Frozen Five

WLTDO online!!

2010-08-25T19:46:00.002+02:00

Thanks to Polarisen and Mats' effort, you can now view "Who let the dog out" online:

http://www.polarisen.se/multimedia/frozen-five

DVD versions still available - email Kim for details.

Who let the dog out - ordering information

2009-02-12T13:49:00.001+01:00

The educational movie “Who let the dog out” is now available, free of charge to all Norwegian educational institutions and for a nominal postage-fee of 50NOK to international institutions. To place your order, please email kidsonsnow@gmail.com or call 0047 40449110.

Kim

Arctic Frontiers

2009-01-21T23:30:00.002+01:00

The Frozen Five Kim and Ulli are partaking in this week's Arctic Frontiers conference, one of the main events celebrating the success of this year's International Polar Year (IPY).

It is a good opportunity to expose the educational movie "Who Let the Dog Out?" to more people than just the 10 year old students that it's intended for, and we're very happy by the positive feedback it receives.

If you're a teacher interested in receiving a copy of the movie, or organise a presentation in your school, you'll find the Education Leaflet useful.

Happy New Year from the Frozen Five.

Kim

Frozen Five photo exhibition in Prague

2008-12-08T17:16:00.001+01:00

Another fabulous Frozen Five photo exhibition will be held in Prague from today, 8th of December 2008, to the 31st of January 2009. The exhibition is held in the gallery of the town hall of Prague 2, náměstí Míru 20/600, 1st floor. The exhibition is open to the public Monday and Wednesdays 8-17:30, Tuesdays and Thursdays 7:30-16:00 and Fridays 7:30-14:00. Hope to see you there!

Frozen Five Photo Exhibition

2008-06-11T16:24:00.003+02:00

This Friday, 13th of June, the Frozen Five Photo Exhibition will be opened in Longyearbyen. Almost exactly to the day of our return to Longyearbyen, the opening of the exhibition will be complemented with the world premiere of the educative movie "Who let the dog out?" and a slideshow by Frozen Fivers Ulli and Kim.

The exhibition will be in Longyearbyen's Science Park (Forskningsparken, a.k.a. UNIS) until end of July 2008, after which it will be moved to the Gallery in Nybyen. It's never been a better time to visit Svalbard :)

Who let the Dog Out

2008-04-16T19:36:00.002+02:00

Almost half a year after the last post we're back! To report that the educational movie filmed by the F5 on Svalbard is in its final review period. This movie, aimed at 12-year old kids around the world, aims to highlight some of the issues that make the Arctic a special place.

At this stage, we're looking for volunteer reviewers of the film. If you're willing to have a look at the movie for us and give us some feedback please get in touch with Kim (senger.kim@gmail.com). We especially look for younger reviewers that have none of that perfectionism that the adults accumulate over the years ;)

3 months after...

2007-10-14T13:05:00.000+02:00

It's been more than 3 months since we got back to civilisation, and I guess we all agree that the 3 months after the exhibition have been harder than the months during the actual expedition. How does one adjust to living in a place with 4 walls again, a roof on the head and also the joys of being able to make a cup of tea with a press of a single button. Yes, it's difficult to adjust.

But looking back through the movie footage filmed en route, sorting out pictures and giving F5 talks (there was alreasy several at UNIS, plus the F5 Oslo base - UiO and the Czech Embassy of all places) brings back some of the Arctic magic. I hope this will be transmitted to you as well if you attend any of the F5 post-expedition events. These are currently being intensively planned and will be presented on this website soon. Keep checking back in the next few weeks!

Take care out there in the wild wild world, have fun and catch ya around!

Kim

pictures from the trip - version 0 !

2007-06-24T16:46:00.000+02:00

Well, if there's one thing that is NOT easy after coming back from a long ski trip, it's to sit in front of a computer. I think I became totally allergic to it!

After hours of strugling, I finally managed to setup a small photo gallery. Enjoy this few pictures, captions will soon follow!

Cheers,
Lucas

Home sweet home!

2007-06-17T13:26:00.000+02:00

We made it back home! Hard to believe, but the trip has come to an end as we reached our point of departure, after 77days of travelling! Mission accomplished, we have been around Spitsbergen exploring over 1000km of arctic wilderness.

As soon as we reached the small road leading to Longyearbyen, we were first welcomed by the local press, for an interview. Then many friends joined us to walk the last hundred metres together and share a few beers.

It's actually been 3 days that we have arrived but we have been very busy celebrating until now :) (Great party at the beach yesterday!!)

Thanks everyone for a great welcome home! and thanks for all the mails! Pictures will soon follow (to be choosen among 5000 of them)

The big project is over, it's a bit sad in a way. But is it really over ? No I don't believe so, this is only the beginning! We came back from this long trip with a lot of experiences and it's now time to share them with friends and public. My head is full of new projects and ideas. I don't feel like I have seen it all, I know there is much more to experience and discover out there! No seriously, nothing is over, it's only beginning!

Cheers,
Lucas for the FrozenFive

A link to UNIS news about us

Enjoy the moment

2007-06-12T22:55:00.000+02:00

At this moment, the stove is running, soup is ready and Kim is trying to tell me tomorrow I reach home. Then the question comes to my head: Shall I enjoy the soup or focus my mind on something which might happen tomorrow?

Well, easy answer, I enjoy Kim's soup instead of waisting thoughts on something which hasn't even happened: future.

What would future be without Kim's noddles and tomato clumps? Kim just tells me the presence is the key to the future and I think he is bloody damn right because if I don't get my soup, I'm not going anywhere tomorrow.

Kim agree with cheese we could overeat tomorrow and trick everybody in Longyearbyen by not arriving tomorrow. Or is it all the other way around? Future is the key to the past??? Hei, I'm getting confused now.

What I really like are clear orders from Kim.
First: Ulli, eat your soup now!
Second: Ulli, walk home tomorrow!
Third: Ulli, enjoy the moment!
And because I don't have any smart arguments against Kim's saying, I will enjoy the moment: eat soup, macaroni, chocolate mousse, sit on a stone, keep on joking and let the rest to the future.
If you believe me or not, I loved to write this blog.
I thank for the opportunity as I thank you for reading them. I hope it make your moment enjoyable. Have a great day!

The most happy Ulli

The Hangover

2007-06-11T08:51:00.000+02:00

Yesterday we meet up with some friends to leave our pulks. They also brought some signs of not so far away civilization. We had a lovely dinner, our second this day. A stew of reindeer and carrots and onions and potatoes and more, cooked in four hours and with some salt (just on the right site of the thin borderline between enough and too salty).

We had a nice evening with bonfire at the beach and with some other signs of civilization. They made this day to something special.

Thanks guys, we loved it, even if some of us suffered a bit today.

PS: we still have our skis and tomorrow we have a big open river to cross.

Mats

The Sound and The Silence

2007-06-11T08:45:00.000+02:00

There is something that's hard to imagine when you are back home, things, that makes us, make so much of our daily life up here without even us noticing it and when you notice it, you suddenly understand, that it is special. Sounds are one of these things. The sound of the skis on hard snow, in soft snow or in molten snow. All are different sounds, even my left and right ski makes different sound. The sound of the ski poles and the knirkling sound of the pulka shaft. The wind that makes your jacket to vibrate or makes the snow drift. Or the sound of the stove that sometimes tells you that you need to come up the trasher again. All these are different sounds that make our daily life such that wouldn't have been noticed in a city or a place where human activity is high.

Then we have the silence, the silence, that suddenly appears when there is no wind and everyone is sleeping except you. The overwhelming silence, that makes your own blood circulation to be a high sound within your ear. This silence is hard to find anywhere else. It's a complete silence, so nice, it feels like vacuum.

I hope everyone one day will have the pleasure to hear this silence and also the sound, that skiing create.

Mats

A Spring to remember

2007-06-07T09:55:00.000+02:00

My first blog entry on this trip, written almost precisely 2 months ago amid the classic week 14 storm, dealt with the enjoyment of skiing, everything the step of it. Since this is highly likely to be my final entry while on lead, I consider it almost duty to report on whether it's still truth. How did, in my eyes, the trip evolve? Is skiing still fun?

Let's begin with the obvious physical changes around us. No more night and stars for start, though our very own eider ducks keeping us company 24 hours a day. So we switched to eerie time (GMT +12) work at midnight, sleep in the day and ski when Europe sleeps. .. even fast, ski ice forms only to be broken up again when temperature soars by at least 30 degrees to a comfortable 0°C. Since blue weather from the all the corners of the compass road yet, like the inhabitants of California anticipate the great earthquakes, we are still waiting for the real big storm. This now transformed compound making track, making a real battle of frictional forces, often almost lifting the pulkas of the ground. In every conditions our sledges only followed our skis since like I maintained 2 months ago, being able to enjoy these short, far steps, that bring you to the point when you want to vomit out of exhaustion is the key, and yes, I still enjoy every minute on my skis.

Then there is our group, undergoing its own internal transformation. Over the week the initial keen spirit was overprinted by the development of unofficial coalitions. This natural breakup was far from unexpected. For our group is made up of great individuals operating at specific wavelengths, that was bitter at times and sad nonetheless. In a way I guess we'll all remember this trip in different ways, each personal magic moments in memories. ... the majestic ... in front, the towering peaks of the lifting clouds that turn white out into blue sky, we've been very fortunate to see Spitzbergen from this side, step after step.

Finally the time has come to take off the skis, leave challenges hide behind the corner and extract tundra, falling rivers, captivating swamps and all the unfamiliar motion of hiking, all conspired to make the last week up here one to remember. At least it's how I feel now. I guess you can ask me in a week if I was right.

As I said before, this trip is a realized dream for me. Now that the time has come to wake up, I wish I could snooze the alarm clock a few times. On the other hand, opening your eyes to a new day you see there is something to look forward to.

Greetings from our last snowy camp,
Kim

Newton takes a rest

2007-06-04T12:47:00.000+02:00

It's 8:30 pm. I just got up. I have no clue what day of the week it is and can hardly remember that we are some day in early June. But all that doesn't really matter, what is important is that it is a rest day. That means that today we forget about our nomadic tradition of eight hours skiing, we'll sleep, relax, read and enjoy the day as we want.

Well, I have to admit, that the initial plans for today were not only about the relaxing. We happen to be camping just next to the highest peak on Svalbard Newtontoppen. I bet you know how keen we were to go to the summit. But the weather decided differently (snow and low clouds).

Unlike my companions, who can sleep three to twelve hours flat in a row, I'm not really a long sleeper and to keep myself entertained on rest days like today, there is nothing better than The Place Names of Svalbard book (limited edition, ?? , 4kg).

This rather heavy, but very informative book, that Ulli and Kim have been nicely carrying since Longyearbyen, tells the origin of all place names of the island. These names come in an incredible variety, they can be great storyteller as well as they can be extremely boring. I would for example not recommend you to look up what the book has for Flatbreen (glacier in southern Spitzbergen). Well, it just says it's a flat glacier. But I was really excited to know that Spitzbergen also has a peak called Mt.Blanc (only 485 meters high though). Or a mountain ridge named after the French polititian Jean Paul Pierre Casimir Perrier (anyone knows what he did?).

Now get back to Newtontoppen. I bet you know that the peak is named after the renowned mathematician and physicist Isaac Newton. There is even a small knob nicked to the peak called Eplet an allusion to Newton's apple!

Greetings to all of you, dear readers!
A few more ice caps and valleys to cross and we'll be back in the civilization.

Cheers, Lucas

(note from the support team: searchable version of the book is provided on the net by the
Norwegian Polar Institute)

Diary from Asgarbfonna

2007-06-03T21:56:00.000+02:00

An other day on Asgarbfonna

On this icecap in the north of Spitzbergen, it is our third day of progression

In my last blog I wrote about the summer, about walking in T-shirt, and laying in the grass…
Well, now we see another side of svalbardian summer. Blue clouds hanging above the island, and since we are on one of the highest area, we are in the middle of the cloud.
The humidity together with the wind blowing over this endless white area makes everything else then T-shirt well come.

The whiteness is only broken by some view a few times otherwise the only thing that are introducing some variety in this continuous infinity are some shout like “one step to the left !” and “ppc” and “five minutes brake !”
These shouts are the most strandard words for us now after 2 months of skiing out there: every half hour the Pole Position Change (this is what ppc stand for), the first one, le leader making the track in some time heavy snow changing to the back and every hour we have a five minute brake lasting about 10 minutes in average and the other shout are for navigation from the first person in the row who check the course with the compass and direct the whole group. Like this we walk for hours and hours in the cloud on our way home. My thoughts wander out in the past as well as in the future, thinking of people that I met, thinking of my life with day dreaming on the future of how it will be nice to get home, to have a cup of coffee with my family at home or a beer with my friends or other trips I will make in the summer.

But now I am here on Asgarbfonna and even if the skiing is heavy some time and we are stuck in clouds, I am happy to be here and the thought of wishing to be somewhere else is absurd; and after every bad weather follow good weather and the midnight sun warms us and when the cloud disappear we can see the beautiful crown of mountain.

Hella

Only the winner wins

2007-06-02T16:09:00.000+02:00

First of all, thanks for all the insights into Andre's mind. They were truly inspiring. As with all competitions however only one winner can emerge.

In this case it was Karolina's entry, which elegantly, yet bluntly, combined Andre's only wishes: food, cuddle, food, cuddle, food, cuddle, food ...

However unfair it may be to let Andre's owner herself participate, the jury decided her entry fitted our friend best and are presently seeking a suitable peak to be named Karolina toppen.

Thanks again to all for all your help and have a nice day.

From Beach Boys 2 Frozen Toes

2007-05-30T22:51:00.000+02:00

Last week we stood on this spot in boxer shorts. Today the same outfit would mean certain death within half an hour. A cold day, that's for sure, but not in absolute temperature. For Summer is almost here (though some may argue, that there are no Summers on the Svalbard (ice caps)). More than keeping yourself in harmony with the elements through elegance process of thermo regulation. Arguably the most relevant of all aspects of Arctic travel, thermo regulation is about keeping you warm and dry by adjusting clothing. Sounds simple? Well, it ain't.

