Happy endings and F*!#ing cairns!
The last group of the season were 3 gentlemen who had signed up for 10 days +/- in the Southern Stauning Alps at the head of Scoresby Sound Fjord. Paul, owner of Tangent Expeditions, said that it was a relatively unknown area and didn’t know of any expeditions that had been there. This meant another massive boat trip to get there, luckily Tim (another boatman) had arrived with them and relieved me of boating duties this time as I was heading out with them.
Dave, Per and Jim (from left) getting ready in their boat suits for the long boat trip. Don’t they look great!
Scorseby Sound Fjord at 5am. Tim, having just spent 18 months on the Antarctic Peninsula working for the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) as a boatman, knew how to keep warm and look cool (so he thinks) at the same time.
Passing some massive bergs, this was one of hundreds (literally) you need to negotiate in Scoresby Sound Fjord.
A neat camp site on day one. Note the bear fence surrounding the camp. The first night was very windy so I placed rocks around the skirt of my tent to stop it taking off…they helped with the draught too.
All of it looks easy enough when the map has 50m contour lines. Base camp just above the triangle near Stormpynt.
A typical day’s food ration for two people.
Setting out for Pythagoras Bjerg, with rifle strapped to bag and two walking poles (one was thrown in the river a few moments later, to help Dave cross, and never seen again – not going to name names but it wasn’t me, so that only leaves Jim and PER) Within a few minutes of camp we had to cross the river that flowed out from the Oxford Glacier. It was a simple choice of very cold wet feet for a few minutes or cold, wet feet all day – easy decision.
Taking on some water after climbing a horrendous gully from ‘Holger Danske Brillier (Imeq)’
13 hours after leaving camp we reach the summit of Pythagoras Bjerg – the smiles do a good job of hiding the disappointment after finding a cairn at the top. This was also the last sunny day!
After 20+ hours we arrived back at camp having summited Pythagoras Bjerg, although we weren’t the first we are fairly sure no one had taken the same route as us – minor consolation. The next day was spent in the tents, mainly sleeping and eating. As it turned out it ended up being a couple of days due to bad weather, not an uncommon situation during an expedition. We did manage a low level day where we walked round to Stormpynt.
Another day in the tent, plenty of time to keep it clean – the rifle is still easily accessible should a bear make a rude entrance.
Jim getting a clear view of a monster berg from one of the boulders at Stormpynt. The clear ice streak in the berg is caused from snow filling up a crevasse, when still apart of a glacier, and freezing again
Musk oxen skeleton near Stormpynt.
Looking over North Fjord – the ship helps give a bit of scale to the mountains and bergs.
Per looking onto the cloud covered mountains. Judging by the hands on hips I don’t think he’s too impressed with the weather!
Our last venture into the mountains was to attempt the mountain directly behind our camp (marked 2100m on the map) There had been what we thought looked like a sprinkling of snow several hundred metres above sea level the day or two before. As it turns out it was several inches, that made scrambling up massive granite boulders a slow endeavour. As always it was worth it for the view.
Pythagoras Bjerg in the background. Our tents just visible (yellow dots) above and left of Per.
Jim and Per making steady progress. It must have been easy for Per with two walking poles.
Per admiring the view down North Fjord.
Jim looking on in disbelief. The wound of Pythagoras Bjerg had barely healed – It was a sucker punch to find this cairn on top. It had taken us 9hrs to get to the top – how someone found time to build this I don’t know!
Jim crossing the icecap, with Pythagoras Bjerg and Scorseby Sound Fjord behind.
Not the easiest terrain to cross. The rifle made things mildly annoying as it kept getting caught when passing over rocks. When I heard I would have to carry a rifle around I thought ‘cool!’, well, the extra KG’s and awkwardness of it soon changed my mind. (Photo courtesy of Per, thanks!)
Calling Paul on the sat phone to say we’re all well – still not back to camp though!
Attempting to dry some clothes before packing up.
One of the RIBs developed engine trouble on their way to pick us up. So that meant the ‘Opal’ was called in to see if they could give us a lift back to CNP – What a way to end a trip!
The Opal waits to pick us up and take us back to CNP is style. Also the first people outside the expedition we had seen since arriving at base camp – 11 days ago.
Keen to not get salt water on my boots and also get a cup of coffee on the Opal I wasn’t in a mood to hang around….in case you’re wondering, yes I made the leap (Photo courtesy of Per, thanks!)
With the skies clearing and a gentle breeze everyone was on deck enjoying the return of the sun.
We arrived back at CNP with a day to spare. The weather had improved so we decided to take in one of the peaks behind CNP.
The trio approaching the last summit, Hurry Fjord and Liverpool Land in the background.
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