Expedition Info
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Dates June 3-16 June 13-26
Elevation
Guide Climbing Level Intermediate
Cost
 Mountaineering — Freedom Of The Hills by Don Graydon Classic climbing course text; solid info on all aspects of mountain, rock and ice climbing. Available in paperback.
Ice World — Techniques & Experiences Of Modern Ice Climbing
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Greenland, the world's largest island, is perhaps one of the least explored areas in the world. It is predominantly an ice cap with a rugged mountain chain which runs north to south up the East Coast. Mount Gunnbjornsfjeld (12,168 ft), the highest mountain in Greenland, is located on the central part of the East Coast approximately 30 miles inland from the sea. We will attempt a summit of Mt. Gunnbjornsfjeld as well as one or two other ascents in the area.
Our ascent of Gunnbjornsfjeld will take approximately 4 to 5 days. Travel on the glacier will be on mountaineering skies and the transport of our gear will be accomplished with sleds and backpacks. 
All routes will be climbed in alpine style, moving our camps each day as we ascend. The climbing is moderate with some steeper sections of 40 to 45 degrees. Basic mountaineering and cold weather skills are required. We will be living on glaciers the entire time we are in Greenland. Temperatures will range from -10 degrees to +30 degrees Fahrenheit.
After climbing Gunnbjornsfjeld we will use aerial photos and information gathered from previous expeditions to explore the surrounding glacier valleys. Our goal is to find new mountaineering objectives which fit our climbing skills. Many of these peaks have never been climbed and we hope to summit two or more of them.
1997 Expedition
Our 1997 climb was simply an unbelievable experience. The climbing was more spectacular
than imagined and the team successfully climbed Mt. Gunnbjornsfjeld and completed a number
of first ascents in the area.
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. June 3 -4
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. June 5
Day 4- 12: We will first climb Mount Gunnbjornsfjeld 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. June 6 - 16
Day 13: Fly back via Twin Otter to Akureyri, Iceland. June 17
Day 14: Fly from Akureyri to Reykjavik and then on to the USA. June 18
— Gordon Janow, Alpine Ascents Program Coordinator
Trip Costs Include
Trip Costs Do Not Include
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