For the start, you need lots of layers of clothing like in onion. As the body is pretty much drowned with the stink after two months of constant wear like Devold thermal underwear, the so called base layer. Its major purpose is to divert sweat away from the skin. A friend from northern Norway once told me that "If you sweat, you're dead." and I'm sure she wasn't referring to a game of squash. Out in the hills, sweat is the first thing to freeze and try running around in an armour of ice. You'd be dead or at least really miserable before you can say "Ice is nice".
But let's get back to our onion, the insulation layer(s), the essence of thermo regulation. The second layer is meant to keep you warm, so anything from a woolen sweater to a fleece would be great gear. You can have also more layers here, but remember what happens when you sweat.

Last but not least, the shell layer. Keep the snow, wind and cold out while still letting your sweat out. In practice, under our condition, all shell layers become armours of ice sooner or later, but as long as they still keep the cold out it's ok.

So how is all this relevant? 1000 metres below, on the Mediterranean beaches of Wijdefjorden, flowers blossom and reindeer graze yet up here we have substituted sun cream and sun glasses for face masks and goggles. To put it bluntly the reindeer below don't have to give a damn about thermo regulation since nature has designed them to live up here. In contrast, we are just 5 (and a half) tiny aliens in an environment that's capable of pushing you to the knees with a single snowstorm. Granted, pulling pulkas uphill in half a metre of fresh yet heavy snow is nobody's idea of fun. At least it's easy to see who to build up a respect up here, the snow queen and her environment. To end this pitiful entry with its very beginning ??? to the nature only, for you need to thermo regulate. Or else you know what ...

One of the truly frozen five

Lost, found and forgotten

2007-05-29T09:40:00.000+02:00

Hey, have you ever wondered about what I have and you don't? Which make me going skiing and writing this and you don't? Well, if you haven't you get the answer anyway. I'm forgetful, that's all.

I tend to forget what I learned from the last journey and this makes me go on another. Or in other words, I forgot how nice it was so I better do it again.
I also forget other things and there this seems to become superstitious.

On expeditions you try to select your gear carefully, just enough, but not too little. But I still want to get rid of something, my gloves for example. Down south I ski glass and Lucas turns around in front of me asking what this black thing is behind me. Dog shit, I answered, but I better check it. Two minutes later I got my glove back.

One week later: I just want to grab my hat since it is getting cold. No hat, but my pocket wide open. At least I remember having it an hour ago. Result? Andre and me go for a reconnaissance trip. After 2 hours we join the team. The hat was found in a good condition after being run over by a few skiers and pulkas.

Meanwhile I totally lost my gloves. There remain the right question to the glaciologist and archaeologist in a few centuries.
My camera fell out of my case resulting in another reconnaissance for Andre and me.

The best last week, lunch break. Usually this means I bring my lunch bag out of my right pocket from the jacket. Not this time. No jacket on either in the pulk. Again, good old Ulli remembered that he took a jacket on this trip. That leaves another 2 hour reconnaissance.

I like the travels where you can see things twice.

The missing list

2007-05-27T21:37:00.000+02:00

Expecting a poem ? or maybe a philosophical reflection on a journey across the biggest icecap Svalbard has to offer ? Well forget it!

Perhaps I am just not inspired by ski endless miles along a skidoo track or perhaps I just want to raise a few smiles in the computer script, and what is more suitable to make the world a happier place then my top ten list of the small things I miss on this trip?
Things so common it is hard to imagine they may be missed.

10) fried cheese, French fries, and infinite supply of mayonnaise; it would be a big lie to say good food preferably with a good (Czech) beer is not missed.

9) After sun lotion :It is easy to get sunburned with 24 hours day light especially if you ski around in boxers like me, but where is the pharmacy when you need one?

8) A chair : You would not believe how nice it is to sit down, lean back and enjoy the view. Next trip, I am taking a chair with me!

7) A good library :After 2 months of Stephan Gay Gould’s “Natural History essays”, my eyes begin to roll when I see the worlds “Darwin” or “evolution” one more time. will I say anymore?

6) Colours :Lucas’s bright green trousers, 20 different shades of white, and the red of Ulli’s down jacket, won’t quite cut it for a sensual frenzy, hey will they?

5) An electric kettle (with diesel generator). If I could spend my evening time thinking of how to save the world instead of melting snow our problems would have been solved twice over and the sound a kettle makes is so elegant.

4) Jakusi :Showers are boring but a Jakusi to soothe the muscles and warm the body wood be heaven sent. I wonder if there is one at Verlegenhuken.

3) Oxford English dictionary :At a non native Punch it is often tricky to decide which words are still real and which are not. You could always make a campfire if it gets too heavy.

2) Something else then porridge for breakfast. However lovingly prepared the porridge is in the morning even if delivered right in the sleeping bag (thanks to Lucas + Ulli) it is still porridge for the 56rd day in a row…

1) Innebandy (also known as unihoc or floorball):Last but not least, all that know me well will understand that being without a plastic stick and a ball for an extended period is down right torture.

Have a great time, cherish this huge list needs of mine and I will keep myself busy with enjoying the things of here that I miss when I’m home like snow, porridge, and a spiritual connection with nature.

Until next time,

Kim

So far

2007-05-27T02:31:00.000+02:00

(the blog about what changes we experienced and a bit more)

There have been blogs about white outs, shitting business and periods, poetic blogs about the midnight sun, questions have been put and even Andre has managed to make his voice heard. Today's blog is an attempt to be a bit less poetic and we'll try to explain what we have experienced so far.

In the beginning, the weather was cold, we lived our life in dawn jackets and with the face masks. Then we were dreaming about the warm weather we would have in May. Slowly the temperature increased with the usual stochasticity, that's mild weather and warm wind can create even during the mid-winter.

Now, when we are soon entering June, the weather indeed is less cold, but the air is more humid and the comfort of a dawn jacket is still a blessing from time to time.

When we started, it was ..... part disappeared in the air while transmitting ..... , ducks and geese. We have even seen ivory gulls that's a Norwegian polar institute fails to find. Spring has arrived to the Arctic! Both seals and polar bears has cubbed and some days when the sun is shining we ski in only t-shirt and long johns.

Around us the landscape has changed and we pass alpine areas with high and steep mountains, massive glacier fronts that carve into the ocean and fjords with their special feeling of homeliness.

But we have also experienced changes within our small group. We have had arguments and disagreements, we have rearranged tent partners and managed to be rather annoyed by each other. To say something else would be to lie. However now when we passed our northernmost point on this journey I have the feeling that we all have find our own ways to enjoy the trip. More individually than as a group.

We have now turned our skis homeward and we can feel the smell of home. More changes are to come. Spring will turn to Summer and skis and poles will be changed to backpack and hiking boots before we finally reach Longyearbyen less than 3 weeks from now.

Mats

Svalbard Skiing Scientific Expedition completes crossing

2007-05-25T17:31:00.000+02:00

On 24 May 2007 at 9:00 pm local time the five members of SSSE reached the northernmost point of Spitzbergen - Verlegenhuken.

The group reached the point exactly 8 weeks after leaving the island's capital Longyearbyen in late March. To the best of our knowledge this is the first Svalbard på langs crossing this year and probably the first crossing by such an international group ever. The team comprising Czech Kim Senger, Lucas Girard from France, Swede Mats Bjorkman and Germans Ulli Neumann and Hella Garny was not the first to reach Spitzbergen's North Cape this day. Fresh polar bear tracks prevailed along the coastline and the northernmost point itself.

The expedition is far from over since 3 weeks of skiing and walking remain before the team arrives in Longyearbyen in mid-June.

Frozen Five

Notes from the support team:
To reach the northernmost point it took 56 days and approx 760 km from the start of the expedition.
The trip from the southernmost to the northernmost point was approx. 470 km long and took the group 32 days (incl 5 days of rest).
Further information can be found on 'Daily Progress' page on www.frozenfive.org.

Who let the dog out

2007-05-23T21:35:00.000+02:00

Inspiration sought from the outside world.
This blog is anything but philosophical, funny or informative, but at least it's interactive.
For once you get to do the work for us (we are too busy skiing to reach Verlegenhuken).

What's the deal. An educational movie for 12 year old high school students is under construction up here and it needs the great starting scene. For always captivating beginning will keep attention of the class full of kids. For the scene is vitally important we've decided to get all the inspiration we can handle from the outside world - by holding a competition for the best opening introduction.

If you are still interested (and you should be) here are the details:
The movie evolves around Andre our dear four legged companion. Unsurprisingly the movie therefore starts in Longyearbyen dog yard, from where Andre leaves on his great adventure.

The big question and the task for you is what Andre is thinking at precisely this moment.

Contacting informations:
Andre's thoughts can be submitted via mail (881631578544@msg.iridium.com) provided they don't exceed ~160 characters. Send multiple e-mails if necessary and don't forget to include your name. The winner will be announced from the 1June and a suitable price will be found by then as well - maybe we'll name a mountain after you.

However as with the Olympics winning is half as much fun as playing.
Thanks in advance for all your efforts.

Who let the dog out film crew

A dog’s diary

2007-05-23T10:38:00.000+02:00

So here I am, a Greenlander dog on a trip. It seems like a long trip, no one has told me for how long we will be out. But the word expedition seems to be a long word and a long word makes a long trip, I guess.

An expedition! Bah, all these guys do is slow motion skiing. If it would be me and my dogyard friends, we would have been at the North pole and back by now.

All day long, I have to pull this heavy pulka that someone named Fiffi and this guy Ulli who also pretends to pull this pulka, his bones and legs are always in way of my view. And when you want to have a look in front, he always shouts : “back” to me and I have to go back in his track.

It’s good that this girl is with us on this trip. At least someone that cuddles me. Well, the others do as well from time to time but it would be easier if they all could speak in one language. Or do they think I speak all languages of the world?

There are some good stuff as well. Food twice a day and small snacks whenever I find some left-over crumbles in the snow. Or when I found a whole “swebar” :yummy, “pure energy for everybody”. So I do not understand why they were so upset.

It’s like when they tried to make me bark at the polar bear at Vagabond. The other dogs were barking so I didn’t bother; Of course I would bark if a polar bear would try to steal my food but otherwise, no. I’m not a barking dog at all.

Just a few days ago I thought I was in heaven. I had a seal for dinner. The nice guy in Austfjordneset offered me seal meat, the best ever : a seal skull!

I have to go now, there is a stone sticking up a bit ahead and I’m going to pee on it! Even if Ulli disagrees since I will drive the pulka the wrong way. It would be easier if he headed for the stone right away.

Cheers

Andre

My family in the Arctic

2007-05-20T22:19:00.000+02:00

I’m trying to collect my thoughts to find a nice subject for the blog but it’s kind of difficult to think after seven hours fighting gravity and dragging the pulka uphill !

Well, I could write about the beautiful landscape of the fjord we just went up, or about the number of polar bears we meet in this area, or again about the colour of seals in the midnight sun, or tell you about our last visit to the local trapper but let’s admit it, all these subjects are rather empty!
I’m going to write about something far more important to me and tell you some stories about the five living beings with whom I just spent the last fifty days!

Ladies first, let me start with Hella. She really impresses me with her courage and determination. She takes on perfectly as the woman in our group and she even had the guts to break through the poetic spirit overtaking the blog and to write about our everyday life in its most physical issues. But may be she needed 40 days to understand how to adjust her telescopic poles to the right size…

Concerning Mats, our outdoor living expert, he never looses his calm and serenity however bad the situation may be. I will never forget that evening under the tent in early April by minus 30°C. I was shivering in my sleeping bag and praying to wake up alive the next morning, while Mats was unshaken, reading aloud a chapter of his book.

Now about Kim : author, poet, scriptwriter and director of the expedition film. Kim is the brain in our group. All the time he spends on his skis, he plans ahead and organises his ideas into what he will do next! His weak point : waking up! In the morning he looks completely drugged for an hour after he wakes up and can not speak more than one word at a time!

Ulli is our clown. He has a funny word for every situation. He’s also a true acrobat. He survived a major accident when his pulka ran over him at full speed. Most of the time Ulli has an extraordinary energy but when he is exhausted , he truly is. Some nights, he was so tired we had to feed him with a spoon.

Finally, Andre,our dog, who is a full member of the group ! Always in a good mood, Andre is as energetic as ever since Staffan ( the trapper at Austfjord) gave him a seal skull to eat. Andre’s major problem is getting adapted to 24 hours sun light. As soon as we stop skiing, he goes to sleep. One wonders what he does when we sleep!

A question for all of you who know my fellow companions better than I do : do you think they behave normally?

Our little society gets along rather well. There are at times some stress or clash. Generally bad mood goes along with grey weather or tiredness. Group decisions are not easy to take and one has to be flexible to conclude an agreement with the others. Finally, there lies the real difficulty and challenge of our expedition : getting on all together! The physical challenge is only subsidiary…

Lucas

Things that everyone wonders about but no one talks about

2007-05-17T18:02:00.000+02:00

Summer has come! The down jacket is replaced by a tee-shirt, snow is melting and today we even found first tracks of vegetation!
Just now, I was lying in a patch of grass in the sun just next to Austvotnhytta in Wijdefjorden, the first cabin we used on this trip.

And what a nice feeling it is to feel and smell the wind of summer, and even tough to most of you out there it would feel like a day in early spring, to me, it feels like a tropical summer!

Just next to the cabin is a tiny melted water stream, the first liquid water we meet after one and half month.
And also, the part of our life out here which is left less beautiful and also the hardest part of the day becomes much easier: yes, I’m talking about doing the “big business” to put it in nice words.

