the winter. We thought that November would be suitably cold enough to paddle up and down Lake Windermere in conditions similar to those in the height of summer in Greenland. However it turned out to be flat calm and unseasonally warm! However the paddling on Ullswater in early March saw all the seasons in the course of one day so was a much better training event for the team.

All was going well until 2 months before the departure of the expedition when one of the team had to back out, due to pressure of work. This could have lead to a major reorganisation of food and kit, however within a week we had recruited Kevin Day, a paddler who had come along with us on most of the training events. He did not need much persuading! As well as sea kayaking we intend to explore the island of Ammassalik for 5 days. For trekking fitness individuals worked on stamina training, running, biking and gym work.

Rescues

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Fig 1. An example of a section of the training matrix

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Logistics

Transport In order to make all of the sections of our expedition knit together, several modes of transport were required. Individuals carried all their personal paddling kit and camping gear. The first stage was to travel to Iceland by Iceland Air from Manchester to Keflavik for an overnight stop on 27th July. Tickets were booked as soon as they became available for £290. When Kevin purchased his ticket a few weeks before the trip, his came in cheaper at £250! We had pre-arranged additional baggage (5kg per person) through the airline,

although at check in Iceland Air could find no record of this! Fortunately Phil had remembered to bring proof of the agreed weight additions, and this proved invaluable in getting us through without extra charges. Once in Iceland we used the Flybus and taxis to get to the campsite and Reykjavik airport the next morning. On July 28th we used Flugfelag Islands (Air Iceland) to fly to Kulusuk Airport in South East Greenland on a Fokker 50. We had a baggage allowance of 25kg between Manchester and Iceland but only 20kg from Iceland to Greenland. So we resigned ourselves to paying excess baggage, but fortunately we seemed to get away with it! Even so we all boarded the ‘plane very well dressed. Once in Kulusuk we needed to get to our start point and kayaks in Tasiilaq. Our contact, Martin Rickard, had arranged the transfer with Lars Anker, who amongst many other things provided a floating taxi service for the right price, that being 400 Kroner per person each way. For our homeward journey Lars provided the same service. We purposely arranged our travel back to

Kulusuk the day before our flight, as historically there have been problems even in mid-summer with ice blocking the route over the fjord and with fog and high winds preventing flights. To confirm this, a group who were trying to leave a week before us were delayed by 3 days due to poor weather preventing several flights and causing a significant backlog. Our sacrifice of a day’s activity to ensure our timely return was purposefully factored into the travel. Our flight was delayed by 30 minutes due to passengers not being helicoptered over from Tasiilaq in time! We noted that people on a day trip over to Greenland from

Iceland had all got a certificate of achievement from the airline! Once in Iceland we used taxis and the Flybus once again. At the bus station we had a chance to grab a bite to eat, however no one volunteered to sample the house special of boiled sheep’s head! On arrival at the airport at 10:30pm, we bivvied on the esplanade at the front of the airport as we needed to check in at 6am. We flew back from Keflavik to Manchester Airport on August 17t

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Kayak equipment The main issue that we faced was the logistics of getting equipment, particularly for kayaking but also the food, to the area we wished to explore. After a brief chat to Paul Walker about costs it was immediately

apparent that it was going to be very expensive to ship our own equipment and food to Kulusuk. Fortunately prior to the 2007 expedition we had made contact with Martin Rickard for advice and local knowledge; and when approached this time he agreed to hire us out the necessary equipment. This included a shotgun as well as all the necessary kayaking equipment. He also provided us with local tide and ice knowledge, and introduced us to a local hunter Lars Anker who ferried us from Kulusuk to Tasiilaq The kayaks were a P&H Scorpio, 2 Valley Aquanauts and 3 valley Nordkapps, all plastic.

Camping For both training and the expedition we split into tent pairs for food, cooking, and sleeping and obviously this impacted on kayak packing. The tents used were Terra Nova Quasars and a Hyperspace. The main camping issue once in Greenland was ‘bear discipline’. We cooked well away from tents and kept no food in them, in order to make them less ‘appealing’ to a bear. We always had a toilet area some distance away, depositing any ‘solids’ into the sea and burning the toilet paper. We kept this routine well for most the trip and in the end it turned out to be more important to keep inquisitive Arctic foxes in check rather than any bears. Communications and gizmos We took a satellite phone with its own solar charger for our main communications. We turned this on for an hour every evening if our home contact needed to get in touch with us. Just prior to our departure we discovered that texts to the sat phone were free, so our home contact used this to send us an updated weather forecast, as well as a brief Olympic Games summary, every few days. A major change since our last visit was the fact that Tele Greenland now operates in the area around each settlement. So at random locations on the trip our mobile phones worked! Costs appeared to be equivalent to using the sat phone. An EPIRB was carried for emergency situations The other equipment that required power were hand held GP units, cameras and i pods. For these we decided that rather than devise ways of linking various chargers to the large solar panel we would go for the smaller, simpler option. For the GPS’s we would take spare batteries, the assumption being that we would only use one at once most of the time so this would more than suffice. For cameras it was very cheap to buy spare lithium batteries. For the video camera and i pods we took power monkey devices that charged with their own small solar panels.

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Food

In order to try and reduce the carbon footprint of the expedition (and hopefully our costs as well), we decided that it would be preferable to buy the majority of the food once in location, if this was possible. After an internet search or two we found that there was a Pilersuisoq supermarket in Tasiilaq and that company had an e-mail address (albeit in Western Greenland). The resulting correspondence solved the food problem…or so we thought! We were sent a food list on a spreadsheet, in Danish. After a Google translate this was good enough to order our food, however we tended to go for the food we recognised. We were not brave enough to select some of the items which did not respond to a translation or indeed to some of them that did. For example I am still not sure what a Steff Burning Love 350 g is...and am pretty convinced I would like to see someone else try it first!!

