Experience:
We have been leading expeditions around the world for the past 25 years in some of the most beautiful and remote locations. Over that lengthy time we have honed our skills, logistics, technologies and adapted to maintain our mantra of providing quality, safe and successful expeditions. In Greenland we have a wealth of experience on the ice cap, with six crossings and have a passion for providing a valuable and rewarding expedition experience for our team members. We have expert knowledge of the safest and fastest route through the tricky initial ice fall section, which saves days, and know the best route through a myriad of 'ice hills' to reach the Dye 2 radar station. Our equipment and food selection is perfectly refined to this expedition, ensuring your safety and ensuring that the sled weights are as low as feasible, making for a far more enjoyable expedition experience. Our expert knowledge and experience on Greenland crossings is of paramount importance to a successful, enjoyable expedition. Our 4 most recent crossings have been been completed within 24-25 days, which reflects our skill, knowledge and professionalism.
Quality:
We look to provide high quality at every leg of the journey, and work hard to improve every expedition. Be it experienced guides, menu plans, member-to-guide ratios, equipment use, we review every detail with great care and put enormous attention to preparing a successful and fantastic expedition experience for our team members. Our expedition is a full ice cap crossing, starting in the west on land and ending in the east on land, rather than much inferior east-west crossings which typically take a short-cut by way of helicopter to a point high on the eastern side of the ice cap to start their expedition.
Team Philosophy and Safety:
In demanding terrain such as the Greenland ice cap, we always try to err on the conservative side when making decisions. The foundation of our goal - to be as safe as possible - is based on our team philosophy, whereby our team and guide work together to make decisions and minimise risk for team members. When in a difficult predicament on the ice cap, the support of the whole team can turn problems into manageable solutions.
Professional expedition guides:
With Ice Horizons, you will be led by professional guides. Our guides are experienced ice cap veterans, with excellent ice cap crossing experience. Combined with our local logistic support staff, this provides you with the highest level of safety and support. We don't just lead this expedition, but strive to teach team members the skills and knowledge that will not only enable them to cross the Greenland ice cap, but go on to do other polar expeditions such as skiing to the south pole and north pole.
Duration:
We allow 28 days (plus up to a further few days for travel to/from Greenland) on the ice which allows for bad weather and slower conditions and adequate rest and time to properly explore the DYE Radar Station. This also allows for a sufficient safety buffer in the event of poor surface conditions. Our 2019 and 2022 crossings took 25 days; our 2016 and 2023 crossings took 24 days. These fast crossings are indicative of our invaluable skill, experience and judgment.
Meals on the expedition:
We provide an ample amount of the highest quality expedition food available. We recognise that food is an integral part of a successful and enjoyable expedition and strive to ensure that everyone on the team is satisfied with our food selection. You will not be hungry on our expedition, with daily calories being around 5,500 per person.
Medical facilities:
We carry an extensive expedition medical kit and have access by satellite telephone 24/7 to our designated team doctor. Our guides are Wilderness First Aid qualified.
Communications:
We carry a satellite telephone enabling you to send emails and SMS to family & friends.
Exerience required for expedition members:
We are looking for experienced expeditioners, for whom the Greenland ice cap is the next step in their expedition careers. Our team will be in top physical condition and ready to meet the challenges the ice cap presents. It is important that your previous expedition experience includes previous cold climate conditions. It is also important that a team member be able to work well with others and be willing to commit to a group effort over the 4 weeks. This team effort makes for a more enjoyable expedition. You will be exposed to a completely different routine and dynamic during the expedition, and as a member it is your responsibility to treat the other team members with respect. This ability is as important as your expedition skills.
Website Updates:
Ice Horizons ensures family, friends, and the general public can follow the team on the expedition over the ice cap through daily updates of our blog on the expedition website.
Gear Advice:
Ice Horizons will provide full gear recommendations to assist with your expedition questions and preparations. Our personal equipment list provided to team members is a highly detailed document specific to Greenland conditions explaining what personal equipment you need, why you need it, and where you can get it. And we conduct regular Skype and in-person (where suitable) meetings with team members, as well as regular email correspondence, so that your gear selection for the expedition is perfect.
Re-cap:
There are many reasons to choose a particular guide service, but there are five main areas of concern that you should look at carefully:
1. Safety Philosophy
2. Guides
3. Logistics in-country
4. Pre-Trip Planning
5. Successful Expedition Outcomes
In all five categories, Ice Horizons strives to achieve the highest outcome achievable.