The British team of Simon Smith, Tim Miller, and Callum Johnson, along with Slovakian climber Slovakian Miška, have successfully returned from an expedition to Torssukatak Fjord in the Cape Farewell region of southern Greenland.
The team completed a series of new and varied routes, including the expedition’s main goal—a route up the east face of the Maujit Qaqarssuasia massif, more commonly known as The Thumbnail, a contender for the title of the world’s largest sea wall. Access to the wall was via inflatable kayaks, resulting in the 1,350-meter-long “Mussels for Tea, Packrafts in the Sea” route, graded E6 6b (7b), with 33 pitches, over four days of classic Big Wall climbing with plenty of adrenaline and adventure.
“The first half of the route delighted us with excellent and unexpectedly friendly climbing. However, hauling gear proved difficult and slow: the wall angle was less than expected, the slabs resembled a cheese grater, there were some crumbling overhangs, and the stations had to be built on difficult natural points. Mishka injured her foot when the packs came loose and caused a rockfall, but stoically continued climbing, wearing only a rock boot. Three days later, we came to a large ledge about halfway up the wall.”
As bad weather approached, the team abandoned some gear and traversed several kilometers along the ledge, then descended a challenging snow couloir without ice gear to retrieve their kayaks.
“In the gathering darkness and increasing wind, we were faced with a stark choice: either wait out the storm in a gloomy couloir for who knows how long, huddled under portaledge tents with almost no food, or make a dark, white-capped trek back to base camp with laughable paddling skills… The night crossing, by headlamp, beneath cathedral-like icebergs, with waves lapping the bows of the boats and bulging eyes, was already epic—and that was before a humpback whale surfaced less than 10 meters away!”
After all these incidents, a prolonged period of bad weather set in: strong winds tore apart several tents, the common dining tent had to be dismantled, and the situation began to threaten the success of the entire expedition.
“We were devastated to discover that the storm waves had carried away both of our kayaks, which we had ‘securely’ hidden in dry bags under rocks above the high tide line. And then, while searching for stones to reinforceWe stumbled upon several burial mounds containing human remains, shambling through tattered tents. We logically assumed our misfortunes were due to being dropped off right in the middle of a cursed ancient cemetery, and they’d also forgotten to mention our recent encounters with polar bears. We decided a bloody sacrifice to the gods was inevitable, and were already considering drawing lots… However, after another day of gloom and huddling under tents, an incredible stroke of luck occurred: during a brief lull, a young local fisherman appeared and returned one of the kayaks he’d found drifting in the fjord. The expedition was saved, and the ritual sacrifice was postponed.
“Mussels for Tea, Packrafts in the Sea” (1350 m, E6 6b / 7b, 33 pitches).
After a day of rest, recuperation, and “improvement” of the bivouac ledges, Tim, Miška, and Callum climbed another new route along the south face of Maujit Qaqarssuasia from the middle ledge. “Texture Like Sun” (E3 5c / 6b+, 800m), climbed in one go, was, they say, superb and became the first known ascent of this wall.
“After another strenuous descent down the couloir, navigating new crevasses, waterfalls, and re-ascent on ropes stuck and with damaged cores, the return crossing of the fjord was, fortunately, much calmer.”
With excellent weather persisting at the summit, featuring spectacular cloud inversions, and cold and damp fog reigning below base camp, the team made the most of their remaining time. Admitting they weren’t paddlers after all, they made several hikes and bivouacs to various rock formations on Pamiagdluk Island.
New routes include: Lord of the Kamikaze Eye Flies E2 5c (6b), 275m on Campsite Hill Crag; Warmonger E4/5 6a (6c+), 400m and Slow off the Mark E4 5c (6b+), 300m on the Mark massif (previously named, allegedly, after Mark Thatcher, which caused strong emotions among some of the team); and also «Inversions» E4 6a (6c), 280 m on the previously unclimbed east face.
Tim and Miška also made the first ascentclimbing the spectacular Spire of the Northern Fire, creating a series of clean crack lines: «Peaches and Bumcakes» E5 6c (7b), 220 m; «Aurora Arena» E4 5c (6c), 100 m; and “Come with me if you want to climb” E2 5b (6b), 150 m. They were also the first to explore the Orange Wall above Campsite Hill Crag, climbing “Dream Corner” E3 5c (6b+), 300 m, with 300 meters of approach on VS terrain.
Source: alp.org.ua