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\nExtraordinary cruises require extraordinary preparation. This is the motto that took Mathieu Tsingrilaras, second captain of the PONANT fleet, and Jos\u00e9 Sarica, PONANT Expedition\u2019s experiences director, one thousand kilometres north of the Arctic Circle<\/strong> in March 2024, where they dreamt up an all-new adventure in the farthest reaches of Greenland<\/a><\/strong>. Thanks to Greenland expert and explorer Nicolas Dubreuil<\/strong>, co-founder of SEDNA, this scouting<\/a> expedition was a completely immersive experience that gave both men plenty of opportunities to meet local people.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
\n\u00a0<\/div>\n<\/div>\n[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_testimonial author=\u201dJos\u00e9 Sarica\u201d portrait_url=\u201dhttps:\/\/escales.ponant.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/0O5A2427_reperage_Charcot_Canada\u00a9PONANT-Julien-Fabro-scaled.jpg\u201d _builder_version=\u201d4.24.2\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d body_font_size=\u201d22px\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d theme_builder_area=\u201dpost_content\u201d]<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was on the plane back to France that it really struck me that the cruise\u2019s passengers would get an intensely personal experience and lose all sense of time and space.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_testimonial][et_pb_text _builder_version=\u201d4.27.5\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d header_font_size=\u201d28px\u201d custom_padding=\u201d30px||40px||false|false\u201d hover_enabled=\u201d0\u2033 global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d theme_builder_area=\u201dpost_content\u201d sticky_enabled=\u201d0\u2033]<\/p>\n
What was the main purpose of the scouting trip to north-west Greenland?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Jos\u00e9 Sarica<\/strong>: It was important to organise a scouting trip because we wanted to set up a new experience in Kullorsuaq<\/a><\/strong> which would give people a chance to visit in early spring for the very first time, so we could offer activities on the ice floes. We had to be there to assess the terrain and climate, and have conversations with the local Inuit community<\/strong> <\/a>about what kind of experience we could offer our passengers.<\/p>\n
Mathieu Tsingrilaras<\/strong>: I took part in the scouting mission so that I could confirm Le<\/em> Commandant Charcot<\/strong> <\/a>would be safe<\/strong> to operate. You need very precise information if you are going to sail in polar regions<\/strong><\/a> because of the extreme weather conditions and the fact that there are no up-to-date maps of the area \u2013 some bathymetric surveys date back to the early 20th century \u2013 and, of course, you have to understand the polar environment, where the ice can change very quickly.<\/p>\n
\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=\u201dhttps:\/\/escales.ponant.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/premier-defi.jpg\u201d alt=\u201dpremier-defi\u201d title_text=\u201dpremier-defi\u201d _builder_version=\u201d4.24.2\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d theme_builder_area=\u201dpost_content\u201d][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=\u201d4.24.2\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d max_width=\u201d900px\u201d custom_padding=\u201d||||true|false\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d theme_builder_area=\u201dpost_content\u201d][et_pb_column type=\u201d4_4\u2033 _builder_version=\u201d4.16\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d theme_builder_area=\u201dpost_content\u201d][et_pb_text _builder_version=\u201d4.24.2\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d custom_padding=\u201d0px||40px||false|false\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d theme_builder_area=\u201dpost_content\u201d]<\/p>\n
What was the first challenge you faced?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
J.S.: The main aim was to reach Kullorsuaq<\/strong> but this was a difficult task from the start, as we couldn\u2019t get further than Upernavik from Greenland\u2019s capital, Nuuk.<\/strong> We were stuck there for a day because the helicopters couldn\u2019t take off. Nicolas Dubreuil [editor: see boxed text] has the expertise you need to manage situations like this, so he got in touch with some Inuit hunters he knew and we were able to reach Kullorsuaq by snowmobile,<\/strong> after a very long and extremely cold journey [editor: with temperatures below -20\u00b0C].<\/p>\n
M.T.<\/strong>: It\u2019s only 210km as the crow flies between Upernavik and Kullorsuaq, but when the region is icebound, the only way to get between the two is to take a snowmobile across the ice.[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=\u201dhttps:\/\/escales.ponant.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/echanger-avec-la-communaute.jpg\u201d alt=\u201dechanger-avec-la-communaute\u201d title_text=\u201dechanger-avec-la-communaute\u201d _builder_version=\u201d4.24.2\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d theme_builder_area=\u201dpost_content\u201d][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=\u201d4.24.2\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d max_width=\u201d900px\u201d custom_padding=\u201d4px||4px||true|false\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d theme_builder_area=\u201dpost_content\u201d][et_pb_column type=\u201d4_4\u2033 _builder_version=\u201d4.16\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d theme_builder_area=\u201dpost_content\u201d][et_pb_text _builder_version=\u201d4.24.2\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d custom_padding=\u201d0px||20px||false|false\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d theme_builder_area=\u201dpost_content\u201d]<\/p>\n
