Snow Mobile Video

Back at CNP it was try and fix the ‘Down Doo’ time. We spent the morning replacing a RAVE valve gasket which unfortunately did not fix the problem, so we will have to wait for Hurry to come over from Iceland to repair it.

Removing RAVE valve to replace gasket

Blown gasket had to be replaced, but unfortunately did not fix the problem

The last job before leaving my for home was to collect 10 French from Ittoqqortoormitt 50kms away and recce. a route into another valley to pick up a group in a weeks time.

Again deep powder snow on the only steep hill coming back from the village was our only problem. The French team kindly walked up, but we only just made it to the top with the loads. Again beating a good track up, we got the loads up one by one, going flat out with the Doos loosing traction all the way.

With the last load, disaster struck in the form of a loud bang and a shredded drive belt. It was easily fixed with a spare and it was just before the top, so we were able to push and walk/drive the Doo and sledge up the last bit.

Out again in the afternoon to recce. the next route which was up a beautiful valley. No problems here but we were stopped by a valley wide lake a few kms short of the glacier snout.

For me now, the 6 weeks are over and I’m back home. Lots of challenges still for the folk left behind. Thanks to all of them who helped and supported me for the period, Gunilla, Beth, Dick & Darren. But also to our film crew Arron and Dean, from Adventure for Change, who produced such lovely videos and of course Inge, the helicopter pilot who did the aerial shots. Of course the greatest thanks go to Paul, from Tangent Expeditions, who made it all happen.

Season's Videos

Tangent snow mobile video http://vimeo.com/64560483

Northern Lights video http://vimeo.com/63864619

Arctic storm video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ac2mpdHXIc 

Philip would like to thank his sponsors:

Long Journeys

It’s been a busy week or so, in fact I’ve lost track of time as we have been delivering and collecting parties to and from the mountains nearly non-stop. We had a long journey up to North Liverpool Land which was a round trip of 100kms and took about 10 hours. Everything went smoothly, we got past the terrible 30kms of bad snow near Constable Point (CNP) and the group set up camp next to a glacier snout near the sea ice. We had time to take pictures and film past ice bergs on the way back, then disaster struck.  One of the Doos broke down just before the bad snow. We had to tow it back the last 30kms through tundra, snow, ice, sand and rocks. It was slow going as all the Doos started overheating due to the hard snow and we had to stop numerous times to let them cool down. It has not snowed for many weeks here and the surfaces are really suffering and getting really dirty.

 Setting up camp in North Liverpool Land

 Icebergs in North Liverpool Land Fjord

We had to take two groups of 5 and 4 into the Staunings Alps and Ren Land areas a day or so later and so we had to hire a local driver and Doo to help. On the day, the baggage of the Swiss group of 4 did not arrive on the Air Greenland flight leaving them stranded, so we only had 5 to take and did not need the local driver, Magnus, a great guy, so it was a pity not to use him. (The Swiss are still stranded at CNP with no bags, weeks later, the flight that the bags were supposed to be on yesterday was cancelled!)

We did the trip to Sydcap with 3 Doos and it was long; 150kms, but uneventful, even past the bad snow area which was by now getting desperate and we only just got though. Lovely ice bergs on west side of Jameson Land and Polar Bear tracks everywhere as we got close to the Hut and even all around it.

 Polar Bear tracks outside Sydcap Hut

 

Planning a route during bad weather day at Sydcap

The next day was bad weather so we were stuck at the hut. Darren did us all proud by getting the oil heater going so it became quite cozy and much better from the -20 we had on the last visit. The next day was fine and our objective was a glacier in the Staunings Alps north of us a few hours dive away. We were not sure how far up we would get and I was a bit worried about deep powder snow which would bog us in. We passed through corridors between mountainous ice bergs and got to the valley OK, but had to put tracks in deep snow up the moraine valley before we could get the loads and group up to our high point. Unfortunately, the narrowing valley, deep snow and boulders stopped us well short of the glacier and we had to leave the group about 10kms short of our target. With heavy Pulk sledges and deep snow it took them another 3 days to make that distance!

