Last March, seven European explorers undertook a ski and pulka expedition to Hardangervidda National Park in Norway.
Their goal is to measure Greenland's ice mass as part of a comparative study on the importance of Greenland for understanding climate change. Before their mission to Greenland, they test their equipment for six days in extreme weather conditions. This expedition requires exceptional physical and mental endurance, as they must cover a minimum of 20 km per day to complete their mission within the allotted time.
A major project: between science and polar exploration
Thomas Hitzigen, lead scientist of the expedition, intends to complete this summer a study begun more than 20 years ago. Accompanied by a young European team, made up of Sarah Heller (Austria), Thilde Hovmoller Ellemose (Denmark), Hugo Furnes (Norway), Marco Schütze and Lutz Schütze (Germany), they are preparing to leave independently to measure the glacial mass from Greenland for more than a month. Greenland being the second largest freshwater reservoir in the world, their expedition is essential for the comparative study. They will have to face extreme climatic conditions and considerable logistical challenges to accomplish their mission.
The ambition of this project, above all scientific, is great, but the will of the explorers is just as great. In Hardangervidda National Park in March, winter is not over. The temperatures, although hot, oscillate between -20° at night and 0° during the day.
This week is a testing week for the team, a decisive week for their next trip to Greenland. They must travel 20km/day to cross Greenland within the allotted time and complete Thomas Hitzigen's geodetic study. The previous team failed in 2021 due to a backlog, exhaustion and a storm. It is a demanding physical and mental endurance that is required of the body and mind.
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the weight of the pulkas. Finally, smell and taste offered them absolute comfort during each feeding break. In this icy and hostile universe, where every step is a battle, every little break to drink water or eat a snack gives a boost of strength and energy.