Perhaps, not unsurprisingly, when we actually landed in Tasiilaq and found the supermarket they had no idea of who we were, or the order!! So it was a good job we had not paid any money up front. Undeterred we had our lists and so went shopping!! This was an inconvenience rather than a problem as it just added a couple of hours to this task, as we had to adjust the menu as we were going along. We actually spent less than we planned as we knew there was a small shop in Kuummiut that we could visit at the end of the first week where we could top up our supplies.

This was all rather fortuitous as the excellent dehydrated camping food supplied by Lars Anker turned out not only to taste good, but all to be double packs. Food labelled ‘feeds 3’ usually means enough for one hungry person. However the double packs were more than enough for two people, especially when topped up with additional portions of pasta or rice. This meant that we did not have to buy much extra food after

all.

A small amount of food such as flavoured porridge, beefy jerky, primula cheeses and some dehydrated desserts, were also taken in our personal baggage allowance.

As a result of this we ate well on the expedition. For the sea kayaking we carried 14 days of food plus 2 days of ‘reserve’ food just in case. That left enough dehydrated food to take 5 days worth of it on the short trekking phase.

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A typical days menu

• Breakfast – warm drink, porridge and digestive biscuits.

• Lunch – soup or noodles, cream crackers with primula cheese/tinned fish, fruit bar or biscuits

• Tea – pasta/rice/mash based meal with a desert of custard/semolina and dried fruit or a dehydrated desert, warm drink

• Snack food – peanuts and raisins/beef jerky

We also bought supplies of flour, milk powder, sugar and baking powder and experimented with making bannock, both sweet and savoury! This turned out to be very popular, especially when plastered with margarine and jam, and was made whenever we had the time to do so.

Cooking was on two MSR Dragonflys and an EXG multi fuel stoves burning coleman fuel. We purchased 10 litres of fuel between us for the 3 weeks of the expedition. This turned out to be ample. The EXG used a lot more fuel then the Dragonflies, perhaps not surprisingly as the EXG is not as adjustable. Each tent pair was self-sufficient with food, fuel and stoves.

We took fishing line with a variety of spinners and feathers with us to try and supplement our diet with fish. However we caught nothing! As Kevin often reminded us ‘There is a big difference between going fishing and catching a fish’. We noticed that the locals used nets rather than lines, so felt better about our complete failure in our fishing quest.

Water supply proved to be no problem as we often passed freshwater stream, which were not glacial melt water streams. Everyone also took a large collapsible water container with them and kept it topped up so we could camp in a location without a water supply if necessary.

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Medical

As BCU, RYA coaches and mountain leaders all of the team have regular updates with first aid and have a qualification up to at least the equivalent of REC 2 level as a minimum. Two of the team have completed REC 4 and 5 training in the recent past, so it was decided to send Ash Green, our designated first aider on the equivalent course in the summer of 2012 a couple of months prior to our departure.

For any more serious medical concerns we had organised for Dr Alison Chambers to be our UK based ‘on call’ doctor for the duration of the trip. Alison has a wide range of experience with expedition medicine and was with us in Greenland in 2007 so has a first hand knowledge of the type of location we were working in.

In terms of first aid equipment the major issue with sea kayaking is the lack of space. So after discussions with Alison we devised a plan whereby each person would take their own individual first aid kit, but add a few ‘extras’ to it, such as extra wound dressings. This meant that the group first aid kit with a variety of antibiotics and pain killers remained a manageable size. The theory being that all the small kits would make a more extensive one when all pooled together. Alison also provided us with a medical handbook outlining the various ailments that may require medicines and the dosages associated with them.

Besides blisters on hands and the ‘usual’ bumps and bruises the main ailments that we considered the most likely to occur were sprains and strains of both hands and legs; issues connected with paddling for extended periods of time, and lifting and carrying heavy kayaks over uneven terrain.

This proved to be the case with the main medical issues being blisters and insect bites. The only injury of note was Ash cutting his hand after slipping on wet rocks whilst unpacking his kayak. Fortunately with suitable padding and a rubber glove duct taped over his hand to keep the cut as dry as possible this did not prevent us continuing on our way.

A list of the first aid equipment can be seen in appendix 3.

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Finance Statement of accounts

Participants 6 Actual Budget

+ve better

-ve worse

Participants' Contributions

7,091.60

9,900 -2,843

Grants & Donations

2,750.00

- +2,750

Gift Aid

1,341.95

- +1,342

Total income £11,183.55

£9,900 +£1,284

Expenditure

Air Fares

3,971.08

3,330 -641

Scout Insurance

241.50

84 -158

Kayak & Equipment Hire

3,780.00

3,360 -420

Food & Ammunition

1,219.37

1,260 +41

Food Freight

-

540 +540

Fuel

38.05

30 -8

Internal Transport: Kulusuk/Tasiilaq

600.26

- -600

Iceland Transit Costs

483.24

660 +177

Satellite Phone Costs

131.86

- -132

Remote First Aid Training

50.00

300 +250

Group First Aid Supplies

59.63

- -60

Micro fleeces

135.00

150 +15

Greenland Sundries

69.58

30 -40

Contingency

98 +98

Total expenditure £10,779.57

£9,842 -£938

Surplus to Paddlesport Group

£403.98

£58 +£346

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Expedition log

Day 1 From 53-30.000N

02-15.000W To 64-09.000N 21-58.000W

1,630 Km

13:15 flight from Manchester Airport to Keflavik, Iceland and Flybus to central campsite for overnight stay. Walked into Reykjavik for tea and watched Olympic opening ceremony in Sports Bar despite locals trying to start a karaoke session.

Day 2 From 65-36.745N

37-37.015W To 65-38.317N

37-34.166W 735km + 6 Km

10am flight to Kulusuk, Greenland then collected by boat and taken to Tasiilaq. Picked up sea kayaks and loaded gear into boats, bought food from local supermarket and local hunter then paddled across bay for first night’s camp away from village in Nordfjord.

