New Big Wall climbs on NW coast of Greenland

Over 65 days this summer a team comprised of Jacob Cook, Bronwyn Hodgins, Jaron Pham, Zack Goldberg-Poch, Angela Vanwiemeersch and Kelsey Watts travelled circa 450km along the west coast of Greenland via inflatable sea kayak and established new routes on some of the huge granite cliffs rising straight out of the Arctic Ocean.

Beginning in the Inuit community of Uummannaq, over the first month the six paddled northwards along coastline and fjords. This journey also included a 20km overland pass, for which they packed up the kayaks, gear and food and carried everything across in three loads each, accumulating to about 100km of trekking.

On the northern side of the pass, the team established three new climbs in alpine-push style, often belaying the first pitch right out of the kayaks. This included a new 400m route by Hodgins, Vanwiemeersch and Watts put up in a 50-hour push with an unplanned bivvy. Called Time is a Construct and located on Red Wall, this 400m line checks in at 5.11, A2.

The biggest climbing feat of the trip however, was the first free ascent of Qaersorsuaq, also known as Sanderson’s Hope, a 900m face of immaculate granite just south of the small town of Upernavik. Over roughly 20 days the team established a huge new route in Big Wall style, camping on the side of the cliff for a week. Despite sitting through several days of rain and snow on the wall, the team managed to free climb every pitch on lead, arriving all together on the summit on August 21st 2022. Called Sea Barge Circus, difficulties are estimated at 5.11+.

Technical route info
Sea Barge Circus, Qaersorsuaq
5.11+ 900m
First ascent by Bronwyn Hodgins, Jacob Cook, Jaron Pham, Zack Goldberg-Poch, Kelsey Watts and Angela Vanwiemeersch over 20 days (7 days camped on the wall for the summit push) in August 2022

Time is a Construct, Red Wall
5.11 A2 400m (with sections followed cleanly up to 12d)
First ascent by Bronwyn Hodgins, Kelsey Watts and Angela Vanwiemeersch over a 50-hour push on August 1st/2nd 2022

Seagull's Garden, Red Wall
5.11+ 400m (FA in 2010 by Nico Favresse and Ben Ditto)
Repeated by Jacob Cook, Jaron Pham and Zack Goldberg-Poch over a 28-hour push

Wears Your Paddle?
5.11- 250m
First ascent by Bronwyn Hodgins, Jacob Cook and Kelsey Watts on July 26th 2022

Fish are Friends
5.9+ 200m
First ascent by Jaron Pham, Zack Goldberg-Poch and Angela Vanwiemeersch on July 26th 2022

The trip recieved major support from: Rab, Wild Country, Coros, Kokopelli, Level Six, the John Lauchlan Memorial Fund, BMC, MEF, Andrew Croft Memorial Fund.
With additional support from: Hyperlite, Edelweiss, Heather's Choice, Voltaic Systems, Hornby Bars.

BRIT ROCK FILM TOUR
The expedition features in this year's Brit Rock Film Tour 2022 which premieres on 2 November. The film will be available for streaming online worldwide from 3 - 6 November only.

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