Time to go

The final day in Kangerlussuaq. Time to clean up and pack. I even managed to sneak into the hotel (James Bond style) to have a shower :)

So it is here that I shall finish my diary because when we get to Copenhagen we will all be going our separate ways.

Where does this piece go?

Woke up this morning by the sound of Eurofighters landing at the airport. We spent much of breakfast debating the reasons for them being here. I then whiled away the hours by cleaning my stove, repairing my boots, reading,…

Went over to the airport later on to get a free shower, but the airport was so packed (two flights had been grounded) that they politely sent us away. It was here that we discovered what had gone on in England (and therefore the probable reason for the Eurofighters).

After eating a ‘Musk Ox’ pizza and downing a few beers, Alistair and I went climbing up the slabs near the campsite onto the ridge for some stunning night-time views of Kangerlussuaq.

Happy Birthday Smir!

An Expensive Day

After a terrible nights sleep, we went hunting for our free breakfast – Mark somehow got lost!? During breakfast we were given our marching orders. We hurriedly packed, then Matt and I went to sort the flights and rest sorted the gear.

The next three hours were some of the worst of the whole trip. All we were trying to do was get out of here! We went from earning £60 to losing £80 :( The afternoon was spent sorting our own flights from Copenhagen to home – another £80 lost :(

This is an expensive lesson to learn!!

Matt showed us the maps he had produced for the journey. It appears that we were two-thirds of the way across the lakes and then the terrain levelled out. Alistair said that this made him feel better. It had the opposite effect on me – it pissed me off! We could have done it. Why didn’t we have these maps with us? If we had, our decision of whether to go back or not would have been more informed.

Later on we had a quality BBQ and chatted to a lovely German couple and an odd (but v. nice) old man. Then after a bottle of whisky, we retreated to our tents.

Taxi!

With the taxi not picking us up until 1500, we had lots of time to kill. I spent this time aching all over!

Tonight we are planning on stopping over in either the YH or the hotel in Kangerlussuaq, so that we can get properly cleaned up. I will miss living outdoors. The thing about living outdoors is that it peels back the veneer of everyday life. You start thinking about who you really are and what you really need. I used to think I needed the latest car, motorbike or mobile phone, but that all that seems a bit silly now.

As we were packing our stuff a tourist bus arrived and loads of Danes, Germans,… spilled onto the icecap to take photos. Morten, their driver, came over for a chat. He is planning to do the crossing next year – alone! We discussed the difficulties our expedition had experienced – talking to him made me realise what we had actually achieved.

As we finished lugging our pulks up the hill to the pick up point, our taxi rolled into view – perfect timing :) We exchanged pleasantries and then I suggested we got on with loading the trailer. “No!” replied Nils “there is a more important task to be done first”. Nils then produced a crate of beer from the boot of his ‘car’. After a few beers and a chat about the expedition, we loaded the trailer and headed for Kangerlussuaq.

As Nils drove us through the spectacular scenery, he also managed to organise our accommodation, food for the evening and collect our left-luggage! Upon arrival at the YH, we got free freshly baked buns and a nice warm shower – civilisation at last :)

The evening was a frenzy of activity. Packing, unpacking, drinking, eating (Musk Ox – like a very rich roast beef), darts and finally bed.