93Æ
ILLUSTRATION BY THERESA GRIEBEN
17 July 1888
S ome 10 miles east of
Greenland, Nansen and five
companions disembark
from the Jason, a
seal-hunting ship, and set
out for the ice-choked coast
in two small rowboats17-29 July 1888
The men are thwarted from reaching
the shore by powerful currents and
pack ice. At one point, str anded on
an ice floe, they barely esc ape being
pulled east into the rough ocean15 August 1888
The expedition dons snowshoes
to begin the crossing, traversing
a treacherous crevasse zone and
hauling heav y sleds up steep,
interminable hills11 September 1888
Camping at around 2,400m,
Nansen estimates that the
overnight temperature
plummeted to –45°C12 S eptember 18 8 8
T he team pas ses the highest
point of the mission and starts the
shallow descent, strapping on skis
and tying an improvised sail to the
largest sled17 September 1888
The men hear the chirp of a snow
bunting, indicating that the west
coast is near; before reaching the
coast, they must pas s through
another perilous crevasse zone24 September 1888
The team finally reaches the coast- but several dozen miles away
from Godthaab. They build a small
boat, which Nansen and Otto
Sverdrup paddle to the settlement
3 October 1888
Filthy and exhausted,
Nansen and Sverdrup reach
Godthaab. Inuit kayakers
carr y news of the crossing
to a port in the south, from
where news of the crossing
is carried to Norway29 July 1888
The men finally make landfall, but too
f ar south. T hey begin an exhausting
journey up the coast to find a suitable
starting point for their crossing