Students View Global Warming in Greenland

The issues surrounding global warming are an ever present feature in today's news bulletins, with footage of how rising temperatures, melting sea ice and crumbling glaciers are dramatically changing the landscape of the northern hemisphere. A group of Year 12 students from Trent College in Long Eaton have had the chance to experience these scenes for themselves, during a month long expedition to East Greenland.

When most sensible people were looking forward to a few weeks lying on a sunny beach after a hard term, 12 students, accompanied by three teachers, embarked on a 26 day arctic expedition to the Angmagssalik area of East Greenland. In a vast glaciated wilderness with rare opportunities for contact with other humans, the group completed their journey in three tiring and demanding phases, all the while carrying their climbing kit, food and essential equipment. With permanent daylight the group could explore the landscape to its full potential, undertaking 12 and 13 hour mountain ascents, rock climbing and gathering data for the research aspects of the expedition.

Reykjavik provided a colourful and vibrant stop on the return journey home, with a chance for the group to regain the weight lost over the previous month and re-acquaint themselves with civilisation and luxuries, such as flushing toilets! With mostly perfect blue skies days throughout, the photograph opportunities were fantastic, providing many lasting reminders of this challenging and awe inspiring journey.

Trent College's Expedition leader Paul Saville said: 'The expedition was a huge success, and it is testament to the courage and determination of the students that we achieved all our objectives. Being away for such a long period of time tests character and a team's ability to work to their full potential. From a student's perspective it was an amazing opportunity to spend time in a real and savage wilderness where the population could not be further removed from what they are used to.'