In Greenland, there was considerable exploration and discovery of mountain ranges and a number of ascents were made, perhaps the earliest being J. Payers 1870 climb of Payer Spitze (2133m) above Kejser Franz-Joseph Fjord. Further interest in Greenland was catalysed by Nansens first crossing of the Inland Ice in 1888 from Umivik to Godthb (Nuuk).
A number of other routes crossing the ice cap were pioneered at the end of the 19th Century and the start of the 20th. Significantly for future mountaineering, the Swiss Alfred de Quervains west to east crossing of 1912 partly discovered and named the Schweizerland area for its array of alpine peaks. The British explorer J.M. Wordie led teams into north-east Greenland in 1926 and 1929, in the latter year making the first ascent of Petermanns Bjerg, the highest mountain in the High Arctic and once thought to be the loftiest in all Greenland.
The decade of the 1930s saw a surge of interest in Greenlands mountains. Between 1930 and 1932 the Gino Watkins-led British Arctic Air-Route Expeditions travelled extensively on the Inland Ice and in the east coast mountains. Attempts were made on Mont Forel, and aerial survey flights led to the discovery of what later became named the Watkins Bjerge, where the highest peaks on the whole island were discovered. In 1935, Lawrence Wager, who had been a member of Watkins expedition, returned to the icebound east coast to pioneer a route inland from Sdalen to make the first ascent of Gunnbjorns Fjeld (c.3693m) as well as sighting the Lemon Bjerge to the north-east of Kangerdlugssuaq Fjord.
The Post-World War II years heralded an increasing rate of Greenland expedition visits to east and north-east Greenland as awareness of the mountaineering possibilities grew. Lauge Kochs series of East Greenland Expeditions from 1950 to 1953, although scientific in intent, numbered keen mountaineers among its personnel, notably J. Haller and W. Diehl, who climbed many important peaks in Goodenough Land, Swuess Land and other districts of Christian X Land. The 1950s also saw the start of what became prolific development of mountaineering in the spectacular alpine ranges of the Staunings Alps.
The mountains of the Ammassalik region, Schweizerland and areas near to Mont Forel also continued to draw in expeditions, with extensive achievements throughout the 1960s by teams from Japan, Switzerland, Sweden and Great Britain. As the decade of the 1960s closed and moved into its successor, the1970s, the numbers of expeditions with mountaineering ambitions also grew. However, the majority of them continued to visit areas already known, leading to more intensive development with some notable increases in technical climbing standards, rather than exploration in new regions. Improved access by air, most importantly via the airstrip at Kulusuk on the east coast began to make significant differences, although there were still a number of fine initiatives made by air-borne approaches. During the summer of 1970, Andrew Rosss expedition sailed by open boat all the way from Scoresby Sund to Wiedemanns Fjord then trekked inland to succeed on the challenging first ascent of Ejmar Mikkelsens Fjeld, a major success.
Another important initiative occurred in 1972. The Westminster East Greenland Expedition, including Stan Woolley, sailed from Kulusuk to Kangerdlugssuaq Fjord and once landed, explored via the Frederiksbjorg glacier into the Lemon Bjerge, drawing attention to these exciting alpine ranges first seen by L.Wager in 1935.
As access to Greenlands eastern and north-eastern mountains has always been problematic, a major change in the 1980s was to give a very significant impetus to Arctic mountaineering. This was the start of icecap and glacier landings for mountain expeditions by ski-equipped Twin Otter aircraft from Iceland. Such approaches began in 1988 in the Watkins Bjerge marking the long association of skilful Icelandic pilots with mountaineering expeditions.
As the 1980s gave way to the 1990s, the popularity of the mountains of East Greenland escalated, despite the continuing high levels of expense involved in getting there. Regions like the Staunings Alps, the Lemon Bjerge, and Schweizerland, where good quality rock climbing and technical mountaineering are in plentiful supply drew in more mountaineers each year. Helicopter and ski-plane access made it easier to get quickly into the heart of the mountains, even allowing for the, at times, inevitable bad weather delays. Interest in the highest summits has also maintained a steady stream of expeditions, and guided parties have become regular, particularly to Gunnbjrns Fjeld which normally receives between two and four ascents each season.
In 1998 a Swiss team of four, led by Roland Aeschimann, made the second ascent of Ejnar Mikkelsens Fjeld by a repeat of the south glacier approach, probably the single most impressive peak in the whole of Greenland with faces on three sides rising some 6,000ft from the Kronborg Glacier. This was followed in 2000 by the second ascent of its close neighbour Borgetinde by a Tangent group led by Nigel Edwards, along with several other first ascents in the region. Tragically at this time, a nearby peak was the site of the death of the nephew of well known Dutch climber Ronald Naar in a crevasse fall during their ski descent on a new peak in poor visibility.
