Young NZ explorers halfway in Greenland crossing

Young Australasian explorers reach halfway mark in epic Greenland crossing

Four intrepid young explorers crossing the Greenland Ice Cap have just reached the halfway point on their gruelling 560-kilometre expedition. The team are making the crossing on skis, dragging 60 kilograms of supplies and equipment behind them on sledges.

Kiwis Brando Yelavich (24) and Hollie Woodhouse (34), and Australians Bridget Kruger (30) and Keith Parsons (28) were selected by the New Zealand Antarctic Heritage Trust from nearly 200 applicants to take part in the Trust’s third Inspiring Explorers’ Expedition.

The four explorers are joined on the expedition by AHT Executive Director Nigel Watson and master polar guide Bengt Rotmo, of Norwegian company Ousland Polar Exploration. They began the crossing on 4 May 2018.

Nigel Watson says the expedition has had a number of challenges so far, including a storm with hurricane conditions.

“The storm was forecast and it was a beauty. Winds peaking with gusts over 38 metres per second. The hard work we put in, digging down and building a wall, paid dividends and we were well protected from the elements. With only room for two tents it was a squash with four of us squeezed in one tent like sardines!”

The midway milestone on their crossing was marked by the team’s arrival at the dormant DYE 2 US radar warning station. Abandoned in 1988, the site has been left untouched for thirty years, and acts as something of a marker point for teams crossing the vast ice cap.

Inspiring Explorer Brando, who came to fame by completing the first solo circumnavigation of New Zealand, says the expedition’s team environment is a moving new experience for him.

“It’s wonderful to be able to share such a beautiful adventure with a great bunch of people. The chats and the opportunity to be myself and share real emotions is one of the greatest feelings.”

The six explorers now make their way towards the ‘summit’ of the ice cap, the highest point of their crossing. Provided they manage to avoid any further storms, the team is scheduled to arrive on the east coast at the end of the month where they will be looking forward to a warm bed and a hot shower!

The Inspiring Explorers’ Expedition honours the 130th anniversary of the first crossing of the Greenland Ice Cap, which was successfully completed in 1888 by Norwegian explorer and humanitarian Fridtjof Nansen. New Zealand outdoors company Kathmandu are an expedition sponsor, with the team road testing their new XT Series, designed for extreme environments. The Trust’s Inspiring Explorers’ Expeditions aim to connect young people with the spirit of exploration and share the legacy of the early polar explorers.

You can follow the expedition at www.inspiringexplorers.com

Background Information

The Antarctic Heritage Trust is a New Zealand-based not-for-profit with a vision of ‘Inspiring Explorers’.

A world leader in cold climate heritage conservation, the Trust cares for the expedition base huts and 20,000 artefacts left behind by early Antarctic explorers including Captain Robert Scott, Sir Ernest Shackleton, Sir Edmund Hillary and Carsten Borchgrevink.

The Trust shares the legacy of exploration through outreach programmes and encourages the spirit of exploration through expeditions to engage and inspire a new generation.

You can read more at www.nzaht.org

Inspiring Explorer Biographies

Brando Yelavich

Brando Yelavich will be a name familiar to many New Zealanders. Brando was diagnosed with ADHD and Dyslexia at a young age and struggled with traditional learning environments. Feeling despondent about his place in life, he made a bold decision to circumnavigate the entire coastline of New Zealand, a feat that had never been accomplished before.

Brando set off on 1 February 2013, thinking it may take him eight or nine months to complete the expedition. Six hundred days and over 8,700kms later he completed his journey and his life was changed forever.

Since then, Brando has dedicated himself to becoming a full-time explorer. He put the icing on the cake of his circumnavigation of New Zealand by completing an expedition around Stewart Island, at the bottom of the South Island, and has ventured to the Himalayas. He is passionate about inspiring others to explore the world around them through school talks and presentations, and via his growing online presence. In his own words, “There’s no right or wrong in adventure. It’s a beautiful way to bring people together and to spread happiness. I want to inspire curiosity and exploration for all of humanity.”

Hollie Woodhouse

Christchurch-based designer and adventure enthusiast Hollie Woodhouse isn’t one to shy away from an opportunity to explore the world, a fact that’s perhaps best summed up by the name of the magazine she founded in 2015 - ‘Say Yes To Adventure’.

Hollie’s thirst for adventure has taken her to the Sahara Desert and the Amazon Jungle, where she competed in endurance events covering over 200km in five days. Back home, Hollie has competed in events including the Coast To Coast and Red Bull Defiance.

Hollie is passionate about inspiring others to get into the great outdoors and give things a go. In addition to ‘Say Yes To Adventure’, she avidly blogs about her travels and adventures. She has also shared her stories of exploration and discovery through public talks and presentations.

Bridget Kruger

30-year-old Bridget Kruger is no stranger to the great outdoors, having worked for years as an outdoor instructor and adventure therapist all over the world.

Bridget divides her home time between Australia and New Zealand, depending on where her work takes her. She feels a connection to Nansen – having family based in Norway and having studied there for a semester towards a Masters degree in Trans- Cultural European Outdoor Studies.

Bridget had a life-altering experience while working in Canada as a dog sled guide. She was involved in a serious accident, when a person lost control of their sled and ran her over, leading to a traumatic head injury. Bridget slept for nearly three months and had to regain her short-term memory, the ability to think coherently, as well as the ability to balance properly. Through her long recovery, Bridget found solace in nature.

As she puts it, “There is something about adventuring in nature that ignites the spirit and brings out the best in us.”

Keith Parsons

Australian Keith Parsons has managed to pack a lot into his twenty-eight years.

A skilled photographer and videographer, Keith’s work has taken him all over the world. In between stints in London and Melbourne working as a picture editor for The Telegraph and a content coordinator for a non-government organisation, he spent a year in sub-Saharan Africa, where he worked as a freelance visual journalist.

Keith is an avid endurance runner, mountain biker and all-round outdoor enthusiast.

Coupled with his love of the outdoors is a passion for polar-history, and the exploits of heroic-era explorers like Fridtjof Nansen.

Keith describes Nansen’s influence: “Fridtjof Nansen’s original journey is, in my mind, one of the most notable feats of polar exploration, as we know it ushered in a prolonged period of firsts. However, to me Nansen’s political and humanitarian efforts are even greater; resulting in his 1922 Nobel Peace Prize.”

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