North America, Greenland, Angmagssalik Region, East

Publication Year: 1983.

Angmagssalik Region, East Greenland. Cormac Higgs, Colin Wootton and I arrived in Angmagssalik on July 20 where we met our sea freight. Our plan was to travel in our inflatable boat to the head of Kangertitivatsiaq Fjord, about 140 miles to the north and from there to sledge north for 70 miles to reach the range containing P 3060. This is an area of fine, big peaks almost totally unvisited due to its inaccessibility. Our coastal journey was hampered by the heaviest sea ice for many years. Kangertitivatsiaq was, in mid-July, still under winter ice! Our early attempts to complete the boat journey failed east of Sermiligaq and we altered our plan. We established a Base Camp at the head of Sermiligaq Fjord and set off to attempt to reach P 3060 with 40 days’ supplies. We were stopped on the Haabets Glacier after 15 days of hard work. We then lost two days to a severe blizzard during which our tent was badly damaged. We made a protracted retreat to Base Camp and on by boat to Angmagssalik, during which we took opportunities to climb. Apart from several minor peaks, mainly around the head of the Knud Rasmussen Glacier (notable for their loose rock and stunning scenery) and north of Angmagssalik, we climbed the apparently virgin “Turtle’s Beak” on August 18. This peak, west of the Knut Rasmussen Glacier (66° 11'N) is approximately 2000 feet high and the summit is a frightful prow of rock, overhanging a vertical drop of 1000 feet. We climbed the northwest ridge and the west face of the summit tower. On September 1 and 2, in a 32-hour epic, we made the apparent first ascent of Nanerersarpik, a fine mountain rising from sea level to 1080 meters (3543 feet), northwest of Kingmiut. With a dawn start, we climbed the southeast buttress and then a superb sharp ridge to gain the summit (loose and serious; Grade 4). We had to sit out eight hours of darkness on the summit. It is worth noting that our flight to Søndre Strømfjord was delayed for five days due to bad weather. The record delay is 25 days!

Geoffrey Monaghan, England