Expedition northern East Greenland
27 August - 17 September 2011
Expeditions Northern East Greenland 2011
(updated 24 January 2011)
The date: 27 August to 17 September 2011 (Longyearbyen – Greenland – Akureyri) The fjords of east and northern east Greenland such as Kong Oscar Fjord, Kejser Franz Josef Fjord and Scoresbysund are amongst the most beautiful areas on Earth -­‐ those few lucky ones who have ever been there agree easily on this one. Huge fjords separate the inland-­‐ice-­‐
covered mainland from lage islands. Large glaciers calve big icebergs in many "smaller" branches. Mountains are towering more than 1000 metres (3000 feet) the coast in many places, dwarfing even the big icebergs that are always slowly drifting out towards the open ocean. Where the land is not too steep, it is covered by surprisingly colourful tundra vegetation including Polar birch and Crawberry, which paint the nature with yellow and red colours in the late summer. Muskoxen and Snowy hare are common in such areas; other wildlife including the occasional polar bear, walruses, narwhales and the elusive snowy owl also roam this vast wilderness. Above all an endless, clear sky that is often sunny and friendly and often displays the fantastic northern light (Aurora borealis) in September. Clearly an Eldorado for enthusiasts of arctic nature. But ... how to get there? The Greenland National Park, where most of the area is situated, is not only amongst the most beautiful, but also amongst the most difficult to get to parts of the arctic. Far from all zivilisation and infrastructure, is this region virtually inaccessible; there is only a small number of weather and military (Sirius patrol) stations on many hundred miles of coastline north of the village of Ittoqqortoormiit (Scoresbysund). Other people than a handful of scientists, weather men and members of the legendary Sirius dog sledge patrol have hardly ever the chance to explore these areas seriously, apart from a few rather superficial visits by expedition cruise ships who hardly spend more than a very few days in these most beautiful areas. Visit www.Spitzbergen.de for photos of the areas that we want to visit!
We plan to sail there in 2011 – and if you want to, you can join.
Rolf Stange — Hofstr. 26 — Hof Tatschow — D-18258 Bandow
E-Mail: [email protected] — Internet: www.Spitzbergen.de
Expedition northern East Greenland
27 August - 17 September 2011
How?
The Jonathan IV is well suited for polar expeditions and she will be our home during these voyages. Dutch owner and skipper Mark van de Weg has been sailing arctic waters mostly in Spitsbergen for many years now and is still getting excited by the beauty of these areas and the sailing challenge they can provide. Jonathan IV is often chartered by film teams or small groups of individualists in Spitsbergen. Mark has taken his boats twice to Greenland; now we are planning a third series of two expeditions. When and where?
We are now planning our journey northern East Greenland (north of Scoresbysund) starting in late August 2011 in Longyearbyen (Spitsbergen) and terminating in Akureyri (Iceland). We will board in Longyearbyen August 27, 2011 and, depending on the weather, most likely set course directly for the East Greenland coast. From here on, ice will determine everything: We will try to reach the coast far north. For good reason, East Greenland has a reputation for serious ice conditions, which makes it impossible to plan exactly where we can actually aim for. Experience from recent years shows that our chances to enter Kejser Franz Josef Fjord can be estimated around 80 %; in some years, it is possible to sail even further north. (from 1998 to 2010, it would have been possible to enter Kejser Franz Josef Fjord in all years except 1998 and 2007. See Polar View's archive of ice charts: http://polarview.met.no/) In case of exceptionally difficult ice conditions, we will either sail into Kong Oscar Fjord, which has a connection to Kejser Franz Josef Fjord, or head directly for Scoresbysund, the largest fjord on Earth. Wherever we finally land -­‐ after the crossing from Spitsbergen, we are in the most beautiful part of Greenland and we will have a lot of time to explore. Depending on ice and weather, we hope to spend 14 or more out of 22 days of the first voyage in Greenland's fjords, looking for the most beautiful spots. Finally, we will cross the Denmark Strait to Iceland. The idea
One main aspect will be to to sail through and enjoy the beautiful fjords and waterways on board Jonathan IV, and of course we want to do landings and good hikes, hopefully also some longer hikes and maybe reaching some mountain tops (but not technical climbing). Scenery, light, colours, icebergs and hopefully northern lights and wildlife are the main attractions that we want to enjoy. Sailing on a small sailing boat means that everybody has to take part in daily work at least occasionally, both inside and on deck. Geographical overview: Longyearbyen-Scoresbysund-Akureyri.
