2002 Greenland south-north Crossing
- Start date: May 11, 2002
- End date: June 14, 2002
- Start / end point: Qaleraliq- Qaanaaq
- Total km: 2.408
- Expedition days: 33
- Challenges achieved: Maximum distance traveled with a polar wind vehicle
TRIO ON WINDSLED
In 2002, Ramón Larramendi repeated the route he had performed the previous year, with the same wind vehicle he had designed. On this occasion the crew increased to three people, in order to better distribute the physical effort. He would be accompanied by Carlos MengÃbar and Roberto GarcÃa Lema. Larramendi wanted to confirm the WindSled as a real alternative for polar geographic exploration, adventure that on this occasion was sponsored by the AXN television network.
The expedition began with north wind on the surface, contrary to what they needed. In addition, for the first time, they found crevasses in the ice more than 2,000 meters above sea level and quite far from the coast. At an average temperature of -19ºC, it took 14 days to be in place for ​​favorable winds. Once the first 200 kilometers were overcome, they reached 383 kilometers in one day, approaching the 2001 record.
ARRIVAL AT THULE
The navigation occurred without incident. Already in Thule, they chose a different route from the previous year to reach the coast: the Tuttu Glacier. They managed to overcome many crevasses and vertical crests without the WindSled breaking, until a hidden crack eventually deteriorated it, forcing them to divide the vehicle into two parts, with which they reached the municipality of Qaanaaq by a fjord that was still frozen and which was recommended to them by their contact at the coast, Hans Jensen.
It took 33 days to cross Greenland from South to North, exceeding the average speed of the previous year (30-35 km / h), navigating at an angle of 90º from the wind direction and taking turns. The average speed was 72.4 km per day.