Day 3 From 65-38.317N 37- 34.166W

To 65-40.423N 37-18.306W

30 Km

Paddled out of Tasiilaq bay and into the open sea, then hugged the shoreline northwards along Ammassalik fjord Stopped for lunch by some old huts but couldn’t land due to abandoned huskies on shore. Paddled for further 3 hours and found small inlet suitable for camping, although the flat area for tents was quite a way uphill from the landing. Practised using the gun.

Day 4 From 65-40.423N 37-18.306W

To 65-49.976N 36-59.824W

28 Km

High cloud and sunshine again today giving good conditions for paddling. Heard a whale on the far side of channel but later on saw some much closer – breaching water and blowing water spouts. Found a large sheltered bay for the night, with good flat rocks to set up stoves and chill out. Climbed up nearby hill to send/receive text messages. Small fire in evening but driven to tents by flies.

Day 5 From 65-49.976N

36-59.824W To 65-59.703N 37-03.403W

27 Km

Cloudy day but not too chilly. Paddled past Kuummiut and stopped for lunch by old settlement. Sun came out in afternoon and passed several fishing nets set up by locals by glacial streams. Found a good camping spot next to a fancy trekker’s hut, cooked tea and did some exploring along the nearby glacial moraine.

Day 6 From 65-59.703N 37-03.403W

To 65-59.703N 37-03.403W

25 Km

Staying a second night at this spot, so paddled up to end of Tasilaq fjord in glorious sunshine. Had lunch at the end of the fjord then walked further up for an hour or so to explore. Paddled back along the fjord and climbed up col on opposite side (Napajaq) to look into Qingertivaq fjord. Cooked tea and then had our first visit from an Arctic fox.

Day 7 From 65-59.703N 37-03.403W

To 65-54.744N 36-48.401W

36 Km

Battled against the wind all morning as we headed east towards Kuummiut and stopped there for lunch. Bumped into Martin’s group as we landed. Wandered round the village and did some shopping in the store. Finished with a filter coffee in the community hut. Turned northwards after the village and soon got shelter from the mountains. Passed through some narrows and finally stopped for the night at Fanghuss, using the hunters hut rather than putting the tents up. Interesting tale from Ash about a missing C53 bomber in 1942, in readiness for our visit to the WW2 US airbase the following day.

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Day 8 From 65-54.744N 36-48.401W

To 65-59.516N 36-29.775W 20 Km

Earlier start due to not having to drop the tents! Shortish paddle to Blue East 2 airbase and landed at the southern end of airbase. Had a good wander round all morning and did some scientific stuff including quadrant surveys and mapping the base. Had lunch then paddled to jetty and landed for another wander round the base – saw a family of Arctic foxes living in one of the abandoned vehicles at the base. Plenty of abandoned vehicles and 1000’s of oil drums. Very warm wandering around the base in the sunshine but a chilly wind when we got back on the water. Paddled a couple of hours to a sandy beach and camped the night near Martin’s group (Nunativaq)

Day 9 From 65-59.516N 36-29.775W

To 66-02.679N 36-22.557W

36 Km

Sunshine again today as we headed round the corner and up the fjord towards Karale Glacier. Stopped briefly to chat to a group of Norwegians who were paddling double sea kayaks and had travelled from Kulusuk. Stopped about 2km short of glacier on a sandy beach for lunch. As we finished lunch a large lump fell off the glacier on the opposite side of the fjord (about 1.5km away) and 15 minutes later there were 3ft breakers on our beach! Got back on as they subsided and paddled a little closer to the glacier. Turned round and headed back out only to discover 3 bands of broken ice the full width of the fjord, approximately 400m wide and about 1km apart – presumably they came from the lump that fell off earlier. Paddled to the other side of the Semiligaq fjord and camped for the night near a German couple.

Day 10 From 66-02.679N 36-22.557W

To 65-48.733N 36-35.966W

36 Km

Perfect day with glorious sunshine and no wind. Made good time southwards along Sermiligaq fjord and stopped for lunch on a sandy beach on the east coast of Qiianarteq opposite Simmilaq. Travelled furthest distance today and landed on a wide shingle beach (Torternat) with a nice flat area for tents. Went for a wander before tea and found a skeleton of a whale further along the beach. Fog rolled in during the evening and we had a good camp fire on the beach.

Day 11 From 65-48.733N 36-35.966W

To 65-41.236N 36-59.593W

32 Km

Set off as the fog was lifting to benefit from another day of glorious sunshine. Made good speed along the east coast of Qiianarteq in the calm conditions. Cut through a narrow gap between Tiniteqilaaq and an unnamed island to find an unmarked hunters hut (possibly because it wasn’t very old). Stopped for lunch by the hut and all fell asleep briefly in the warm sunshine. Had a long crossing to the channel between Salissaalik and Nuerniakkar and then headed south through the channel. Decided to land in a wide bay called Tivparpik as this had an inland lake nearby which we could swim in on our planned rest day tomorrow. Suddenly a strong headwind picked up for the last 2km in the bay and we battled to land on the shingle beach. Cold wind blew for the rest of the evening so we made a communal kitchen in the shelter of some rocks in order to cook and eat tea. Started to rain around 10pm.

Day 12 From 65-41.236N 36-59.593W

To 65-41.236N 36-59.593W

0 Km

Rained all day so stayed in the tents other than popping out briefly to sort out food to eat in tents – to hell with the polar bears! All activities were cancelled due to the rain, so we had a lazy day in the tents. Forecast for the next 2 days was for the weather to improve although there would be strong winds by Friday – this made us plan to return to Tasiilaq for Thursday to avoid any problems.

Day 13 From 65-41.236N To 65-40.517N 26 Km

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36-59.593W 37-18.258W The rain had gone but we still had low cloud and poor visibility down to about 500m. Passed through the channel without any problems and then into the main Ammassilik Fjord. Hugged the coastline to aid navigation in the mist and landed on a sandy beach just as the sun came out for lunch. As we finished lunch the mist rolled back in reducing visibility to about 300m. Some were reluctant to cross the main channel in these conditions, but when the gps confirmed the distance as 5km to our second night’s campsite all agreed to make the crossing. Our earliest finish yet!

