Raving Ravens

Fire in Kulusuk

Northern lights over the town of Kulusuk. This is a picture I took from the school last November. The house that burned down is the one we see on the hill.

I just received the following letter from a friend in Kulusuk, the little hunting village on the east coast of Greenland I have told you about before.

 

Dear all

Two hours ago, at 5:30 am, I woke up to the noice of the towns fire alarm. Since at this moment we are having the fiercest snow storm, that started at midnight and has been howling and raging all night long, the alarm may have gone off earlier than I heard it. 

Through a tiny little hole in the snow that otherwise completely covers my bedroom window, I could see the flames in the direction of "The Blue Mansion", my old little blue house. For the time being, I couldn't open the front door, as 1,5 meters (3 feet) of snow had piled up blocking it. I called my colleague Henrik who lives next door and he put on ten layers of clothing and crawled over to my house and managed to dig away enough of the snow so that I could make it outside. Between the wildest gusts that almost threw us to the ground and pressed the air out of our lungs, we could through the blowing snow see how the flames spread to the rest of the house.

The house, which Henrik has with his hard work and determination renovated into the schools music building, was filled with nice instruments, mixers, amplifiers and speakers, things that fonds and individuals alike had donated to the children and are enthusiasticly used every single day since Henrik started it up. In the basement layed Susanne's splendid kayak. If the concrete floor managed to keep it out of harms way I'll first now when the storm tonight, according to forecasts, will pass.

I am completely shocked and miserable because of the fire. Of course I am happy I wasn't living there anymore, but very concerned over all the instruments the children loved so much and had spent so many hours to learn to play, and are now lost.

 

I just got a call from my boss Lars-Peter who told me only two of the towns fire men, Joel and Buuto had made it to the house. The rest had been forced to turn back only a few meters from their homes as the storm was too fierce. There wasn't much Joel and Buuto could do alone against the fire and the storm so they fought their way back to Lars-Peter's house where they are now seaking shelter until it is safe to go outside again.

It is a tragedy that has struck the school, since it is the children who are going to bear the loss. If any of you, who all have been to Kulusuk and know what life is like here, have any idea on how we can overcome this, I'll be happy to hear your suggestions.

 

With all the best wishes from a very shocked and shaken
Anne-Mette Holm

 

I have seen the hard work under difficult conditions these teachers unselfishly provide to make the most of what they can offer the children of Kulusuk and it is sad to see it all go up in flames. I hope they will not loose their spirit but manage to rebuild it with the help of good willed people.

I will add some photos if I can get any after the storm has passed.

Hjörtur

UPDATE: I just got photos from the ruins in Kulusuk:

This is a picture from a very similar angle as the one on top. Except the house is gone.

The ruins from up close. There's pretty much nothing left.

UPDATE March 11th: Here are a few pictures of the house burning that Lars-Peter Sterling took, the schools headmaster who lives next door. Due to the snow storm, no fire engines of any kind could make it to the house and there was nothing that could be done to stop the fire.

The fire is believed to have started by the chimney, possible after it was blown off in the storm.

The house was quickly engulfed in flames.

No instruments left there.

Win a dog sledge trip in Greenland

In April two Colourobox photographers will join the four winners of the Metro Global Photo Challenge 2012 in a week long expedition to the wilderness of East Greenland.

The tour starts with one night in Reykjavik, capital of Iceland, before leaving for the rough terrain of East Greenland. We will fly with Air Iceland to Kulusuk island in Greenland and then onwards with an old veteran Vietnam helicopter to Tasiilaq.

In Tasiilaq the crew will get dog sledge training and if they do well, they might pass for a dog sledge driving license. During our training days in Tasiilaq we will get an introduction to the fascinating Inuit culture of the locals, meeting local artists, old polar bear hunters and getting a taste of their exotic cuisine. The Inuit traditions are still a strong part of their everyday life, but there are only about 100 years since the local tribes on the east coast had the first contact with the outside world. East Greenland is one of the least explored regions in the world.

