Fat Tyres In Frozen Lands

If you’re a regular reader of Expat Living, you’ll know that we enjoy following the adventures of the HER Planet Earth team as they explore some of the world’s farflung corners. This time, they journey across Greenland – by bicycle!

- Christine Amour-Levar

There’s no doubt that traversing the full length of Greenland’s Arctic Circle Trail at the heart of winter on a bike will stand as one of the most extraordinary and unique experiences of my life. The journey saw the HER Planet Earth team push our limits to the brink of exhaustion on multiple occasions in extreme conditions and temperatures, across one of the most awe-inspiring and stunningly beautiful places I’ve witnessed.

The goal of this pioneering expedition was to raise awareness and funds (a team total of $50,000) for underprivileged women affected by climate change in Asia. Why Greenland? Because it’s one of the last final frontiers. Eighty percent covered in ice, its glaciers are contributing to a rise in the global sea level faster than was previously believed. As this accelerates, many coastal cities will be affected – and Asian cities will be hit much harder than others given their population, economic activity and landmass. The processes that control sea-level rise are amplified in Asia. As a result, about four out of every five people impacted by sea-level rise by 2050 will live in East or Southeast Asia.

Initial impressions

Stepping off the plane in Kangerlussuaq, a small town in western Greenland with a population of a few hundred people, feels like we’ve landed at the edge of one of humanity’s last settlements. The minus 33°C temperature hits me in the face instantly. Dry air fills my nostrils and lungs; it’s as if I’m suddenly inhaling ice particles that freeze me from the inside out.