Day 14 From 65-40.517N 37-18.258W

To 65-36.745N 37-37.015W

26 Km

A cold morning again due to the mist, so we paddled close enough to see the outline of land but far enough out to avoid any breakers. Used the gps again to count down the distance to our lunch stop, which was encouraging for the more nervous amongst us. A noisy stop again on a rocky outcrop near the young huskies. Created a waypoint for the entrance to Tasiilaq Bay due to the continuing fog, with a lumpy sea and some confused swell – our worst conditions yet. Again tried to keep the outline of land in sight, although at one point we were shadowing a massive iceberg rather than the cliffs we had thought! Had a nervous paddle into the bay due to the presence of several huge icebergs inconsiderately parked around the entrance to the bay. Returned the kayaks and set up camp in Tasiilaq.

Day 15 From 65-36.745N 37-37.015W

To 65-36.745N 37-37.015W

0 Km

Due to the forecast high winds, we decided to have another rest day in Tasiilaq and then start the trekking phase the day after. Heavy rain in the morning so only wandered into town by late morning. Called at the community centre for a shower and to wash a few clothes, before having a bit of a wander round the town. Back to camp to cook lunch and have a late tea, spent the rest of the day chatting.

Day 16 From 65-36.745N 37-37.015W

To 65-38.934N 37-48.748W

14 Km

Got our stuff sorted and set off trekking, passing through town and along the shore of the bay to the far end of the inlet. Followed the line of the hydroelectric system to gain height up to a series of lakes where we were going to camp for two nights. Had lunch at the top of the first rise and then continued upstream to pass by several lakes. Camped at the end of the final lake on a flat area just before the col started to rise. Overcast so a chilly evening with no wood to burn meaning an early night in the tents.

Day 17 From 65-38.934N 37-48.748W

To 65-38.934N 37-48.748W

14 Km

Set off to climb up the col and ended up crossing several cols on our way to see into Sermilik fjord from the hills. After a few false rises finally got to the point where we could look down into Sermilik fjord and stopped for lunch at two old hunters huts which didn’t have windows. The huts seemed to be designed purely for sleeping however, they were ideal for keeping the many flies at bay whilst we ate! After lunch travelled further westwards to get a better view of the fjord and saw a large sandy beach with numerous icebergs floating around in the sea – certainly more ice than where we had been paddling for the previous two weeks. Turned back and crossed the three cols once more to finally return to the tents. Had a small fire and retired to the tents early.

Day 18 From 65-38.934N 37-48.748W

To 65-35.655N 37-41.535W 12 Km

Planned to have a short walk today and to relocate our camp to the area overlooking Tasiilaq and enable us to tackle the big hill near the town the following day. Walked around the other side of the series of lakes and then contoured towards an area on the map that looked suitable for a camp site. Once there we decided to travel further uphill and attempt to find a more exposed spot which would help keep the flies at bay. Found a rocky location in a little hollow with water nearby and pitched the tents. Sheltered from the rain for a while then nipped out to cook tea, before having an early night due to no fire again.

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Day 19 From 65-35.655N 37-41.535W

To 65-35.655N 37-41.535W

12 Km

Sun finally out again so a hot climb up to the top of the nearby hill. Steady climb up with midge nets on, reaching the first peak, Somandsfjeldet, by late morning. Continued to the higher summit and stopped there for lunch. Fantastic views over both Ammassilik and Sermilik fjords, with plenty of icebergs still evident over the far side of Sermilik. Walked back to the col between the two summits and then set off down the side towards our tents. Found a very inviting pool part way down and stopped off for a quick skinny dip to wash off the sweat from the climb up. Collected bits of wood as we continued back down to the tents, so that we could have a small fire after tea.

Day 20 From 65-35.655N 37-41.535W

To 65-34.98N 37-09.464W

5 Km + 29km

Another nice sunny day and a pleasant walk back down to Tasiilaq and to the town camp site. Sorted all our kit out and then wandered into town to the community centre for a well needed shower. Called in to the little supermarket for refreshments and then round the corner to the museum. Very interesting to look at the old photos and various artefacts, plus a visit to a rebuilt winter house which would have been shared by up to five families – very cosy! Then back to the main camp site to wait for our boat ride over to Kulusuk – brilliant journey by speed boat on a calm sea with a rather close inspection of a massive iceberg in the mouth of the bay! Dropped off near the airport for the following day and found plenty of wood to have the biggest fire of the whole trip.

Day 21 From 65-34.985N 37-09.464W

To 64-09.000N 21-58.000W

735 Km

Flight not until the afternoon, so we had a wander into the town of Kulusuk but there wasn’t much to see other than an Inuit Brian Potter with a rifle slung under his wheelchair. Although we weren’t camping too far from the airport, it wasn’t the easiest route across rough land back onto the dirt track road. Very hot in the sun as we carried all our bags up to the airport. Flight delayed slightly but back in Reykjavik early evening. Took a taxi to the bus station where we had tea and then caught the flybus back to the international airport ready for the morning. Had a restless night sleeping in bivvi bags just outside the main entrance.

Day 22 From 64-09.000N 21-58.000W

To 53-30.000N 02-15.000W

1,630 Km

Early flight delayed by 50 minutes but once on board a good flight back to the UK to waiting wives and girlfriends.

Total distance paddled = 328km

Total distance trekking = 57km

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Science report

As with previous West Lancashire Scouts expeditions to Greenland we wanted to undertake some element of scientific research.

However the lack of space in the sea kayaks meant that any science based project would have to be based on observation.

There were two elements to this,

Bird observations

These were undertaken for Kurt Burnham at the High Arctic Institute.

This involved recording the type of species, the number of them and their location. He was particularly interested in Peregrine falcons and Gyrfalcons. However we saw no birds of prey at all.