Our high point in the Staunings Alps - our group had to walk from here

 Ice bergs on the way to Staunings Alps

We had another night at Sydcap before starting the journey home. The weather was foggy as we started and I had no tracks to follow as the fresh snow had covered them all up. In sometimes total white out, it took supreme concentration to follow the GPS which kept on getting covered in snow, pick up shadows of tracks, lose them again, catch glimpses of ice bergs as reference points, keep an eye on the guys behind and worry about snow blindness, as I could not see the GPS screen or tracks through goggles or glasses. I became covered in snow from the fresh powder but as we got to the fuel depot, visibility improved.

 Travelling in white out

 I used ice bergs as reference to keep us straight

 The powder snow covered everything

 

Musk Ox beat a retreat on Jameson land

The rest of the journey across Jameson Land went fine and we passed the herd of Musk Ox that we had seen on the way in. Even the bad snow area before CNP was fine with the fresh snow – however…! A huge steep bank of snow in a gully had now turned to a cornice of deep powder and we could not get the sledges up. We were only 20 kms away from CNP and after 4 days away and 9 hours of driving, we were tired and wanted to be home. I really did not want to have to spend hours digging stuck Doos and sledges out, so I wanted to nail this snow bank first time. Heart in my mouth, I took my unladen Doo full pelt up the bank to put a track in and lost my steering in the deep snow and started veering towards the cornice drop. I recovered just enough to get to the brow before toppling over the edge and pulled the Doo over the other side. On the return trip downhill, l was able to put a better track in away from the edge and went up and down several times to improve the track and make a firm base. I then got the others one at time to follow with unladen Doos, both as practise so they knew the route and body movements, but also to firm up the track. Then it was the big push with sledges. We only had one chance not to get stuck. Going at full blast we each made it to the top and I knew we were nearly home.

Our CNP helicopter pilot took this footage with on his way to the village and I’ve made short film.

More tomorrow……

The calm before the storm

We have a few days now to organise ourselves before a large influx of clients arrive. There is group going up to North Liverpool Land, a group across the fjord to a valley called Sodal and two groups going up to Sydcap, and then onwards; one going north to the Staunings Alps area and one going west to Ofjord between Milner Land and Ren Land. I'm not sure how we will progress onwards from Sydcap. A couple of Germans told us last week there was allot of powder snow in the fjord. Coupled with this, our first bad weather for weeks is forecast. We are due to have snow and high winds during the week of being at Sydcap.

http://www.yr.no/place/Greenland/Other/Constable_pynt/long.html

We are due to leave on Friday so it looks OK for that, but looks like we will get stuck at Sydcap for the rest of the week! I fly back a week on Thursday - great! It will actually be good to get some new snow, it's been quite warm over the last few days and there has been lots of melt which does not bode well for our route up north, which was already bare.

We have been busy preparing all the kit needed by groups and servicing our travel system and emergency kit so it is all in top condition for the journeys. Lots of Jerry cans had to be filled with skidoo fuel from our 200lt drums buried in the snow.

We did have time to go skiing up on a glacier in Kalkdal. No powder snow unfortunately, but a good run never the less.

A trip down to the local village 50kms away to take a client gave us a chance to do some more shopping in the one supermarket and take some pictures. Ittoqqortoormiit is a small village with lots of dogs!

 

 The one puppy took the best view point

There were quite a few houses with polar bear skins drying in the sun.

 

Icebergs & breakdowns

It's been a busy few days with some very long journeys to find a good route up to Sydcap Hut on the other side of Jameson Land. Because of the lack of snow we went south round Cap Stuart following the coast (red route). It took hours - many hours - an 11 hour trip all the way there arriving at about 8.00pm from a 9.00am start. We measured 200kms from Constable Point and used 45lts of fuel which was a bit of a shock, as it meant that we had to use much of the fuel we had brought to depot to get us home again. At about 100kms along, the snow turned to deep powder of about a metre. I broke trail as I was not towing a sledge and was route finding. The powder was so deep that my skidoo was using up to 30lts of fuel per 100kms (normally it averages 15lts). Powder snow was everywhere, covering us from head to foot and piling up on the skidoo. Then I noticed something strange with my machine. When I stopped, the revs stayed high instead of idling and I could not get it out of gear. We kept going until when we stopped about an hour from Sydcap. My skidoo started OK, but the power died when the throttle was pressed. It would not move. It was late now and the sun was going down and so was the temperature, so we left it on the coast and dashed to Sydcap.

