Expedition story

Watch each waypoint come alive through film and field notes. Scroll to travel chapter by chapter as the expedition unfolds.

Tasiilaq65.62° N • 37.65° W
Waypoint 1 of 11. Beat 1 of 2.

The Expedition sets off from the Polar Academy base in Tasiilaq on the island of Ammassalik.

Waypoint 1 of 11. Beat 2 of 2.

The community of Tasiilaq has long supported the young teams who undertake their expeditions in the wilderness surrounding the town.

Waypoint 2 of 11. Beat 1 of 3.

The expedition team ski across the sea ice - frozen thick during the winter months.

Waypoint 2 of 11. Beat 2 of 3.

The team take water samples from the edge of the ice.

Waypoint 2 of 11. Beat 3 of 3.

The readings they take are fed back to the University of St Andrews and support the global scientific effort to monitor climate change.

Waypoint 3 of 11. Beat 1 of 2.

The team climb off the sea ice and into the wilderness of Eastern Greenland.

Waypoint 3 of 11. Beat 2 of 2.

An epic Polar landscape; the team face temperatures of -20℃ and the challenge of hauling their 45kg sledges across the rugged terrain.

Waypoint 4 of 11. Beat 1 of 2.

Climbing off the sea ice, the team climb inland heading north towards the Arctic Circle.

Waypoint 4 of 11. Beat 2 of 2.

The team quickly become fantastic skiers - skiing uphill as well as downhill!

Waypoint 5 of 11. Beat 1 of 3.

Greenlandic dogs pull Inuit hunters across Ammassalik Island.

Waypoint 5 of 11. Beat 2 of 3.

These dogs are one of the oldest domesticated breeds, and it is illegal to bring any other breed to Greenland.

Waypoint 5 of 11. Beat 3 of 3.

The Polar Academy team knows to give them space—powerful, inquisitive animals that won't let anything stand in their way.

Waypoint 6 of 11. Beat 1 of 3.

We travelled for the most of day 1 along the length of Lake 1.

Waypoint 6 of 11. Beat 2 of 3.

In the winter months, the water freezes solid meaning we can safely ski along the frozen surface.

Waypoint 6 of 11. Beat 3 of 3.

Either side of the team, the epic mountain landscape towered over us, with the fantastic blue sky overhead.

Waypoint 7 of 11. Beat 1 of 2.

The team spent months practicing setting up camp, so we knew exactly what to do when it came to the end of a busy day.

Waypoint 7 of 11. Beat 2 of 2.

After putting up our tents, we set up the bear fence which would create a flash & bang if a polar bear strayed too close to the camp.

Waypoint 8 of 11. Beat 1 of 3.

While on the the ice, the strenuous activity plus the cold meant we needed to consume thousands of calories.

Waypoint 8 of 11. Beat 2 of 3.

After setting up camp we would boil water to melt snow for drinking water the next day as well as prepare our meals - freeze-dried food sachets.

Waypoint 8 of 11. Beat 3 of 3.

They were delicious!

Waypoint 9 of 11. Beat 1 of 2.

We put our engineering skills to the test, building the latrine out of blocks of snow.

Waypoint 9 of 11. Beat 2 of 2.

A basic necessity - simple but effective!

Waypoint 10 of 11. Beat 1 of 2.

After building a basecamp, we would venture further into the wilderness of Ammassalik - skiing up mountains to reach glaciers.

Waypoint 10 of 11. Beat 2 of 2.

This allowed us to conduct science experiments, taking samples to check for microplastics.

Waypoint 11 of 11. Beat 1 of 3.

When the team were engulfed in a proper polar storm - 50-80mph winds - we were forced to take refuge.

Waypoint 11 of 11. Beat 2 of 3.

The local Inuit hunters allowed us to use their shelters...

Waypoint 11 of 11. Beat 3 of 3.

The boys' hut was meant to take 4; we had 10 - but we made it work!