| Q1. |
What does "unassisted" mean? |
| A. |
In polar exploration unassisted usually means embarking on an expedition without any re-supplies, air drops or other assistance once on the ice, in other words everything we need to live with for 2 months is in our sleds. "Assisted" expeditions use re-supplies – as many as desired (or can be afforded!). Needless to say there is a big difference between the two vis-à-vis weight carried and ability to bring in spare kit or medicines for equipment or medical emergencie
There is sometimes confusion between supported/unsupported and assisted/unassisted |
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| Q2. |
So what about 'supported" versus "unsupported"? |
| A. |
Unsupported expeditions use natural human means of propulsion, i.e. legs and arms. "Supported" expeditions use non-human means such as motorised skidoos, dogs or kites to assist travel, though there is some debate whether kites, and in detail the wind, constitutes a supported expedition. |
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| Q3. |
Has anyone done the route before? |
| A. |
The two Norwegian explorers Rune Gjeldnes and Torry Larson, completed the only previous unsupported vertical crossing of Greenland – a remarkable journey, which has never been replicated, from within a day of the southern tip of the country to the very northern tip of the country.
Our route is different, but has never been attempted, or succeeded, before.
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| Q4. |
I've heard of a number of Greenland Crossings, can you explain? |
| A. |
Greenland crossings are, as the name suggests, crossings of the Greenland Ice cap, usually around the Arctic Circle, from east to west, a distance of approximately 400 kms. Teams do these every year, in journeys typically lasting 21 days. |
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| Q5. |
How long will the Expedition take? |
| A. |
On most polar expeditions, teams have an approximate idea of how long they will take within a period of 5-10 days. On the Emirates NBD Quest 2009 expedition, however, we really have no idea as we are subject to the mercy of the wind. If it blows in exactly the direction and speed that we need, we could complete the journey in possibly 40 days. If it doesn’t, then we will be looking at our limit of 65 days. |
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| Q6. |
How fast can you travel on kite skis'? |
| A. |
The brief answer is as fast as our nerve allows! In the first quarter of the trip progress is likely to be slow, but once the wind hopefully starts blowing in a North/East direction, 20km/hr is a likely average. Maximum speed will be around 50km/hr.
Daily distances are aimed at around 100 km in ideal conditions.
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| Q7. |
How hard do you think Greenland will be compared to other expeditions? |
| A. |
They are all different, with their own unique challenges. Each one presents a totally different set of problems. The biggest ones on this expedition are equipment failure or body failure, ie injury. It is a huge distance to cover and both need to be working optimally. |
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| Q8. |
Regarding your sustainability message, isn’t this expedition just about you all wanting to do something you enjoy doing? |
| A. |
Absolutely and we make no bones about it. We’re doing this because we love doing it. But we are also driven by passion for the planet and want to leverage our expedition to the fullest to help make a difference, in however small a way. |
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| Q9. |
Isn’t sustainability another environmental movement? |
| A. |
There is a big difference. The environment is part of the sustainability movement and a big part at that, but it is not all. It’s also about our economies and society and the linkages between them all. |
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| Q10. |
How can I learn more about One Planet Living and how I can make a difference? |
| A. |
Go to the following:
One Planet Living: www.oneplanetliving.org/index.htm
One Planet Communities: www.oneplanetcommunities.org
BioRegional: www.bioregional.com
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