As unusual and socially unaccepted it is to talk about that in civilisation, as normal it is here.
After all it’s only a natural body function and if you are as close together as we are for 24 hours a day, you start to share the pain and the relief of the daily toilet expedition.
But as long as it’s nicely warm and sunny as now, it is actually almost better than the toilet at home : you just grab your toilet paper bags, with unused and used toilet paper (we collect the used toilet paper and burn it) and search for a quiet spot in a certain distance from the camp : this distance can vary from 50 meters down to 2 meters depending on how much privacy is necessary and on the urgency.

Well, but if the weather is less comfortable, it can be a challenge to try to dig a hole, and build a wind shelter to prevent from being covered by the snow drift, and the toilet paper bags can fly away pretty quick in strong wind.

Talking about the “big business”, I want to give an answer to a question that has been asked to me as only female on this trip already several times: how do you handle your periods ?

Well, I have to say it is not a big deal at all, you just do the same as at home and the woman’s “rubbish” will be burned along with toilet paper.
And as for being in a bad mood I think that it’s only because of the pain you have and no medicine is better against this than movement, like dragging a pulka through deep snow up a steep slope, I can only recommend it!

Oh yes, and while I’m on it, to prevent the second question which was predicted to me which is whether it is smelly with all the boys. Sure, they stink, they wear the same clothes since 47 days, they don’t take showers…just as me and it is a pleasure!

Hella

Snow, the bright side of life

2007-05-13T19:35:00.000+02:00

Let’s face it: for us, no element of life is more elegant than snow. It’s around us, it’s under us, in many cases, it’s above us, and anyway it is in us.
We are in the world of the snow queen.

I didn’t grow up in an especially snowy place; where my love of snow is founded is a mystery.
Snow is not white! If the sunshine against snow has the colours of skiing over endless fields of flowers- green, blue, red, yellow- all are made out of ice, it’s a sparkling white.

Snow is never boring, it can change itself into funny states but it always remains as snow : Hard as concrete if compacted by wind, not even Fiffi, my pulka makes a track in it.
Flying snow, as my skies flow through the newly fallen crystals, not one is the same.
It reminds me of us, humans and animals : all are individuals.

Snow on your skis is tasteful but snow in your underwear (after having a shift) is, let’s call it, different.

Snow talks! If you don’t believe me, try it yourself. Find some snow, walk over it and listen.
For me skiing over cold snow gives the best symphony life ever heard.
Pulling pulkas over snow is never the same, not in time neither in space :
Hard snow, let us fly!
Deep snow, let us die !

A few words I noted down after a glacier climb in deep snow :
“All I want to do is not writing this. I kneel down on my skies, my body still attached to my pulka. I don’t really know if it is my body or my mind that is busted. While pulling (…) my heart is panting, my vision is grey, legs are shaking, fucking up! as we all use to say, or mind over matter,… confused!”

Having said this I want to thank everyone who cheers us up, send us satellite phone messages especially the birthday wishes.

Please answer the following questions by sending us SMS :

What can you build out of snow?
What’s the colour inside an igloo?
How tall is the snow queen?

Not easy, I know!

A special remark to skidoo drivers Paul and Sigrid : without you the world could have stopped turning, thanks.
Cheerio!

Ulli

Why?

2007-05-12T15:19:00.000+02:00

This is not one of these days when I usually ask myself the question : why am I here? These days used to be when the pulka is sliding heavily in the deep snow or when the wind tumbles down the mountain side and makes the tent rumble.
This is not one of these days, this is a day when the sun slowly makes its way down towards the horizon but turns just before and starts to rise once more.

This is a day when the whole world is smoothly painted in a warm yellow colour and the clear blue sky makes the surrounding mountains to be never ending.
A blue colour that is light and dark blue at the same time, a colour that can only be found where the air is clean and dry, a beautiful colour. This a day when I know why I’m here.

I’ve been on trips before by ski, by foot, by the song of the paddle when it whispers its dripping song in the dark water that belongs to the beaver and the pike. Over sea I’ve travelled and time from time the question pops up : why am I doing this? Why do I leave my comfortable flat with hot water from a tap and a fridge full of food ?

This question is not easy but today I know the answer. As I managed to find it many times before, I found the answer while we move North with the sun shining from the side and our shadows stretching out on the other.
I feel complete, complete and fulfilled. I had this feeling before and I wouldn’t trade this moment for anything; this moment is worth the trip, a long trip. I do feel complete at home, at home with the ones I love, at home in a city, complete in a city with its pulse. I like cities, I like to be out.
There is a difference, a small non-named difference that I never managed to put in words : difference between the “at home” and the “out here” completeness. And this might be the reason why I’m still going on trips : to feel the completeness when your mind is somehow closer to nature, when the step between you and the surrounding is small and your life is attached and dependant on the nature around you.

You do not need to go on a long trip, the feeling of being complete can appear anywhere. It can be found in music, in art, in woodcraft, but today I feel complete. Today is a good day a good day to feel complete. We have so far not experienced a bad day, a bad day without a moment when light lifts the compact cloud cover, when sprikling light sends a Gloria on the slopes or the snow drifts. I think it was Ibsen, the Norwegian poet, that once said the words : “here, up on the mountains, here is God and down in the valley there are the others, dwelling”.

Today is a good day, a good day and I feel complete but I wouldn’t say that this is any religious feeling and I do not consider myself as a supreme being, a mythic hero or extraordinary man. I am only myself, living my simple life as it goes and for the moment in a lovely surrounding with a feeling of being complete.
The mountains, the snow, glaciers, sun and sky, everything feels so close and feels so far away. My body slowly works his way North but I’m not here for skiing, not for putting one foot in front of the other. I’m here because this is part of my life and feeling complete is part of my life. Feeling complete up here and at home.
The sun’s never ending journey over our heads reaches its lowest point and disappears behind a mountain. Cold air runs over the slopes and over glaciers, it’s time to make a camp. My moment of philosophy turns into the routine of our everyday life : putting up tents, melting snow and cooking food and sliding into the sleeping bag and into the world of dreams.
But the good feeling is still there, the feeling of being complete.

Mats

PS : this blog was written a few days ago. Today, the 9th of May is the second day we spend in our thirtieth camp, the second due to both bad weather conditions and to the love-sickness-rescue-patrol that was sent out from Longyearbyen to please the youngest and the oldest members of our team now when we just covered half way of our trip. Life is still good to us and I’m still having the feeling of being complete but the question of why we are all here on this planet will still be without an answer. Some questions are just not to completely answered.

N.B. from the blog support team : this article was sent three days ago.

North through the night

2007-05-08T16:08:00.000+02:00

There is no sound, no noise at all,
Only the snow groans from dusk till dawn,
Where is the dusk where is the dawn ?
The midnight sun grows shadows tall.

There is no time, the clock is gone,
the darkness sleeps, don't turn it on,
I dream of none, yet I dream of all,
Is this my life, the Arctic call ?

There is no night the hours bright,
How does one sleep through this light ?
My eyes close, they block the glow,
A good day's sleep charges the soul.

Where is my mind, what are my thoughts ?
I think of wind, I think of snow, of storms,
Of humble lives, of eternity,
of fractures dreams, of naivety,

Of things to come, of dusk and dawn,
Of love, of peace, of space for all,
Of bitterness, of tenderness,
of loneliness and happiness.

I ski North, facing the sun,
The muscles soar, the steps are done;
The world sleeps, yet I march on,
The glaciers weep, the winter's gone.

All stars vanished, the skies are blue,
Day and night, a strange kind of blue.
All snow glistens in the magic light,
While I ponder the meaning of life.

The whys, the hows,
With the whom, who knows ?
The path of life, it rarely slows
My brain may think, my heart knows.

This is my place, my humble home,
The midnight sun is like a dome,
Protecting me, I'm not alone,
The Arctic lives, the dark be gone.

Kim

Warmly welcomed onboard Vagabond!

2007-05-05T13:19:00.000+02:00

Skiing down towards the East coast on the long glacier of Inglefieldbreen, my heart started beating stronger. No need of a map or a GPS, my skis knew where to go, I felt like coming home.
We were just a few kilometers away from our 2nd resupply point and a place of very special importance to me: the French polar yacht Vagabond.

Contourning the last hills of the moraines and skiing along the glacier front - the blue stripe of happiness as Ulli calls it - it finally appeared , red haul, tall mast, proudly standing in a small sheltered bay: Vagabond - the only inhabited location on the wild east coast of Spitsbergen.

Eric & France, the skippers are the new generation of polar explorers! Recently, they circum-navigated the Arctic ocean; with the help of friends they sailed along the North-East passage (Siberian coast) and the next summer they came back home via the North-West passage (Canadian and Alaskan Arctic).
They will tell you about this trip as a pleasant and enjoyable journey but one has to keep in mind that they were the first ones ever to complete such a challenge on a sailing boat!

Vagabond is now over-wintering in Inglefieldbukta, where Eric & France are offering a basecamp and logistical help to scientists willing to explore the area.
One of the main projects concerns oceanography and aims at understanding the formation of brines (dense salty-cold water) in the nearby Storfjorden which is then influencing global ocean circulation.

Warmly welcomed onboard, we spent a cozy day resting, talking and enjoying the visit of a polar bear.

I am extremely grateful to Eric, France and Léonie for their hospitality! This is my 4th stay on Vagabond and it is a place where I learned a lot about adventure, life in the Arctic, enjoying the environment in company of Eric and France.

That is why it was great for me to be able to come back to this very special place. This bay feels a bit like home!

I think this is what our trip is about: Spitsbergen has been our home for a year or more (and still is for some of us) and we are simply enjoying a walk in the backyard!

Lucas

F5 on board

2007-05-04T19:12:00.000+02:00

The frozen five have now reached the polar yacht Vagabond

Read more on line in Vagabond's logbook

Colourful white

2007-05-02T11:14:00.000+02:00

We are out now for over one month. The day we left Longyearbyen feels like a day a long time ago but still time passes fast.

We have an everyday life out here, even tough it differs a lot from what is commonly seen as everyday life in civilization, with daily routines of melting snow, building the camp and of course, skiing.

The days are similar to each other but still it never gets boring and everyday has its own character.

Many glaciers and passes we crossed in the last month, skiing through a seemingly endless landscape in white and blue.

But the white is never the same, it can be grey in a whiteout or blue in the shadow, or all kinds of red, orange, pink in the low evening sun or better, the night sun, since the time of the midnight sun started by now.

That allow us to use the timelessness of the Arctic summer.

We do not have to plan our day according to the light. In the last days, we shifted our rhythm to skiing in the afternoon and night, when the light is beautiful, and sleep during the day when the sun is sleeping as well.

When there is no wind, there is often no sound to hear in the white endless snow desert and the surroundings seem dead.

So I’m always very happy to meet signs of life, like the reindeer couple we met at Sorkapp. They came very close to inspect what strange creatures crossed their land.

Or like the birds of which we meet more and more.

Today we also met our second polar bear but as the first one, he seemed to be more afraid of us than the other way around. And he was running away even before we spotted him.

It seems that our caravan of seven pulkas, five people and one dog is looking suspicious to most inhabitants of Svalbard !

And so we move further along the East coast of Spitzbergen towards North making a track through the colourful white leaving dead land.

Hella

Tracer software released

2007-05-01T00:44:00.000+02:00

[ From the backup team in England ]

While our heroes are pushing North we got several times questions about the software that populates F5 Online map and F5 Daily Progress. That's why we put it together, wrote a bit of documentation (of course, with the real data from the real FrozenFive - we even used F5 logo in the software main page) and let it released as an open-source package. It is available for browsing or download here.

Jitka and Martin

The birthday mission

2007-04-29T13:18:00.000+02:00

Many of us have a birthday at some point. Mine happened to be yesterday or the day before. Everyone were invited.
The locals : Hella, Kim, Lucas, Mats and André, and the non locals.

Well, there they came!
Four scooters lined up facing towards our camp site.
The birthday mission arrived.

You can imagine we welcomed all the things they brought but far and most of all, their coming was the greatest gift to me and will never be forgotten.

Driving two hundred kilometres in an unhabited terrain to a birthday party is not an expedition, it is a mission.

I was and I am still overwhelmed : Sigrid, Sanna, Päl and Trond celebrated with us in the best ever camping place you will find on Flatbreen or elsewhere in the universe.

They just left Northward with our best wishes for the journey, letters to our dearest and warmest thoughts.
Well there are good things happening in my life, friendship is one!

Our thoughts are with Sigrid, Sanna, Päl, and Trond. We wish you safe travel back and thank you very much!

Ulli

A chair, a dip in the ice, and speed kills

2007-04-29T12:47:00.000+02:00

Burning news from the frozen Arctic!

I’m looking at a red mountain beside a frozen bay in the comfort of a sun chair.
I’m looking at the drift of sea ice from the comfort of a dip in the ocean.
I’m looking at wild glaciers of Southern Spitzbergen in the comfort of travelling at 45Km/h on skis.

If all this doesn’t make sense to you, keep on reading!

Last couple of days were full of excitement : new things to see and new stuff to think.

We spent a full day camping on a glacier overlooking the bay of ice known as Isbukta.
The contrast with the carven face of the glacier front and the frozen sea of the bay were astonishing and I spent a little time carving a comfortable armchair out of a snow block to be able to fully enjoy the beauty of the place.
Sorry but this beauty is not to be described here
Not that I would not like to, I just can’t find words.
I spent the whole afternoon and evening in the chair.
We returned to the location four days later and the chair remained where I built it, visible from a distance of more than three kilometres.

I learned how to swim in the garden of my parents. From early age they taught me swimming lessons in cold water. I kept the fashion.
Lucas and I celebrated the arrival of the Frozen five at the most Southern point of Spitzbergen. This point is also called the point of no-continuation, but we continued tough a 100 meters to make a meter wide hole in the 10 centimetres thick sea ice.
If you believe me or not I don’t care, but I enjoyed every second of that bath in minus 1.9° water.
Undressing and breathing and slowly sliding in the hole is the one moment in my life when my mind was so empty but under full concentration, and very few things can compare with that!

Well, how do you power up your skis to 45 Km/ hour on a flat snow surface without the help of any kind of machine?

