Reykjavík Grapevine


Reykjavík Grapevine - 10.03.2017, Blaðsíða 58

Reykjavík Grapevine - 10.03.2017, Blaðsíða 58
LEMÚRINN That Time an Icelandic Linguist (Almost) Rescued a British Stockbroker Stuck on the Green- land Ice Cap Words Vera Illugadóttir Photos Scott Polar Institute The past was a simpler time, back when any young Briton could em- bark on daring expeditions to far- flung locales in the name of science, progress, and the British Empire (provided he had enough funds). That’s exactly what fourteen adventurous young men did in 1930, heading to Greenland with the aim of improving maps of the island’s coastline and gathering climate data in order to find a way of flying straight over Greenland, shortening considerably the route from Canada to Europe. The members of the “British Arctic Air Route Expedition,” were all in their early to mid twenties. None had much experience of po- lar exploration, aside from the leader, Henry “Gino” Watkins, who had previously been to Sval- bard and Labrador. Nor were they at all experienced cartographers or meteorologists, as Watkins re- cruited his teammates mostly from among his old Cambridge buddies. The expedition was sponsored by the Royal Geographical Society, but only symbolically. Most of the expenses were paid by the textile tycoon Stephen Courtauld, uncle to one of the young explorers: Au- gustine Courtauld, a 26-year-old stockbroker in the City of London. The Britons meant to set off to Greenland in spring, but a freak accident involving a pet lemur (it’s a long story) meant they couldn’t embark until July—and by the time they had made it onto the ice cap and set up their camp at 2500 meters altitude, it was September and winter was nearing. This “camp” was no more than a measly tent in the snow, sur- rounded by an assortment of sur- veying equipment. The Britons’ plan was to take turns staying in the camp over the winter, a month at a time, but they had greatly underes- timated the power of the Greenlan- dic winter and one of them—Au- gustine Courtauld—became stuck at the camp in early December. Courtauld barely had provi- sions for three months, but his fellow expedition members (who spent the winter hunting seal in Ammassalik on Greenland’s south- eastern coast) did not worry much about him until April. They ven- tured back onto the ice cap only to find that their camp, and Courtauld with it, had com- pletely disappeared into the snow. They telegraphed Courtauld’s wealthy relatives who, un- derstandably con- cerned, contacted Dr. Alexander Jóhan- nesson, an Icelandic professor of linguistics, and one of Iceland’s foremost aviation pioneers. Dr. Alexander, as he was known, immediately set off for Greenland in search of young Augustine. As the Flight Company of Iceland’s Junkers F.13 did not have sufficient range to fly straight from Iceland to Greenland, the Icelandic Coast Guard’s ship Óðinn sailed with the plane towards the pack ice be- tween the two countries, so that it might take off from the ice. The rescue mission was cov- ered extensively in the Icelandic press, causing somewhat of a me- dia frenzy, and Icelanders took great pride in the prospect of their own novice aviators heroically rescuing a young Briton stuck in the freezing cold on the Greenlan- dic glacier. Stoking Icelandic jingoism was the fact that Courtauld’s fam- ily did not seem to fully trust Dr. Alexander, as they had also con- tacted the great Swedish aviator Albin Ahrenberg, asking for his help. Ahrenberg, who was both more experienced and had far bet- ter equipment, immediately left for Greenland as well, and the Icelandic press covered his every move—al- most as if this was some kind of a race between Iceland and Sweden. Unfortunately Icelanders had little reason to boast, as their res- cue mission failed completely. For reasons unknown, the Junkers F.13’s engine broke down only minutes after takeoff from the ice. Dr. Alex- ander had no choice but to make his way home while the Icelandic press called the whole debacle a “great scandal” which had “disgraced Ice- land in front of the whole world.” The great Albin Ahrenberg, on the other hand, safely made his way onto the ice cap—but found Courtauld’s camp empty. While he was on his way, Gino Watkins, the expe- dition’s leader, had himself managed to find the camp half- buried in the snow, and had already taken Courtauld by dogsled back to Ammassalik. Turns out Cour- tauld had been cautious and had plenty of food left. He was rather be- draggled after five months alone on the ice, but was, by his own account, never in any dan- ger—having had “enough tobacco, a selection of novels and a good lamp.” Upon reaching Ammassalik he sent his worried relatives a tele- gram, asking them to refrain from sending out any more “hysterical rescue missions.” He returned to Greenland fourteen years later, becoming the first man to scale the island’s highest peak, the Gun- nbjørn Fjeld. SHARE: gpv.is/lem03 This “camp” was no more than a measly tent in the snow, surrounded by an assortment of surveying equipment 58 The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 03 — 2017 SALKA VALKA FISH & MORE SkólavörDustígur 23 • 101 reykjavík Steamed Fresh Fish, Traditional Icelandic Fish ‘Stew’, Fish & Vegan Soups, Smoked Salmon & Vegan Toppings on Sourdough Bread, Beer, Wine, Coffee & more
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