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AJ GREENLAND NOTES 2007

There were 61 expeditions in the field in Greenland in 2007 and of those 32 were planning to make a traverse of the Inland Ice, either transverse or longitudinal. However, as in previous years, enthusiasm for Greenland has not been

matched by the expeditions’ willingness to let the AJ know about their activities and this regional notes editor’s enquiries met with only a 20% response rate, somewhat reducing the effectiveness of his material!

Refreshingly, in addition to the usual interest in the trade route across the Inland Ice there were more groups than in previous years breaking away from the straightforward east-west or west-east route, including 2 south-north proposals

and one north-south. This widening of horizons was also apparent in the expeditions to relatively new areas; Ejnar Mikkelsens Fjeld and the adjacent Sortbrae area in the Watkins Mountains now starting to rival Gunnbjornsfjeld as a

popular destination although EMF’s significantly greater difficulty than GBF and it not being the Arctic’s highest will probably always leave it a close second to GBF. Elsewhere innovative groups visited Dronning Louise Land in NE

Greenland, Milneland in inner Scoresbysund and the far northern coast of Greenland.Possible harbingers of climate change were responsible for significant problems with weather and snow during 2007. A

number of expeditions expecting to fly in to their objectives could not be put down where they wished or, in some cases, where others had landed in previous years. The Sortebrae expedition – see below – was weather delayed in

Iceland and then spent a significant amount of their time in the field, and an extraordinary amount of effort, digging out their aircraft several times. The outcome of this problem, manifested in the field by statements from the pilots that they

would not in future fly into the mountains, at the time of writing remains to be resolved.For those parties setting off on the Inland Ice the weather was not significantly different or better than last year and

most parties who did not want high winds experienced them, some to extremes!On 17 April Jan Fokke Oosterhof and Paul Kamphuis (Netherlands) commenced the second stage of their Frozen

Dreams Project, the first stage having been the ascent of Mont Blanc in 2006. The third and future stage is planned to be a ski expedition to the South Pole. Intending to follow Nansen’s route of the first crossing of Greenland they were landed on the edge of the Inland Ice by helicopter and were also struck by a piteraq and were confined to their tent for

4 days having to dig the tent out every few hours. The period of white out which followed the storm delayed the group’s progress sufficiently for them to decide to return to their starting point, which they reached safely on 11 May,

having covered some 340km.

Intermediair

Frozen DreamsHVR-Z5E & HXR-MC1P put to the test

“Our goal was to test the cameras in extremes, in remote and harsh conditions, specifically in cold and high humidity.”

Paul Kamphuis with HVR-Z5E HDV CamcorderDutch businessmen Paul Kamphuis and Jan Fokke Oosterhof have long dreamt of an expedition to the South Pole – and in 2006 they

finally decided to make it a reality. Their five year project would involve extensive preparation, seeking sponsors as well as organising training for the freezing conditions they will face when the expedition actually begins in 2011.

It’s an epic challenge and one which the men want to be an inspiration for others to act on their own dreams. A multi-lingual website been created to encourage people to share their ideas and experiences.

“We are Frozen Dreams, an initiative of two Dutch businessmen to inspire people to live their dreams,” Kamphuis says. “The message we’re sending is, ‘dream, share, dare, do’. While we’re telling this, we do it ourselves. If you have a dream, share it with others. We

share our experience with others. So we share our dream, but we also make it happen.”

This dream will also be broadcast with the entire project, from inception to conclusion, covered with a Frozen Dreams documentary and there will also be updates broadcast as the project progresses. To cope with the exceptionally demanding environmental conditions of their challenge, the two men chose Sony professional HDV camcorders, from the HVR-V1E to the latest Hybrid

technology HVR-Z5E compact camcorder and also the new Solid State HXR-MC1P ultra-compact camera/recorder.

Jan Fokke Oosterhof in IcelandFirst Experience of a Polar Storm

In 2007, Kamphuis and Oosterhof had their first polar training expedition in Greenland and took with them a HVR-V1E HDV camcorder. The objective was to spend a month on the ice cap, pulling sledges over 600 kilometres. But as it transpired, within a few days they hit a Polar storm, a Pitoraq, which kept them tent-bound for four days followed by three days of white out - which meant they had no

visibility at all. After that, they did continue their journey, though they fell short of their initial aims. Despite the harshness of the conditions, they kept filming with the HVR-V1E, which worked even at temperatures of -40°C. Footage was sent via satellite to

broadcasters in the Netherlands and a 65 minute documentary was also made on their return.

Kamphuis says one of the results of their Greenland journey was a change made to the design of the HVR-Z5E prompted by feedback from them and other HDV users.

“With the HVR-V1E, if the sound switch on the side of the camcorder was the wrong way, you ended up with no sound at all,” explains Kamphuis. “So, to stop this happening, we locked the switch into position with matches and duct tape. Now Sony have developed the new Z5E with a plastic protective cap for the switches, so there is no chance of accidentally knocking the switch. It shows that Sony

listens to customers.”

Shooting horses with the HVR-Z5ECrossing a glacier

In March 2009, Kamphuis and Oosterhof set off again. This time, they went first to the Scottish Highlands, then to Iceland, to cross one of its glaciers. The pair took with them one of the new HVR-Z5E compact camcorders and also the new HXR-MC1P mini-POV

camera.

The HVR-Z5E, which was designed as the successor to the hugely popular HVR-Z1E, features a fixed “G Lens” system, native progressive recording capabilities, increased sensitivity for low-light conditions and an array of other features that make it ideal for the kind of adventure documentary the Frozen Dreams team are making. The HXR-MC1P, meanwhile, consists of a camera head (an

optional wide lens is available), with 10x optical zoom capability, cabled to a recorder with built-in 2.7 inch widescreen LCD monitor. It records in AVCHD format onto handy, easily available Memory Stick PRO Duo™ and Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo™. The recording unit

allows users to remotely control the camera head (which is connected via a 2.8m cable), with a recording button, zoom lever and touchscreen access to all menu options. Kamphuis and Oosterhof wanted a hands-free device and the HXR-MC1P seemed ideal - its

first test was on Ben Nevis.

“We went to Scotland to test the camera equipment for Iceland,” Kamphuis says. “We climbed Ben Nevis to work with the camera hands-free. We took plenty of video footage and also photos with the camera, which worked out well. Then we started the Iceland

crossing.”

Greenland proved to be a tough challengeThe pair started 60 kilometres from the Arctic Circle in March, but unfortunately the winter ice was already melting, which made the journey harder than it should have been. “We took a sledge, two rucksacks and two cameras: the HVR-Z5E HDV camcorder and the HXR-MC1P with its camera mounted to our goggles. Our goal was to test the cameras in extremes, in remote and harsh conditions,

specifically in cold and high humidity.”

Even with the ice melting, the temperature fell to -20°C. The conditions in the tent were also challenging, with high humidity caused by boiling water for meals. Through it all, Kamphuis says all the Sony cameras worked extremely well. “In all those expeditions –

Greenland, Scotland and Iceland – the cameras provided us with clear and good footage and didn’t fail.”