1975 University of St Andrews Greenland Expedition

..... GREENLAND ..... ..... EXPEDITION ..... .ORG

1975 UNIVERSITY OF ST ANDREWS GREENLAND EXPEDITION

Climbing from Stordalens Havn in Cape Farewell Region

Introduction - Maps - Climbing History - Personal Account - Mountaineering Report - Mountains to South of Basecamp - Mountains to North of Basecamp - Mountains from Desperation Camp - Mountains from Sallies Kitchen Camp - Mountains from Hellhole Hollow - Mountains from Lost Loch Camp - Mountains on Pamiagdluk and the Islands - Mountains in the Nameless Valley of the Land of the Towers - Archaeology - Botany - Equipment Report - Food Report - Financial Report - Travel Report - Medical Report - Photo Gallery - Thanks and Acknowledgements - Later Visitors to Stordalens Havn

OTHER ST ANDREWS EXPEDITIONS:

CLIMBING TO THE WEST OF TORSSUKATAK FJORD:

1975 University of St Andrews South Greenland Expedition: first ascent of Agdlerussakasit, first attempt on Maujit Qaqarssuasia - 1996 British team climbing west of Maujit Qaqarssuasia - 1997 Scottish Torssukatak Spires Expedition: second ascent of Agdlerussakasit, first ascent of Maujit Qaqarssuasia - 2000 British team with Ben Bransby, Matt Dickenson, Ian Parnell and Gareth Parry: first ascent of The Thumbnail - 2000 British Eastern Torssukatak Spires Expedition - 2003 Torssukatak Spires Expedition with Jon Roberts, Dewi Durban, James Mehigan and Richard Sonnerdale: The Cruise Line - 2003 Spanish/Brazilian team with Cecilia Buil and Roberta Nunes: Hidrofilia and first ascent of Maujit Qaqarssuasia east peak - 2007 Polish team with David Kaszlikowski and Eliza Kubarska: Golden Lunacy - 2010 US/Belgian team with Bob Shepton and Dodo's Delight - 2012 Polish team with Alek Barszczewski, Marcin Ksiezak and Jaciek Kuczera: second ascent of Golden Lunacy - 2012 Swiss Torssukatak youth expedition - 2013 US team with Kearney, Scully, Dickey and Brett - 2013 Spanish/Basque team with Andres, Castro, and Escribano - 2014 Belgian pair Siebe Vanhee and Tim de Dobbeleer overland and kayak

OVERVIEW

THE 1975 UNIVERSITY OF ST ANDREWS GREENLAND EXPEDITION was led by Dr PWF Gribbon, a Physics lecturer from the University of St Andrews, Scotland, who had led previous university expeditions to Greenland. The expedition team of 10 spent almost 12 weeks in the very warm summer of 1975 climbing the largely unexplored mountains around Stordalens Havn in South Greenland. They also travelled by canoe to the islands of Pamiagdluk and Tornarssuk and made some first ascents there too. Scientific reports were also submitted by the expedition team.

cover of original report

REPORT INTRODUCTION - Details of how the expedition came about and information on the expedition members, as well as the 1971 St Andrews Expedition that had preceded it.

MAPS - Overview map of South Greenland, more detailed map of the climbing area around Stordalens Havn, and a climbing map numbering the mountains climbed, which relates to the individual peaks decribed in the mountaineering report.

MOUNTAINEERING HISTORY IN THE AREA - Outline of climbing in the South Greenland area since the first French expeditions in the 1950's, including the 1960 and 1971 St Andrews Expeditions.

A PERSONAL ACCOUNT OF THE EXPEDITION - An evocative and highly personal account by Phil Gribbon, the expedition leader, which captures the spirit of the summer (in 8 sections in this online edition).

MOUNTAINEERING REPORT - Individual descriptions of 47 mountains climbed during the summer of 1975 with illustrations and some photographs (which can also be found in the Photo Gallery).

ARCHAEOLOGY REPORT - In the final 10 days of the expedition, two members carried out a survey of Viking Settlements in the area, to confirm where possible the findings of Danish archaeologist Ove Bak.

BOTANICAL REPORT - A continuation of a study of botanical species and distribution, particulary in montane locations, which Dr P.W.F. Gribbon had carried out in South Greenland in 1971.

EQUIPMENT REPORT - This report will be added in the near future, including details of climbing gear used, canoes, tents, fishing equipment (used to great advantage to supplement diet) and rifle (for protection from bears).

FOOD REPORT - This report will be added in the near future, detailing our precise diet, how it was packed, as well as the luxuries which included 24 Christmas Puddings and 6 tinned chickens.

FINANCE REPORT - This report will be added in the near future, detailing generous gifts made to the Expedition, the main areas of expenditure, and ways in which costs were kept as low as possible.

TRAVEL REPORT - This report will be added in the near future, and includes details of our travel to Iceland, and then to Narsarssuaq, from where we travelled through ice to Nanortalik, and finally in the 'Hanne' to Stordalens Havn.

MEDICAL REPORT - This report will be added in the near future, and in it our Medic Dave Gaskell details the supplies we took. Thankfully no serious demands were made on our medical equipment.

PHOTO GALLERY - This section involves a collection of 'thumbnails' of mountains, members, and fjords. If you click on them, they will link you to a slightly longer download of larger individual photos. There are also about 50 1200x900 pixel size pictures taken by Ray Sharples.

THANKS AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS - Finally this memorable expedition and adventure would have been impossible without generous support and long-suffering partners and our thanks are rightly expressed here.

expedition leader Dr P.W.F. Gribbon snaffling some Baked Beans

GREENLAND EXPEDITION .ORG

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