INTRODUCTION

The aim of the Royal Engineers Mountaineering and Exploration Club (REMEC) is to deliver challenging mountaineering activities to its members at a level not usually achieved within units; this is achieved by harnessing and investing in and exploiting its Corps wide leaders and instructors. Activities include embarking on a major, high profile mountaineering or mountaineering exploration expedition every 3 years. For 2016, this was to Eastern Greenland to undertake remote, exploratory mountaineering activities.

The objectives were clear. The expedition leader, Lt Col. Luke Cox, sought to develop the planning and risk management skills, teamwork, personal courage and character of the Royal Engineer personnel by safely conducting an arduous mountaineering expedition in an austere environment.

Specifically:

• Conduct exploratory alpine mountaineering and rock climbing in a remote area of Greenland, commensurate with instructors’ log book experience.
• Collect Geological samples in support of the Danish Geological society.
• Complete training of all personnel to Alpine Mountain Foundation(AMF) and Rock Climbing Single Pitch Foundation (RSF) level through distributed training (DT) in Kulusuk and at the expedition location.
• Reconnoiter objectives for potential future expeditions.

“THAT’S WHY THEY CALL ITEXPLORATORY MOUNTAINEERING”

After 3 long years of meticulous planning, tireless preparation and countless weigh-ins, the day had finally arrived for the team to surrender their home comforts and travel into a completely unspoilt wilderness. The 25 strong team, which comprised of both Regular and Reservists, were going to be ‘the firsts’ to explore the area; a very exciting prospect.

The outward flight required a stop-over in Iceland so, with only 24 hours left in civilisation we explored some of Reykjavik’s biggest tourist attractions, including trying one (or in many cases three) of the “Best Hot Dogs in the World” from Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur; an inconspicuous street food vendor visited by numerous famous faces since it opened in 1937.

Back at the hostel, the team treasured their final few moments of WIFI to message loved ones, post a final Facebook status or download more reading material before we set off for our second leg of the journey. Our Recce party had established communications with us as we boarded our fight to the small Greenlandic island of Kulusuk. We were to expect glorious sunshine and bright alpine conditions; not at all what we had prepared for as we bundled multiple waterproof layers into our hand luggage.

Landing in Kulusuk we were met by our ‘local’ guide, Matt Spensley. Matt, who was originally from Scotland, had set up his own guiding company, Pirhuk, after falling in love with the area in his late teens. He was to be our host for the next 2 days and our weatherman for the remainder of our expedition. Our kit was shuttled to his house in the village, where our focus then shifted to the freight; beginning the arduous process of unpacking and repacking so it’d all be ready for the boats.

Waking up at 0400 with the sun still streaming into the room was both frustrating and disorientating: however the perpetual daylight was something we got used to very quickly. Training started a few hours later, concentrating on immediate action drills and familiarising ourselves with the deterrents which would be used if we came into contact with a polar bear. Due to the unseasonably hot summer, we had been warned that our chances of coming across a polar bear would be highly probable, so it was imperative that we all knew how to operate the rifles and trip flares safely.

After loading the small fishing boats, we sailed north out of Kulusuk and entered the foggy, iceberg littered fjords. A quick refuelling stop at a remote settlement allowed us to stretch our legs and whilst people took their last chance to grab luxuries like chocolate, crisps and sweets from the small shop, some of the team bought ice creams… much to the amusements of the locals.

As we neared the Base Camp landing site we saw flashes of colour emerging from the fog as members of the Recce party shouted and waved us down. The base camp location was absolutely ideal; the huge sandy beach turned into a flat plain, sheltered by walls of terminal moraine and almost completely encircled by the huge, jagged, snow-capped mountains.

Once our permeant base camp had been established, we quickly settled into routine… polar bear watch had officially started.

