Arctic Ascent

There are very few places in the world that remain completely untouched by humans. But there are some people who have a knack of getting to these far-reaching — often inaccessible — places by extraordinary means. 

A few years ago, we were approached about providing some food for an ambitious expedition to East Greenland, led by American climber, Alex Honnold. Accompanying Alex were Hazel Findlay and Mikey Shaefer — both professional climbers in their own right — along with Aldo Kane, local guide, Adam Kjeldsen, and glaciologist, Dr Heïdi Sevestre. Their goal was to make a first ascent of one of the world’s tallest unclimbed rock faces, Ingmikortilaq ('the separate one'), in the name of scientific research. 

Greenland is a key player in the conversation around climate change, and one of the most important locations for climate research on the planet. The Arctic is currently warming three to four times faster than the rest of the world. Greenland's ice sheet contains about 2.9 million cubic kilometers of water – enough to increase global sea levels by 7.4 metres. Yet it remains one of the least accessible parts of the Arctic region, meaning it has barely been studied at all. The group intended to use the expedition to position temperature sensors at intervals along their route, measure the flow of water inside the glaciers, collect measurements on ocean salinity, and take core samples from the rockface. "We have the opportunity to do meaningful work as we go climbing", says Honnold.

The expedition would last six weeks, covering 100 miles of terrain. Beginning at the eastern edge of the Renland Ice cap, the team crossed a 25 mile-long glacier before meeting their first objective: the previously unclimbed ‘Pool Wall’. Together, Alex and Hazel forged a 1,500ft E6 route up to the summit in three sections, with the added responsibility of procuring core rock samples as they climbed, and getting two novice climbers safely to the top after them. 

From there, the group went on to make the first known crossing of the Renland Ice Cap, pulling their kit in pulks, before travelling by boat to Ingmikortilaq, which juts out of the icy Nordvestfjord at 3,750ft. As much of a psychological challenge as a physical one, Hazel and Alex broke the wall down into sections, taking it in turns to lead, and ultimately taking two days to reach the summit with all their water and food. The climbing conditions were treacherous: loose, three million year-old rock which flaked due to the constant freeze-thaw. 

National Geograhic’s ‘Arctic Ascent’ is a three-part series, now streaming on Disney+. It documents Honnold’s expedition from start to finish, and demonstrates how these intrepid initiatives can be used to make a positive impact on climate science. 

Images: National Geographic.