North America, Greenland, Kronsprins Frederik Bjerge and Forel

Publication Year: 1995.

Kronsprins Frederik Bjerge and Forel, East Greenland. On June 9, Louise Malmgren, Mårten Källström, Nils Mörck, Björn Wolgast, Peter Ask and I as leader arrived by commercial airline at Kulusuk in East Greenland. We were picked up by the chartered Twin Otter from Iceland after only a couple of hours of waiting and flown to Base Camp some 200 kilometers to the northwest at 67°03 34"N, 35°41 '22"W and at an altitude of 2335 meters. It was in the middle of a flat glacier, five kilometers wide. We spent nine days in the area with somewhat unstable weather which permitted climbing on only five days. Because we still had a long return trip by ski, we limited the amount of heavy climbing gear. This kept us from attempting some routes, but with all the unclimbed peaks around, it made no difference. There was no record of climbing in the area and we believe all climbs were first ascents. A Yugoslavian expedition had been in the Kronprins Frederik Bjerge in 1981, but their peaks were ten kilometers southwest of our Base Camp. We made the following ascents: Trillingtoppen, (2910 meters, 9547 feet; 67°03'10"N, 35°44'30"W) on June 9 via north ridge by all but Malmgren; Svensknunatak (3120 meters, 10,236 feet; 67°08 55 N, 35°37,08"W) on June 11 via south ridge by all but Malmgren; Blåsut (2905 meters, 9531 feet; 67°02'40''N, 35°33'00"W) on June 12 via northwest face by Källström, Mörck, Wolgast, Ask; and Platåberget (3210 meters, 10,532 feet; 67°03'32"N, 35°20'23"W) on June 15 via southwest ridge/face by Malmgren, Källström, Ask and me. On June 14, Wolgast and Mörck attempted Kraterberget (3100 meters, 10,171 feet) via the west face but they had to turn back 100 meters below the summit. We left Base Camp on June 17 and skied across the icecap on hard snow 50 kilometers west to Mont Forel with heavy loads and pulling sleds. All expedition members climbed Forel (3360 meters, 11,024 feet) on June 21 via the east face and the icy southeast ridge. From there, it took us six days (traveling by night) to make our way thiough Schweizerland down to Ikáteq on the coast. From there, we used 2-person kayaks and spent five days criss-crossing between the icebergs to Kulusuk. All positions were estimated using a portable GPS receiver. Altitudes were estimated either by GPS or by barometer. All names in the Base Camp area are unofficial and were given by us.

Peter Fredman, Sweden