Hotspot in a cold place

For about two months, our satellite phone will be our only link to civilization. We will send regular updates of our position, and what we experience out there, so that you can follow our progress.

We are going to receive daily weather updates and stay in touch with our logistic router. And from time to time people send us encouraging text messages - something we really appreciated and enjoyed during our last big adventure in 2008 (Wings over Greenland 2008).

Hotspot in a cold place. Iridium Extreme 9575 satellite phone, Iridium 

Axcesspoint wifi router, and tablet computer.

At the same time, the satellite phone is also an important tool to ensure our safety. It will allow us to consult a doctor for medical advice, request additional information from our router, and to coordinate evacuation or rescue if needed.

For redundancy in this important piece of equipment, we just bought a second satellite phone (Iridium Extreme) used from Simon from the 'polarice' guys. Thank you very much Simon! It came complete with tons of accessories, including the 'Iridium Axcesspoint' to create a Wifi hotspot - right in our tent. Yes, you read that right: we will be able to connect a tablet or small computer to our satellite phone over Wifi and send an image or longer text update via email every now and then. (The bandwidth is extremely limited and communication costs are very high, but we try our best.)

Stay connected!

Aiming at safety - polar bears and firearm permit

 We just received the firearm permit:

"Tilladelse til ind og udførsel af vaben til Groenland inkl. nationalparken. Gyldig i perioden 10. April til den 30. Juni 2014 i forbindelse med Wings Over Greenland II under ref. Nr. A-14-23."

Which translates to:

"Permission to enter and export guns to Greenland incl. the national park. Valid from 10 April to 30 June 2014 in connection with Wings Over Greenland II under Ref. No. A-14-23."

While many polar travelers secretly hope for a friendly encounter with one of these majestic animals, such a situation may potentially be life threatening for both parties.

Images: Polar bear tracks in Svalbard. (Spitsbergen 2006)

 Polar bears are protected and may not be hunted or shot by tourists, except as a last resort in self defense after several unsuccessful attempts to deter the animal.

Yet for this eventuality, expeditions are required to bring a firearm and to obtain the necessary permit.

"Projects and expeditions to the Greenland National Park are obliged to bring a firearm as well as polar bear deterrents"

We hope that we never have to make use of it.

Wings Over Greenland II - ON AIR

According to the cover letter for sports expeditions in Greenland:

" ...expeditions are required to bring as a minimum one Personal Locator Beacon (PLB), one portable marine VHF radio..."

Yet operating PLBs and VHF radios requires ...

Wings Over Greenland II on air! Radio permit for the Personal Locator Beacon
(Kannad Marine Safelink Solo) and the VHF radio (Kenwood TH-K2).

... the radio permit, which we just received:

"The Radio Administration hereby grants "Wings over Greenland II, The Icecap Circumnavigation Project" permission to use VHF and Emergency radio beacon for the circumnavigation of the entire icecap"


We are "ON AIR"!

Safety First - Last Resort: Kannad Safelink Solo PLB

When Nansen set out in 1988 to cross the Greenland icecap east to west, he knew, he would either reach the west coast as planned - or not. There was no way back and no hope for efficient help.

Today, rescue is possible. We bring VHF radios, and of course we are going to bring a satellite phone. We are even going to bring two of them. In case one of them breaks. We have two batteries for each of them. And we we will also have two solar panels, and two buffer and storage batteries to recharge equipment as the satellite phones. Yet still many things could potentially go wrong. What if both satellite phones are damaged and we are in difficulty? What if we run out of battery and the solar panels are broken when we need help? What if all of our pre-paid satellite phone units are already spent right when we get in trouble?

This is why the rescue procedures are regulated by the Government of Greenland and why the expedition office requires in their "Cover letter for sports expeditions in Greenland" to bring a personal locator beacon as the last resort:

"5.1. Radio requirement and permit

 All expeditions are required to bring as a minimum one Personal Locator Beacon (PLB), one portable marine VHF radio and one satellite phone."

... are required to bring as a minimum one Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) ...

... one portable marine VHF radio ...

... and one satellite phone.

The cover letter further states:

"5.1.1. Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) requirements

 Projects and expeditions taking place in uninhabited areas (i.e. outside towns, hamlets, or stations) in North and East Greenland, anywhere on sea ice, or on the Ice Cap are required to bring an approved (certified) emergency radio beacon ('Personal Locator Beacon': PLB). The PLB must be capable of simultaneous transmission on 121.5 MHz / (243M Hz) and 406 MHz with a 121.5 MHz homing device and continuous transmission using an internal power supply for at least 24 hours at an ambient temperature down to -20° C."

We just bought a brand new Kannad Safelink Solo PLB. Normally when getting new equipment we are all excited to unbox it and to try it out as soon as possible. This one is a little different though - we hope to never use it at all...

Normally when getting new equipment we are all excited

to unbox it and to try it out as soon as possible. This one is 
a little different though - we hope to never use it at all...