Here We Go! The Greenland Crossing Expedition Begins Tomorrow

The adventure of a lifetime begins tomorrow!

Welcome to the PolarExplorers Greenland Icecap Crossing blog series. Follow along for daily updates on our awesome team's progress on this incredible adventure.

Keith and PolarExplorers Director Annie Aggens at the Dye 2 radar station on a 2008 Greenland Crossing

Who is on the team?

Keith is the PolarExplorers team guide. Keith is a lifelong outdoorsman and adventurer. He's been a PolarExplorers guide for over 20 years, and has crossed the icecap before. Like everyone else on the team, he's been eagerly awaiting this adventure all year. Keith's wife and two boys will be following along from home.

Sandy hails from the UK and has visited Greenland before. Sandy has extensive outdoors and cold weather expedition experience, including some amazing trips in Svalbard and the Hardangervidda Plateau.

Augusto joins the team from Los Angeles. "Goose" is a lifelong skier that's always looking for new and interesting challenges. We had a great time skiing with Augusto this past February on the Polar Shakedown Training in Northern Minnesota.

Jim from Pennsylvania is a member of the lofty Explorers Grand Slam club, meaning that he has climbed the Seven Summits and skied to both the North and South Poles. Having traveled alongside Jim on a North Pole Last Degree Ski Expedition, I can personally attest that he is a super teammate!

Where is the team?

They've been making their final preparations for the past couple days in Kangerlussuaq, a western Greenlandic town that sits right at the edge of the icecap.

Tomorrow morning they will load up all their gear and shuttle to Point 660, the embarkation point for west to east icecap crossings. Point 660 is so named for its latitude (66.5 degrees north) and elevation (660 meters / 2,165 feet). It's an amazing place. The team will be treated to a grand vista of the icecap.

What's Going On Tonight?

The team dined out tonight, a nice little treat for them. For the next 3 to 4+ weeks every dinner will be a freeze dried meal with a side of noodle soup.

They've already sent all of their "town clothes" and non-expedition gear ahead to the east coast, so they're already wearing what they'll be wearing for the rest of the month.

It's an evening full of excitement, anticipation, and, usually, some last minute nerves.

All expeditions have three phases, and their Preparatory Phase is coming to a close. Tomorrow the Expeditionary Phase begins!

Thanks for Following!

This is an incredible experience, truly an adventure of a lifetime. En route to the finish the team will traverse over 350 miles and climb 6,000'. Each day is a stout challenge. And each day is a gift that holds lifelong rewards.

Make sure to leave a comment on the blog if you have any questions or would like to pass a message along.

Thanks for following, and check back tomorrow for the first dispatch from the field!