Mountains and more

Getting up mountain passes while pushing a 13kg fatbike, carrying a 6kg pack and breathing through a balaclava is an exhausting job. To encourage myself when I get dog-tired, I count 50 paces in my head, then stop to catch my breath. Once on top, though, we’re always rewarded with breathtaking views. The valleys and frozen lakes below are spectacular; we gaze in awe and ponder our own insignificance.

Subsequently, from these heights, the downhills are formidable, a much-deserved reward after the long, hard slogs. Descending a snowy trail at full speed on a fatbike, with towering mountains all around in the remote wilderness of Greenland, makes me feel more alive than I’ve felt in a long time.

The next four days vary in distance from 22km to 33km. Some days are harder than others, but after the 60km leg, we feel we can tackle anything. The journey unfolds and we make good progress. Each day, we push our limits even further as we battle the extreme conditions.

We ride on all types of terrain, from hard-packed and powdery snow, to ice, mud and rock. The days on the trail are long and tiring, with no shelter from the cold and wind for up to eight hours. Despite the gruelling conditions, the esprit de corps is strong. We encourage each other, make each other laugh, a lot – it makes all the difference. The faster ones learn to slow down and wait for those who are catching up. The team is tight, and gradually becomes a high-functioning