Climbing Team Completes First Ascent of the Mirror Wall in Greenland

A few weeks back I posted a story about a team of climbers that were attempting to become the first to complete an ascent of an impressive rock face in Greenland known as the Mirror Wall. At the time, the squad had just launched their expedition after spending more than year planning its logistics, and weeks just getting to the mountain. But after spending 12 nights on the massive face, the group was able to reach their objective, topping out in the middle of a snow storm.

The team was led by British rock climber Leo Houlding, who was accompanied by Joe Möhle, Matt Pickles, Matt Pycroft and Waldo Etherington. They managed to ascend the 1200 meter (3937 ft) wall in 25 pitches, 23 of which were free-climbed.

The remote and massive north face of the Mirror Walls has been compared to the iconic Dawn Wall in Yosemite that drew so much media attention earlier this year. But unlike the Dawn Wall, the this climbing challenge is very remote, requiring the team to be flown into their starting point, and later retrieved by helicopter. It is also taller than the Dawn Wall, with a similarly smooth rock face that is guarded by snow and ice seracs.

Despite those difficulties however, the team managed to reach the summit at 4:20 AM local time on July 22. Inclement weather didn't allow them to enjoy their success for long, as they also had to find a safe way to descend and get back to Base Camp in time for their scheduled July 28 pick-up. Fortunately the were all able to get down safely and have now started their journey home.

You can learn more about their adventure, and read the archives of their dispatches, on a website created specifically for the climb that is hosted by Berghaus, the major sponsor of the Mirror Wall expedition. It looks like it was quite an excursion.

Climbing Team Begins Ascent of "Arctic Dawn Wall"

A talented team of climbers has set their sights on an incredibly difficult and remote wall in Greenland which has been dubbed the "Arctic Dawn Wall." The team – which includes climbers Leo Houlding, Matt Pickles, and Joe Möhle, along with filmmakers Matt Pycroft and Waldo Etherington –  departed for a seldom visited region of Renlan where they will attempt a climb of a massive granite peak known as the Mirror Wall.

At 1200 meters (3937 feet) in height, the rock face of the Mirror Wall is even taller than the famous Dawn Wall in Yosemite. It is said to be incredibly smooth and difficult, with an approach that is guarded by snow and ice seracs. The team has scouted a route to the summit, but will have to inspect it to ensure that it is safe and that it will provide the access that they expect.

Just getting to the Mirror Wall is an adventure. Located in a remote region that is only accessible by helicopter this time of year. Before they could begin the expedition, the team had to first ship all of its gear and supplies to Iceland in June, and than have it airlifted to what would become their base camp by light aircraft. The men followed on earlier in the week, and have started working on establishing their BC before starting the ascent of the wall.

The expedition is sponsored by Berghaus, and regular updates will be posted to a special section of the company's website that can be found here. Unfortunately for those of us who live in the U.S., that site is redirecting to the local version of the Beghaus website, which does not have the updates just yet. I'm told they are trying to work out this issue, so hopefully we can follow the progress directly soon. In the meantime, updates are also being posted to Facebook as well.

According to recent reports, Leo and team have experienced some bad weather to start their adventure. That weather is disrupting communications to a degree, and preventing them from launching their climb. Hopefully conditions will improve soon, and they can start their ascent.

Video: Trailer for The Great Shark Hunt - Climbing in Greenland

Last August, a trio of climbers – Matteo Della Bordella, Silvan Schüpbach and Christian Ledergerber  – traveled to Greenland to attempt a new route on a peak called the Shark Tooth. Prior to their expedition, the 900 meter (2952 ft) rock face had only been climbed one other time, and this team hoped to do it in alpine style without fixed ropes. On August 18 they managed to reach the top of a route that they named "The Great Shark Hunt."

The video below is a trailer for an upcoming documentary of that expedition. As you'll see, the men had to travel on foot, and by kayak, just to reach the mountain itself. Then, they faced a challenging climb on a sheer face that required skill, strength, and daring to overcome. The views along the way are spectacular, the climbing phenomenal, and the outcome inspirational. Everything you'd want out of a good adventure film.

Adventure Television Casting News - Animal Planet and Survivorman

Have you always wanted to be a reality television star? If so, than I have a couple of casting opportunities for you that just might be your big break.

First, Animal Planet is looking for expedition leaders to travel Greenland to be a part of their show Ice Cold Gold. The program follows a mining company as it travels to remote areas of globe in search of valuable metals and minerals. This year, that quest is taking them to parts of Greenland that have seldom been visited by outsiders before, where they'll race to complete their job before the harsh Arctic winter sets in, covering the landscape in snow and ice once again.

If you think you might be qualified, send an email that includes a photo and a brief description of yourself, as well as some info on your expedition experience,  to lauren@metalflowersmedia.com. You can also find a bit more of a description in this posting at ExWeb.

The second opportunity is one that I'm sure will appeal to a number of readers will be interested in. Reality television legend Les Stroud is preparing to film new episodes of his show Survivorman and he's looking to take one lucky viewer with him out into the field. For those who haven't seen this show (have you been living under a rock?), Les is dropped off in a remote region of the world – usually completely alone – and he must survive in that environment while making his way to safety.

But for an upcoming special episode Les wants to take someone along with him on his adventure, and he is accepting applications to do just that here. Applicants will need to fill out the online form and submit a 5-10 minute long video explaining why they are the right person to accompany him out into the wild. The submission deadline is April 1, which is a week from today, so you better get going. Les explains more in the video below.

Good luck to anyone who applies for either of these opportunities. They could certainly lead to some interesting adventures.