Loretto Borealis Expeditionary Society East Greenland 2019 In the footsteps of the 1930-31 British Arctic Air Route Expedition Expedition Chief Leader: Nigel Bidgood FRGS email:[email protected] Expedition co-Leader: Dr Richard Phillips ML, FRGS email:[email protected] Deputy Leader: David Howie MIC, MBE email:[email protected] Expedition Assistant Leaders: Anna Bidgood ML & Jen Howie ML INTRODUCTION In the summer of 2019 the fifth expedition of the Loretto Borealis Expeditionary Society will be to East Greenland. This follows on from a successful expedition to North-West and Central Iceland that took place this summer (2017). The Borealis Expeditionary Society is dedicated to furthering the education of Sixth Form pupils in matters relating to the arctic and sub-arctic areas of our planet and, at its core, exists the opportunity for members of the Society to experience major mountaineering and trekking expeditions to these boreal areas. This document is intended to provide details of the background to this major and challenging expedition and hopefully to answer many of the questions that immediately spring to mind. If you have any queries then please do not hesitate to contact Dr Richard Phillips in the first instance. LOCATION East Greenland – Angmagssalik and Sermilik Fjords Complex 66°N ETHOS The emphasis will be on self-sufficiency, allowing lightweight exploration of the remote wilderness areas of East Greenland. The entire trip will be under canvas, apart from the use of a mountain hut for a few days, and our activities will include trekking, mountain and glacial ascents. There will be a strong academic research undercurrent to this essentially arctic mountaineering and trekking expedition (see below). 1 BACKGROUND: 1930-1931 BRITISH ARCTIC AIR ROUTE EXPEDITION (BAARE) This amazing expedition, led by the heroic Gino Watkins, is an example of one of the truly great British Expeditions. It achieved an amazing amount in Greenland, including pioneering a route across the ice cap for aeroplanes that was later adopted as a war-time flight route to/from the USA, and even later, as a commercial air route for passenger planes. The expeditionary group was composed almost entirely of young Cambridge undergraduates and was remarkable for what such a relatively inexperienced group could achieve. The expedition is recorded in one of the great exploration books, “Northern Lights” by F. Spencer Chapman (who went to Sedbergh School). It also gave rise to a number of other books all featuring the amazing survival story of Augustine Courtauld. Courtauld single- handedly manned a weather station, high on the Greenland Ice Cap over the winter of 1930- 31, and was actually buried under the snow for the latter part of the winter. It is a fitting expedition for us to pay homage to in our own, slightly more modest, one – as we will be a group comprising students of 17 years of age (admittedly led by an experienced leadership team, of course, as befits the modern world of risk assessment). We will recreate some of their journeys (scaled down of course) and will conduct research, much as they did in the 1930’s. Thus, the historical, cultural and scientific vibrancy of our expedition is assured. OBJECTIVES Specific objectives involving trekking, mountain and glacial ascents, will be formulated later. We will also pursue academic objectives including a study of the flora and geology of the area together with a look at the evolution of the indigenous culture. In addition, we hope to pursue additional academic objectives concerning astronomy and geophysics. RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES On the British Arctic Air Route Expedition 1930-31, the research into the geology of this area of East Greenland was carried out by Dr (later Professor) Lawrence Wager. We have access to all his written reports and specimens, which are stored in the Earth Sciences Department at Oxford University. This will give us an amazing resource to direct and support our own study. Our research on the geology of East Greenland, will involve a collaboration with Oxford University and its Department of Earth Sciences. We will also conduct research into the adaptations of the arctic plants that allow them to survive in this hostile environment and to colonise and survive on the exposed “nunataks” that rise as rocky outcrops above the ice cap itself. We will also be studying the cultural history and adaptations of the Thule Inuit hunting culture that have allowed the members of this culture to survive in such an inhospitable area for over a millennium. ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY, LONDON – SUPPORT AND USE OF FACILITIES We will have access to the Map Room in the Royal Geographical Society (RGS) in South Kensington for our research into the area and the use of past expeditions (including the British Arctic Air Route) reports. This facility is made available to the team as two of the expedition leaders are RGS Fellows. We usually manage to arrange a special tour of the RGS for the expedition group as part of our research visit. 