Greenland's Icecap offers the most incredible destination for kiting expeditions. Second only in size to Antarctica's icecap, Greenland's Inland Ice covers 1,833,900 km2 and stretches 2,500km from north to south and up to 1000 km from East to West. Add katabatic winds that regularly blow from the Icecap's summit ridge together with relatively smooth surface conditions and the scene is set. Below, you will find info on the realities of a Greenland Snow Kiting Expedition, past trips, records and, for those of you looking to join or organise an expedition, some exciting ideas on objectives.
Expedition members required for Greenland Kiting Expeditions
Greenland Expedition Specialists are undertaking a number of kiting expeditions next season. The teams aren't full yet, so please contact us if you'd be interested in joining us on an adventure!
Support Packages for Independent Greenland Icecap Kiting Expeditions
We provide all aspects of support for independent expeditions heading for Greenland's Icecap. From initial planning and route ideas, to logistics, permits, equipment hire and insurance, we have a huge wealth of experience in successfully mounting expeditions. We also have a great passion for Greenland kiting expeditions, and would love to talk over your plans and share our ideas on some very exciting routes and objectives! For more info on our Independent expedition support services, please click here.
1888 - The First Kiting Expedition Across Greenland
When Nansen and a small team made the first ever crossing of Greenland's Icecap, they also used their tent ground sheets as rudimentary sails. Mounting them on top of the sledges, they only worked with a following wind. Fortunately, since then, equipment has improved a little! Odds on that, had Nansen a 10m Ozone kite, he would have set a record that would have taken some beating!
Some Notable Expeditions...
- In 2001 Raymon Larramendi & Jose Manuel Naranjo completed a south - north traverse from near Narsaq to Qeqertat near Qaanaaq (2225km) in 32 days on a 'kite sled' - a large tent-carrying platform piloted from the front. They set a new 24-hour distance record by covering 421km.
- In 2005 the Norwegian Windpower Expedition stormed 2300km up the Icecap from near Narsaq to Qaanaaq in a startling 21 days. Experts in kite skiing, they averaged 120 km per day,also breaking the 24-hour distance record by covering 442.7km.
- The Greenspeed Expedition completed the classic East to West Crossing in 6 days, 22 hours. The journey certainly wasn't plain sailing, with much pulk-hauling required and an epic 48-hour 'day' to finish the trip.
Conditions on the Icecap
Katabatic winds are formed when air cooled on the Greenland Icecap flows coastwards. The wind therefore tends to flow in opposite directions on each side of the summit ridge - an annoying fact for teams making longitudonal crossings. Winds have been registered at alarming speeds, but a wide range should be expected on any crossing.
Expeditions onto Greenland's Inland Ice should expect high arctic polar conditions. Temperatures, without wind chill, can be as low as -40 degrees Celsius. To complicate matters, teams have on occasion been known to wear shorts!
Kiting Expedition Greenland Icecap Crossing Routes...
Longitudonal crossings, that is from East to West or vice-versa, offer challenging prevailing winds for kiting expeditions. As the wind usually flows coastwards from the ridge that runs the length of Greenland's Icecap, any team travelling with the lines of longitude will most likely first face a head wind for much of the time until the summit is reached, at which point the wind trends to a tail wind as you head downhill to the coast. Any team attempting such a crossing should expect their fair-share of pulk hauling as well. Having said that, significant advances in kite design mean that it is possible to kite increasingly 'close to the wind'.
South Greenland - Mid-Greenland
Starting at one of the Greenland Icecap access points in Southern Greenland, an expedition in the region of 700-1000km is an exciting proposition. Staying on the West side of the summit ridge, prevailing winds offer great kiting conditions. A number of options exist to exit the Icecap, depending on ambition and timeframe. Click here to read more about our support services for this expedition route.
East to West Greenland - Challenging the Record...
550km from the East Coast to the West over Greenland's Icecap in less than 6 days 22 hours? Paul Landry and team set the current record with some epic days and much sled hauling. Starting in a stunning area above the fjords of East Greenland, the route climbs to around 2500km before descending to reach dry land on the West Coast. A great trip for those not too bothered about sleeping too much! As the Greenspeed team did after setting the current record, a return trip to the West Coast makes for a nice warm-down...
Greenland South - North: THE BIG TRIP
Feeling ambitious? What about attempting the route completed by the Norwegian Wind Power Expedition (read above in Some Notable Expeditions)? 2300km working together with the prevailing winds, this trip must be one of the perfect kiting expeditions. It's no walk-in-the-park though: several teams have since attempted this route, all retiring early only half way up the Icecap. If you want a BIG expedition and feel confident with all of the skills that combine to make such a trip successful, it's certainly worth considering.