UKC

I'm off to Greenland for a month later on this year - and I'm just looking for a little bit more info on what its actually like being there.... from people who've actually done this type of thing before.

I've upped my training in preparation, running 4-5 times a week (or using X-trainer), cycling / walking everywhere (I'm trying not to use my car at all). I'm also training with weights, doing pull ups (badly) and push ups, and sit ups etc... My problem is I don't have many hills to go up and down where I live. Any other suggestions?

Thanks for any advice and info

Ta

In reply to 'Hilda':

Hi Hilda,

It depends on what you do in Greenland. General fitness is allways good. Running wont do harm unless you have a an old injury.

Unless you are going to open New steep routes dont worry about arms too much. General fitness helps your stamina and makes you enjoy the slogs more.

In reply to Laubie:

Keeping my upper body strenght up, is just part of my normal training, as it helps in the summer when out on the rock (saying that I didn't get much time climbing this summer, as I was resting my arms. I developed tennis elbow, in January of last year. The resting seems to have worked, as I'm able to climb without any twinges now.

It just the main overall stamina thing -

In reply to 'Hilda':
Only visited southern Greenland, so these comments should be taken in that context.

Problem number one is not fitness, but the blackfly!! You'll definitely want a midge hood, and if you get the material, make a massive one that ties at your waist - that way you can eat outside!!!

Make sure you've got good sturdy boots (to a degree, this depends on where you go). Expect new boots to come back looking 5-10 years older!! When not amongst "meadows", you'll be in abrasive rocky terrain. Gullies and scree slopes can be particular "nightmares". Personally, I found poles useful, particularly with heavy weights. Oh, and yeah, watch out for the dwarf willow - it often hides big holes and crevases as it grows horizontally along the ground.

Avoid any peaks that look particularly spikey - typically this is poor weak rock and you'll be in for a mare of a time.

Essentially, you're operating in a remote alpine environment - its just that scree has not been compacted or stablized by the passage of many feet.

Great place and an amazing adventure - which is why I'm heading back there again this year!!

If you want more info, I'll email you links to our expedition reports?

ps.
I can strongly recommend "catching" icebergs - the ice from them goes great (with a snap crackle and pop) with whiskey!!!

In reply to anonymoss:

Thanks for the info - I'm going to the mountains of East Greenland (so hopefully the blackfly wont be a problem!!)

In reply to 'Hilda':

General fitness is always useful, and what you are doing sounds fine. You might try using a step machine or running on an inclined treadmill to help with the uphill stuff.

I did a peak-bagging trip to East Greenland last year and to be honest it wasn't excessively physically demanding. Compared to the Alps or even Scotland the distances and high gains involved each day were fairly modest. Because of the 24 hour daylight there is no great need to move fast: better to take your time and be safe.

The toughest part was hauling pulks up a glacier to move camp: if you are going to be doing a lot of this it would be worth training for: the classic technique (apparently) is to walk around dragging a couple of car tyres behind you!

If you are going to be on touring or XC skis (and you aren't used to it) then some work on you hip abductors/adductors could be good: that's the bit that really hurt the first time I did it!

Hope you have a great trip,
Mark.

In reply to 'Hilda':

When are you going? I am heading out there 21 April.

In reply to anonymoss:

Is that you Dan?

In reply to 'Hilda':

Some good info on this link...
http://www.karabiner.org/expeditions/

2004 & 2005 expedition info.
Download the expedition reports for massive amounts of knowledge!

In reply to Mark Bull:

Thanks for the info Mark, really useful.

In reply to hillmuncher: Going out in May

In reply to 'Hilda':

www.greenlandclimbing.com

www.tangent-expeditions.o.uk

In reply to 'Hilda':

When I was in North East Greenland a few years back it was a paradise of first ascents, night starts, lots of food, and sunbathing in the intense sun during the day. Pulling pulks is miserable hard work so basic fitness has to be good, otherwise being a competent skiier helped, at least in the area we were in. If the snow is mushy and rotten it can be hard work getting around, otherwise the height differences are not big and we had no really big days.
Some pics on my profile.

Dave

In reply to 'Hilda': I went to E Greenland last summer for some first ascents and had an awesome time. We did some training for pulking by getting some old tyres from kwik-fit or similar and dragging them round the local park for a while, its amazingly exhausting.

If you want any more info have a look at our website ( http://www.greenland2006.org.uk ) or our logistics guy's ( http://www.expeditiongreenland.com/ ) or drop me an email.