Take a kite: a bit of fabric, a few lines and off you go.
A friend of mine lent me his kite for the expedition.
We still have just practised and so far haven’t used the kite yet to cover some distance.
It is just pure fun to be well over the snow by pure wind.
I like the rush of adrenaline in my veins and I must admit I like speed, speed without machine.
The wind whips the lines It is the song of speed.

Ulli

PS and erratum from Sylvia, French back up team : Another "swiss pools" story!
The distorsions in our satellite communication system ended up in another funny story!
The "PBM" mentionned in April 25 article as a smell dropping and body lotion is in fact a "VBL", or Vapor Barrier Liner, an anti-condensation bag to put inside your sleeping bag to keep it dry and avoid ice forming from human breathing in very cold atmosphere. Lucas sent me the exact meaning by sms.
Technology is not my part but now I have a great story to tell when I'm invited out to dinner!

Life is like a tent, it has 2 doors

2007-04-25T14:16:00.000+02:00

Leaving philosophy behind, this new group approach to F5 blogging focuses on practical information in favour of the inner sauce from the inner tent.

And where else to start than in the inner tents themselves?

Like who speaks with whom, who uses the “PBM”(?) (a moisturizing body lotion that has a smell dropping function) and why our two youngsters only found their tent’s second door last week.

Let’s start with André. He sits outside, rain on shine, hidden behind a snow wall we make each evening. Next, we have “Romeo”, formerly known as tent 2, with Hella and her 2 mentors, Mats and Ulli. And then, there is the young and colleague tent lovingly known as “Juliet” inhabited by Lucas and Kim.

Our 2 homes with plenty of space (each is designed to accommodate 4 people) and two entrances each, provide useful shelter. Their tunnel design, double poles and ease of kitchen, make them perfect for the artic environment. We have cupboards with a kitchen hole we dig each night in the absid.

Our tent life is a pretty considerable affair.

Of course there are multiple maneers of melting snow for drinking water and cooking, each one preferred by our tents “Romeo” and “Juliette”.

The Romeo gang uses the stove within the inner tent, with storing temperatures usually up to +15°C.

In contrast, the boys in Juliet, live the Nansen way, growing beards for insulation and keeping the stove in the absid. Lucas makes the morning porridge, while Kim cooks the evening meal.

To conclude with Lucas philosophical remark, “the tent is the place we spend two third of our expedition” forming thus our home sweet home.

The Frozen Five

White out

2007-04-23T23:33:00.000+02:00

The white nothing, a compact white feeling. Like a porridge.

A world without any reference points : without up, without down, but with a track left behind.

Forward, there is all white. There is nothing or maybe there is everything.
Maybe everything exists in front of me ?

The future is uncertain, next step might go upward or it might go downward.
Without a point of reference, time and space disappear.
Your brain starts to spin.

Is there a mountain ahead or is it only my mind spinning?
Where am I about to go?
My eyes are constantly trying to find a spot to focus on but everything is white, only white.

But there is something, a small spot. I focus on it, it’s hard, no there’s nothing. The small something is only some dust on my sunglasses

Heading onward, I start to sweat. It might be uphill, uphill since I sweat and there, far away are the contours of a mountain, something to focus both eyes and mind on for a while.
Then it disappears.

Once more I’m alone in the totally white world and I would probably be frightened if there would not be a track left after my skies and if the four others were not following in these tracks.

This is what keeps me going in the right direction. And there, in the back, Ulli is pointing out the direction. I have been drifting out of the course once more.

I correct my skies, I turn my head forward into the white nothingness.
Into my soul and my own self.
Into the white world where only my own mind creates the reference.

It’s white out once more, it’s white out.

Mats

“White out” is an expression for when snow fall, low clouds or snow drift by wind, lower the visibility and together with the snow covered surface make everything white.

Life, universe and everything

2007-04-20T17:20:00.000+02:00

Breaking news from the Arctic

I have found the meaning of life!

Well not really, at least not yet.

But now that I have your undivided attention, let’s talk about more serious issues like how I feel about skiing the wild South of Spitzbergen and how I cope with the constant drag of “Bozena” and “Lyyli”, my two pulks, and always the big enchilada of questions: why?

Now that we are heading South again, I feel the excitement in my veins yet again. There is a destination out there: the lone cape of Sorkapp. The point at which most of us will be geographically closest to home yet also one of the most remote and isolated point in our voyage.

Well Sorkapp itself remains at least another three days skiing away. We have marched through the gate of Sorkapp land today, welcomed by fresh polar bear tracks but very dabbled labyrinth of melted water streams and the so familiar white out conditions. This last frontier is truly something special.

Everybody uses a different approach to cope with the physical strain of moving our heavily laden pulkas from North to South. For me, it all boils down to enjoying the movement of passing one ski in front of the other. Some steps are undeniably a struggle but if the body’s motion is in harmony with the mind, they become at least manageable.

But why put yourself in our position if it’s such a struggle?
To be frank I believe that life out here is the only way of escaping the real life with its unaccountable traps and society expectations.
Out here my usual over-busy life style simplifies itself tremendously to three things: eat, sleep and ski, in order of importance. The level of comfort I’m prepared to give up, for the chance to experience the need to abide only to nature, is a small price to pay.

Dangers: another hard topic of discussion when it comes to expeditions, may be somewhat elevated in some aspects (polar bear attacks for example) but minimal in others (like getting run over by a car) and believe it or not, I am more worried about those dears to my heart than about myself here in Serkapp-land. I have four friends and my dog Andre to protect me after all!

Thinking of you, sending the ice magic around the world, and wishing you all a nice spring (autumn for those down under.)

Kim

PS : Last but not least, the big news of the day : we have finally seen the King of Arctic. We must smell rather funny tough, since the bear met a large loop around us never coming closer than about 1,5 km.

Time and Space

2007-04-17T01:17:00.000+02:00

The last three days, we’ve been enjoying a very special Arctic cocktail that I named WBS : 1/3 Wind, 1/3 Blizzard and 1/3 Snow.

And so we keep on pulling endlessly our heavily loaded pulkas around Hornsund fjord trying to find our way to the South Cape.

The task is made even harder as we’re moving on deep and fresh snow.

Our arctic caravan, as if led by elephants, heavily and slowly keeps on moving forward.

But what on earth is giving us the energy to continue this useless quest in Spitsberg frozen desert?

Curiosity is certainly one of the main reasons that keeps us going : we are constantly curious to discover what is hidden behind the next mountain and looking forward to contemplate Arctic wonders.

At the same time, we each react with what science has taught us.

Kim, the geologist, can tell the history of moutains by observing the structures of rocks.
Mats, the biologist, spots the signs revealing presence of ptarmigans, the only bird to hibernate in the Arctic.
Hella is interested in zaturgis, the snow structures sculpted by wind.
Ulli follows closely the movement of glaciers and can predict crevasses.

As for myself, my favourite subject is the sea ice. Only a few centimetres of ice covering fjords and bays are required to open up new and infinite space and let us cross easily over.

But we have to be careful!

We have to switch fast from contemplation to concentration to navigate correctly in the Arctic universe and always have to be watchful to prevent from frost bites, meeting bears or falling in crevasses.

When I feel tired from walking and each step demands an extra effort, I try to concentrate on the present moment to extract myself from harsh reality, forget the snow constantly hitting my face, the wind that’s chilling me down to the bones, in order to fully enjoy the unique environment we’re going through.

“Infinity lies in every moment about to finish”.

Quoting Sylvain Tesson, as he crossed by foot the Oustiourt Desert in Kazakstan by plus 45° Celsius, I try to concentrate myself on the very second going by in order to forget space and time as a whole.

“Here and now, in this universe, eternal calm reigns for neither wind nor blizzard, deprived of reality, can take form”.

Lucas

Following nature's rules

2007-04-13T23:52:00.000+02:00

Two days ago, on Wednesday morning, we left the Polish station in Hornsund with one eye crying and one eye laughing.

Crying because it was sad to leave behind civilisation , laughing because we were looking forward to continue our trip.
Only that now, the route is not as straight forward as it was the last two weeks.
Especially because the ice conditions in Hornsund are pretty bad this year.

At first we decided to try to go along the shore of Hornsund in order to cross it further East.
Therefore we crossed Hansbreen and walked down a small narrow gully or canyon to the next bay.

At the end of the gully we had to drag our more heavily loaded pulkas up on about a 10 meters snow drift and after some trying we figured out that the easiest way was to pull altogether on each pulka one by one.
The sea ice in the Bay was about 20 cm thick consisting of small floats frozen together.
A bit of a discussion started whether we could cross it with pulkas. But this was solved in the morning as the ice broke up over the night and there was no way to cross it now.

So Svalbard showed us again that the nature is the one who knows up here and if it doesn’t want us to go off that way, we have to turn around and search for another route.

That’s why we are back on Hansbreen now once more, planning to go East on the glaciers until we hit the route that we planned to go, back from the South cape where is a food depot.
So we will try to reach the South Cape this way.

But not only the route, but the weather is also unpredictable. Today we decided to stay in camp since the temperature grows above zero and it started to rain!

But after all, even with having all these problems to face, I am very happy to be back on the skis and going back to the tent after two days in ”civilisation” feels like coming home!

Hella

PS : Ulli invites everybody to his birthday party on the 26th of April. The location is to be found from our tracer. Birthday presents are welcome only if they are digestible or eatable.

Hella mails from Hornsund

2007-04-12T01:02:00.000+02:00

It's probably a surprise to get an e-mail from me - no worries, I'm not yet back in Longyearbyen, but we are in the Polish research station in Hornsund and we even have internet here! (next to warm rooms, shower, food ... a bit of luxury..).

So I have the opportunity to write my first personal report:

Our start from LYB 2 weeks ago was quite exciting, about 50 people came to the UNIS building to say good-bye. With the words: "I don't know where you go, we go to the South! See you in Sommer!" we started, it was really great start. Since then we were 12 days on the way till we arrived to Hornsund, 3 days before the planned date thanks to the good weather and optimal conditions.

First 2 days we went along the Scooter-"motorway" in the direction to Svea and it was great to leave this path on the 3rd day. At the beginning the pulka was for me quite heavy though I've got it a bit lighter than the "boys". With the time it was better and fortunately after about 2 days my knee got used to the burden, so I didn't have yet any problems with it! Then we crossed Van Mijenfjord, luckily well frozen just as later Van Keulenfjord. Inbetween we had one day with bad weather, our camp was on the pass between the two fjords and although it wasn't really bad storm we decided to stay in the tent.

Since the Van Keulen crossing we move along on the enormous gaciers and the landscape is fabulously beautiful!! Since then I also feel it was right to come here and I can really enjoy the trip.

Also with the team is everything ok, we understand each other and we can coordinate ourselves well. I share the tent with Ulli and Mats and meanwhile we have quite good routines - even when we have huge tents, sometimes it is with 3 people a bit narrow and we need to arrange who how when is moving. In the temperatures (often till -30 degrees in the night) everything needs its own time, above all to melt and cook the water, so even when we wake up at 7 we can be on the road at 10:30 and also in the evening we need few hours. So we are three we alternate always in cooking, so everyone gets 2 "free" evenings to write a diary etc. and especially on 2 from 3 mornings gets breakfest practicaly into the sleeping bag (you can't underestimate this factor with -25 degrees).

My sleeping bag is luckily warm enough, just becomes as the others very icy from the outside, but the daily sunshine allows to let it dry on the pulka. Here we had opportunity to let ourselves and our equipment dry and sort a bit and above all pack the heaps of food for the next 27 days. Starting from here will be a bit harder as the fjord here (Hornsund) is not frozen ehough, so we will need to find our way along it. On the other site it should be again easier, we'll continue on the big glaciers about 40-50km till we reach Sudkapp. You'll be able to follow it further...

Also it is great to have our dog Andre, it pulls quite a lot and hears very well - and is always happy to be stroken. It's really lovable and trusty friend.

Generally I'm very fine and I'm looking forward to the next weeks of the trip.
Thanks a lot for all sent messages!!!!

Hella

p.s. from Mathias: FrozenFive sent also few photos.
The pictures in this blog are actual, not from the archive.
(it pays off to click on the last one to get it bigger ;-))

Skiing is inspiration

2007-04-11T02:02:00.000+02:00

It is great to feel the hospitality here at the Hornsund research station. We owe everybody here at the station a big thanks. We had time to rest, eat, sleep and repair some equipment and last but not least reflect on something which I felt the last three days before reaching Hornsund research station, our first depot in southern Spitsbergen.

Skiing is inspiration

If nature speakes
You can listen to your inner self.
The landscape is in harmony
And gives us travelers the freedom we whish for.

After leafing Longyearbyen, the beauty of the landscape made my mind settle down. Since the year 2007 started, many things in my life has happened in a short while and I had hardly any time to catch up with it. As I ski along my mind is moving from one side to the other like a broom, cleaning up all the mess I left behind in my little brain. Now everything seems to just settle in the right place. Being out here on the glaciers, between the mountains sets everything in the right relation. Worries I have had are not left behind, they become small, smaller and finally disappear. They were self made or at least artificial. This is a great feeling. I love freedom and that’s what I can find out here. If my mind settles my inner voice speaks up. This inner voice of me is one of the most important things I actually own. One reason to be here skiing is to listen to that voice. The lectures I already learned by listening to that voice are one of the most important in my live. It guides me. I believe it is the truth in me that speaks up. This voice is very silent and it needs a harmonic setting to be heard. Among the glaciers, on skies and leaving nothing behind then silence, that’s the right place for me.

This journey is not an adventure, my life is the adventure. At this moment I don’t want to be anywhere else then where I am. With my five companions, in the breathtaking landscape of southern Spitsbergen and with the snowprincess in my heart.

I want to thank anyone who has helped us to make this dream of mine come true.

