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Caithness News Bulletins July 2005

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Pentland Canoe Club  

All Go for Greenland
Three sea kayakers from the Thurso based Pentland Canoe Club will depart next week on the most ambitious trip in the Club's 21 year history. Shona Comrie of Portskerra; Simon Copsey and Ken Nicol, both of Halkirk, are to undertake a three week sea kayaking expedition to Greenland. Initially they will spend three days travelling to Narsarsuaq in Southern Greenland and from here transfer by helicopter to Nanortalik where they will collect their sea kayaks and food, which are being shipped out in advance.

They aim to paddle from Nanortalik (the word "Nanortalik" means 'place of bears') to Nupp Kangerlua where there are two spectacular tidewater glaciers that calve regularly into the fjord. The trip will pass through Torssuqaatoq underneath 1460m sea cliffs - believed to be some of the highest in the world. The expedition will involve paddling over 150 miles and will last approximately 12 days. During the trip they hope to see whales, seals, polar bears to name but a few of the local wildlife, an opportunity rarely available to most individuals. No roads exist between the small Inuit settlements so the expedition hopes to encounter some of these indigenous settlements by sea, which will bring a strong social experience to the trip.

The group will be self sufficient for the expedition and will carry all food, water, clothing and camping equipment needed in their kayaks. Safety is paramount on a trip of this nature and local companies (UKAEA and Jacobs Babtie) and a supplier of kayaking equipment (YaK) are contributing items of vital safety equipment and clothing for the intrepid trio.