A Panorama of Unclimbed Peaks Photo: Alpine Ascents International

GREENLAND: JUST THE FACTS
SET YOUR GPS
72° 00' N, 40° 00' W
Island between the Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Canada

OF WHICH 85% IS ICE
The world's largest island is 2,175,600 sq km (more than three times the size of Texas).

BY ANY OTHER NAME
The Greenlandic word for mountain is Qaqqaq

COLD AND COLDER
Climate is arctic to subarctic; cool summers, cold winters

THE REAL ESTATE
Arable land : 0%
Crops: 0%
Pastures: 1%
Forests: 0%
Irrigated land: 0%
Other: 99%

NATURAL HAZARDS
Continuous permafrost over northern two-thirds of the island, and...

(photo: Art Wolfe)

POLAR BEARS

THE FOOD CHAIN
Polar bears eat mostly seals and walrus pups but will also eat bird eggs, rodents, berries and anything else that is available. They can lop off a person's head with one swipe of a paw.

THUS THE GUN
Polar bears will relentlessly follow tracks in the snow (including those of snowmobiles or sleds) to find their prey. It is rumored that a polar bear will cover its black nose with a paw when within striking distance of its prey to keep from being seen against the white snow and ice.

THE SPECS
Adult polar bears stand 3½' tall on all fours, are 8¼' to 11½' long, and weigh about 1300 lbs

THE FEATURES
Hollow hairs let the bears float when swimming, and a long neck keeps the head above water. Their skin is black, toes webbed like a duck's, and leg fur is dense for traction on ice.

TOO COLD TO SLEEP
Pregnant females are the only polar bears who hibernate. Other bears will build a shelter to stay warm during a winter storm or cool during summer heat.
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EXPEDITION ITINERARY
Day 1 & 2: Depart US and fly to Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland. Transfer to domestic terminal for an Iceland Air flight to Akureyri in the northern fjord country. Here we will overnight in a local hotel.

Day 3: We load our ski equipped Twin Otter aircraft and begin the three hour crossing of the Straight of Denmark. After landing on the glacier we will ski for a few hours to our Base Camp.

Day 4-12: We will first climb Mount Gunnbjornsfjeld (the highest peak in Greenland at 3,700m) which will take approximately 4 to 5 days. After this climb we have many options open to us. We will pick three to four unclimbed peaks and study possible new routes on them. We hope to ascend at least two of these routes. If we have extra time and the weather is good, we may attempt an ascent of Mount Kershaw, the second highest peak in Greenland. This peak was named after Giles Kershaw, a well known Arctic and Antarctic pilot and explorer.

Day 13: Fly back via Twin Otter to Akureyri, Iceland.

Day 14: Fly from Akureyri to Reykjavik and then on to the USA.
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