Greenland Legacy 26

Combining science and exploration to honour Nansen's Greenland legacy.

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Expedition Mission

In July 2026, a group of men and women from across the UK Armed Forces, with colleagues from the Danish military, will be the first military team to replicate Nansen's historic expedition to and across Greenland in1888.

They will:

Develop resilience and leadership in remote and arduous conditions, with lows of -40°C, and 25 days on the ice.
Gather high quality scientific research, including gold standard stable isotope measurements for energy expenditure.
Demonstrate multinational collaboration between Danish Joint Arctic Command (JACO), NATO, Royal Navy, Army and RAF.

"There is no land on earth that gives one the same impression of infinite space and profound silence."

Fridtjof Nansen, The First Crossing of Greenland

The Route

Over three phases and eight arduous weeks the team will sail ~1300 Nm from Stavanger to Greenland.

Once ashore, the team will attempt the rarely tackled 450 km east–west crossing of Greenland, first achieved by Nansen in 1888.

On skis and hauling pulks with all their supplies, they will push themselves to the limit through crevasse fields, meltwater channels, and punishing Arctic weather.

Stage 1

~825Nm

Starting from Stavanger, Norway, the team will sail across the North Atlantic via The Shetland and Faroe Isles to Reykjavik, Iceland.

Stage 2

~475Nm

In Iceland, the team transfers to a JSASTC Challenge 72 yacht for the 475Nm passage to Umivik on Greenland's east coast.

Stage 3

500km

From Umivik, the team will attempt the rarely tackled east-west crossing of Greenland, first achieved by Nansen in 1888.

The Team

Tony Lancashire

Royal Navy

Expedition Leader, Royal Marine Commando, sailor, mountaineer.

Josh Bakker-Dyos

Royal Navy

Expedition Deputy Lead and Expedition Doctor, mountaineer.

Charley Marr

Army

Skier and adventurer in the first five years of service.

Col Campbell

Royal Air Force

Mountain Leader and climber.

Kris Storey

Royal Navy

Expedition Equipment Lead, engineer.

Marcus Anderson

Sirius Patrol

Ski mountaineer and climber with significant polar cap experience.

Poul Ipsen

Sirius Patrol

Doctor, extensive polar cap experience.

Tom Blankenstein

Army

Doctor and experienced ski mountaineer.

The Research

During the expedition the team will use gold standard scientific methods to provide a unique window into how the human body adapts to prolonged high energy expenditure in one of the most demanding environments on Earth.

Opportunities to conduct such field research are rare but can deliver insights of real scientific and practical value.

The research will provide greater insight for high energy expenditure individuals including athletes, military personnel

and those working in arduous professions.

It will also contribute to the growing body of evidence that supports our understanding of key public health challenges including obesity and metabolic disease.