A visit to the "Dagmar Aaen" was more than overdue. But an expedition project requires not only committed action on the spot; the organizational and financial foundations must also be taken care of continually. Lecture series, delivery dates for the new book manuscripts and many other things left me with little spare time. To put it directly - I had a hell of a lot to do - and finally I know that the ship is in good hands.
Though finally the day arrived on January 21^st. I was able to get a first impression looking out of the small window of the turbo-prop machine. with the exception of many icebergs, the coast was almost free of ice. Then the landing in Upernavik in the dark with temperatures around -12 °C, no wind and cloudy skies. I spend the night in town and speak to the harbour master the next morning and ask him if he knows of any possibility of getting to the ship. After telephoning with Kai, Martin and Rémy, I knew that they couldn't come and get me with the dingy because of the ice formations. The harbour master Jacob Lennart has an idea and is - like all the other people her by the way - unbelievably helpful. He speaks to Henning, who works for the fish factory, and just two hours later, at 11 o'clock in the morning I am standing in the dark and in light snowfall on board the fish cutter, which is heading for the neighbouring settlement Apilatok and will drop me off near the "Dagmar Aaen" on the way.
And so I get to experience a trip on a fish cutter in the middle on January on the 73^rd latitude. The searching lights form a tunnel through the diffuse light; we are in between icebergs from time to time and the skipper must make his way around them. For me it is unusual to be standing on decks as an onlooker for a change and not to have the responsibility for the ship.
Almost two hours later, we see two people standing on a hill. The Greenlander manoeuvres the cutter expertly near a cliff. I jump across, my bag flies through the air after me and the ship is on its way once again. Now Kai and Martin are standing in front of me, their long beards full of snow; we hug on another and I am just happy to be here - arrived!
The "Dagmar Aaen" lies caught in about 20 cm of ice. We have no problem walking across the ice and climbing on board. Rémy greets me on deck and we are complete. I feel somewhat like an alien who is visiting another planet. Here the three overwinterers in their isolation and on the other side the visitor who is slightly stressed due to appointments and flights and who must orient himself first of all who naturally is taking each small detail. After the first welcoming coffee and a first short account back and forth and the obligatory mail handout, I leave the three to their letters and packages.

It it slowly starting to grow light. It has become much warmer; temperatures should only be a few degrees below zero. I strut around the ship, get settled in the head and inspect the machine room. Everything looks in good order and tidy.
Later in the day, we have our first regular briefing. I have brought replacements parts for the toilet and a generator. Everything seems to be working fine technically - considering the continuous operation, it is totally normal that some things must be maintained and repaired occasionally. There had been, no major technical problems.

On the other hand, the long period of darkness and the isolation have left traces on all three. The last Greenlander was here at Christmas and since then it has been very quiet in the bay. While Kai and Rémy occupy themselves mostly with their carvings and crafts, Martin is mainly occupied with his camera. Still there is naturally very much time - time that can occasionally become a burden. All three embody so strongly their own personalities and are occupied with themselves that their companionship seems occasionally to suffer under this. My visit breaks up these ingrained structures. I speak a lot with each one seperately and then with the group. There has been tension - Martin sometimes feels left out and feels that his camera work is not getting the necessary support. All things and circumstances, which must be spoken about, but in my opinion nothing which represents a serious problem.
Many alleged problems appear more serious in the closed-in and isolated situation on board the ship than they are if one looks at them objectively. I urge the three to undertake more outdoors.
The sun rises for the first time on January 28th and this day marks the official end of the polar night. Even if the sun does not get over the high mountains - it is getting brighter every day and the days are noticeably longer. "You must get out into fresh air, you must exercise and do things together." The things I experienced during my own overwinterings are happening here, too. The long weeks of darkness, the isolation, the lack of exercise, and the missing social contacts - all this is an enormous strain on the state of mind. We spoke about this before the overwintering period started, but somehow the three were not really open for the discussion.
But at a certain point the effects of the circumstances surrounding their lives caught up with them. No one can experience the mental strain of an overwintering with its lasting darkness without it leaving a trace. But again the three have gone through the through! With the return of the sun, which they will see and celebrate in just a few days, the overwintering enters a new phase. It is more or less a rebirth, an awakening of life in nature and the beginning of activities outdoors. One gains new energy, new joie de vivre. Just how important light and sun for our lives are, is made obvious during such an overwintering.

Kai and I get some small repairs done and things go wonderfully after that. In between, I put on my snowshoes and trudge up the nearby mountains. The light conditions are still diffuse, but I have a view over the bay and the fiord. Temperatures of -2 °C are much too warm for the time of year. This is obvious as well in the fact that there is no sea ice forming. The measurement buoy of the scientists is frozen in as was planned, but the ice field ends at the end of the bay. The landscape is breathtaking. For someone who has spent the last few months in an office and on lecture tours, the scenery has an overwhelming effect. At dusk I experience the fox family's visit - they even climb on board. They smell food, of course and although they are not fed, it is almost impossible to prevent their curiosity.

The days on board go by so fast. I leave the ship the same way I arrived. The cutter picks me up as planned. Regardless of the fact that I was the visitor, I think that it was simply important for something to bring a "breath of fresh air" into the group. The three on board felt his as well. They are relaxed and positive again - I leave the ship with a good feeling!

My flight is planned for the next day, but no such luck, storms from every direction. The flight is cancelled for tomorrow and the day after. The weather is not too bad on Friday, but still no flight. I am finally  able to fly out on Saturday, with a lot luck, however, because it has started to rain over all of Greenland - in January - in Greenland...
We are not able to land in Ilulissat due to the rain and the icy runway and so the pilot decides to land in Kangerlussuaq. Here as well, continual rainfall and an icy runway, but we have to land sometime. The temperature is +6 °C although the airport is inland and the wind comes from the inland ice. Normally the temperatures at this time of year are -30 to -40 °C. While we are complaining about the hard winter at home, which is actually "normal", a large area of the Arctic is experiencing a totally unusually mild winter.
The inhabitants are not able to say if at all or how thick the sea ice will form. Nowhere on the coast of Greenland has the ice startet to freeze. The ice should be breaking up in April. And that is not even two months away. In a few days Bernd Siering and Uwe Agnes from Topas-Film will arrive on the ship and begin filming. After that at the beginning of March, Dirk Notz and his scientific team will pay a visit to the ship. The spring will arrive with many activities. And the following weeks will go by very quickly.

I wish Kai, Rémy and Martin eventful and good weeks on board the "Dagmar Aaen".