One of the dogs that will be in the dog sledge expedition.

When the team is ready we will head out on the ice in dog sledges for three days exploring the wonders of the East Greenlandic nature with enormous icebergs, steep mountains, endless snow and if we are lucky, the phenomenal northern lights colouring the arctic night sky. We will be sleeping in hunter huts along the way.

We will then return to the town of Tasiilaq, a town of 2.000 inhabitants and the largest on the eastern coast of Greenland. On the way back we will again spend one night in Reykjavik, Iceland before heading to our home countries.

  The northern lights dancing above the hunting village in Kulusuk.

The expedition is a challenge, both physically and mentally, but not extremely dangerous. We will be travelling off the beaten track in a cold climate and harsh environment. The crew can not expect any luxury, but you can expect an unforgettable experience.

 

SING UP NOW!

The competition is open for any registered Colourbox photographer. If you've got the quality, you can register here to become a colourbox photographer and submit your photos for the competition. But you've got to hurry. You've only got eleven days to do it!

 

So find your best pictures, sign up on Colourbox and you might be one of the lucky photographers that will come with me on a week long dog sledge expedition in Greenland.

If you have any questions, feel free to post them below and I'll answer them there.

Hjörtur

There are still trolls in Iceland!

Hvitserkur was a troll who lived in Strandir, west of the bay. He was very annoyed by the church bell in Þingeyrar, so much that one night he lost his patience and waded the bay to smash the bell. On his way back the sun came up and he turned into stone where he still stands till this day.

Hvitserkur is only about 15 minutes drive from ring road 1, between the towns of Hvammstangi and Blönduós. 

Hjörtur

Iceland's foreign minister sends a message to Netanyahu, Ahmadinejad, Syria and the UN

In a speech Mr. Össur Skarphedinsson, foreign minister of Iceland gave at the UN General Assembly yesterday, he was very direct on the situation in Syria, in Palestine and the relations between Iran and Israel, as well as on gender equality and the human rights of homosexuals.

Skarphéðinsson criticized the security council for having become and obstacle to international effort. 

"We must reform it, so as to make it a tool, not a hindrance, for progress in situation such as in Syria this year, or - as we saw last year - concerning the Palestinian application."

And his message to Mr. Netanyahu and Ahmadinejad was clear:

"Last year I brought you the message that my Government would propose to our Parliament that Iceland recognizes Palestine as a sovereign and an independent state.

I'm happy to tell you today, that we have fulfilled that promise. What's more, not  single member of the Icelandic Parliament voted against the recognition of Palestine.

 

Mr. President,

The United Nations have recently estimated that Gaza will no longer be "livable" by 2020 unless urgent action is taken to improve water supply, power, health and basic education. The deplorable living conditions described in the UN report demonstrate only too well that the situation in Palestine is unacceptable to anyone who respects human dignity.

I have visited Gaza. I met with fishermen who are not allowed to go fishing in the waters out of Gaza. I met the children of Gaza whose lives are made impossible by poverty, violence and a blockade that by others than myself has been described as an open door prison.

I have seen for myself how the human rights of the people of the West bank are violated every day by a man-made barrier cutting through their roads, their lands, their lives.

When I was in Qalqilya the words of a former statesman we all know rung in my head.

Mr. Netanyahu - tear down this wall!

I also know that the Israeli people are just like the rest of us. They just want to live in peace, and so they deserve. The best way to ensure that, is a two state solution, that would not only be to the benefit of the Palestinians, but to the Israeli people as well.

 

Mr. President,

I listened to Mr. Netanyahu's speech on Thursday, and I have a comment to make on behalf of the Icelandic people: Don't bomb Iran. Don't start another war in the Middle East. At the same time I say to President Ahmadinejad and the Iranian leadership: Don't build a bomb. Let diplomacy work, not rabblerousing or fearmongering. Let's work for peace together."

 

Iceland may not be a big nation. Iceland may not have an army. But Iceland can still be an inspiration. 