A list of the observed species, except for the numerous gulls we saw, can be found in appendix 2.

The latitude and longitude co-ordinates of each species was obtained by a mixture of ‘on the spot ‘GPS co-ordinates and plotting locations on a map and then approximating the same location on Google Earth

Vegetation study :

Can plant species colonise Arctic surfaces and structures within 60 years?

Abstract

North east of Tasiilaq in South Eastern Greenland the US Air Force operated an air field between 1942-1948, as a means of transporting plane parts between the USA and Europe. This remote (and secret) base was operated throughout the year, despite several months having no sunlight and only being a sixty miles outside of the Arctic Circle. When the site was abandoned in 1948, most of the site (equipment, buildings, fuel barrels etc.) was left standing as the staff left.

The periglacial conditions of this site give it severe weather conditions, permafrost and up to 5m snow in winter.

This study was designed to test whether or not life can re colonise ‘virgin’ surfaces in such a fragile & harsh environment following the abandonment in 1948.

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Methodology

Our rudimentary sampling process (throwing a stick over your shoulder –and sampling 1m2 around where it lay) gave rise to an indicative set of results, rather than authoritative ones. At each site we noted the site location, along with percentage cover in the quadrat of the given species. A Greenland vegetation hand book was used to identify the various species.

It should be noted that this is an entirely subjective study – no control locations were sampled. The lack of information regarding the history of the immediate area surrounding the airfield and the lack of locations with similar flat, exposed, lowland non-tidal areas meant that we could not authoritatively confirm whether or not control areas had experienced the same environmental conditions and whether they had been affected by human

influence.

Area / sample sites

The Bluie East 2 airfield lies in a narrow fjord, approximately 13km long , with steep mountains on either side. 13km away lie the Karale and Knud Rasmussen glaciers. The region is also very close to the main Greenland ice cap, and so tends to feel the brunt of any weather generated therein. The whole area has poor natural shelter, due to the ‘channelling’ effect of the surrounding geography.

Four separate sites were sampled by our team.

1. Site of workshop 2. Roadway 3. Fuel barrel dump 4. Airstrip In addition to these four sites, observations were made elsewhere at the airfield, most notably at a vehicle dump that we located.

Weather

The periglacial conditions found in South Eastern Greenland are harsh for any plant to survive , let alone colonisation by pioneer species. The weather has significant effects on the environment, with deep snow in winter, strong sunshine in summer and permafrost for much of the year.

Mean Temperatures1

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Tasillaq -7.5 -7.7 -8.1 -4 0.7 4.2 6.4 6 3 -0.9 -4.8 -7.3

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Information from a local, who both hunts and runs dog-sledding trips in the immediate vicinity, suggests that snow depths of up to 5m can be had at sea level in winter.

Climate and environment, Tasiilaq - Climate data (1961-1990)i

• Mean annual temperature: -1.7 ºC • Mean temperature in January: -7.5 ºC • Mean temperature in July: 6.4 ºC • Mean annual precipitation: 984 mm • Mean annual precipitation days: 120 • Mean annual sunshine hours: 1374

In addition to long, bright days in summer and over half the year below freezing, the East Greenland area suffers from two types of sudden wind which should be considered.

1. Piteraq: This is a strong wind blowing above 100m/s or 360 km/hr. The climate is influenced by the low pressure areas formed over the North American continent. Many of these low pressure areas move south to South Greenland and follow the eastern coast towards Iceland. This may cause strong winds that may end in a Piteraq. This can arrive at any time, and can last from a few hours to several days, sometimes occurring several times in a month.

2. Foehn: This is a dry and warm wind arising from a high pressure east or northeast of Greenland from which the wind blows over the sea and crosses the inland ice towards a low-pressure area west of Greenland. The wind comes down from the mountains as a warm, dry and often very intense wind from the southeast. Again, this can last 1-2 days and occur several times a month with high speeds.

Results and analysis

See appendix 1 for tables of data found at the sample sites.

Sample area Number of different identified species in sampling area

Average percentage cover per quadrat

Workshop 10 35.22%

Roadway 8 18.1%

Fuel barrel dump 6 51.7%

Runway 7 7%

Table 1 - Summary of species found and percentage cover

Workshop

This site was on the northern side of the runway about a kilometre from the main base. It consisted of collapsed buildings composed of eroded wooden planks and a corrugated iron roof. There was a graded gravel floor, leading us to think this was a workshop or a garage facility. Over the 10 sites sampled, two of the sites had no life. These sites were on non-stable surfaces, being on the collapsed corrugated roof or on a pile of wooden planks. These materials were loose, meaning that strong winds and snow action could move the materials over time. It is suggested that this action of movement has prevented a base of organic matter and minerals being formed, which lichens and mosses would normally colonise. Areas outside the building had been colonised more frequently than areas that would have once been on the inside or on the building

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Roadway

This area was significantly more exposed than that of the collapsed workshop. The roadway had been constructed by the removal of boulders and the laying of graded (crushed & sorted) gravel, and contoured along a gentle slope, falling from the mountain behind to the shore of the fjord. This had the result of creating an ascending slope upslope of the roadway, and a descending slope downslope.

With no shelter along this roadway, it is believed that the increased effects of winds and snow have created conditions more difficult to colonise. The lack of shelter also allows the power of the strong summer sun to reduce the quantity of available moisture in the uppermost layers of the soil through increased evaporation, as opposed to the workshop where shaded areas were available.

Although this site had 8 separate species identified, there was a low percentage cover, although many of the same species are found throughout this area. The factors mentioned above are assumed to have given rise to the lower incidence of life sampled.

Fuel barrel dump

This location was at one of the many sites where fuel barrels had been discarded after use. Elsewhere at the airstrip there are several areas where many hundreds of barrels have been moved recently to make large shapes on the ground, this sample site was not one of these locations. There was no evidence to suggest that these barrels had been moved by anyone after being discarded.