2 We will also put the expedition through an ‘8848 evaluation process’ involving the Young Explorers’ Trust based at the RGS. This involves submitting all the plans of the expedition to scrutiny by a panel of experts such that our plans are thoroughly checked and validated. We have done this twice before and have found it to be an excellent thing to do in terms of ensuring an ultimately safe and educationally rewarding expedition. Nigel Bidgood, former Loretto Vicegerent, currently sits on the expert panel, which makes it both easier, in terms of knowing what to expect, but harder in terms of the expectations of perfection! TIMING AND DURATION The expedition will spend the best part of 4-5 weeks in the field in July-August 2019, departing normally on the first day of the holiday. COST The overall cost of the expedition will be £3,100 per applicant. This will cover everything to do with the expedition including flights to Iceland and flights onto Greenland (including airport taxes), transit buses in Iceland, helicopter and boats in Greenland, all accommodation in Iceland and Greenland, expedition insurance, travel to and from the departure airport in Scotland, all food and fuel. It will also cover meals, entertainment and accommodation costs for the couple of days spent recovering in the Icelandic capital, Reykjavík on our return journey. Thus, this cost covers the entire period of up to five weeks in Greenland (and transit in Iceland). The only other cost will be for the practice expedition (see below) and personal equipment - this refers only to some specialist personal clothing including mountaineering boots; all other items of hardware being supplied by the school. PAYMENT We intend to spread the payments over the period December 2017 to May 2019 to ease the burden somewhat. All payments made are fully refundable until September 2018 at which time Nigel Bidgood, as expedition leader, will start to pay for the flights and other logistics. However, it is important that all applicants commit themselves to this venture especially given the limited places available, and even more especially, if some applicants have been disappointed by not making the initial expedition group. Once the application details have been returned and the group finalised a letter will be sent out detailing the payment schedule. ALLIED EXPERIENCES The expedition provides a unique set of experiences for each participant. The spin offs in terms of University (UCAS) applications, job interviews and improved life skills are, of course, superb. This applies to the actuality of having taken part and to the subtler effects on the development of an individual’s personality and character. DUKE OF EDINBURGH GOLD AWARD EXPEDITIONS It is possible for this experience to completely satisfy the Gold Duke of Edinburgh qualifying and assessment components of the expedition section of the award, providing that there is a group in such a position within the resultant Greenland Expedition Team. DofE leading and assessment will be provided by one of three qualified leaders and assessors (R Phillips, D Howie and J Howie). 3 TRAINING This will commence in September 2018 and will continue up to the moment of departure. It will involve techniques including use of ice axes, crampons and ropes, navigation training (and practice!), camp craft, river crossing training and learning about the history, culture, geophysics, astronomy, geology and botany of Greenland in preparation for the scientific research to be undertaken. An awareness of environment is intrinsic to the success of any expedition. A fitness programme will be implemented during the pre-expedition training phase. PRACTICE EXPEDITION The major practice expedition will take place for the first five days at the start of the Easter holiday 2019 in the Cairngorms. This will provide a valuable “switching off” opportunity for the team members in the U6 before the commencement of their A2 revision! The cost of the practice expedition is £100 and will be payable in February 2019, prior to the main practice expedition to the Cairngorms. EQUIPMENT Most of the kit will be supplied from the Loretto School arctic expedition kit store. This includes items such as mountain jackets, mountain tents, expedition rucksacks, climbing day sacks, four season sleeping bags, thermarests, all cooking equipment and utensils, insect repellent, mosquito headnets, harnesses, helmets, ice axes, crampons and ropes. Individual members will be required to provide themselves with some specialist personal clothing and mountain boots and full and specific details will be provided later. Thus, choosing Christmas and birthday presents will be easy in the near future! We have a purchasing scheme with a local outdoor retailer (Tiso’s in Leith), this will provide a discount scheme (20%), and special viewing and purchasing opportunities for the group members and their parents will be organised.