Today was supposed to be monotonous and uneventful. It didn't turn out that way. Shortly after we left camp, the clouds rolled in, and soon it started to snow. Then, once again, the infamous and dreaded katabatic winds picked up strength. After about six hours, they were blowing so hard that we were forced to stop. The snow was blowing in our faces at 70 kilometers per hour, and visibility was down to zero.
Deciding to take shelter, we set out to raise the tent. 
But a strong gust (which Alain later estimated at about 120 kilometers per hour) caught the tent and snapped a pole, instantly flattening the tent like a pancake. While Alain secured the base of the tent to the ice, I crawled inside with my sled, standing it on its side to prop up the roof and create a little space inside. It's not ideal, but it's shelter. We crawled inside, swept out all the snow that had blown in, and clambered into our sleeping bags. With about a foot of height to work with, Alain and I had space to lie down, but not much else. So we lay there, barely moving for the next 15 hours until the winds had finally passed.
When we finally emerge and take a look, it's clear that the tent has seen better days. It started the trip resembling a comfortable minivan, was flattened to a pancake, and is now more like a tiny sports car built for two...plus a sled.
[Pictured: Larry and Alain's tent after the katabatic winds snapped a pole.]
[Editor's note: Over the course of two weeks, Larry Lunt, a member of NRDC's Global Leadership Council, and Alain Hubert, a Belgian explorer and founder of the International Polar Foundation, will trek some 200 miles from the town of Qaanaaq across Greenland's Humbolt Glacier, the Northern Hemisphere's largest and fastest moving river of ice. Along the way, as special contributors to OnEarth's Greenlight blog, Lunt and Hubert will post dispatches from the ice: stories of a culture and wilderness in flux and lessons for what our own future may hold. Follow the journey at our Destination: Greenland page.]
TRACK THE EXPEDITION ON THE MAP:
I wonder what is most rewarding. Dealing with the surprises of mother nature or the ones from our every day life? Can we come over for diner? Your soup looks realy good.
Great to follow you on your blog. Very well done.
In case you were wondering, Herman Van Rompuy is still prime minister of Belgium. Looking forward to see you again. Hello to Alain.
Wow....OK it is now official, I do not envy you anymore :)
What does it feel like when you spent 15 hours waiting for the storm to pass ?
I suppose it is like when you fly for ten hours straight (OK minus the wine, the meals, the movies etc...). What I am trying to say is that you sort of fall in a lethargic mode and all of a sudden three hours have gone by ???
Do you have your Ipod ?
je pense et espère que tu as adoré ces moments ( 15 heures ...) écrasé sous votre tente , heureusement que Mr Catabatic est là pour l 'ambiance
kusjes
nb qui est responsable corvée neige fraiche ?
15 hours in the crushed tent with the wind blowing. What did you talk about?
Good luck guys ! Keep pushing. Very exciting to follow your adventure. I look forward to see you this summer in Belgium.
Warm regards from Shanghai.
Lawrence (Larry) Lunt is a private investor from Belgium who operates the U.S. arm of his family's business, Armonia. Armonia focuses entirely on innovative, sustainable investments ranging from direct investments in individual companies to investments in private and public
...Lawrence (Larry) Lunt is a private investor from Belgium who operates the U.S. arm of his family's business, Armonia. Armonia focuses entirely on innovative, sustainable investments ranging from direct investments in individual companies to investments in private and public equity funds as well as sustainable hedge funds.
In 2007, Armonia helped seed the launch of TBL (triple bottom line) Capital, a venture capital fund focused on the needs of entrepreneurs who place equal value on people, planet, and profit. TBL Capital is a core investment of the Armonia strategy.
Engagement in education: Lunt is an active member of the board of several schools, including the Convent of Sacred Heart of Greenwich, where he founded the Barat Foundation to educate students in philanthropy. He helped restart the international education program Up With People, a youth program with over 30,000 alumni around the world building bridges of understanding to promote world peace. He also helped launch World Campus International, an education program for students offering unique access to Japan. Lunt also helped launch Ashoka in Belgium. Ashoka promotes the world’s leading social entrepreneurs.
Environmental engagement: Lunt has a strong interest in preserving the Arctic, which he visits every year. He is a member of NRDC's Global Leadership Council, as well as the Belgian International Polar Foundation.
Lunt has a degree in Economics from Louvain University in Belgium and an MBA from Sophia University in Tokyo, Japan.
He and his wife, Victoria Lunt, have three daughters, ages 15, 14, and 9.
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