Many of the barrels were resting on or between other barrels, preventing them from moving. The creeping species of Salix herbacea and crowberry had crept over many of the barrels, as can be seen in the photograph below, causing a carpeting effect on the landscape.

This site had a high percentage cover figure in comparison to the other sites, caused by both Salix herbacea and crowberry having high incidences of spread. The sheltered nature of the environment created by the barrels resting on each other had created the right conditions for several species to establish themselves. The stable and rough surfaces of the rusting barrels had given species a surface on which to become established; not only letting the species to climb and spread further, but also holding the barrels in place and thereby preventing them from moving further.

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Runway

This location had been regularly used as a working air force runway for over 4 years. As such it was empty of buildings and other structures. The only constructed item we located was a small box-girder radio communications tower, although it is likely, given the location of the item on the runway, that this has been moved there following the abandonment by the base.

The surface of the runway was level and composed of graded gravel, approximately 1.57km long and over 100m wide, the runway was exposed to the elements and would have had a regular ‘pounding’ from the landing and take-off of heavy bombers.

This site had fewer species than other sites, and there was also a significantly lower percentage cover. Both these factors may be due to the exposed nature of the runway site, and the inability for soil-establishing minerals and organic matter to collect in such an exposed location.

Vehicle dump

Unfortunately we did not have time to collect any results from this area, however we made some interesting observations. We located around 15 ex-army trucks that had been left behind at the airfield. Most engines had been removed, presumably by the locals, although many had their tyres still fitted. When examining these vehicles, we found at least two tipper trucks left in situ, and most notably we found evidence of colonisation upon these. Wind-blown sediments had been able to fall and collect on the back of these trucks into a sheltered location in this exposed area. This had allowed a basic soil structure to build up, enough to support several lichens and three specimens of Purple Reed grass. This was the only incidence of plant life colonising man-made structures that we observed at Bluie East 2.

Fffffffffffffffffffffffff

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Conclusions

The evidence found at the sample sites lead us to believe that colonising species have indeed recolonised areas at the Bluie East 2 airstrip. Evidence found at the vehicle dump also showed that life was colonising surfaces left by the US Air Force, albeit this being a very slow process.

The periglacial conditions experienced at Bluie East 2 have had a fundamental control on the pace of recolonisation. As well as competing for nutrients, sunlight and water, these species seem to be competing for shelter from the elements, most notably from Foehn and Piteraq winds.

The impact of human influence in this area can not be underestimated. The slow rate at which life can re-establish itself after the ecosystem has been disturbed is most notable; particularly when compared with rates of colonisation in the UK.

In leaving their iron and wooden structures and thousands of fuel barrels behind, the US Air Force have enabled some plant species to become established using these objects as sources of shelter. Of course, had the air force not moved in in the first place, this location would have a more established soil base and far more colonisation of the ground. However it is interesting to speculate that had the US Air Force returned home with all their vehicles, machines and buildings, then these colonising plants may well have found it harder to re-establish themselves!

In our investigations, two of our team discovered a family of Arctic Fox (Vulpes lagopus) living in one of the few remaining structures left at the airfield. The 5 cubs appeared to have little fear of humans!

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Conclusions

These are perhaps best outlined by summarising our findings based on our initial objectives

To explore the natural features of the Ammassalik area in sea kayaks with a view to returning to the location in the near future with a larger group of Scouts aged 16+. This would probably involve sea kayaking and trekking, including camping and travel on glaciers.

The area was very interesting to explore by sea kayak; a mountainous landscape with steep sided fjords and a multitude of glaciers of all shapes and sizes. There is a good chance of seeing a range of wildlife and the abandoned air base Bluie East 2 is well worth a visit.

Trekking is feasible in the area, with some established routes both on the island of Ammassalik and north of the settlement of Kuummiut. Although we did not walk on the glaciers there were a number of glaciers whose snouts met the sea. If the ice conditions allowed these areas would be accessible for a future party to land and ascend into the interior.

In terms of a future expedition we spent a lot of time when paddling comparing the region to the other previously visited area of Scoresbysund. Both areas have their pros and cons.

Ammassalik consists of fjords open to the sea which has more habitation than Scoresbysund; so there is more chance of seeing a range of sea mammals and Arctic foxes. There is also chance to visit settlements and get a flavour of life in the Arctic.

However as the area was on the coast it was more exposed and the sea state was a great deal more changeable. Large swells developed and conditions became much harder very quickly.

In contrast Scoresbysund was more sheltered, it being a huge fjord, this afforded more protection especially in terms of sea state. There were also more frequent landing sites here compared with Ammassalik, where in some areas landing would not be possible or very difficult.

In terms of linking to a trekking and/ormountaineering phase of an expedition in Ammassalik, if a future expedition was based in the Kuummiut area then there are lots of smaller fjords to explore. However talking to a number of people the ice was kind to us this year. Sermilik fjord is nearly always ice choked so there is no chance that we could do a circuitous route connecting sea kayakers and mountaineers to the glaciers at the head of the fjord. Even at Knudd Rassmussen and Karala glaciers there is a high probability that we could not get to the glacier snout due to thick sea ice. This would obviously be a risk we would have to plan for! This would be less of an issue for example around the island of Milne land in Scoresbysund.

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To further develop a pool of leaders experienced in Arctic sea kayak expeditioning

Obviously we have achieved this. The conditions gave the team members new to Greenland a real flavour of its ‘moods’. Beautiful calm sunny days, heavy rain, strong winds, cold winds and thick fog. Although wild camping was not new, the lack of landing sites and the concept of bear discipline was.

To promote Scouting

We travelled in West Lancs Scouts polo shirts with neckies on, and had many conversations with people about what we were doing. As usual we came across people with their preconceptions of what Scouting is all about, however I think what we were doing and how we were doing it, i.e. not being guided and exploring under own ‘banner’ said it all!

