After waiting all day we were finally able to access our equipment and provisions. Everything is in order. We also checked the shotguns and ammunition and ran through the weapons cleaning and safety procedures with Lasse. We have been given 100 rounds of “slugs” by the SPRS. We trained with these during the gun course in May – the idea is that a shotgun is easy to use and the high calibre “slug” will stop a Polar bear dead in its tracks if we find ourselves in a dangerous situation. All is quiet at Constable Point though.
We are staying in the “★— ★★★★★” Constable Point “Hilton” (as the sign says on the door). It is not that bad really, just basic – a few demountable buildings with a kitchen and bathrooms.
The residues of past Greenland expeditions is all over the place – left over long-life food, stickers on the doors with various international logos, the odd rock sample, coinage in mixed currencies, a Musk Ox horn, and used books in a dozen languages.
We got a good look at the local Jurassic rocks and now had some idea of what to expect – a LOT of climbing. The scale of Greenland is a bit deceptive. Everything looks close, and is often only a few kilometres away on a map, but the topography is extremely mountainous so what seems like a 10 min walk can actually take a few hours. The 24-hour daylight is useful though. It means we can work as late as we want.