The Journey Begins Before the Expedition
In just 11 days our Arctic Sailing Expedition starts. Our route will take us from Lofoten to Jan Mayen, East Greenland, Iceland and the Faroe Islands.
One of the places we hope to reach is Beerenberg. Rising 2277 metres above the remote island of Jan Mayen, it is the world's northernmost active volcano.
Jan Mayen has no permanent civilian population. The island's only settlement is Olonkinbyen, a small Norwegian weather and military station inhabited by a rotating crew. Beyond that, there are no roads, no mountain huts and no alpine rescue infrastructure.
If conditions allow, our route will begin at sea level, directly from our anchorage. From there, it's a long journey across glaciers to the summit and back again. Depending on conditions, the ascent and descent can take well over 24 hours.
Although we have permission to attempt the climb, that doesn't guarantee it will happen. Weather, sea conditions, glacier conditions and safety will ultimately decide whether we even set foot on the mountain. Preparing for a place like this starts long before arriving there.
Learning on the Glacier
Last weekend, part of our crew met at Hotel Steingletscher in the Swiss Alps for two days of glacier training with the experienced mountain guide Ruedi Kellerhals. Ruedi has more than 35 years of experience and has led expeditions around the world.
Saturday was spent revising the fundamentals. We worked on rope techniques, knots, glacier travel, equipment handling and different rescue scenarios, including crevasse rescue using pulley systems. Some members of our crew already have extensive alpine experience. Others have less. The goal wasn't to teach beginners. It was to make sure we all work together using the same techniques and procedures.
Sunday started at four o'clock in the morning. After breakfast, we left at 5am from the Umpol trailhead at 2111 metres. After reaching the glacier below Tierberglihütte, we roped up, put on our crampons and continued towards Vorder Tierberg (3090 m), putting everything we had practised the day before into action.
Through the Viewfinder
As the expedition photographer and filmmaker, I'm constantly balancing two roles. One is to tell the story. The other is to be fully present in it.
For photography, I'll mainly be working with my Nikon Z9. For filming, my Nikon ZR. Both are incredible cameras, but they also come with weight. Carrying them for hours across glacier terrain while staying fully focused on the rope team made me question whether this was the right situation to use them.
In the end, I decided to document the entire day with my phone and an action camera instead. Sometimes being present is more important than capturing every moment with professional equipment.
Facing Fear
For me, this weekend was about much more than learning glacier skills. Even though I grew up in Switzerland, I've always felt more comfortable on the ocean than in the mountains because I've had a fear of heights since childhood.
During our 2023 expedition to Svalbard, I remember telling Andy, "There is no way I'll ever climb that mast."
Andy has a way of gently pushing me beyond my comfort zone. Never too much. Just enough. Somehow, I found myself climbing up the mast. I reached the top in tears. My heart was racing, my hands were shaking and I could barely think. The moment I looked through the viewfinder of my camera, everything else disappeared. My breathing slowed down. My focus shifted from the height to the image in front of me. When I climbed back down, everyone hugged me. I've rarely felt such an overwhelming sense of relief and happiness.
This weekend, on the final section towards the summit of Vorder Tierberg, the tears, the racing heart and the shaking hands were back. Roped together with Andy, I caught myself thinking exactly the same thoughts I had on that mast in Svalbard. The difference was that this time, I knew what was happening.
I know this fear. I know how I react. And I've learned that the more often I face it, the more manageable it becomes.
Andy once again did what he does so well. He gently guided me, encouraged me and somehow always knew exactly when to push and when to simply let me find my own way. The fear will probably never disappear. But I've stopped fighting it and let the emotions be there. The difference today is that I no longer let them control me.
When we reached the top, Andrea smiled at me and said: „Saeny, take a photo and your world will be alright again.“
She remembered the mast in Svalbard and knew exactly what would happen.
The Right People
I've realised once again that courage rarely grows on its own. It grows when you're surrounded by the right people who believe in you before you believe in yourself. They don't take the challenge away, they simply make you believe that you can face it.
This weekend gave me so much energy and even if we were just one part of the crew, I’m really looking forward to spending five weeks with all of them on a boat of 60 square metres. As always we had a lot of laughter and great moments together. It was very interesting to listen to Ruedi’s stories from all over the world and learn from his experience.
Looking Ahead
One last thing. The photograph below is still my favourite photograph I've ever made. I took it from the top of the mast during our Svalbard expedition. It hangs on the wall in my apartment and it's the wallpaper on both my phone and computer. Every time I look at it, I'm reminded that fear and joy can exist in exactly the same moment.
Saeny Blaser, Photographer & Filmmaker
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