‘In the footsteps of Watkins’ - to assess whether this longer and larger expedition could involve visiting a selection of the locations and bases explored by the 1930-1 British Arctic Air Route expedition and Watkins last expedition of 1932

This would not be feasible in terms of sea kayaking with a youth group as the distances would be too great and the potential issues of difficult and sparse landing areas and finding suitable camp sites may well be a problem.

To experience the culture of east Greenland

Visiting the settlements of Tasiilaq and Kuummiut we had a small insight into the lives and issues facing the people in this poor area of Greenland. On arrival in Tasiilaq next to the town dump was not quite what we were expecting, with rubbish all over the place!

First impressions were of a real frontier town, with shipping containers aplenty. The houses were mostly colourful and in various states of repair. Dog teams were everywhere, chained up and looking bored, except the pups who roamed around free, like mischievous children exploring everything and everyone. That was until they were 6 months old and chained up!

The towns were interesting to walk round. Fish were drying on roofs, sleds and skidoos were parked up for the brief summer, and dead seals were ‘stored’ tied up to buoys in the bays awaiting being butchered for dog food. When a few of the team went to get the fuel from Lars his wife was finishing off stripping blubber from a seal skin. Each settlement had a community building where you could have a shower and buy a coffee, or two, which we took advantage of.

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There were lots of children, who seemed to be a lot like their counterparts at home. When we arrived there was a football match going on, it’s amazing to see where Man Utd and Barcelona shirts end up! Like at home the teenagers had their I pod in their ears, were busy with their phones and the lads were in constant need of being told to pull up their trousers!! It’s hard to see what will keep them in Eastern Greenland as they grow up.

The curator of the local museum informed us that 60% of people were on the dole, and that the Western Greenlanders referred to their Eastern neighbours as the ‘Backsiders’!

The loss of traditional culture and lifestyle is obviously impacting on some element of society. This became apparent on our arrival when we were rather surprised to not be able to buy any whisky, our favourite tipple for around the fire in the evening. It has been banned, along with all spirits due to the problems alcohol is causing. We saw perhaps why on our first few hours when a couple of people who shook our hands and said hello were decidedly four sheets to the wind.

To spend 4 days trekking on the island of Ammassalik to assess whether there is the potential for project based work in the future based on mapping and marking trekking routes.

There is potential for this as many of the paths we followed although marked were not easy to follow and many marks could do with renewing. Maps could do with updating.

To assess the feasibility of undertaking simple scientific research, such as bird observations, in the area.

Although only a limited number of bird species were observed there were enough birds to undertake this task.

We also undertook some basic measurements about plant species, number and percentage cover at the air base, as outlined earlier in the report. This could potentially be the basis for further study.

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The team are keen to undertake another expedition to Eastern Greenland. We have visited 2 fascinating, and beautiful areas each of which has their pros and cons

We have a lot to consider when planning our next expedition. In terms of finance if the sea kayakers were to visit either area again in larger numbers we would probably have to take some of our own boats, particularly doubles. These would allow team members to have an easier day and allow anyone with minor injuries to be able to carry on, even if as a bit of a passenger for a couple of days.

If this is the case then to make this viable we would have to run an expedition in conjunction with the Mountaineering group, as we did in 2007. This would allow us to share the costs. This means that any location would have to take the mountaineers plans into consideration, as well as our own.

So lots to consider as we start to think ahead to the next trip!

In the meantime the Paddlesport team are continuing to develop paddlers within the county on week nights and at weekends. In 2013 we are running a two week wilderness canoe expedition in Sweden. This means that wherever we choose to go we will have a pool of keen and interested youngsters who have a pool of keen and interested youngsters who have the skills to partake in an expedition.

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Appendices

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Appendix 1. Science data tables

Site 1 – site of collapsed wooden building. Possibly a workshop

Sample location

Site description Cover found

1 On collapsed roof 15% lichens

20% unidentified moss

2 Edge of building

20% Northern Woodrush

5% Creeping Willow

5% Ridge Sedge

3 Wooden planking No life

4 Foot of old building, scattered planks

Common Cottongrass 5%

2% moss

5 Foot of building

Lichens 10%

N. Woodrush 5%

C. Willow 2%

Common Scurveygrass 1%

6 Outside building

C. willow 50%

Salix Arctica (Northern willow)25%

N. Woodrish 10%

7 No life – old roof

8 By building

C. Willow 1%

N. Willow 80%

Crowberry 5%

9 Betweeen buildings

Nord Sedge 40%

N. Willow 1%

Crowberry 15%

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Site 2 -Roadway.

One side with a ridge to the upper slope and a drop to lower slope. Location had been cleared of rocks and consisted mostly of a gravel surface.

Sample

location Site description Cover found

1 Roadway

Salix Herbacea25%

Lichens 15%

Red Alpine Campion 7%

2 Roadway

S. Herbacea 25%

Ridge Sedge 5%

Red Alpine Campion 2%

3

Roadway

Salix Arctica 10%

S.Herbacea 2%

Lichens 8%

Red Alpine Campion 2%

4 Roadway Red Alpine Campion 1%

5% Sedge grass

5 Roadway S.Arctica 5%

6 Roadway Mountain sorrel 15%

Nord Sedge 1%

7 Roadway Sedge Grass 15%

8 Roadway Red Alpine Campion 7%

Mountain Sorrell 5%

9 Roadway

Mountain Sorrell 10%

Red Alpine Campion 5%

Northerm Woodrush 5%

10 Roadway Red Alpine Campion 4%

Sedge Grass 2%

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Site 3: Fuel Barrel dump

Rusted steel barrels hat once contained aviation fuel. Unordered, possibly moved around the site by wind and snow?