A number of other routes crossing the ice cap were pioneered at the end of the 19th Century and the start of the 20th. Significantly for future mountaineering, the Swiss Alfred de Quervains west to east crossing of 1912 partly discovered and named the Schweizerland area for its array of alpine peaks. The British explorer J.M. Wordie led teams into north-east Greenland in 1926 and 1929, in the latter year making the first ascent of Petermanns Bjerg, the highest mountain in the High Arctic and once thought to be the loftiest in all Greenland.
The decade of the 1930s saw a surge of interest in Greenlands mountains. Between 1930 and 1932 the Gino Watkins-led British Arctic Air-Route Expeditions travelled extensively on the Inland Ice and in the east coast mountains. Attempts were made on Mont Forel, and aerial survey flights led to the discovery of what later became named the Watkins Bjerge, where the highest peaks on the whole island were discovered. In 1935, Lawrence Wager, who had been a member of Watkins expedition, returned to the icebound east coast to pioneer a route inland from Sdalen to make the first ascent of Gunnbjorns Fjeld (c.3693m) as well as sighting the Lemon Bjerge to the north-east of Kangerdlugssuaq Fjord.
The Post-World War II years heralded an increasing rate of Greenland expedition visits to east and north-east Greenland as awareness of the mountaineering possibilities grew. Lauge Kochs series of East Greenland Expeditions from 1950 to 1953, although scientific in intent, numbered keen mountaineers among its personnel, notably J. Haller and W. Diehl, who climbed many important peaks in Goodenough Land, Swuess Land and other districts of Christian X Land. The 1950s also saw the start of what became prolific development of mountaineering in the spectacular alpine ranges of the Staunings Alps.
The mountains of the Ammassalik region, Schweizerland and areas near to Mont Forel also continued to draw in expeditions, with extensive achievements throughout the 1960s by teams from Japan, Switzerland, Sweden and Great Britain. As the decade of the 1960s closed and moved into its successor, the1970s, the numbers of expeditions with mountaineering ambitions also grew. However, the majority of them continued to visit areas already known, leading to more intensive development with some notable increases in technical climbing standards, rather than exploration in new regions. Improved access by air, most importantly via the airstrip at Kulusuk on the east coast began to make significant differences, although there were still a number of fine initiatives made by air-borne approaches. During the summer of 1970, Andrew Rosss expedition sailed by open boat all the way from Scoresby Sund to Wiedemanns Fjord then trekked inland to succeed on the challenging first ascent of Ejmar Mikkelsens Fjeld, a major success.
Another important initiative occurred in 1972. The Westminster East Greenland Expedition, including Stan Woolley, sailed from Kulusuk to Kangerdlugssuaq Fjord and once landed, explored via the Frederiksbjorg glacier into the Lemon Bjerge, drawing attention to these exciting alpine ranges first seen by L.Wager in 1935.
As access to Greenlands eastern and north-eastern mountains has always been problematic, a major change in the 1980s was to give a very significant impetus to Arctic mountaineering. This was the start of icecap and glacier landings for mountain expeditions by ski-equipped Twin Otter aircraft from Iceland. Such approaches began in 1988 in the Watkins Bjerge marking the long association of skilful Icelandic pilots with mountaineering expeditions.
As the 1980s gave way to the 1990s, the popularity of the mountains of East Greenland escalated, despite the continuing high levels of expense involved in getting there. Regions like the Staunings Alps, the Lemon Bjerge, and Schweizerland, where good quality rock climbing and technical mountaineering are in plentiful supply drew in more mountaineers each year. Helicopter and ski-plane access made it easier to get quickly into the heart of the mountains, even allowing for the, at times, inevitable bad weather delays. Interest in the highest summits has also maintained a steady stream of expeditions, and guided parties have become regular, particularly to Gunnbjrns Fjeld which normally receives between two and four ascents each season.
In 1998 a Swiss team of four, led by Roland Aeschimann, made the second ascent of Ejnar Mikkelsens Fjeld by a repeat of the south glacier approach, probably the single most impressive peak in the whole of Greenland with faces on three sides rising some 6,000ft from the Kronborg Glacier. This was followed in 2000 by the second ascent of its close neighbour Borgetinde by a Tangent group led by Nigel Edwards, along with several other first ascents in the region. Tragically at this time, a nearby peak was the site of the death of the nephew of well known Dutch climber Ronald Naar in a crevasse fall during their ski descent on a new peak in poor visibility.
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