Rolf Stange — Hofstr. 26 — Hof Tatschow — D-18258 Bandow
E-Mail: [email protected] — Internet: www.Spitzbergen.de
Expedition northern East Greenland
27 August - 17 September 2011
Sailing experience is not required, as the experienced crew will show you how everything works and you can learn about sailing on the way, but you have to be willing to take part and do your share, which is not too much, but you cannot sneek away from work completely... When we are hiking, you will carry your own equipment and possibly also take a (smaller) share of whatever we need for everybody.
The crew
Owner/skipper Mark van de Weg will command his boat and operate it together with his nautical crew. Rolf Stange will be the guide on these trips and contribute with his vast knowledge and experience to the greatest possible success; Rolf will also provide a solid background in natural and human history of the area to make it as interesting as possible and guide all land excursions. Jonathan IV will accommodate 8 or 9 on the East Greenland voyages. To join us, you have to be reasonably fit and healthy. We want to do good hikes, including full day hikes that can cover 10 kilometres or more, in terrain that does not know paths and tracks. If a forest or beach walk of 10 kilometres (6 miles) or less is unattractive or even difficult for you, then this is not the right trip for you. Also, the idea of spending several days in a small sailing boat at open sea should be positive for you; for others, it is a horror and then it would certainly not be a good idea to come along. To join a small group of people for weeks living on a small boat, you have to have some team spirit and enthusiasm for some adventure and a nature that is generally beautiful, but can occasionally be tough. Our expedition members will be international, so whatever language your native one may be, you should definitely speak some English. We will operate hundreds of miles away from zivilisation, far away from medical facilities, hospitals, doctors etc, so you must not have any heart disease or other condition that could put you (and the voyage for everybody else) at risk. In case of a medical emergency, it will take several days to get help, depending on position and weather, and rescue operations will definitely be very expensive. Your insurance must cover the costs of potential search-­‐and-­‐rescue operations. Your physical condition must be good for a small ship, rolling at times, and for Rolf Stange — Hofstr. 26 — Hof Tatschow — D-18258 Bandow
E-Mail: [email protected] — Internet: www.Spitzbergen.de
Expedition northern East Greenland
27 August - 17 September 2011
kilometres of pathless terrain. Price and small print
Here's the bad news -­‐ the trip is not for free. It costs 4900 Euro exclusive of your journey to Longyearbyen and back home Iceland. The price includes the voyage on board Jonathan IV with all activities and meals. Alcoholic drinks and soft drinks are not included. Important to know: Depending on the ice conditions, we will aim for the Greenland coast far north. We plan to focus on the fjords of the southern National Park, namely Kong Oscar Fjord and Kejser Franz Josef Fjord, possibly also further north. Experience and ice charts from recent years show that we have good chances to reach these areas, but also that there are exceptional years when it can be possible to enter these fjords. In such a case, we will head further south to reach the Greenland coast. We can not guarantee to reach any certain area or site. Wherever we land, we will have a great experience of Greenland nature, but we cannot absolutely guarantee that this will take place at a certain location. This is nature in the arctic, and nature rules. If you are not willing to accept this, then please do not join these voyages. You must be insured to cover the costs of air evacuation in case of medical emergency, from all areas in East Greenland back to your home country. Important: getting there & away
It is important that you take care of your flights, these are not part of your booking with Mark. And now?
Mark van de Weg is the owner of Jonathan IV and responsible organizer and operator of these voyages. Contact and further information: www.jonathanadventuresailing.com/ Interested? Then please get in touch – I will be happy to answer further questions. With best polar regards
Rolf Stange
All information given here is to best knowledge, but mistakes may occur. We reserve the right for changes. Rolf Stange — Hofstr. 26 — Hof Tatschow — D-18258 Bandow
E-Mail: [email protected] — Internet: www.Spitzbergen.de