Sample location

Site description Cover found

1 Barrel dump

S. herbacea 75%

Ridge sedge 5%

Lichens 2%

2 Barrel dump

S. herbacea 30%

Crowberry 20%

Ridge Sedge 10%

3 Barrel dump – 30% cover rusted drum

Ridge sedge 10%

Crowberry 20%

4 Barrel dump

Crowberry 40%

S. herbecea 10%

Ridge sedge 10%

5 Barrel dump – 5% oil drum

Red alpine campion 5%

S. herbecea 15%

Ridge Sedge 7%

2% lichen

6 Barrel dump Crowberry 40%

S. herbecea 40%

7 Barrel dump – 50% oil drum

Ridge sedge 5%

Lichens 1%

S. herbecea 15%

8 Barrel dump S. herbacea 15%

Ridge sedge 5%

9 Barrel dump Crowberry 25%

Marsh arrow grass 10%

10 Barrel dump S. herbecea 90%

Marsh arrow grass 10%

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Site 4 Runway

Cleared of large rocks & ground covered in graded stones (crushed on site)

Sample location

Site description Cover found

1 Airstrip S. herbecea 10%

2% grass

2 Airstrip S. herbecea 4%

Dead grass 2%

3 Airstrip S. herbecea 5%

4 Airstrip S. herbecea 10%

Nord sedge 2%

5 Airstrip None

6 Airstrip

S. herbecea 10%

S. arctica 10%

Dead grass 2%

7 Airstrip 2% sorrel

S. herbecea 2%

8 Airstrip Nord sedge 2%

S. arctica 1%

9 Airstrip S. herbecea 2%

Mounrain sorrel 2%

10 Airstrip S. herbecea 2%

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Appendix 2 Bird observations

Bird observations - Ammassalik region - summer 2012

Species Number Date Location

Eider duck

3 female 28/07/2012 65 0 37.7' N 37 0 35.2' W

6 female 08/08/2012 65 0 43.2 'N 37 0 5.8' W

1 male 09/08/2012 65 0 35.6' N 37 0 28.7' W

Fulmar

1 29/07/2012 65 0 55.4' N 37 0 31.5' W

6 08/08/2012 65 0 43.2' N 37 0 16.8.' W

6 09/08/2012 65 0 37.4' N 37 0 22.2' W

Black throated diver

3 03/08/2012 65 0 54.9' N 36 0 48.5' W

3 06/08/2012 65 0 42.7' N 37 0 39.6' W

Ravens

4 01/08/2012 65 0 59.7' N 37 0 3.2' W

3 03/08/2012 65 0 55.3' N 36 0 45.3' W

3 12/08/2012 65 0 35.5' N 37 0 42.2' W

Wheatear

2 02/08/2012 65 0 59.7' N 37 0 3.2' W

2 03/08/2012 65 0 56.4' N 36 0 40.7' W

1 06/08/2012 65 0 43.9' N 36 0 44.7' W

2 08/08/2012 65 0 43.4' N 37 0 4.4' W

4 13/08/2012 65 0 35.5' N 37 0 42.2' W

Snow bunting

4 31/08/2012 65 0 50.1' N 36 0 59.7 ' W

3 02/08/2012 65 0 51.9' N 37 0 1' W

20+ 12/08/2012 65 0 39' N 37 0 49.4' W

Ptarmigan 1 05/08/2012 65 0 49' N 36 0 36.7' W

Turnstone 1 05/08/2012 65 0 49' N 36 0 36.7' W

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Appendix 3 First Aid supplies

Group first aid kit

Broard spectrum antibiotics for treating minor infections - amoxicillin and erythromycin

Pain relief: diclofenac and tramadol

Allergy: piritin, cetrizine (non drowsy)

Gastrointestinal: senna for constipation, buccastem for vomiting

Wound care and sprains: most in personal kit! Some swabs and lint and melonin dressing- sutures for stiches and local anaesthetic

Syringes and needles

Antibiotic ear and eye drops and some eye pads in case of sun blindness

Dental kit

Sterile gloves

Sam splint

Personal first aid kit

Compeed/blister treatment Plasters

Micropore Steristrips

Paracetamol Immodium

Safety pins & scissors Rehydration sachets x3

Melalin x 4 Compeed

Midgie spray* Vaseline tin

Hand gel* Hand cream*

Sun cream Canestan cream

Crepe bandage 1 wound dressing

Tampon (nose bleeds!) Triangular bandage

* = shared items

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Appendix 4 Equipment lists

Tent pairs

Tent (Terra Nova Quasar/Hyperspace) Tent loft Fishing kit Tin opener MSR Dragonfly / EXG Stove Pots and pans J cloths Fuel bottles 2 x 1L + 2 X 0.6L Sponge (for kayaks) Water container binoculars Multi tool Toilet paper Lighters x 2

Group

GPS x 3 AA batteries Sat phone /solar panel Group first aid kit Tent & stove repair kit Kayak repair kit

Personal kit list

3 short sleeve base layer 2 long sleeve base layer 2 mid layer tops 3 boxer shorts 3 long socks 3 sock inners 2 Ron Hill (1dxb - 1 endurance) 1 montane trousers zip offs short+shirt in tent Down duvet jacket Trainers Warm hat Sunhat Dry trousers/salopettes Dry top Pogies Kayak boots Sling and crab Buff Gloves Sunglasses x 2 Karrimat Sleeping bag (eg RAB Quantum 600) Silk liner Thermarest Thermarest chair Hand wash Bio degradable multi use soap Micro towel Tooth paste and paste Platypus Diary/Pencils Midgie nets Dry bags Navigation stuff Compass Spare boot laces Camera Book I pod Thermal cup Knife/fork/spoon Small karabiners Pertex bivvy bag Personal first aid Phone

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Acknowledgments

The expedition is very grateful for the donations from

Gino Watkins Memorial Fund.

The Arctic Club.

Andrew Croft Memorial fund.

Augustine Courthauld Trust.

The Expedition is grateful to the following for assistance with the supply of equipment and advice:

Martin Rickard – for kayaking equipment and lots of local knowledge about ice and tide.

Dick Griffiths – for advice and guidance every step of the way in planning.

Alison Chambers - for medical advice and obtaining all our medical supplies.

To all the Greenland Widows - especially Charlotte who could have been having her honeymoon!

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Kayaking route and camp sites