· Looking 330º NW from Eqe to Eqip sermia · Quingârssuaq · Igdluluarssuit · Nunatât · Niaqornarssuaq ·
22½" x 31"   2" x 8"   Copyright © 2002 Tony Foster

August 16 – 20 2001 · with MB·PM · August 16 · to Eqe by landing craft · make camp overlooking the glacier · scope out painting site · 17 August · work all day besieged by remorseless mosquitoes and blackflies · August 18 · work all day · the glacier constantly cracks · roars · creaks · growls · groans ·howls · moans · crashes · splashes · August 19 · an adventure · MB and I hike to the glacier · at noon from 1200' we see the French kayakers · tiny dots strung out in too long a line in a vast expanse of turquoise water and brash ice · surprised they have launched in an offshore gale so strong that we cannot stand upright · we proceed on hands and knees · back at camp in pouring rain at 6.00 · we learn of a developing drama · at 12.20 two kayakers capsized · unable to right their kayak they struggled for 40 minutes in 1ºC water before three kayaks rafted together hauled them out and laid them across bow and stern · unable to paddle they are blown through the brash ice and out of sight · their companions landed and now wait anxiously in the hut · at 6.30 an Inuit seal hunter and his wife in a small boat come swiftly to shore towing three kayaks with everybody still alive · a chaos of wet gear is landed and sorted · I help the two capsizes 400' up the rocks to the hut and out of waterlogged dry suits · boots · woolens · underwear · they are hypothermic · blue · shuddering · unable to speak or think · I break into a cabin and steal towels and duvets · dry them off · wrap them up · feed them hot drinks · later we eat whale goulash in stifling heat while the kayakers lie mummified in duvets on the tables ·