Greenland is a land full of contrasts: from harsh landscapes of ice and rock, to lush green valleys and hills; from cold, dark winters, to the endless summer days of the midnight sun. Animal life is rich, varied and spectacular, with musk oxen, reindeer, polar bears, arctic hares, eagles, seals, and giant whales. This is the place to see ice stretching endlessly into the distance, or carved into the most fantastic shapes in an incredible range of colors. This is the setting for a two months long fully self contained sea kayaking expedition.
During summer of 2005 Swiss/French paddlers, Jean-Luc and Sylvain Grossmann undertook a month-long sea kayaking expedition north of the Nuussuaq Peninsula off the West Coast of Greenland. The brothers paddled 320 kilometers through frigid waters. The distance and weather were demanding, but the sea of ice was the real challenge of their expedition. The two brothers fell in love with the rough nature and the unspoiled coast of the world's largest island.
In June and July 2007 Rafic Mecattaf and Thomas Truninger are joining Jean-Luc and Sylvain Grossmann for a two months sea kayaking expedition starting from the village of Uummannaq. The four paddlers will head north to Upernavik exploring a region of pure, untouched nature and very little civilisation. To reach the sea north of the big Svartenhuk peninsula they will enter the long Uvkusigssat Fjord East of the peninsula and pass a 30 km land stretch by pulling the kayaks. The paddle distance will be more than 500 km which is expected to be completed in approximately 45 days. The team will explore both by foot and kayak the J.P. Kochs Land named in the memory of the Danish captain and ice researcher Johann Peter Koch who crossed Greenland with Alfred Wegener from East to West in 1912-1913.
"The goal of this expedition is to give others the possibility to discover this amazing part of the world that have unique natural beauty and in this way to sensitize people about the environment and global warming. To experience Greenland is like a trip into life, a trip into yourself."
"In our opinion a sense of adventure is one of the most important aspects of the human character."
The team is first of all a group of friends and outdoor enthusiasts.
Jean-Luc Grossmann confesses that the spirit of adventure is strong within his soul. Jean-Luc is born in Paris and has lived for the past 20 years in Switzerland where he works as a professional photographer. The passion of people and outdoor photography, the thirst of discovery and adventure have taken him on several journeys all over the world. His favorite destinations are Greenland, the Outer-Hebrides, Madagascar, Cabo Verde, Australia and Namibia.
Sylvain Grossmann has an incredible enthusiasm for exploration to off-the-beaten-path locations that have unique natural beauty. Sylvain is an experienced sea kayaker and shared several other expeditions and adventures with Jean-Luc. He claims to say that a kayak is the most versatile watercraft in the world and is the best way to discover remote areas. His favorite destinations are Greenland, Scotland, Vietnam, Australia & China.
Rafic Mecattaf was born in Lebanon but grew up in Zurich. It was in his new homeland of Switzerland that he discovered his passion for the mountains. Rafic is not only an experienced mountaineer who has climbed numerous summits in the Alps but also a fervid traveler of remote destinations. He likes to discover foreign cultures around the globe and feels just as home in the desert as on the pack ice. His various trips have led him to countries as diverse as India, Finland and the Ukraine and of course many times to the Middle East where he likes to trace his roots.
Thomas Truninger has been an avid outdoorsman and globetrotter for the last 10 years. After having worked as a divemaster in the Caribbean, he discovered the beauty of the rough elements of the sea while working on the Galapagos Islands. Here he gathered experience guiding people through an ocean of sharks and wild waters. Thomas is also an active mountaineer, having climbed many mountains in the Andes, Alps, Himalayas and the Karakorum Range. He says that being out in Mother Nature gives him the ultimate feeling of being alive. His favorite destinations are Madagascar, Galapagos Archipelago, Northern Pakistan, India, Cabo Verde and Finnish Lapland.
The following photographs, movies and publications were part of past sea kayak expeditions and adventures. These will give you an idea what kind of media coverage you can expect from this expedition.
Photographs. Click to enlarge. Then click on the enlargement to go directly to the next picture.
Movies with sound. Click on the picture to open the movie. QuickTime 7 is needed! Get the free QuickTime player 7 for windows here or for mac here.
Our sponsors benefit high quality photographs. We will be carrying professional photographic and filming equipment. We intend to get coverage for our expedition in various media channels such as magazines and newspapers, TV, radio, web and multivision presentations that will follow our trip. We will be mentioning our sponsors in magazines and multivision presentations, on this website (we expect 500'000 visitors) or whereever possible. Our main sponsors will be able to put their stickers on the surface of the sea kayaks. Our Expedition has already been announced in several magazines and websites.
Expected photographic and filming shots:
• Product photography with greenlandic background for our sponsors • Kayaking between icebergs • Kayaking through a sea of ice • Interaction of whales and kayaks • Wildlife • Landscape sceneries: glaciers, icebergs, inland ice, midnight sun, weather, ... • The local people in the region of Upernavik and their way of living • Kayak action in rough sea • How we live, what we experience, the highs and the lows, interviews, ... • Exploring the J.P. Koch Land • Pulling the kayak on a 30 km land stretch • Aerial shots of kayaks between icebergs • Kayak action shots in rough sea from a zodiak
If you would like to support us as a sponsor with material, financial aid or need more informations about the expedition please don't hesitate to contact us at greenland@photopulse.ch
A good infrastructure is one of the keys for a successful expedition. The "sea of ice" expedition is kindly sponsored by the following companies :
GREENLAND TOURISM is the national tourist board of Greenland and its aim is to promote environmentally and culturally sound tourism, which Greenland will be able to live with and of. Please visit www.greenland.com the ultimate site for your trip to Greenland.