"Small countries can be global pioneers. Iceland demonstrated that by breaking the ice of recognition for the Baltic countries, by introducing geothermal as an alternative in the world's quest for clean power, and we have led by example in the fight for gender equality."

Skarphéðinsson announced at this opportunity that Iceland has secured funds with the World Bank to develope geothermal projects in the East African Rift Valley producing renewable energy for 150 million people in 13 African countries.

Mr. Skarphéðinsson concluded by stating the Icelandic situation after the economic collapse:

"Times have been tough in Iceland. In the recession in Europe we were the first country down, but we were also the first country up. If there is any lesson to be drawn from the Icelandic recovery it is that austerity doesn't work on it's own. Iceland certainly went through her share of austerity, but we also raised taxes, especially on the wealthy, and used the revenue to stimulate growth and ensure the welfare system was intact. Today, we have some of the lowest unemployment in Europe, and robust economic growth. The Icelandic model works.

Perhaps the best sign that Iceland is back in business is the fact that whilst the global recession has sadly led to a decline in international support for the developing countries Iceland is bucking that trend. We are increasing ours - substantially."

Maybe someone will be inspired by Iceland when it comes to foreign policy as well.

Hjörtur

The speech can be read in whole here: Mr. Skarphéðinsson's speech to the UN General Assembly

An Iceberg explodes of the Greenland coast - Satellite images

A large iceberg exploded the night to September 17th in Baffins Bay, 90 km north of Upernavik. The spread of fragments had reached an area of 4-5 km in diameter within a few hours from the explosion, as can be seen in the satellite images. In the third image the fragments have spread up to 10 km to the north-northwest within 24 hours.

The iceberg can be seen as a tiny dot on the image shot at 11:05 UTC, September 16th.

At 10:36 UTC on September 17th the fragments spread over an area of 4-5 km in diameter.

At 21:02 on the night of September 17th we can see how the fragments have drifted to the north-north-west making a stripe of small icebergs that is about 10 km long.

The process leading to large icebergs exploding has not been researched much, as it usually happens unexpected in very remote places. The explosion is believed to be the result of erosion of the iceberg due to weather and sea, but other things contribute to increasing the tension within the iceberg. It may have been stranded which means it lifts at high tide and then gets beaten back to the ocean floor on low tide. As the iceberg starts to melt it cracks get filled up with melt water. If that then freezes again it can result in the explosion of the iceberg. 

The Center for Ocean and Ice of DMI (the Danish Meteorological Institute) has been focusing on the Baffin Bay area lately as it is supporting some seismic research in the area.

Hjörtur

Source: Nora Adamsen, DMI

Images are from RADARSAT, from the Canadian Space Agency.

Caught in the storm - farmers amazing rescue work in Iceland

Two weeks ago, a fierce snow storm hit Iceland unexpectedly. At this time of the year we occasionally get the first snow, specially up in the mountains. The storm that hit Iceland Monday two weeks ago was a full blown winter storm with heavy snow fall in the North of the country. As the gatherings of sheep had not yet started tens of thousands of sheep got cought in the storm and thousands got killed. In the following days farmers and rescue squads where in the mountains searching for life sheep.

The sheep is well dressed in their warm wool and can withstand some really bad weather. If the get frozen stuck under a thick layer of snow they don't stand much chance though. Here are some amazing images from the rescue work:

 

 

A snowmobile transporting sheep and rescuers through the storm. Photo: Erna Erlingsdóttir

The snow was a few meters deep in some places. Photo Erna Erlingdsóttir.

Dogs and avalanche poles where used to search for the sheep in the snow. Here is one freed after 6 days and still able to run! Photo: Erna Erlingsdóttir

We have a live one! Photo: Erna Erlingsdóttir

Three sheep. One life, two dead. Photo: Erna Erlingsdóttir

Refueling. Photo: Erna Erlingsdóttir

People, dogs and vehicles were pushed to the extreme. Photo: Erna Erlingsdóttir

The sheep had seeked shelter under this rock. 22 found, 15 dead, 7 alive. Photo: Erna Erlingsdóttir

A river of sheep that have been rescued from the storm. Photo: Gísli Haraldsson

They are still finding life ones, after two weeks, though most found now are dead. Farmers and rescue workers have done an amazing jobs there.