With the best arctic whishes
Ulli

Let's face the storm

2007-04-11T01:26:00.000+02:00

The only place we have Internet access on our trip is the Polish research station at Hornsund. The hospitality of the local scientists and station crew is tremendous, and since I cannot sleep this night (too nervous of the things to come), I would like to use this opportunity to thank them for all the help and support extended our way. The same goes for all the support crews back home, especially Sylvie Girard for transmitting our sat phone messages into a great blog (you're doing a great job!). Thanks for all the messages from around the world!

We had a busy day today, fixing various pieces of equipment (like a tripod, sealing the VBL - a plastic bag we sleep in to avoid ice forming in the sleeping bags) and repacking our pulks with the new food. Now we're real ready for the next stage, scheduled to last 27 days (!!!). This means the pulks are about twice as heavy as when we left Longyearbyen. And thanks to the ice conditions in Hornsund it's also not the easiest route. It feels like a labyrinth of steep cliffs, uncertain ice foots, (lack) of sea ice, polar bears (lots of tracks around here) and also a little bit of headwind (like 10 m/s). I guess it's not hard to understand why we're all a little bit nervous, but at least we feel positive about the new challenges ahead and want to "face the storm", in a hopefully not literal sense of the word.

Greetings from Hornsund, and have a nice spring!

Kim and the rest of the F5 team

A night at Hornsund Palace

2007-04-10T17:16:00.000+02:00

A quick message from Hornsund Research Station : yes! Even here in the middle of the Arctic desert, Internet brings everyone close!

We got here on monday in the late afternoon and people welcomed us warmly.

Ten minutes after we got in, they served us a full hot meal!!!

Hornsund is a rather small research base. Only eight people live here during the winter, twelve at the moment.

The Polish scientists are very friendly and greeting us very warmly. It's a great pleasure to get to know them. Life here is so different from Longyearbyen.

It is a unique opportunity for us to be here, to meet these people and share a little bit of their lives and activities.
The Hornsund area is totally forbidden to snow scooters and tourists. There are only scientits around.

I looked at the blogs and Iwant to thank the support team for all they are doing updating them. It feels great for us to to have all this information network around our expedition!

I just loved the "Swiss pools" story !!! (NB :support team members spent a few hours on that one!) I also checked the web site and the number of visitors is up to 700 per day this week!

I 'm falling asleep so I guess I'll go to bed now. Everything is going so well, it sounds too good to be true... Things might get a little tougher around thursday, as there is a storm forecast with a 30 knots wind!

Kim is going to try to send some pictures but I'm not sure the Internet connexion will let them get through.

NB from support team: Kim's pictures did get through, you just discovered the first ones!

Another Easter surprise

2007-04-09T17:19:00.000+02:00

Yesterday, in the evening, we had a call from Lucas.

One thing for sure: our Frozen Five explorers are really happy and enjoying every second of their skiing trip.

They are moving fast on the map and are even a few days ahead of schedule.
The storm they went trough at the beginning didn’t stop them for long.

During the storm, they had problems because their tent wasn’t totally closed and the freezing wind got inside and froze part of their stuff.

But this misfortune left apart, they are lucky and enjoying a superb weather, very cold and sunny. The low temperatures (down to minus 30°C) ensure good snow and ice .
Their muscles are getting used to pulling the pulkas although they had one very hard day, with a continuous climbing and had to put on their crampons.
When the snow is deep and fresh, the pulka seems heavier to pull, but on hard freezing snow, they even forget their burden.

As for food, they planned extra-large! Except for Ulli who manages to finish his daily rations, the other four have too much to eat. They plan to leave their extra food at the Polish research station where they are to arrive on Monday.

They have met reindeers but no polar bears yet. The bears though, are not far : bear footprints are to be seen here and there in the snow.

Lucas is totally amazed by the awesome landscapes he and his companions are discovering everyday. Although he’s already spent some time in the Arctic, he still feels very little in front of the gigantic beauties of mountains and glaciers large as two highways brought together !

Erratum : In one of our last messages, we told you it was sometimes difficult to hear every word in Frozen Five messages: so we must confess after checking with Lucas during this conversation that the F5 actually crossed recently“Nup passet” and not passage…

Sylvie

Behind the scene 2

2007-04-08T12:20:00.000+02:00

FYI (For Your Information):

Martin (yes, the one who is also behind the daily maps and progress, so we can follow Frozen Five in almost real time) found yesterday some other blogs mentioning the expedition. I'm taking the liberty to post the links here:

100th blog of Laurel (photographer- ecologist- journalist- healthcare researching- animal wrangler) with some nice photos taken when the expedition started.

Guardian Mobility blog posted on the 1st February 2007 in the connection with the tracer testing during the Frozen Five preparation trip in France.

Northern Waterways blog posted on the 28th March 2007 with general information about the expedition and its start.

Thanks, Martin!
Jitka

Easter update

2007-04-07T23:14:00.000+02:00

Hello!

This is Mats from the Frozen Five delivering the blog for today!

It’s been quite hard for all of us to start again after the break. Today we were entering the Nup passage and we left the old mountains and valleys behind. As we entered this completely new area, I realized how long we had spent in the same place.

The sun has been shining today and we have done quite a good distance. and it’s been a really nice day for all of us. The weather has been really nice everyone is happy and even our dog André is going well along with us. He is actually walking freely in the camp from time to time.

We all wish you the best and a Happy Easter to everyone at home. We thank you for all the messages that we received so far and we hope we’ll hear from you soon.

Bye Bye!

Mats

PS from Sylvie : As Martin wrote, we are sometimes having problems hearing F5 voices during their phone messages. We're doing our best to update the blog!

Behind the scene

2007-04-06T19:19:00.000+02:00

First of all, congratulations to F5 - today their route tracer reported that they reached the first 100 km (in reality they did it already sometimes ago because the tracer does not record all nitty-gritty route windings).

Now back to my "behind the scene" theme. Last evening I felt like a decrypter from the Bletchley Park. Kim called Sylvia (a head of the backup team in France) asking to check about... well, about the "Swiss pools". His voice, torn by wind and storm, was obscure and impenetrable. Sylvia made an evening call to England, transmitted us the Kim's voice message, and deciphering started. What the hell, could he mean?

Was it a subconscious message reflecting Kim's hidden thoughts about a thermal pool in the luxury of Switzerland? :-)

Of course not. Finally, after few dead ends, Jitka hit the jackpot: Kim's resting email box shown that he negotiated a deal with a sponsor about the ski poles (ski sticks), which have not arrived before the expedition started. But they are on the way, and Kim definitely wants them. And their name? Well, "Swix poles". Melodically not so far from the "Swiss pools", is it?

Martin

PS. At least, we think we solved it... Let's wait for after Eastern.

Stormy weather

2007-04-04T22:49:00.000+02:00

Hello world! speaking from the Arctic !

It is really a truly special place and difficult to describe for someone who hasn’t felt its wind on its bare skin. Still I will give you a go through this blog.

Almost a week ago has passed since we left civilization last Thursday but we are still getting used to the environment.

The beautiful, even though rather cold Thursday lets us enter into the world of Artic much more easily

Right now the weather god has planned a week 14 storm on our way and after contacting the meteorologist at Longyearbyen airport, we decided to set foot for a few days until it passes.

Getting behind the largest snow wall ever built we now have some spare time to reflect up on the things that I feel personally important up here.

For a start dirty socks and smelly clothes are no reason for panic up here.

Ice in the sleeping bag on the other hand is a worry.

Communication is, just like everywhere else for it matters, key for keeping a good moral.

“So far so good” : we‘ve got the Frozen Five spirit on our side after all.

Before I return to the cleaning and repairing of the broken equipments at fifteen degrees below zero let me give you a small advice :

Live your dreams !that’s what I’m doing right now and even if I may be somehow cold and a little smelly and physically bruised from pulling around a couple of tons I ‘m still the happiest guy in the world.

Kim

PS :I ‘m even more happy from reading all your messages! thanks for all the support from around the world!

April 1, first satellite message from the five...this is not April Fool'sday!

2007-04-02T14:30:00.000+02:00

I received a satellite message from the Frozen Five Sunday night around 11:30. I will get a message every three days or so which will allow me to update the French and English blogs. Visit the website to follow their progress on the updated map.

Photographs illustrating articles come from the Frozen Five pictures gallery.

Here is what Lucas told me :

The five members of the team and the dog André are all well. At 11:30 PM, they had just finished setting up their tent as Sunday has been a long and hard day : they have covered twenty kilometres, skiing in extreme cold with lots of wind and managed to cross Van Mijen Fjord.

The weather has been perfect since they left Longyearbyen last Thursday but at the same time, very cold : temperatures go down to minus 30° Celsius and more!

They have to go back to an almost-animal like life or rather a survival life. Every movement can turn out to cause great pain. For example, touching metal is very painful, so one has to anticipate to protect oneself, and secure fingers, feet, or face from frostbites.

However, the extreme cold has helped them in their progress because it ensured very good ice and snow conditions on the fjord.

Friday, friends from Longyearbyen visited them by scooter and brought some forgotten necessities (see previous message ). The team sends their warmest thanks to their visitors for the great time and evening spent together!

They also want to thank all the people who attended their departure ceremony in front of UNIS : the cheers and help from everyone will follow them all the way!

Many encouragement messages also reached them by e-mail. One point though : please send e-mails using the form available on the Iridium website :

http://messaging.iridium.com/

or the following address :

881631578544@msg.iridium.com

but not the Frozen Five website (the messages sent by the F5 site were not easy to read).

To-day April 2 is an off-day in order to relax aching muscles after the quick pace of the last four days and to dry frozen and wet equipments!

Sylvie

Web site panic

2007-04-01T20:15:00.000+02:00

[This is only a technical post, nothing to do with the expedition itself. Sorry for bothering you...]

Due to problems with the domain name frozenfive.org, it may happen that the usual link to the expedition main page will not be available during the next 24 hours. Therefore, if you see a strange page please go instead to http://frozenfive.senger.dyndns.org. I hope that everything will be back to normal soon...

Martin

greetings from the F5!

2007-04-01T20:07:00.000+02:00

Sanna, a friend of the F5 has met them yesterday and sends some good news :

"So far they have reached the end of Gangalen and heading towards Reindalen and Van Mijen fjord. As results of two days of skiing they have zero frostbites, zero polar bears and a big list of things that they forgot to take with them.
Some of the missing things, which were the most important and reasonnable, Sana delivered to them yesterday, like the fuel for the stoves...with a tiny communication problem, she tought they forgot ALL the fuel but later in the evening she found out that they had some, they just missed the emergency fuel...Looks likes they were more prepared than what was expected!
Some of the important things are still missins like a peeing bottle (500ml) to Ulli because it is too cold to out to pee in the middle of the night...he needs his luxury.
So if anybody plans a trip to their way...and even though you don't have anything to bring to them and you are going their way, they would be happy to get visitors.
Like Kim said : "Three visits a day makes the doctor go away!"

Sanna did that yesterday, now it's somebody else's turn!

The show is on!

2007-03-29T18:54:00.000+02:00

[ This post comes from a warm room; not from them :-) ]

Today, the Frozen Five started as planned. If you read Norwegian you can grasp the mood of the start as published in today's Svalbardposten. If not you can at least enjoy the expedition first picture "on the road".

Or, you can try the Internet automatic translator which will not help much but it makes you laugh. For example, it also translates expedition members names. Kim Senger became Germ Bedstead, and Hella became Greece Net.

I can also confirm that their tracer is transmitting fine and the expedition on-line map started to be drawn.

Martin

Communicating with the F5

2007-03-28T19:53:00.000+02:00

Only 1 night left. Tomorrow, after a full breakfast courtesy of SAS Radisson Hotel (thanks in advance!), we’ll be available to the world only through satellite phone. This way, this blog will remain updated (except an updated about every 3rd day).

You can also personally get in touch with us by sending us SMS messages. This free service, through the Iridium network, allows you to send us short messages to cheer us up. You can either use the form on the Iridum website (our phone number is 881631578544), our own website or email 881631578544@msg.iridium.com. Messages need to be kept under 160 characters, but there is no limit on how many you can send, just your imagination is the limit.

Thanks to everyone who helped us make it this far. From our families, friends and sponsors to all the helping hands and minds we met on the way. Without you we wouldn’t be here, and we hope we will be able to repay you someday! Tusen takk.

Kim

The time has come…

2007-03-28T16:15:00.000+02:00

The last day before a long expedition is always something special. For some, it’s the last day that many things can be done that need to be done for the expedition itself. For others, this day is the last time you can experience things that will be impossible to experience during the ski trip. Like a hot shower. Or playing innebandy.

Over the past few days, the whole F5 team has been tying up loose ends, mostly in terms of preparing our equipment. Making the tent storm-proof, the sledges snowdrift-proof and the kite flyable all take their time and effort. And at least once a day someone forgets something that still needs to be bought at the shop (eg woolen underwear).

Still, we try to keep the preparation as light-hearted as possible, with all the stress around it’s easy to become disoriented on what the important things on our trip are. To have fun, and see a bit of Svalbard while we’re at it. This is why we also try to make the evenings a little bit more light-hearted, with cake & coffee (sorry, we forgot to bring the coffee up to Nybyen) evenings for both our “Longyearbyen support team” (these hardy Arctic folks can drive to our rescue at practically any point on the trip, to bring us fresh fruit, a new ski or maybe a newspaper ;) and the “foodpacking slaves” (thanks so much again. And again!). One more night to sleep in Longyearbyen and then we’re off. If we make it out of town on the first day though ;)

Don’t despair though, this blog will remain updated throughout our journey, thanks to our satellite phone.

Kim

Skiing the Troll’s rock

2007-03-26T16:47:00.000+02:00

Since we have a blog about shooting at cardboard, I couldn’t resist writing a short one about something much more fun and exciting, skiing on Trollsteinen. Yesterday, me and Sanna (plus some very good telemark skiers we met on the way down) enjoyed great powder snow on Larsbreen (bet you’re all jealous, sorry ;) and views across Nordenskioldland.

