North America, Greenland, Northern Staunings Alps

Publication Year: 1962.

Northern Staunings Alps. Our expedition was not a mountaineering one. It comprised twelve members and four research groups, two of geology, one of zoology and one of botany, each led by a lecturer from Leicester, Cambridge, Oxford and Cardiff universities. We flew in to Mestersvig, c. 72° N., on July 8 and returned on September 9. Most of our time was spent around the periphery of the Staunings Alps, particularly on the northern side; transport was by two 9½-foot dinghies, one rubber and one wooden, in which we covered about 1000 miles. W. B. Heslop, M. Roberts and I broke new ground with an overland traverse from Alpefjord to Nordvestfjord, which we reached near its head about 150 miles from the sea. This fjord is the innermost branch of the Scoresby Sund fjord complex. We went via Spaerregletscher, Lake Furesø, Violingletscher and Jomfrudal. The ascents of peaks 1744 and 2410 m. in Nathorsts Land were made by Heslop and Gibbs; these may well have been first ascents. Geoffrey Halliday, Leicester University Mountaineering Club