Day 2 - Dog Transport to the glacier and set up base camp.

Base camp was in the flat glaciated area amongst the peaks.  You can see dog-sled tracks on the fjord ice.

On the way

These working dogs are pretty tough creatures, and not at all gentle – you don’t try and touch them.  They live outside, eat seal meat, fight and drag very heavy sleds long distances.  Each sled had between 7 and 9 dogs and the driver controlled them with a mix of whistles and noises that still stick in my mind.  Along with the smell.  Sitting on a dog sled is a smelly business since the dogs are capable of emitting large quantities of black crap on the move, which of course gets flung around a bit as it hits the ice and the feet of other dogs.

There were four dog teams to take us and our gear 10km away to the basecamp area. Over the flat ice of the fjords we just cruised, the dog driver sitting on the sled.  When we reached the glacier we had to help push the sleds up the incline.

We chose a basecamp site near three large transported glacial rocks full of large bright red garnet crystals , which I studied whilst going to the toilet over the coming week.  Base camp consisted of two sleeping tents and one big communal geodesic dome tent (those super expensive Mountain Hardware ones – at last I had the chance to use one).  We dug in and built circular wind shelter walls from snow blocks.  The weather was perfect but a change was coming that night so wind blocks were important.  In our haste we built the walls too close to the tent.  If a wall is X meters high, it will create a snow drift at least X meters long.  And you want your tent mostly out of that drift zone.  When storms hit we had a few snowdrift problems, one night sufficient to bury half our tent and break a pole.  I think I mentioned this the evening before we went to basecamp… but I’m not the type to say ‘I told you so’, unless under my breath.

Setting up the main mess tent.  Luckily there was not a breath of wind all day.

After camp was established we set out for a late afternoon short tour up the glacier to see what was around before the forecast storm hit.  Picking out some lines for the days to come.

I think all of us were pretty speechless at that first look into our new surrounding environment.  As mountain-scapes go, Greenland is breathtaking.  Following a quick skin up the glacier, this was our first proper view of Greenland from a little altitude.  We all stopped and stared quietly for a while.

The sunset that evening.

During the night the weather turned and a storm closed in.  I love a good storm in a tent and this one didn’t disappoint.  We were out in the open and the wind was screaming.  I was sharing a tent with the two Bens on the team and Ben T became ill during the night, requiring frequent urgent visits to our new –25C plus windchill outdoor toilet.  It was a rude introduction for poor Ben. 

Base Camp

Base camp from a surrounding peak.  You can just see the three large rocks, otherwise the camp is almost invisible.

Our camp was very comfortable and well supplied thanks to the efforts of Matt.  And why shouldn’t it be?  People hear tents and assume, almost expect, nothing better than nasty tough living conditions.  In reality, when good logistics and dog transport is available, a temporary tent base camp in this part of Greenland needn’t be all that different to a rudimentary alpine hut or yurt environment at home.

Sorting out food packs

We had plenty of dehydrated food and snacks.  In fact I think I put on weight.  Half way through the trip a dog sled visited us with a heavy-duty kerosene heater, like the ones we use in Japan to heat houses.  He also bought a stiff bristled broom to sweep snow from the large communal tent.  Tent life was pretty good, at least it was for me considering that at home I live in a pretty basic hut devoid of any luxury anyway.

The mess tent. Plenty of headroom for standing.  Very expensive.

One of the two sleeping tents.  I shared with Ben and Ben.

Also among our supplies was a satellite phone and an emergency satellite locator beacon with a big red button that you press when serious trouble happens.  Perhaps an example of serious trouble would be polar bear attack.  At basecamp we kept a shotgun and bag of solid slug shells near the door, just on case.  I really wanted to see a bear, but if a bear is spotted it means death, usually of the bear.  So seeing a bear meant seeing a bear get killed.  We were under instructions to call in any bear sightings as bears don’t just leave the area once they see easy warm soft food in Greenland,  The local Inuit hunters would be more than happy to take the shot, particularly if it was a male bear. 

The only bear we saw was shot a few years earlier near the hotel.

 As mentioned, our toilet was beside three large garnet rich rocks on the glacier.  There were route making poles placed out as during the night in a blizzard it was easy to lose site of the tents behind their constructed walls.  Its cold and wild enough during a storm that you don’t really want that hassle at night time.

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