Trollsteinen is one of the most famous “student-hills” on Svalbard, with multiple ascents on most nice days. It’s also one of the few hills up here where you actually have to use your hands to climb to the summit (ok, just for the last metre). Yesterday, its top was a rather windy place, but at least nice to test my Klattermusen jacket and the Crispi boots. The boots especially proved totally adequate both for the ascent and descent, keeping me somewhat upright even with the lack of telemark-skiing activity (that’s a project for next year, probably harder than this whole expedition). Last but not least, let’s not forget our tastiest sponsor, Goteborgs Kex and Safari cookies!

Takk for turen,

Kim

3+2 makes 5

2007-03-26T16:30:00.000+02:00

This Sunday, the F5 team was reunited for the first time since the preparation trip ended in Grenoble almost 6 weeks ago. It was a somewhat strange reunion, since the mid-day arrival of the plane coincided with Lucas’ depot drop-off trip to Van Postbreen and my humble attempts to ski Trollsteinen using fjellski. In the end, we all met up in the local swimming pool, during the kayak-polo session. What a way to start and Arctic expedition!

Today, the full team (with the exception of Andrée, our four-legged companion) took part in the UNIS safety course run by the one and only “safety Fred”. After a brief re-introduction to various dangers of traveling and working in the Arctic, we went up to the rifle range above the airport to brush up on our rifle shooting skills. Ulli won the shooting competition almost without competition and secured himself the role as our armed protector, in case we run into bear-trouble. We all hope to avoid such situations but better to be safe than sorry.

This afternoon, the various team members keep the ship rolling towards our near departure. Lucas is uploading the digital route information into the GPS units, Mats and Hella work on securing our stoves, Ulli is frantically organizing the rest and I laminated the maps and spent a few minutes admiring the view across Isfjorden towards Oscar II Land. In the evening, the team regroups for a 19:00 talk at the local Red Cross meeting. If you’re in the neighbourhood, see you there! If not, don’t worry and make sure to come to the UNIS lunch seminar on Wednesday, we promise you will not forget it (for a few days at least ;). Greetings from Longyearbyen,

Kim

F5 Education gets a boost from the NRC

2007-03-24T17:50:00.000+01:00

A week ago, our project received funding from the Norwegian Research Council to help us achieve optimal education during the International Polar Year. The funding that we applied for covers costs associated with post-expedition presentations, production of a documentary movie clip (the stars of which will be your polar kids from the f5 team) and organizing photography exhibitions for the general public.

In this way, the Frozen Five project will continue even after we return back from the ski trip (yes, we will return contrary to the belief of many). Through this blog, we would also like to invite institutions/schools to contact us by email and express an interest in a post-expedition presentation at their venue. We’ll do our best to work something out! In the meantime, we would be grateful if you could spread the word of the F5 project to your students/friends/family and enjoy the spring!

Kim

A rainy day in the Arctic

2007-03-24T17:06:00.000+01:00

The last Friday gathering (a real UNIS-tradition that makes the dark time pass faster by congregating students around the fireplace with some liquid) before we embark on the trip proved to be a very wet affair. Longyearbyen put on what must have been the worst weather-day in 2007, with “pouring” rain (not tropical, but this is the Arctic!!) and some wind. Not a lot you can do then, even the monster boots can get wet if water flows in from the top.

Instead, we spent the day gathering the equipment from Longyearbyen’s various sports shops and making a digital plan of our planned route. In theory, we should thus be able to know where we are even in a white out. The route is mostly based on gathering information from the locals, especially the governor’s office, the 3 girls that crossed Svalbard last year (see here) and of course our many contacts at UNIS and the local community. Things always go easier if the network is already in place, but even so thanks to you all that help us along the way!

Tomorrow, there’s a promise of a brief window with good weather, so maybe there’ll be time for a nice ski trip before Mats and Hella arrive in the afternoon. With another two pairs of helping hands, everything should be ready for our Thursday departure. It’s soon, real soon. The fact that our date of departure is already on the met.no forcast is a sure sign that we’ll be off very soon. But don’t worry, this blog will be kept updated while we’re “out there”…

Greetings from a Bergen-like Longyearbyen,

Kim

A fullstop to a Master’s project

2007-03-22T16:43:00.000+01:00

Yesterday, the 3 northern F5, with the help of UNIS-students Stephan and Anne, spent the afternoon relocating a house. A house with plenty of history. For a start, the Chalet d’Ulli used to be an Antarctic field cabin, traveling more than 4000 km across the southern ice behind a skidoo. Afterwards, it made the long journey to Svalbard, where it has seen limited use in projects until Ulli adopted it a couple of years ago.

The cabin served Ulli for 2 years as a base station for his Master’s project, a mass balance study of Bogerbreen, a picturesque glacier in Nordenskioldland. Over this time, the hut has probably experienced more things than a normal person experiences in a lifetime ;) Storms, plenty of reindeer and 7 people inside it at one time (plus a dog??). The first time I saw the hut, back in autumn 2005 during a 4-day field campaign with Ulli, it had grass roots (yes, some stuff grows up here) stuck in the chimney. It wasn’t until we realized that the hut had been blown 360 degrees along its long axis that this made any sense…

Back to yesterday. Getting the hut back to town proved easy enough thanks to the “beltebil” and the whole crew. It even fitted under the bridge in Longyearbyen! Far more special than the actual relocation was Ulli’s bright-green, probably radioactive but very tasty, cake with vanilla crème served just for the occasion. Not bad at all!

Kim

The shoe business

2007-03-22T13:50:00.000+01:00

One of the major problems of an Arctic expedition is keeping the fingers and toes warm. In cold conditions, blood circulation to these parts is severely reduced, often leading to frostbite. That’s the last thing we want to experience on this trip, and that is why we paid much attention to securing the most suited shoes for us.

Among the five bi-pedal expedition members (our dog Andree doesn’t wear shoes) we will be using three different approaches. One is Ulli’s monster boot from Alfa (with a shoes size over 50), made famous by Borge Ousland and the 3 girls from Jenter-pa-langs. Mats and Hella opted for the traditional Varg Polar approach, a leather skiing boot with a woolen inner sole. The youngsters on the trip, Lucas and Kim, became shoe brothers by using Crispi’s Top expedition boot. The newer model that Kim will be using was kindly lent to us by Acron, the importer of Crispi products in the Czech Republic. Thanks!

The Crispi Top expedition boot fits firmly into our telemark bindings, is super-warm (we’ve both been walking around the town with them and it’s as good as a skidoo boot in terms of insulation) and provides good ankle support when kiting or downhill skiing. After the expedition, a comprehensive test of the boots will be available through our media partner Svet Outdooru.

Kim

Himalayan gear from Sir Joseph

2007-03-22T12:58:00.000+01:00

When we leave Longyearbyen next week for the grand traverse, the first thing that will hit us is the week 14 storm. This strange phenomenon has bruised many expeditions in each of the last three years, and we cannot really expect to be spared by an Arctic storm, be it in week 14 or at some other time. This is why we’re extremely happy to have Sir Joseph gear in our pulks, some of the best designed down products made.

The Czech brand Sir Joseph was set up by Josef Rakoncaj, perhaps the best-known Czech Himalayan climber with a reputation that speaks for itself. Since 1972, he has been making down products for his own expeditions to the world’s highest peaks and it thus should not be surprising that these are some of the warmest, most comfortable and well thought-out products you can buy. For more information on the brand, visit the official website.

The Frozen Five team kindly thanks Sir Joseph for providing us with discounted down jackets, a sleeping bag and gloves.

1 week to go !!!

2007-03-22T12:43:00.000+01:00

In exactly 1 week, on Thursday 29th of March at 12:45 (Longyearbyen local time, same as most of Europe) we will leave Longyearbyen for our 80 days voyage around Spitsbergen. All are welcome to come and say goodbye to us at the "Arctic Gateway", the main entrance to UNIS!

Kim

Bearing the load

2007-03-20T17:30:00.000+01:00

A quick update from Longyearbyen on our journey to Austfjordneset. Over the last 2 days, we have spent about 15 hours on snowmobiles delivering the ~200 kg of food to a small trapper's hut in northern Spitsbergen, on the edge of Wijdefjorden. The journey, totalling almost 400 km, took us over varied terrain, including some broken sea ice, slopes with deep powder and a "cemetery of the icebergs".

If all goes to plan, we'll be returning to Stefan and Lene's hut in mid-May to pick up our food and re-stock for the journey to the north. Even the short visit this time (we ended up sleeping in a hut further south, where a polar bear was chewing on the scooter seats during the night) was very inspirational and I can't wait to get back to this place, this time on skis.

See you in a few months! And greetings to the polar bear that was walking around the hut when we arrived on Sunday evening. Now it's time to enjoy the good weather in Longyearbyen and do a skiing trip!

Lucas went to Barentsburg (a Russian/Ukrainian coal mine about 60 km away) today, showing his parents around the place that we'll be spending the next few months skiing across. I hope they will still allow him to join!

Kim

Spreading food around Spitsbergen

2007-03-18T18:47:00.000+01:00

After enjoying a great kitchen-to-kitchen party in Nybyen (the home of arctic students), Kim, Ulli and Lucas had a tough morning! Due to stormy weather (70km/h winds on Saturday) all activities had been canceled for the weekend, but late at night yesterday, a short window of not-too-bad weather was forecasted which seemed good enough to try to drive to Austfjordneset, in northern Spitsbergen, to bring one of our food depots. Therefore, the 3 of us had to get up after a short night sleep to pack the sledges and prepare the snow-scooter trip. Together with Eystein, a UNIS staff, Ulli and Kim left town at noon for a 300km journey. If everything goes well, they should be back tomorrow evening!

After spending most of the week organising the food, we finally got everything packed and ready to be taken to our 4 food depots. The total weight of our food seems somehow outstanding, Kim made an estimate of about a ton :) which is almost twice what we were expecting… better too much than not enough though!

On Friday, a helicopter flight to Vagabond was scheduled and I (Lucas) was invited to join, in order to bring our food to the boat. Unfortunately the weather was too bad to take off! Another attempt should be made on Monday, let’s hope it goes better this time!

Today the temperature has dropped to -15, the windchill is about -40. While skiing up Sarkofagen, one of the mountains around longyear I really started to get the feeling of “being in the arctic”, to make it simple: I froze my butt! Great feeling!

10 days to go! Cheers,
/Lucas

Two weeks to go!

2007-03-15T22:12:00.000+01:00

Only two weeks to go until we leave Longyearbyen! Panic! The start date (29.3), time (12:45) and location (outside UNIS – The Arctic Gateway) has been set and now it’s up to us to get the show on the road. We’ve already got 3 of the 5 team members up here, as Lucas arrived early Monday morning for a week full of food preparations with Ulli and Kim. Still, we’re sooo helpful from all the help of our “slaves” (not sure who invented this term, but it wasn’t me!).

So what do we actually do? First of all, organising the food is a full-time job on its own. Thankfully the people at Svalbardbutikken, the local shop and our generous sponsor (Thanks and tusen takk!), prepared our order onto one pellet that we managed to drive to our temporary home on the seaside shore of Longyearbyen. Together with the parcels from Germany, Czech Republic, Sweden and France these make up the basis of our rations.

With all that work, there needs to be time for some fun as well. Like Saturday, with the famous “Baby Bullet” win and riding around in a “Beltmobil”, kind of like a tank-on-snow. Very fancy. There are also these quiet evenings that you can spend sewing on the patches, modifying the last pieces of equipment or simply relaxing (not much time for that though).

Kim

A gastronomical experience

2007-03-15T19:31:00.000+01:00

With only 2 weeks left until we leave Longyearbyen, the expedition preparation has stepped up another couple of gears. We have taken over a whole house in Longyearbyen, working full-time on preparing the expedition food and delivering it to the various food depots.

We would not be able to manage this phenomenal job without the aid of our helpers from the University of Svalbard and elsewhere. Thanks a lot girls and guys, for the help and the company! And yeah, if you happen to be in the neighbourhood, of course we still need your help ;) Stickers provided…

Just imagine this: 5 people, 80 days, one bag for lunch. That’s 400 bags of “lunch-ration” (named Jager-snus by Mats and other Scandinavians), and almost 4 days worth of work. It feels somewhat industrial to mix 60 kgs of chocolate with 30 kgs of nuts, lots of dried fruit and plenty of crusli. Especially if you do it in a scooter-box! And I don’t even mention the breakfast, that needs to be mixed in a similar fashion but in two different amounts (one of our tents will sleep 2 people, the other one 3). What a mess! Still, at least it makes you appreciate the amount of food that one person is capable of eating over a period of one whole year. It’s a lot!

Finally, my favourite moment of food-packing. This has got to be the breaking up of chocolate bars using a hammer and chisel. The idea behind this is that all the chocolate needs to be in bite-sized chunks, since chocolate has to be one of the things that freezes first. And there’s nothing worse than not being able to bite off that well-deserved chunk of your favourite chocolate!

Kim

Taking over the Arctic

2007-03-11T15:02:00.000+01:00

The exploration season in the Arctic regions has really gotten underway both on Svalbard and throughout the Arctic. It almost seems like there will be so many people skiing or sailing around us that we will have to keep a good lookout during whiteouts to avoid colliding with them ;)

One expedition in particular, the Czech Arctos III team, may actually meet us at some point during our traverse. One of our common aims is the ascent of Newtontoppen, Svalbard's highest peak. In true Czech fashion, we decided to make a bet with them. Whoever comes to the top last will have to sponsor a round of beer for all involved! Read more here.

On a more serious note, the Frozen Five team wishes all the best to all the Arctic expeditions that are currently ongoing! For a comprehensive list, check out ThePoles.com.

Kim

Speed Kills

2007-03-10T17:34:00.000+01:00

Every year during the Solfestuka celebrations, a sledge race takes place on Hiorthamn. This international event is prestigious due to both its long tradition (the sun has been coming back to Longyearbyen for a very long time) and the nature of the sledges that pummel down Hiorthamn’s slopes each year.