PRIJON has left its mark on the kayaking scene and today offers a very diversified product-range which offers a suitable boat for every type of paddler. Prijon uses the world famous, very durable HTP for the PE production of its boats. For our sea kayak trips and expeditions we use the Kodiak 2006 because of its storage space, speed, comfort and durability. For more informations and a complete product range visit www.prijon.com
Since 1997, the EXPED Team has designed and built the highest quality, specialized gear for the active, outdoor enthusiast. Every user expects his equipment to meet exacting requirements. Exped build products intended to surpass those expectations!
• Ingenious simplicity. Multiple use. Lightweight. Function, not fad. • Integrate superb craftsmanship with superior materials. Emphasize durability. • Test in lab and field to enhance performance. Develop useful features. • Synergy of Partnerships: Customers, Retailers and Vendors involved to develop the best gear. • Simple, bottom line: Exped maximizes your outdoor experience with a minimum of gear.
For more informations and a complete product range visit www.exped.com
CASCADE DESIGNS continues to refine existing products and pioneer new ones. The single-minded dedication to quality has kept Cascade Designs atop the outdoor industry for more than 30 years. Cascade Designs has a full line of outdoor equipment including MSR, a pioneer in innovative backcountry gear; SealLine, maker of portable dry storage products; Platypus, specializing in water storage and hydration systems. For more informations and a complete product range visit www.cascadedesigns.com
ARTISTIC SPORTSWEAR are top specialists in kayak, rafting and canyoning equipment. Their business philosophy that has guided the production of sporting jackets, vests, and neoprene suits since 1987 is “Just a little bit more” in sophistication, function and design. For more informations and a complete product range visit www.artistic-sportswear.com
For a new dimension of pleasure from photography, NIKON develops and markets imaging products worldwide with various features using sophisticated digital imaging technology. Nikon support this expedition with equipment at cost. Jean-Luc Grossmann trust Nikon equipment for more than 15 years. For more informations and a complete product range visit www.europe-nikon.com
FUJIFILM supplies an exceptional variety of films for the professional photographer. Spanning the versatility and vibrancy of color negative and color reversal films, the convenience and quality of instant film, and the enhanced sharpness of high-speed films, Fujifilm elevates film to new levels of performance. For more informations and a complete product range visit www.fujifilm.com
The elevation ClimaCool is the latest in the adventure range from ADIDASeyewear. First model in the collection to integrate the unique ClimaCool ventilation technology. ClimaCool provides ventilation when both in motion and stationary. This multifunctional eyewear can be used for any arduous adventure and easily self adapted using all the top functional and exclusive features. Full eye rim shape along with strong wrap around design provides full protection and wide field of vision. For more informations and a complete product range visit www.adidas.com
DHL is the global market leader in international express, overland transport and air freight. It is also the world's number 1 in ocean freight and contract logistics. DHL offers a full range of customised solutions - from express document shipping to supply chain management. The Division DHL Freight of DHL Logistics (Switzerland) Ltd support this expedition with the transport of the sea kayaks from Zurich to Aalborg (DK) and back. With a strong global presence in all key markets, DHL is well positioned to support all of your road and rail freight transportation needs.For more informations about the DHL services please visit www.dhl.com
POCKETWIZARD - A New Age in Digital Wireless Freedom. For over a decade PocketWizard has been the innovator in design and manufacture of the best digital radio slaves available on the market. For more informations and a complete product range visit www.pocketwizard.com
POWERFILM, INC. is a developer and manufacturer of thin, flexible solar panels based on a proprietary low cost production process. For more informations and a complete product range please visit www.powerfilmsolar.com
PICTURE SERVICE GWERDER is a professional photo laboratory based in Zurich wich offers a complete range of modern image processing technics with a lot of know-how. Picture Service Gwerder support the Sea Kayak Greenland Expedition with the processing of the slide films. For more informations about the services please visit www.gwerder.ch
KATADYNis the global leader in portable water treatment. Further Katadyn offers since 2004 dry food products for expedition purpose. For more informations and a complete product range please visit www.trekking-mahlzeiten.de
SATELLITE-TELEPHONE.CH is specialized in satellite telephony. Sell and rental of IRIDIUM, THURAYA and BGAN. For detailed informations and a complete product range please visit www.satellite-telephone.ch
MARINE-ELECTRONIC.COM based in Morges, Switzerland is specialized in electronics for navigation (marine and land) and safety equipment. marine-electronic.com provides expert service and advice. The customer can expect to get top quality products at reasonable prices, get advice when needed and get reliable and trustworthy services. For detailed informations and a complete product range please visit www.marine-electronic.com
For over 50 years, MAMIYA has been a name synonymous with excellence and innovation in professional photographic cameras and lenses. Mamyia is represented in Switzerland through GraphicArt. GraphicArt supports this expedition with the loaning of equipment. For detailed informations and a complete product range please visit www.graphicart.ch
UK-GERMANY is a producer of underwater camera housings and support this expedition with a special housing for the Nikon F6 at cost. For detailed informations and a complete product range please visit www.uk-germany.com
FKM SINTERTECHNIK was founded in 1993 and is the first and biggest company in Europe specialized in the construction of prototypes using the SLS technologie (Selective-Laser-Sintering) For more informations about the services please visit www.fkm-sintertechnik.de
ACTIONCAMERAS.CO.UK is a a supplier of helmet and head mounted video equipment for extreme sports. The product range includes bullet cameras, which are both wired and wireless, remote controls, camcorders and specially designed mounts. For detailed informations and a complete product range please visit www.actioncameras.co.uk
SEEKAJAK.CH - Equipment, courses, travel and events around the world of paddling. For more informations about the services please visit www.seekajak.ch