Hjörtur

Greenland - A Thousand Shades of White

6 students from the UK and the Netherlands went to Ilulissat fjord in Greenland and wandered off into the white wilderness to study the ice and the climate change. Those students became climate change ambassadors. 

This video is a collection of images from their travels in various location in Greenland: 

 

You can read more about their project here: 

Climate Change College

Hjörtur

Over 100 pilot whales rescued from stranding in Iceland today

Pilot whales usually don't go as far north as Iceland but today a group of over 100 pilot whales swam close to the shore a few kilometers from my home town. As I got to the whales a few whales had already stranded but been rescued back to sea. In the video you can see as a boat arrives to drive them further away from the coast so they don't strand again:

 

I was hoping their squeeks would be heard on the video, but since this is just recorded on my mobile phone, it's mostly just wind you hear. 

It was quite an experience seeing so many whales up close, not the least for the kids. The last time a group of pilot whales came to Iceland was in 1986, so this is not a rare event here.

Pilot whales create strong social bonds and travel in large groups. They are the most common whales to strand and usually strand in large groups. The reason for their stranding is not known and is believed to consist of several combining factors.

Hjörtur

The Last Viking in America

Did the Vikings ever make to the American continent? Might there still be one left here?

Yes, Leif the Lucky had a brother who wasn't quite as lucky. Like Leif he sailed to "Vineland" in search for a place to settle. But to his bad luck, he got struck by an arrow from the natives and died from his wounds. His body was buried on a peninsula according to the sagas and left there. My mission is to find that grave.

 

Why do I want to find an old grave?
I have a personal relation to these events as Gudridur Thorbjarnardottir, one of the first settlers in America and the first European to give birth in America was my ancestor. I can trace my family directly to her. I grew up listening to the Viking sagas, not only this one, but also local ones. In the recent years archeological excavations have been proofing those sagas to be very accurate in their descriptions with graves and battlegrounds being found where they were said to be. 

This is of significant historical importance. It has been debated for a long time how far the Vikings actually did sail. The sagas tell us they sailed all the way to mainland America and in my mind there is no doubt. But physical evidence is lacking. A Viking camp believed to have belonged to Leif has been found in Newfoundland but that doesn't fit the descriptions of the settlement. So I'm going to try to find physical evidence of their arrival on the mainland.

 

What are my chances?
To increase the chance of finding the grave I will attempt to put myself into the mindset of the Vikings. To do that I will not only study the sagas from the old manuscripts, but also investigate Viking farms and graves that have been excavated in Iceland and Greenland and interview experts in the field. The descriptions of the Sagas will be followed as we sail a 60 foot ketch the same route the Vikings took from Iceland to Greenland and onwards to Canada.

Accompanying me will be the Canadian film-maker Evan Warner who worked on the award winning film People of a Feather. I have created a project on the crowdfunding site Kickstarter (http://kck.st/Lp28Km) where people can back the project by pre-purchasing the film, memorabilia or even become co-producers. You can also see examples of our earlier work.

The ketch has already left Ireland and set sail to Iceland where it will arrive June 15th. I only have 60 hours to raise the money needed so all support is very much appreciated, both financial and in spreading the word and getting media publicity. If all my readers chip in just a couple of dollars, we can make it :)

Thanks!
Hjörtur 

The Spirit of Iceland

The people of Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands are the free people - growing up in the wild, unspoiled nature of the North. Dependent on the often ruthless natrual forces of the North Atlantic they learn that the only one they can rely on for survival, is themselves.

That is the spirit of freedom.

That is the spirit of the North.

Hjörtur

This fantastic image of the clouds taking the form of a giant bird taking off was shot just before midnight last night by Ingvar Vilhjálmsson in Keflavik, Iceland.