Both speed and style are judged by the organizers, with particular emphasis on “the crazier the better” (like the Finnish sauna-team). Even this year was no exception. Five sledges went down, all with a certain flair of their own. It isn’t surprising that three out of the five teams comprised UNIS students, including your very own Frozen Two (Ulli and Kim).

Their sledge was put together with help of Anne during the last few nights as part of the Frozen Five preparation. The beast, aptly named “Baby Bullet”, rocketed down the hill in less than 22 seconds. From known sources, this is a historic record, one that we hope to hold for a very long time! The metallic sledge, fearsome with teddybear Isolina and an old ice drill at its nose, weighted around 200 kg even before the four riders (steering lady Eeva, Swedish representative Albin and muscle power Ulli and Kim) jumped on. No wonder the crowd ran away when they saw us coming…

Greetings from the Far North! Kim & Ulli

Sun "shines" in Longyearbyen

2007-03-08T16:29:00.000+01:00

Today, at precisely 12:39, the sun would normally return to the city of Longyearbyen. After more than 4 months with the sun spinning its circles over the southern hemisphere, the citizens of Longyearbyen naturally congregated by the old kindergarten to await its appearance over the Sarkofagen ridge. Most of the people turned up, with the whole school (yes, there are kids up in the Arctic) turning up to sing, dance and look into the sky.

Unfortunately, today was pretty cloudy and no sun appeared, not even a hint of one. Better luck next year! It actually feels somewhat un-Arctic up here at present, with temperatures hovering around -3 degrees, but this may rapidly change.

In other news, I (Kim) have arrived in Longyearbyen yesterday almost precisely 3 weeks before we're setting off. During these last weeks, we'll be preparing daily rations from our food accumulated at Ulli's place. We also have to deliver some of the food depots, stocking them up with necessities such as toilet paper! Not forgetting the training as well, of course!

Arctic greetings from Kim

Where is the Arctic?

2007-03-06T01:44:00.000+01:00

In a few hours, I'm heading up to the Arctic. Going from London, via Oslo, you reach Longyearbyen in about 6 hours. It's pretty clear that Longyearbyen lies in the heart of the Arctic, and almost equally evident that south-east England does not (you couldn't tell from the storm outside right now). So where exactly do I enter the Arctic proper?

That's a very good point, and one that deserves a special leaflet for you to have a look at. In this resource developed for the NZ YSC, I try to outline the main differences between the two global polar regions, and consider some of the things that make the Arctic unique. Personally, I think the biggest difference to Antarctica is the fact that the Arctic has been inhabited for so long. The survival of the Inuit civilizations, not just through 80 days of skiing in a Svalbardian spring but through millenia, is inspiration by itself.

Now that you have had some time to read the above-mentioned leaflet, consider the dynamics of the Arctic's boundaries. Defining the spatial area of the Arctic by temperature clearly makes this area change significantly, as is the case with almost all of the other boundary definitions. How tolerant are these boundaries to human influence?

Kim

Iceland cool enough for you?

2007-03-06T01:04:00.000+01:00

The last week before heading out to Svalbard would normally be probably better spent trying to remember all the things left behind and forgotten at home, but where is the fun in that? Instead, I managed to get on a "preparation trip" with my father and a friend Akéla to one of the most amazing places in the world, Iceland.

What can be better training for the Frozen Five expedition than pulling a pulk across Iceland's barren interior around Mt Hekla, wandering around the crater of Snaefellsjokull (remember Verne's Journey to the Centre of the World?) and eating all these Scandinavian pylsur (hot-dogs)? We managed to make some nice loops in beatiful yet crispy weather (it dropped to around -15, with a wind-chill value at least another 10 degrees below that), make some humble attempts at kiting on a frozen lake and, of course, accumulate some heat by soaking in geothermally-heated hot springs.

Iceland is a truly remarkable country, though it may be even more so for a geologist like me. The tourism industry's favourite saying "land-of-fire-and-ice" certainly holds up in Iceland, where subglacial volcanic eruptions commonly occur and even us mortals managed to sleep next to a pond with 20 degree warm water while everything else was frozen solid. Not a bad place at all, and I certainly recommend a visit!

Kim

The Anorak!

2007-03-04T10:00:00.000+01:00

Finally I managed to put the last peaces of my anorak together. An anorak is a jacket with a big hood and a short front zipper. Some people wonder why I make some of my clothes instead of buying them. However, it’s really hard to find a winter jacket that I like and almost impossible to find one made out of cotton, so it’s not really an option to buy one. I have already tried it during an eight day winter trip course I hold a week and a half ago. During the course we experienced temperatures almost down to -20ºC and winds just over 10 m/s, and I really loved the anorak and the big hood with the wind tunnel that protects your face. The anorak is made out of Ventile, wind and to some extent waterproof cotton fabric, with reinforcements at the shoulders of Action Cordura, and at the bottom of Reflective Cordura. (Cordura material where provided by Shelby.) The design is almost home-made with some inspiration from Klättermusen and Arc’teryx.

/mats
(photo: Anna-Lisa Wrange)

SWE BAR™

2007-03-03T13:35:00.000+01:00

Just a week ago Gunnar Dalblad at Dalblads-nutrition came to Mats doorstep and delivered 360 SWE BAR’s. These protein rich bars will be a sufficient food supply to eat in late afternoons just before setting up the tents. Of course we will have some more food to eat, don’t worry. According to Hellas calculation we have about 6000 kcal to eat each day! That would be about 1,2 kg food in dry weight per person and day! Not to bad at all!
/mats

Getting the gear ready

2007-03-02T02:02:00.000+01:00

Over the past few months, Ulli's postbox in Longyearbyen has been steadily receiving parcels from around the world with various pieces of equipment for the Frozen Five expedition. The supply of food, mostly from the Czech Republic and France (yummy), has been so sustained that Ulli hasn't even managed to eat it all, giving us a slight chance that some of the 60kg of chocolate will still be left for the actual expedition!

Last week, one of the fundamental building blocks of the expedition's equipment list arrived in three very large boxes. The expedition "pulkas", or sledges, arrived from our sponsor Fjellpulken, who have kindly provided us with a discount on their expedition model. Each expedition member will have his/her own pulk, pulling all the gear for the 11 week voyage. The actual load will depend on our food/fuel consumption and will always be heaviest at the start of the individual legs, when we will be picking up additional supplies. The heaviest load is predicted to be around 80-90kg per person, the weight of a reasonably-sized adult.

IPY starts today!

2007-03-02T01:05:00.000+01:00

The 1st of March 2007 marks the start of one of the grandest undertakings of the 21st century, and one that the Frozen Five project is proud to be affiliated with.

The International Polar Year (IPY) is a large scientific programme focused on the Arctic and the Antarctic from March 2007 to March 2009. Further information is, of course, available on the official and new IPY website.

IPY, organized through the International Council for Science (ICSU) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), is actually the fourth polar year, following those in 1882-3, 1932-3, and 1957-8. In order to have full and equal coverage of both the Arctic and the Antarctic, IPY 2007-8 covers two full annual cycles from March 2007 to March 2009 and will involve over 200 projects, with thousands of scientists from over 60 nations examining a wide range of physical, biological and social research topics. It is also an unprecedented opportunity to demonstrate, follow, and get involved with, cutting edge science in real-time.

Our education and outreach iniatiatives, including classroom presentations, documentaries and exhibitions, make young students aware of the problems facing the Arctic and demonstrate the need for further research in the area. These aims fit well with the hard work of the Youth Steering Committee (for details on the YSC's activities and ways to get involved click here), with which the Frozen Five team is collaborating. In addition, data collection for snow isotope studies will be collected en route, more details on which to follow in another blog.

Good luck to all the other IPY projects! The Frozen Five

Logos for the Frozen Five

2007-02-21T17:04:00.000+01:00

A project as large as our own obviously requires a memorable, well designed and informative logo. Over the past year of preparations and planning, our friends have designed several excellent motives based on the overall Svalbard theme. The various entries to the unofficial “Frozen Five Logo Competition” are displayed throughout the blog.

Since we were so pleased with all the designs, we’ll be using most of them for some purpose or other. Our colourful map-based logo will remain in use in our digital publications, where an abundance of colour is not restrictive. The polar bear head, designed by Jiří “Brko” Červinka, suits itself well to promote our URL and the Frozen Five adventure component. You should be able to find it on our pulkas as we leave Longyearbyen. The unofficial winner of the unofficial competition, and the logo that will be worn on the heart of the team members as we ski out of Longyearbyen, was designed by Ulli’s arty sister Anke. It illustrates the circular nature of our trip remarkably well, and includes the sharp peaks that Spitsbergen got its name from (In “Barents-Dutch” Spits = sharp, berg = mountain).

Thanks to you all!

Mediální partner Svět Outdooru/Media partnership with „The world of outdoor“.

2007-02-11T01:31:00.000+01:00

For the english version, please scroll down…

S českým outdoorovým serverem Svět Outdooru spolupracuji již od roku 2005 který jsem strávil na Špicberkách. Tenkrát jsem testoval různé arktické vybavení, mimo jiné sáně a školní stany. I při této expedici je Svět Outdooru náš mediální partner, ve kterém budou průběžně vycházet články s tématikou expedičního vybavení a každodenního života v Arktidě (viz zde). Pro Svět Outdooru budeme mimo jiné testovat expediční boty od firmy Crispi, vlněné prádlo norské firmy Devold a expediční stany firmy Hilleberg.

Svět Outdooru je unikátní server, na kterým naleznete testy spousty zajímavého vybavení, jeho nezávislé hodnocení a hodně rad o všech možných outdoorových aktivitách. Rozhodně doporučujeme jeho návštěvu!

----------

I have been working together with the Czech outdoor server Svet Outdooru (loosely translates as “the world of outdoor”) since 2005, when I spent a year on Svalbard testing various Arctic-related gear. Following from this partnership, the server will be our media partner for the Frozen Five project, acting as a lliason between us, outdoor manufacturers and outdoor-oriented people in the Czech Republic. If you speak some Czech, make sure to have a look at their website (http://www.svetoutdooru.cz/)!

Kim

Proti mrazu oblékáme Devold! The Frozen Five wear Devold!

2007-02-11T01:26:00.000+01:00

For the english version, please scroll down…

Při tak náročných podmínkách jaké na Špicberkách nalezneme, je správná termoregulace nezbytně nutná. Jakýkoliv pot během chvilky nečinnosti zamrzne, poté navlhne oblečení a následně hrozí silné podchlazení. Základem udržování tepla a pohody na těle je vlněná spodní vrstva, nejlépe ze slavných novozélandských ovcí Merino.

Jsme velice rádi že můžeme nosit spodní prádlo norské firmy Devold, která už od roku 1853 vyrábí kvalitní spodní prádlo, otestované mimo jiné na expedicích na oba světové póly. Prádlo Devold, typ EXPEDITION, je ideální do chladných a mrazivých podmínek, až do -50°C. Prádlo je vyrobeno ze 100% čisté merino vlny impregnované pro lepší odvod vlhkosti. Navíc je konstruováno z dvou spojených vrstev, čímž se ještě více zvýší tepelná izolace.

Výhod používání vlněného oblečení je hned několik. Vlna hřeje i když je vlhká, perfketně izoluje a je velice prodyšná. Navíc ma samočistící efekt, čímž pádem je možné prádlo Devold nosit při dlouhých, náročných expedicí při kterých není možné prádlo mýt. Smrad ve stanu je velice nepříjemná záležitost, ale při používání vlněného prádla je i toto udržováno na minimum. V neposlední řadě se jedná o přírodní vlákno, které na ovcích vyroste rok co rok a lehce se recykluje.

Více informací o produktech firmy Devold naleznete na adrese http://www.devold.no/. Na český trh oblečení dováží firma North Trappers. Po návratu z expedice budeme o produktech Devoldu referovat mimo jiné na serveru Světa Outdooru.

Vřele děkujeme za podporu!

Kim a spol

----------

In such extreme environments as that of Svalbard, it is vital to correctly thermo-regulate the body. Any sweat produced during a body’s activity will instantly freeze, causing dampness of the clothes and a real danger of hypothermia. In short, if you sweat, you’re dead. A basis for keeping the body warm and comfortable is through the use of woollen underwear, best of all from high-quality New Zealand merino wool.

This is why we’re extremely happy to be able to wear Norwegian woolen underwear from Devold. This company manufactures woolen garments since 1853, high-quality gear that has been tried and tested on expeditions to both poles. The Devold underwear, especially the EXPEDITION model, is ideal for cold and frosty environments, with temperatures down to -50°C. The garment is made from 100% pure merino wool, impregnated for better vapour transfer. In addition, its dual-layer set-up greatly enhances the thermal isolation properties.

The advantages of using woolen underwear are numerous. Wool is warm even when wet, perfectly isolates and has good breathability. In addition, woolen fibers have a “self-cleaning mechanism” that allow it to be worn on extended expeditions like the Frozen Five without worrying about the smell in the tent. Furthermore, the natural make-up of woolen fabric make this a renewable and easily recyclable resource.

More information on the wide range of Devold products can be found on http://www.devold.no/. The whole range is imported to the Czech Republic through North Trappers. Thanks for their support!

Frozen Five get NZAC grant!

2007-02-10T18:18:00.000+01:00

We've received a grant from the New Zealand Alpine Club to help cover the increasing costs of this expedition. The grant, administered by the Overseas Expeditions Committee at the NZAC, will help cover the costs associated with shipping equipment to Svalbard and distributing it to the various food depots.

It's a great honour to have the NZAC on board this expedition. The Club, and its members, is active in mountaineering on all continents, with a stronghold on the South Island's own backbone, the Southern Alps. Its arguably most renowned member and Everest-conqueror, Sir Edmund Hillary, has trained in the New Zealand peaks before his Himalayan adventures. The internationally acclaimed name of the NZAC stands for itself. Thanks to the NZAC!

Heaps of Chocolate

2007-02-06T23:31:00.000+01:00

After a week of intensive preparation, the Frozen Five left the sunny and warm weather of France to head back to their duties (except Lucas of course). Apart from skiing across the Vercors mountains, we became experts in list writing last week, we are setting up new records in that domain, with our dozens of ‘Todo’, safety and food lists!!

