Meet The Gang # 3 - Kirstine

Kirstine has been dashing around in the last couple of days buying a few last minute bits of kit and weighing up what food to take.

There are already 240 Clif Bars out there waiting for us as well as a kilo of cous cous. To add some flavour, Kirstine is packing some small curry packets and sachets of soup. There will be cuppa soups and mug shots for lunchtimes and plenty of custard for puddings.

On a cultural note, Kirstine has been reading about how Gino Watkins prepared for his expeditions to east Greenland in the early 1930s.

Meet the Gang #2 - Chris

Other members of the gang have recently returned from trips. Chris tells of a tall tail (or fin).

"Not long ago I was paddling in the Sound of Barra in the Hebrides. This is a photo of me, with basking shark."

"Here is another photo of the shark as it swam under my boat. I wonder what kind of animals we'll
see in Greenland?"

Meet The Gang #1 - Stephanie

Sailing off La Gomera in Janurary

Stephanie just sent in a couple of photos from her recent travels...

"Am expecting rather different scenery to that encountered on my most recent trip out of San Francisco Bay, up the Marin coastline; no icebergs or polar bears spotted off California - only pelicans and this  WW2 battleship, the US Iowa under tow to LA en route to become a museum."

The Ice is Clearing

With less than a month to go before we arrive in Tasiilaq, the ice is begining to clear from the coast of East Greenland.

This is a link to Hendrik's web cam that overlooks the town and the bay beyond Tasiilaq harbour.

'The Mists' in film

During the paddling trip to Knoydart, we did some filming. It was an excellent opportunity to try out cameras and to get to grips with how they work in cold weather.

 

Many thanks to the Peatbog Faeries for allowing me to use the music from their 'Croftwork' album. For more information about Peatbog Faeries, their music and forthcoming dates visit www.peatbogfaeries.com

Paddling the mists of Knoydart

The Easter weekend brought most of the Greenland expedition team together to meet up for some paddling and camping. The journey from Manchester was hardly encouraging. We battled high winds and frequent showers of sleet until we found some improvement north of the Scottish border by teatime. Eventually we arrived at the beautifully situated Silversands Campsite just north of Arisaig where crystal skies gave way to a dazzling sunset.

The next morning we set off into a cold and murky morning. After stopping at Mallaig for a few last minute supplies we set about finding a legendary bunkhouse nestled deep in a sheltered inlet along the shores of Loch Nevis. It is a basic set up in an old chapel. There is coal fired range, basic lighting as well as hot and cold running water. The building retains its old charm whilst adorned with postcards from well-traveled past visitors. The proprietor is called Frank who now in his mid-eighties has been living there for more than 25 years. He plays accordion and tells stories and rude jokes but also accepts assistance in entertainment from his electric singing moose head.

Having spent the night at the bunkhouse, the Sandaig Islands made famous by Gavin Maxwell and his love of otters, would be next on our tour. The weather remained poor with mostly mist and drizzle and to cap it all, a cripplingly chilly headwind.

However, just as we arrived the wind dropped and the skies cleared.

Late afternoon sunshine drenched this idyllic and historic scene and we relaxed in the early evening sunshine.

Following a moonlit night, the mists and rain returned in the morning. We paddled south and made for Inverie for beer and hot food and music at The Old Forge. In the morning we struck camp early. We were fully equipped with sore heads and weary limbs in readiness for a hard paddle into a stiff headwind.

The stretch from Mallaig back to Silversands was especially tough into rough seas and squalls of force 4-6. Having landed safely, we found fish and chips plentiful scalding hot tea in a warm cafe.

Shipping Out - Part 2

Kirstine & I  took the kayak to the port of Immingham, packed some equipment inside along with an assortment of lovely snacks. It seemed to take ages to wrap it up in cardboard and plastic before putting labels on and signing it over to the shipping company.

By now the P&H Scorpio will be on its sea voyage to Greenland. It will take a while getting there as it will be taking a circuitous route on the high seas in a sea freight container.