Heading for the fjord

After three busy days in Nanortalik of food organising, logistics confirmations and other jobs to ensure the expedition runs smoothly it is time to head to the fjord.
The fjord has been blocked by ice all week but in the last 24 hours the wind has changed to a North Easterly. This has blown the ice out sufficiently to allow boats to enter and exit the fjord. At 9am this morning it was questionable but by 10am, lots of chin scratching and some coffee the barge was loaded with equipment and everyone on their way!

The news from the Advance Party ...

Well the day of departure has finally arrived…………

for the advance party at least! The group of ten arrived early at Heathrow where final team equipment consisting of solar panels and other essentials were distributed by Patrick, and safely packed in rucksacks.

The bulging baggage was checked in without drama and we headed through the security check in. What a sight - ten explorers peeling off outer layers (that they couldn’t fit into rucksacks) and heavy boots so they could be fed through the x-ray machine. I am sure there was a pungent smell of sweaty feet lingering as we left for the waiting area, however I am sure it will be a lot worse on our return. Our departure was delayed slightly but it was an uneventful flight to Iceland.

The advance party, ably led by Dr Joe Gibson, arrived at Keflavik airport and were bussed to our overnight stop, "the main hall" of the Hagaskoli high school in Reykjavik. The next morning it was a 30 minute walk to Reykjavik airport and the next leg of our journey to Greenland.

News from the Advanced Party

Stop Press ... Just received a brief message from the advance party. This morning they flew from Raykjavik to Narsarsuaq. After a brief stop they then took a boat down the coast to Nanortalik which weaved its way through icebergs. The highlight was a hump back whale 'en route'.
Tonight they are in Nanortalik looking out over ice and mountains, preparing for a busy day tomorrow of unpacking the container. More when I hear more ... remember no news is good news.

Filming Begins

This morning the team walked to Reykjavik airport and were met by Fire leader Dr. Takako Takano who was accompanied by a Japanese film crew who are filming a documentary on her personal achievements which will be released later this year in Japanese (and in English in the middle of next year).

During the flight from Iceland to Narsarsuaq in Greenland we were treated to a fantastic view across the vast ice cap and mountainous fjords that flow from it. After landing we transferred to boat that would whisk us on our 5 hour journey along the southern coast of Greenland. During the journey we were treated to a fantastic array of different size and shape of icebergs that had drifted back in towards the coast, but the highlight of the day was the sighting of a humpback whale, not bad for day two of our expedition!

After unloading the boat at Nanortalik and moving into our temporary lodgings several explorers were despatched to buy food and rustle up dinner, which was served in the glorious evening sun.
After years of planning from the exped leaders, the advance party has finally arrived in Greenland with a huge sigh of relief, however there is still a lot of work to be done and it will begin in earnest tomorrow.

......... on behalf of the advance party and the rest of the expedition, we would all like to say a huge thank you to the unsung heroes of BSES, Patrick (see photo), Dot, Jamie and Will who have the unenviable task of chasing paperwork, booking flights, dealing with everyone of our personal issues and 101 other issues that we luckily don’t have to get involved in, but don’t actually come along on the exped!

The Advance Party Have Departed

Finally the time has come and the advance party are now on their way to Greenland! Today they caught the 1pm flight from Heathrow to Keflavic. Then they transferred to a mini bus which took them for the 1.5 hour journey to Reykjavik where they are staying in a high school. The School have very kindly offered to host us as they believe in the value of expeditions.

Tomorrow they will be up early, to the airstrip in Reykjavik and flying to Narsarsuaq. Here they are - all clean and ready for an adventure at Heathrow!