Why was it so important to talk to the local community in Kullorsuaq?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
M.T.: Local Inuit hunters<\/strong> gave us some invaluable information that helped us scout the area before we sailed it. They shared some really crucial information about, for example, the key currents, where the first-year ice was located and the places we\u2019d find intact icebergs.<\/p>\n
J.S.: The Inuit really trust us and vice versa<\/strong> thanks to the relationship Nicolas has built up with local hunters and his own years of experience. The scouting expedition gave us the chance to take things a step further by getting the people of Kullorsuaq involved in designing the activities for the trip we had in mind.<\/p>\n
\n\u00a0<\/div>\n<\/div>\n[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=\u201dhttps:\/\/escales.ponant.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/retenu-de-cette-experience.jpg\u201d alt=\u201dretenu-de-cette-experience\u201d title_text=\u201dretenu-de-cette-experience\u201d _builder_version=\u201d4.24.2\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d theme_builder_area=\u201dpost_content\u201d][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=\u201d4.16\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d max_width=\u201d900px\u201d custom_padding=\u201d0px||0px||true|false\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d theme_builder_area=\u201dpost_content\u201d][et_pb_column type=\u201d4_4\u2033 _builder_version=\u201d4.16\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d theme_builder_area=\u201dpost_content\u201d][et_pb_text _builder_version=\u201d4.24.2\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d custom_padding=\u201d21px||44px||false|false\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d theme_builder_area=\u201dpost_content\u201d]<\/p>\n
What did you learn from this experience?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
M.T.:<\/strong> It was extremely rewarding,<\/strong> both personally and professionally. Meeting the local community was incredible, because we often communicated through gestures and looks.<\/p>\n
J.S.:<\/strong> When I was on the dog sled<\/a>, I remember wondering how long I\u2019d been away. There\u2019s an Inuit word which sums it up best: \u201cImaqa<\/em>\u201d (pronounced \u201cImara\u201d).<\/strong> It\u2019s untranslatable really, but it refers to a frame of mind where you just let things happen<\/strong> rather than trying to control nature, and you adapt to the unique environment.<\/p>\n
\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_testimonial author=\u201dMathieu Tsingrilaras\u201d portrait_url=\u201dhttps:\/\/escales.ponant.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/portrait_M.-Tisingrilaras_Kullorusaq\u00a9ponant_julien_fabro.jpg\u201d _builder_version=\u201d4.24.2\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d body_font_size=\u201d22px\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d theme_builder_area=\u201dpost_content\u201d]<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a place that makes you feel tiny, not just because of the landscape, which is all polar desert whiteness and rocks, but also because you feel like a stranger in a natural world you don\u2019t understand. On the other hand, it was clear just how well the local community knows its environment, and it shared that knowledge with us.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_testimonial][et_pb_image src=\u201dhttps:\/\/escales.ponant.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/croisiere-et-les-activites.jpg\u201d alt=\u201dcroisiere-et-les-activites\u201d title_text=\u201dcroisiere-et-les-activites\u201d _builder_version=\u201d4.24.2\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d custom_padding=\u201d54px|||||\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d theme_builder_area=\u201dpost_content\u201d][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=\u201d4.24.2\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d max_width=\u201d900px\u201d custom_padding=\u201d0px||0px||true|false\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d theme_builder_area=\u201dpost_content\u201d][et_pb_column type=\u201d4_4\u2033 _builder_version=\u201d4.16\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d theme_builder_area=\u201dpost_content\u201d][et_pb_text _builder_version=\u201d4.24.2\u2033 _module_preset=\u201ddefault\u201d custom_padding=\u201d16px||17px||false|false\u201d global_colors_info=\u201d{}\u201d theme_builder_area=\u201dpost_content\u201d]<\/p>\n
Can you tell us more about the upcoming cruise and the activities on offer?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
M.T.:<\/strong> In terms of the sailing itinerary, it starts in Nuuk,<\/strong> with the first leg in Disko Bay<\/strong><\/a>, before going on to Kullorsuaq.<\/strong> The route is dotted with lots of extremely different glacial landscapes.<\/strong> Passengers will get the sense of how the ice is a living thing. The ship will be in open water when we leave Nuuk. We then move into an area where there is more and more<\/strong> ice, until eventually the entire coastline is covered with it. When the ship passes Disko Island and then the enormous Disko Bay, it will navigate through some immense<\/strong> tabular icebergs<\/strong> carved by the Ilulissat<\/strong> ice fjord.<\/p>\n