Talking about the food, I have to say that figuring out the right amount of chocolate to bring on the expedition was an extremely tricky thing! Chocolate is a vital need to our team members and I’m sure that most of them would not even get out of their sleeping bag if we ran out of chocolate!! After a complex calculation, our hungry food-masters Hella and Mats came up with a reasonable result of 60kg!

Hella, who had an extra day to enjoy France, joined Lucas and Marine for a little rock-climbing adventure, on an easy-sunny 100m route in the Chartreuse mountains. After spending the whole day in tshirt Hella concluded (in her best kiwi slang) this was good training for Svalbard: “It’s great matey, we’re accumulating heaps of heat before we freeze our butts!”

Cheers,
Lucas

A Grand Traverse of the Vercors

2007-02-03T15:35:00.000+01:00

This week the five friends of the Frozen Five crossed the most beautiful part of the Vercors range, in south-eastern France. Starting near Monestier-de-Clermont and finishing in Corrençon-en-Vercors, Lucas’ planned route included an 800 m climb onto the High Plateaux of the Vercors Range, followed by a couple of days of skiing across the somewhat forested alpine plateau.

Since this trip was the last preparation we’ll have before the actual expedition as a team, we tried to make use of most of the expedition equipment. Walking to the train station in Grenoble, the lucky ones that saw us were impressed by Lucas’ monster telemark boots, Ulli’s expedition “trainers”, Hella’s brand-new pants (you don’t have to take them off to go to the toilet…), Mats’ shiny new skis and Kim’s video camera set to make the trip’s moments eternal. And that’s not even considering the shiny, red tent that we slept in. With two entrances, plenty of cooking space and a well though-out design, these tents will surely prove to be a nice home on the upcoming two and a half month trip.

Throughout our three days out on the plateau, we experienced rather warm conditions during the day, but also well-below freezing (Mats’ educated guess stands at -10°C) during the night. No frostbite this time, for which we’re all grateful. The skiing conditions, while far from perfect, allowed us to ski the majority of the way, pulling the pulka (a sledge that allows its owner to pull much more gear than would be possible in a backpack) throughout.

And, of course, being together allowed us to discuss important aspects of the expedition, notably food, safety and our equipment. More specific blogs about these aspects will follow soon…

Greetings from France! The Frozen Five Team

Frozen Five all together!

2007-01-29T20:13:00.000+01:00

The whole Frozen Five team has met up in Grenoble for a 1-week preparation trip in the Vercors range of south-eastern France. The trip will take us over a karst landscape, with many fissures and joints being good alternatives to the crevasses we expect on Svalbard’s glaciers. Sleeping in our brand-new Hilleberg tents, skiing on our fresh Asnes skis and being together with the rest of the team will for sure bring up the expedition spirit.

The trip is also a second test run for our tracer, provided by Guardian Mobility, that will allow our readers to follow our progress. A daily transmission will provide the position of the tent. You can see the beta version of this system by clicking here. We welcome any comments.

As funny as it sounds, we’ll be simulating various scenarios that may be encountered on our trans-Svalbard expedition. Amongst others, we’ll simulate polar bear encounters (who gets to be the bear?), something that may seem funny in the context of the European Alps, but is a serious danger in the High Arctic.

More to follow next week…

The Frozen Five Team

Arêtes du Gerbier: a preparation of the prep trip!

2007-01-21T12:12:00.000+01:00

The Frozen Five are congregating around Grenoble for our preparation trip. Before we all meet up on Saturday to discuss gear, food, safety, logistics and undertake a preparation trip, Lucas and Kim embarked on a little adventure of our own.

While the weather is still somewhat lacking in Arctic proportions (it's reasonable to ski in t-shirt), we've nevertheless managed to make a nice excursion to the Aretes de Gerbier in the Vercors range. This beautiful knife-like ridge was traversed together with Lucas' friend and expert mountaineer Marine. Lucas' description of "an adventurous day... 11hours of climbing, on an icy ridge", fits the trip perfectly.

Cheers,
Kim & Lucas

Less than 3 months till F5 starts!

2007-01-13T23:27:00.000+01:00

Our motto has also been "better late than never", so please accept our somewhat delayed best wishes for 2007! In typical Frozen Five fashion, we've welcomed the New Year from 5 different localities, all of us trying to seek out the snow that's somewhat lacking this year.

The transition into 2007 also marked the start of the last 3 months before the expedition. To remind you, we'll be leaving Longyearbyen on the 29th of March 2007, at precisely 12:45pm (weather-dependant, of course). From experience, we know this is the most hectic period, with last minute preparations, training commitments and the period of saying goodbye for 2 months.

We wish you all a happy new year, most of all good health, lots of snow and happiness. For our sponsors, we also add a wish for successful business!

Frozen Five at AGU

2006-12-20T06:05:00.000+01:00

This week, the Frozen Five education & outreach project was unveiled in the largest gathering of geoscientists in history, the Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union (AGU). With about 15,000 registrants, and keynote speakers of Al Gore's (made famous through the movie documentary "An inconvenient truth", apart from having been "the next president of the USA") calibre, the scene was perfect to present our project.

Kim attended the week-long conference, presenting a Frozen Five poster as part of an "Education & Outreach during the IPY" session. Through the positive comments the poster generated, and the liaison with other IPY projects, we aim to make as many high school students aware of our expedition by the end of February. The website, which will shortly include an educational component, will serve as a reference point for all global students, without geographic restrictions to the schools where we plan post-expedition talks.

Needless to say, the AGU poster will be available for download in the media section shortly. Greetings from San Francisco!

Kim

Frozen Five are Five again, and no longer hungry

2006-12-01T16:14:00.000+01:00

Over the past few weeks, the Frozen Five project has been steadily picking up steam, probably fuelled by the now traditional Thursday morning Skype meetings (Wednesday evenings for our European contingent, lucky buggers that don’t have to get up). Almost too much has happened to update you in one blog, so expect a few more blogs coming this way as we try to re-capture the happenings.

Definitely the most important change concerns the team. Due to unfortunate circumstances, and unavoidable university commitments, Jirka will not be able to join the team for the traverse. This was a big blow to the rest of the team, since Jirka’s experience, good humour and culinary skills (he makes the best Czech dumplings ever) will be missed. Jirka is still heavily involved with the project, having volunteered for perhaps the most demanding job of all, getting food for a bunch of hungry Arctic wanderers. About 50 kg of Czech food was bought (okay, maybe chocolate bars and instant soups are not the exactly “food”) and is currently en route to Svalbard where it will be sorted and re-routed to our food depot at Hornsund. Thanks Jirka!

Sponsorship by Göteborgs Kex!

2006-12-01T14:39:00.000+01:00

When you set out on expeditions, big or small, it’s of great importance that you have enough of cookies and biscuits with you. We estimate that we will eat three packets of cookies per day. That makes 210 packets for the whole trip! Well don’t worry; we will have loots of chocolate, nuts and dried fruit as well! The famous Swedish cookie producer Göteborgs Kex has promised to help us out with the cookie problem. However, it’s not an easy task to decide which cookies you will take with us. Kim’s favourite is the plain old Guld Marie (produced since 1888!!!), Ulli would rather take the Brago Pepparkaka (ginger style) while Mats and Lucas likes the Safari Cookies best. But all in all it’s about the calories inside. The higher energy/weight ratio the better =)

Sponsorship by Shelby!

2006-12-01T14:35:00.000+01:00

We are proud to present our first full sponsorship partner: Shelby. Shelby will provide us with nice 100% merino wool 1st layer long sleaves! For activities in a cold climate merino wool is the very best option to have close to your skin. Wool have an exceptional capacity to keep you warm for a long period with out the unpleasant smell that use develop after a few days in synthetic 1st layer clothing’s. You might think that wool would be too itchy to have as 1st layer. However, the nice thing about merino wool is that it doesn’t itch at all! Merino wool is also, according to Mats, the best material for boxers both in arctic conditions and in warmer conditions like Australian rainforests!
Shelby provides heavy gear fabrics for all outdoor activities and will soon also start providing clothing’s. Since Mats likes to make his own skiing jackets and trousers he ordered some fabrics for reinforcements on knees, shoulders and bum from Shelby (Action Cordura and Reflective Cordura®).

Frozen Five welcomes new team member

2006-10-18T09:13:00.000+02:00

From earlier this week, the Frozen Five expedition has a new member. Ulli Neumann, our heroic tester of the tracer unit, will complete our team. The rest of the team is extremely delighted to have Ulli onboard, with the only concern expressed regarding the fact that our name no longer works. However, Ulli’s Arctic experience, great character and skills for almost any situation make him a perfect addition to our team that will greatly enhance the chances of success for us.

Ulli is a Master’s student of glaciology at the University of Svalbard (and the University of Oslo, though he spends very little time in Oslo, a place he describes as “the town which has more than one shop next to each other”), looking at the mass balance of Bogerbreen, a glacier about 10 km away from Longyearbyen. He has spent the best part of the last 3 years living, studying and working on Svalbard, visiting its most remote corners (including Nordaustlandet and Edgeoya) as part of his work with the University of Svalbard. He is often seen in the company of his four-legged friends that accompany him on various trips, summer or winter, across the Svalbardian wilderness.

Welcome to the Frozen Five Ulli!

Tracking a Svalbardian's Sailing Expedition

2006-09-22T22:17:00.000+02:00

For two weeks at the start of September, it was a very exciting time to be part of the Frozen Five expedition. During this time, our good friend and supporter Ulli Neumann, together with his friend Tobias, sailed around Svalbard's largest fjord. Their journey was special in many respects, covering a distance of more than 200 nautical miles aboard the 14-foot dinghy "Alizée" throughout the Ice Fjord, locally known as Isfjorden.

During this trip, Ulli reported seeing on polar bear on his chosen lunch spot and thus had to keep hungry for a bit longer. Avoiding polar bears is the number one priority in the High Arctic. For the Frozen Five team this expedition was doubly interesting. Not only did Ulli and Tobias inspire us further by doing this trip, but they also agreed to test the tracer we have been provided by Guardian Mobility to monitor our progress next week.

Even though the Svalbard archipelago lies well past the usual coverage of the GlobalStar network, the tracer worked perfectly, as seen by the waypoints Ulli transmitted from their campsites. For us, this was a huge relief since many school projects that will follow our progress next year will be able to follow our progress in near-realtime.

As Ulli stays on Svalbard, studying the beautiful glacier Bogerbreen, he agreed to continue testing the unit on more of his fieldwork and private trips, to give us an idea of battery requirements in the cold Arctic climate. But right now, he deserves a good rest, after such an exciting expedition!

Thanks to Ulli for testing the unit, and to Guardian Mobility for allowing us to borrow it!

Kim

An update on our project: Frozen Five - Svalbard Scientific Skiing Expedition

2006-09-22T21:50:00.000+02:00

For two months in 2007, an expedition of 5 young European adventurers will attempt to cross the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard, located about 1000 km to the south of the North Pole. Kim, Hella, Lucas, Jirka and Mats, having already spent a year living in the heart of the Arctic as part of their studies, know what it takes to survive in the harsh climate of the high Arctic.

This expedition will start in March 2007 in Longyearbyen, one of only two sizeable settlements on this island of about 3000 inhabitants. First, we will begin skiing south across the ice-covered landscape, passing dangerous crevasses on the way to Sorkapp, the southernmost point of the island. At this stage, some 2-3 weeks into the trip, we will change direction and head north, along the polar bear-infested East Coast, to Verlegenhuken, an isolated promontory past 80°N. The final stage will be a race against the snowmelt, as we try to reach the abandoned mining town of Pyramiden and subsequently Longyearbyen. The distance covered will exceed 1000 km, with heavily loaded sledges and the Arctic weather slowing us down.

Apart from being a major sporting achievement, this expedition has both a human and a scientific side. The ability of people to exercise in such cold environments will be addressed through a medical collaboration with some of the world's leading researchers. Equipment testing for various companies will improve our knowledge of polar travel and the specialist equipment it entails. Various presentations are given by the multinational team members in their home towns to educate the public on the issues facing the Arctic. Even this remote wilderness is struggling to equilibrate to the changing climatic conditions of our world.

Hella, Kim, Lucas, Mats & Jirka

Expedition training on the Tasman glacier

2006-08-10T21:58:00.000+02:00

Last weekend, Kim, Hella and geologist friend and expedition supporter Emilie went up and over the snowline to get into shape for the Svalbard Scientific Skiing Expedition. The goal was no less than the traverse of New Zealand's longest glacier, the mighty Tasman glacier. This enormous river of ice, up to 600 m thick in places, measures just under 30 km in length, extending past some of New Zealand's highest peaks, including the highest one of them all, Aoraki (Mt Cook). At 3754 m, it may not seem like a Himalayan-like mountain but it surely feels like it when you stand underneath it.

Over 4 days, we traversed some very varied terrain, from easy moraine-top walking, through moraine bashing to glacier skiing. One part, involving the ascent of a snow and ice-covered moraine towards De La Beche Hut, one of the National Park's cosy huts, involved the use of ropes and protective gear, a skill that will prove invaluable on Svalbard. While the nights were truly chilly, we managed to please the weather gods and enjoyed some of the most stable and amazing weather this winter. We spent very little time sleeping, since even the night moonlight was enough to do a little bit of backcountry skiing, in the glamour of the surrounding peaks.

One of the highlights of the trip surely has to be a night spent at Tasman Saddle Hut. Perched on the rim of a rocky precipice at about 2400 m, the hut has a truly amazing view. It doesn't pay to too much down, however, as the hut overlies a vast field of crevasses. Even getting the drinking water involved some belaying. Upon leaving this wonderful hut, we enjoyed some of the most amazing skiing conditions possible, with about 15 km of downhill. The gradient was gentle enough to enjoy the spectacular views, while steep enough to make the skiing fun. If only all training trips were so much fun!

Kim, Hella & Emilie