The First Crossing of Greenland (1896)
Fridtjof Nansen

   This book is absolutely incredible.

   How do we even speak about this story ?

   Fridtjof Nansen is a Norwegian hero. In the original sense of the word, since his life accomplishments and philosophy helped build Norway as a Nation and helped developing national consciousness amongst Norwegians, at a crucial time (Norway would become an independent nation in 1905).

   But we are NOT talking about the later Fridtjof Nansen.

   We are talking about a guy that just finished his studies, 27 years old. Brilliant student, with a few adventurous experiences in the bag, but still, 27.

   He wants to be the first person to cross the greenlandic icecap.

   And every single step of the plan is absolutely insane to think about.

   Some expeditions tried before, failed, and had to retreat (Nordenskiöld in 1883, Peary in 1886).

   Nansen (again, 27 at the time!) suggested to try to cross East to West instead of West to East.

   The thing is, nobody at the time even ARRIVED on the East coast of Greenland! Ice floes and currents prevented ships to come close to the coast. But Nansen speculated, based on memories of a few years before - from a ship blocked in the ice within view length of the East coast - , that if one could reach the coast, one would have a better chance of crossing, helped by the fact that there would be no coming back.

   At the time, everybody thought he was crazy.

   From there follows the original plan to obtain a private budget (the State didn't want to sponsor this insane attempt) and reach Greenland, a detailed description of the equipment (including an amazing description of what skis and skiing are - the sport being native to Norway and not known at all internationally at the time), as well as a description of the team involved.

   Interestingly, 2 of the team members - Samuel Balto & Ole Ravna - were Sámi people, the indigenous people of the north of Norway-Sweden-Finland, that were recruited for their knowledge of the snow and cold environments. Their interactions in the book can be at times quite touching and funny, but they can also be quite infuriating.

   As Arne Johan Nilsen puts it in his book Samer i Isen (Sámis on the Ice) : "(...) Nansen therefore reveals himself here as a Norwegian of his time. While he otherwise appears as a well-informed, thorough and knowledge-seeking man,he demonstrates, in relation to his Sámi compatriots, an imperialistic ignorance that is most clearly expressed in the lack of respect for Balto and Ravna as individuals and in the prejudiced excpectations he has of them as nature-people". They are also referred as "Lapps", a derogatory term, the whole book.

   Still according to Nilsen, they stayed nonetheless on friendly terms after their return to Norway.

   Then the expedition starts. They leave the Jason, fishing vessel they were sailing in to move aboard some small rowing boats, get trapped on ice floes for about 2 weeks, camping on the ice while drifting for 380km towards the South, in view but out of reach of the coast, hunting here and there, fighting their way to the shore.

   They finally reached the East coast, and here they start a journey northwards to a passage over the mountains and onto the icecap. At this point they meet some native east greenlanders, with whom they stay a while, photograph, exchange (non-verbally) and travel alongside. There is incredible description of these surrealist scenes that really grab your imagination and sense of wander.

   Descriptions of kayaks, of tools, of tents, of clothes, of customs, that had never been seen by Europeans before that...

   The passage on the icecap with the sledges and final reach of the West coast is, in the end, not even the most impressive part of the book, ironically. Still impressive, not to be misunderstood. We are talking about hundreds of kilometers on the icecap, with snowstorms, hidden crevasses, but also some sledge ice-sailing (!). It is an amazing read from beginning to end.

   This expedition never fails to surprise. For example, towards the end, when they finally arrive on land, but still away from their final destination Nuuk, they decide that the easier way is to sail.

   Sailing, but how ? They don't have a boat at this point, right ? Well, they will construct one! They constructed a primitive boat with their own ski-poles, with the walls of their own tent (requiring them from now on to sleep under the boat upside-down...), and some branches taken here and there from bushes.

   Again, amazing read from beginning to end.

   Nansen's style is very academic, very descriptive, yet always finds a way to wander at the beauty of a sunset here and there somehow, which gives a lot of charm while you really picture the scenes clearly in your head.

   A great piece of History.