In 2005, James Alexander and Nick Anderson took on one of the world’s most arduous journeys. Skiing unaided and unsupported across the Greenland Ice Cap in aid of charity. The team will be hauling on skis, and kiting when winds permit, from Nagtivit on the east coast of Greenland to Ilulissat on the west coast, a distance of 640km.
“He is lucky who, in the full tide of life, has experienced a measure of the active environment that he most desires. In these days of upheaval and violent change, when the basic values of today are the vain and shattered dreams of tomorrow, there is much to be said for a philosophy which aims at living a full life while the opportunity offers. There are few treasures of more lasting worth than the experience of a way of life that is in itself wholly satisfying. Such, after all, are the only possessions of which no fate, no cosmic catastrophe can deprive us; nothing can alter the fact if for one moment in eternity we have really lived.” Eric Shipton, Upon that Mountain (1943)
Expedition objective:
They aim to show that you don’t have to be superhuman or an Olympic athlete to succeed what might seem the impossible and that any dream or ambition you have whatever its purpose is possible to achieve
The Greenland IceCap crossing will be an ideal way for the team to test themselves mentally and physically whilst following in the footsteps of some of their hero’s. James is a believer in pushing yourself beyond your comfort zone. With passion, energy, determination and the will to succeed he believes that any normal person can achieve the hardest of goals.
James Alexander
James Alexander, 37, is married and passionate about the Polar Regions, mountaineering, duathlons, cycling, in fact anything that involves a challenge whilst combining travel and fitness.
As well as being a fellow of the Royal Geographic Society and a former Honourable Artillery Company soldier, his expedition experience includes:
Ski touring and sledge hauling in the remoter regions of Sweden, Norway and Scotland.
Various alpine ascents including Mont Blanc, Mont Maudit, Mont Blanc du Tacul, the Cosmique Arete and Aigue du Tour and various winter ascents of Ben Nevis and on the Cairngorms.
James attempted an icecap crossing in 2005 but was hindered by horrendous weather and appalling snow conditions.
Nick Anderson
Nick Anderson, at 37, is the oldest in the team (just!) and hopes that his seniority will come in handy on the trip when it comes to claiming first choice from the dwindling food supplies. He is married with three children.
He is passionate about polar travel which he attributes to an ancestor, William Edward Parry. Parry was one of the early arctic pioneers who in the first half of the nineteenth century opened up the North-West Passage and for nearly 50 years held the furthest north record (i.e. closest to the North Pole).
He is a fellow of the RGS, a former TA soldier and has taken part in numerous endurance events, on foot and on ski, from road marathons to ultra-distance races. His expedition experience includes the following:
Numerous ski touring and sledge hauling trips in Sweden arctic and Norwegian mountains.
Planned and co-led expeditions to Spitzbergen and Namibia.
Marathon des Sables, a 6-day 240km endurance race across the Sahara desert in Morocco. Not strictly an expedition but by the end of it, it felt more like one than the marathon he thought he had signed up to.
Various mountaineering trips to Scotland in the winter and the alps in the summer including ascents of Mont Blanc, Mont Blanc du Tacul, Aiguille du Tour and the Cosmiques Arete.
Matt Spenceley
Matt has been making first ascents in the mountain ranges of Greenland in both the warm and cold seasons for the last 6 years. During this period, he has spent much time living in the tiny, mostly Inuit community on the East Coast. If you’re interested in new routes on remote peaks, Matt’s intimate knowledge of Greenland is indispenible. Having kayaked at international level and competed in the Ice Climbing World championships, as well as repeating and establishing some of the hardest mixed routes in the World, Matt’s focus is firmly on adventure at the moment – a perfect trip means an exciting objective in a wild and beautiful place with a good group of people. Greenland is very much his adopted home, full of brilliant new expedition ideas. Utilising his experience of ice travel, he has also recently begun guiding to the North Pole.