 Moving through pressure ice to get to land

 Massive ice bergs as we neared Sydcap

 Refueling a few kms from Sydcap at about 7.00pm after leaving the broken skidoo

Sydcap is a lovely hut - more of a house, but cold. Our little stove heated our water, but not the room and we jumped into our sleeping bags as soon as possible after our meal and the satellite phone call to see if anyone could call our mechanic and give us an idea what was wrong. We though it may be ice in the fuel system blocking a jet or something.

Next day we started well after 9.00am. It takes ages melting enough snow to make breakfast and flasks. We were expecting a long day, perhaps two, to get our broken skidoo back home. When we got to it the problem was still there. Doing anything other that very basic repairs was impossible in the cold and even operating the satellite phone was hard as the batteries would only last a few minutes and fingers became numb. We resolved to tow it and managed to get it about 20 kms down to the fuel depot. It was going to be hard in the deep powder which now fortuneatly had a track in it. After refueling, Darren tried to start it to warm his hands on the hand warmer grips. It revved! It fixed itself! The fuel blockage had gone and we were off again. 11 hours later we arrived back at 9.00pm at Constable Point in flat light all numb and jangled from too long a journey on a doo.

 Preparing to leave Sydcap next morning

 Polar bear tracks lead to an iceberg

 Removing drive belt to allow towing

 Towing was only just possible and once started, you had to keep the momentum going.

I felt the route was too long and with clients would be very exhausing, particularly if you add on the further journeys to get them to their expeditions sites from Sydcap. After a rest day we reccy'd the northern (green) route, which was the route we used last year, but felt it may not go due to the low snow cover. It was actually fine and we got to the fuel depot in 7 hours due to all the navigating. We delivered another 230lts of fuel at the depot and got back to Constable Point in 4 hours. It was still a 12 hour day, but this route all the way to Sydcap, is 50kms and 3 - 4 hours shorter than the southern route.

Tupilak on the northern route - a good landmark

 Fuel depot stocked and northern route completed - a big relief!

Starting to get busy

It's been a busy few days lately, we have been to the village, Ittoqqortoormiit, and bought some milk, some bullets and a dustpan and brush. The route had changed from last year due to the sea ice and we had to go a long way inland which was actually quite an easy route. We saw the locals race past us on their dog sledges.

Our own airport dogs are very nice, but do pee all over our stuff, so we try and keep them away from camp.

Yesterday we got our first big group into the mountains in an are of North Liverpool Land called Himmerland. We knew we could get up Klitdal, but not the actual route into Himmerland. It was along a river bed to a col and then down to to a fjord on the east coast. Following river beds in gorges is always bad news as windtails (big snow drifts) often block the whole valley. I chose the high ground above the gorge to the north, but the wind had scoured the slopes and we had to make many detours round valley heads, scoured slopes and make lots of stops to scout the route ahead on foot. We eventually got to the col before the descent down to the fjord, but were stopped just a few kms short, by a wind tail and rocks in a gully blocking progress. Our group, 10 French millitary guys on a three week expedition, were more than happy and skied the last bit to the coast. It was a big carry with 10 people and kit - two people carriers, 4 skidoos and three sledges - two sledges in tandem, but we made it without getting stuck anywhere.

The Siglin sledges are standing up well, but their towing eyes are wearing out the tow hooks and causing some concern about the rate of wear. We will have to make some modifications soon.

Tomorrow we start our big 2 day recce round the bottom Jameson Land to the south to try and get over to the Ren Land area,

Success!

We finally found a route to the north of Liverpool Land yesterday. This has been a great relief as we have spent 4 days reccy-ing to find a way through for our two sets of clients who need to go up there.

The problem had been sand and rocks on a very windy section by an escarpment. Usually this is covered, but this year was bare of snow. We went to have one last look and found a way round over some very rough ground to better snow.

After leaving the skidoos at a dead end, we walked up to a high point to look for ways through the rocks and gravel. We eventually found a thin patch of snow over some gravel which was the key to the way through.

The dust on the snow made some beautiful shapes

 

After that, surfaces were really good and we made fast progress until I broke a drive belt which needed to be replaced. We noticed it at a rest stop and caught it before it completely broke, but all the top surface had shredded leaving fluff from the inner cords all over the drive wheels and clutch. We carry spares in every Skidoo and tools to fix them, but it still took 1/2 an hour or so.

We eventually got to a view point over Carlsberg Fjord and North Liverpool Land in the distance and then knew that we could make it all the way to the northern tip. We then started the long trip back to base, getting home about 6.00pm