The group will meet in Reykjavik on the expedition start date before taking an internal flight to Isafjørdur in NW Iceland the next morning. We will meet up here with our advance shipment of expedition goods and fly the same day over the ice filled Denmark Straits direct to Gunnbjørnsfjeld base camp in east Greenland. The final part of the flight offers unparalleled views of literally thousands of unclimbed summits stretching as far as the eye can see. An amazing sight as the anticipation and excitement builds in preparation for the glacier landing. Due to the payload restrictions it is only possible to fly with 4 people on one flight and so two flights will be made for a group of 7-8 team members. For a group of 5-6 people the aircraft will fly via Constable Point in east Greenland for re-fuelling.
Base camp will be at the Twin Otter aircraft landing site at the foot of access glacier leading up to the SW ridge of Gunnbjørnsfjeld. Position N68'56 W29'43. Altitude 2180m.
Upon arriving at Gunbjørnsfjeld base camp, Day 1 will be spent acclimatizing and going through equipment and safety procedures. A short ski journey will be undertaken to check that everybody's skis and skins are in order. The following day a recce ski ascent will be made to a position halfway up the access glacier, in a natural bowl at 2850m, where a depot of climbing equipment will be made. The group will then ski back down to base camp checking the snow descent conditions and the ski ability of the team. Depending on weather and the fitness and experience of the group it is likely that one rest day will be taken before an attempt will be made on the peak. The depot of equipment will be collected en route to aid easier progress during the first half of the ski ascent. It is likely the team will arrive at the col just below the summit ridge after approximately 6-7 hours. From an altitude of 3400m the team will switch to crampons and roping up for the ascent of the SW ridge. Under normal conditions it should be possible to move together throughout the ascent, with the possible placing of occasional running belays on one steeper section (one or two rope lengths). The whole ascent and return to base camp should take between 11 and 13 hours.
Base camp will then be moved several kilometers to an advance base camp between Dome and Cone. From this location both peaks can be climbed as day ascents before returning to the main base camp. If time and conditions allow, a further ascent will be made of one of the few remaining unclimbed peaks in the area.