“IT’S A MARATHON, NOT A SPRINT”

After the Alpine teams refreshed their crevasse rescue techniques on a nearby glacier, the 3-man rope teams wasted no time in pushing out from Base Camp on the first mini expedition. Fully loaded with a weeks’ worth of rations, the aim was to establish two advance basecamps and start bagging our first round of summits. The arduous mountain days, which often started at 0400, required us to cross vast glaciers with bottomless crevasse fields. Once we reached the summits we recorded the coordinates, took the obligatory photos and built small cairns. We also collected rock samples at regular intervals to aid Danish Geological studies. Nightly updates on our progress were passed back to Base Camp over the satellite phones, and in turn we received the weather forecast.

Whilst the alpine teams trekked for miles and miles to reach their goals, the climbing teams focused on the huge walls directly surrounding the Base Camp area. Despite having to cross the freezing cold glacial rivers to reach the start points, they were spoilt for choice with the plentiful routes and challenges the rock presented them. It was clear that there were infinite opportunities to suit all abilities and the climbers soon found their favourites.

As the weather conditions remained unseasonably favourable, the Alpine teams made the most of it; favouring long stints ‘on the hill’ and only returning to Base Camp to rest and replenish their rations. Rest days at Base Camp consisted of simple tasks such as washing, reading, phoning home, doing yoga, making unleavened bread and most importantly, trading sought after luxuries. Our progress was sent back home via a satellite phone link which in turn updated the Facebook blog we had started before leaving. We also had a tracker with us which updated our locations to a website for our friends and family to follow. Messages from loved ones became a great source of morale for the team as the weeks went on. The long days finally started to break up with the presencea few hours of absolute darkness at night, which allowed us to see the many constellations, shootings stars and spectacular shows of the aurora borealis.

It was inevitable our good fortune would come to an end and so, with a severe weather front imminent, everyone was forced to return to Base Camp and seek shelter. With 4 days of torrential rain and high winds forcing us to stay inside, we quickly found ways to entertain ourselves… this often meant very competitive marathons of bananagram. By night, the base camp tent turned into the ‘Mountain Warehouse Cinema’ and we sat perched on top of empty barrels watching (and re-watching) movies on an iPad.

BACK TO CIVILISATION

All too soon it was time to leave our adopted home, and following the customary end of expedition group photo on the beach, the team prepared to load our freight back onto the same boats which had dropped us off all those weeks previous.

Over the course of 5 weeks, the REMEC Team conquered 37 alpine routes, 37 rock climbing routes and countless bouldering problems. These accomplishments were recording meticulously as they would be published in a guide book style book on our return. The book would include route cards, photographs, maps and sketches of the area and be presented to various sponsors of the trip, as well as to team members and parent units where they can be utilised for recruiting and retention purposes. All members of the team achieved their necessary qualifications and the instructors gained hours of invaluable experience.

It was a bittersweet feeling as we collapsed the campsite. Eliminating as much trace of our stay there as possible, the only reminder we left was a cairn where our Base Camp tent had stood. We registered this cairn as a Geocache and left a small message inside for any future visitors, which included a list of all of the team members’ names.

Sitting on the boat surrounded by the towering, jagged peaks we had summited was a very moving moment for everyone. We had accomplished everything we had set out to do and more during our time in Greenland. Whilst it’s strange to think that there are many vast wildernesses humans have never explored, it’s also a great thing for REMEC as a club. I count myself very fortunate to have been involved in such a successful and unforgettable experience and wholeheartedly look forward to the next adventure.

Quote

“Read this book and you will know something of the life of that fantastic land, of its ascetic nakedness, of its strong weather, of its laughing people and of the feelings of an impetuous Englishman who has lived there. To know more: throw away your job, your friends, your cares, beg a quarter of the money you will need and an eighth of the food you will eat, learn the language and go there; not as a great white man to teach, but as inferior to learn from these people something of their way of life: how to get a living from their barren country, how to share as they share, how to endure as they endure, to live for the day caring nothing for the morrow, as they have done since before the time when we were painted blue.”
(Augustine Courtauld, Watkins' Last Expedition by F. Spencer Chapman)