Expedition to Baffin Island – details from Sergey Porodnov

On his return from Baffin Island, Sergey Porodnov (Ekaterinburg) has visited BASK and has shared with us some interesting details about ‘BASK – Great Sail Wall’ expedition and about the events in which he himself had participated.

Sergey set himself a hard task – not only to be a sponsor of a Ural climbing duo Klenov-Devi, but also to be a full member of the expedition during a first stage of it. He joined the team, reached a base of a Great Sail Peak wall and worked along with other member while pitching a camp. Sergey left the island only on the 10th of May, when the climbers began breaking their route up the wall.

Larisa Martynkina (LM), company BASK: Sergey, you are not only a sponsor of a Ural climbing duo, but you yourself are full of adventures: a climber and an experienced coach. Tell us about your alumni – athletes from Ekaterinburg.

Sergey Porodnov (SP): Alexander Klenov and Michael Devi make a very strong good-tempered climbing duo, which was formed during several last years. In 1987-1993 I had been working as a coach of a military climbing team of Ekaterinburg and was glad to see quick growth of sport level of these two athletes. Gifted Michael was the youngest climber to summit Lenin peak. What concerns Alexander Klenov, I am sure he is our strongest climber with highest personal technique and perfect skills. With the rest members of the expedition I got acquainted only on my way to Baffin Island.

LM: How have you reached the island?

SP: From Toronto we took cars to Ottawa. After it we flew to Baffin Island (what cost twice as much as a flight Moscow-Toronto!). The flight Ottawa- Iqaluit took about 3.5 hours. From Iqaluit we flew 700 km to Clyde River – the last stronghold of civilization.

LM: Were there any boobs or unpleasant situations on your way?

SP: We didn’t know much about Baffin Island, so we bought all supplies in Toronto and carried all these 1.5 tons via Ottawa to the island. When we had at last arrived, we were in for a big disappointment. Firstly, we found that in local shops we could find any provision, including fresh watermelons and pineapples. Secondly, when we were buying all our foodstuffs we neglected the fact that Canadians take too much care of their health and pay much attention to slimming. So when we revised our purchases and read all the labels, we were discouraged. Our supplies included: non-fat butter, diabetic biscuits, low-cal rations and another cuisine minceur!

LM: What were your impressions from Iqaluit and Clyde River?

SP: Boarding a plane we were sure to land in deep backwoods. When we left the plane, we were amazed with a high living standard of the locals (the Inuits).
Their appearance was a bit unusual for us, Europeans, while all of them were presentably dressed. They had impressed us favourably. Their ladies go shopping at quadro-cycles. In any shop you may find not less than twenty sorts of ice-cream (keep in mind that this happens in the Arctic!). Inuits have everything one may imagine. Their houses are very comfortable and each of them is equipped with a stand-alone heating system, satellite TV, modern personal computers and other hi-tech.

LM: By the way, I got a question concerning computers. We were waiting for letters and photos from Baffin Island but received nothing. What had happened with e-mail and our satellite facilities?
SP: Unfortunately, we decided to improve something in our computer software and as a result we, obviously, spoiled everything. All our tunings, which we had set at home, were lost and we couldn’t restore them. We were dejected with this total absence of connection with an outer world.

LM: How did you finally manage to provide the communication with us?

SP: After we with Klenov settled a query with shipment, we went sightseeing and suddenly saw a salutary signboard ‘Internet’. It was a youth centre, where we found a perfectly equipped gymnasium, a winter garden, and, o lucky we were – an access to Internet. All these services were absolutely free. We immediately started sending e-mails. When local computer specialist got to know that we were Russians, he told us that his wife Oksana was Russian too (from the Ural), so he met us as his own relatives. He spent several hours for fetching required info from some odd corners of the world and after it this noble son of the Inuit repaired our satellite facilities! We were saved.

LM: I guess, not all Inuits spent their time at a computer. What are locals occupied with?

SP: Inuits live coastwise and are engaged in fishing and hunting. There are a lot of fishes and animals around. Lately they began promoting tourist business, which growths very quickly. Say, in Clyde River there are only about a hundred of houses and three of them are (rather comfortable) hotels, about 10 apartments each.
It is significant that the entire island is a non-alcohol zone; import and sale of alcohol are strictly forbidden.

LM: I think a doctor has some spirit for his medical purposes.

SP: Sure, and, truly speaking, not only a doctor. We have something in stock but hope this doesn’t provoke any repressions from the authorities. We saw that they are reasonable people who would not make you additional problems if you make no problems for them.

LM: According to your agreement with authorities you had to be attached several armed locals to defend you from polar bears…

SP: Alas, none had defended us. We were just given a gun with ammunition – two boxes of signal cartridges that may frighten a beast. We were explained that there was almost no danger, as polar bears have nothing to do in a mountain part of the island, where we planned to set a base camp.

LM: Have you used the ammunition?

SP: We met no polar bears and none of us was very upset with the fact. Though we met a lot of pugs on our way and near the base camp. Mostly, they were wolves’.

LM: How long had it taken to get from Clyde River to Great Sail Peak?

SP: At first we travelled two days on motor-sledges, following Alex Lowe route. We had six sledges on wide skids, which were attached to snowmobiles. For the first day we passed 250 km (and spent seven hours for it). The next day we were riding up a frozen river till we met hindrances insuperable for snowmobiles. 30 km still separated us from the point where we planned to pitch a base camp and it took two days at us to overpass them. At last we had established our camp. From that point we had 2.5 hours of walk to a base of a Great Sail Peak wall. When I was leaving, a blizzard began which had lasted already for two days.

LM: Had you been waiting out a storm in a tent or had you really used legendary skills of Odintsov as an igloo-designer?

SP: Well, we’d really planned to build an igloo and had even bought a special snow saw, but all was in vain. When we arrived there was no snow – only pure ice.

LM: How were the climbers when you left them? Hope, no work for doctor Bakin?

SP: All the members were healthy --– they are tough nuts. They had to walk much - – it takes 2.5 hours to cross ice fields and reach the wall – and some of them had already been footsore. These corns were, fortunately, the only business of our doctor.

LM: How did you find Arctic weather?

SP: While I was there, I noticed that summer still had no plans for the region. It was –50C at days and –200C at ‘nights’ (keep in mind a perpetual Arctic day). Well, not so hot, you know.

LM: It means down jackets were essential. How did the team find our warm clothes?

SP: The team had appreciated BASK clothing -– none felt cold in it. In such extreme expeditions professionalism of suppliers plays a very important role. Valery Rozov, who had used clothes of many companies, put on BASK down jacket for the first time and was quite satisfied with it. I myself, though I am not a regular member of the team, had taken BASK sleeping bag with me and felt myself very comfortable in it.

LM: How had it happened that you decided to join the team and go to Baffin Island?

SP: At last I got a chance to realize one my fondest dream. In my youth I spent hours staying, enchanted, before pictures of Canadian artist Rockwell Kent. He showed almost inconceivable Arctic landscapes with vertical rocks, which I considered to be just his fantasy. And now, when I saw it in bare reality, I could hardly trust my eyes.

LM: Were you surprised to see that real Arctic nature turned to be so similar with the pictures?

SP: Surprised? No, – I was overwhelmed! Giant vertical rocks that growth right from a sea up to two kilometres height. Fiords that are of 200 metres length – it is impossible! I have travelled much but I have never seen anything of the kind. Truly speaking, I even envy our climbers who still may enjoy this pristine nature. And, of course, I wish them good look and hope for victory!

Moscow, BASK office,
17.05.2002

24.05.2002