Baffin Babes

Tromsø 22.06.2009

The absolute hardest part during the whole expedition was to get on the plane in Pond Inlet and leave the north two and a half weeks ago. My body was aching because I was so sad. It was like a ball of pain was building up inside my wanting to get out. I wanted to scream, but because I was in a plane I had to behave. Instead silent tears were running down my face. I put on my sunglasses, pretending that no one could see me and I could be alone with my thoughts. This was the absolute end of the adventure and the freedom of beeing outside for such a long time. This was good bye to the nature, to Pond Inlet, to the floe egde and to all the fantastic, warm and friendly people we met on our way. I'm sure about one thing: I'll be back! Hopefully as a teacher.

Hunters waiting for seal and narwhale.

We landed in Oslo airport Gardermoen two weeks ago. The first week back home was terrible. I suffered from jet lag, too little sleep and civilization shock. We had to work on our film project, so every morning I had to get inside a crowded train to Drammen. People was stressed and no one was smiling. Did I come back for this? I forced myself to think about the good things. I was going to pick up my dog, I was going to Lofoten and meet good friends and I was going to meet my family. But it was so much easier to think about Baffin Island every time I didn't concentrate on Baffin Babes related work. My toughts were flying to Pond Inlet and the floe edge all the time. The two days we had there with James, Jimmy, Don, David, Jason and the others were some of the best days of my life. Thank you guys! It was magic! The light, the ice, the polar bear, the narwhales, the birds, the swim in the sea and the people. Everything was perfect. Just perfect! It was the best end of an amazing expedition.

Emma and Kristin, tired but happy

It's now three weeks since we had our last days on skis and we are in some ways back to normal. We are again in front of the computers working with expedition stuff. There are lots of things that should be done after a long trip like this. Pictures, speeches, articles and our two new, big projects: Book and film from «The Baffin Babes ? 80 days in the arctic». More information will be given on our homepage during this year.

Vera is guiding in Svalbard, Emma is enjoying her hometown Härnösand and Kristin is visiting friends and family in Drammen/Oslo. I'm sitting in the sun outside «my» cabin in Tromsø with my dog, Imiaq, next to me in the gras.Tomorrow we will go to Lofoten where nice hikes, quality climbs, good friends and work are waiting. Soon Emma and Kristin will be there too. Even though I miss Baffin Island like crazy, it 's good to be back home as well.

Ingebjørg

Drammen 28th of feb

Expedition updates

From today we will not use the babe blog anymore, the way to follow us from now on is by clicking the following  links wich you will also find on our main page.
Expedition updates -fresh reports twice a week
Map position - see our position on the map

The babes wants to give a big thanks to all of you guys who has supported us in any way. You are all super duper! Keep an eye on us!

There are no babes like the Baffin Babes!

Only hours left to departure! The situation report says: chaos and packing. Tomorrow morning 5.30 the babes will meet up at Gardemoen. We have a hope that some ass shaking and smiling will help us avoid paying too much fee for overweight luggage....

V-babe,  E-babe and K-babe will then jump on the plane to London and Ottawa after taking a sad goodbye with our favourite babe of all babes, I-babe. She will stay in Norway and get well so she can join in on the second leg from Clyde River in the beginning of April.

We have 4 days in Ottawa to get the very last things ready. We will pick up our pulkas that has been shipped from Norway, we will buy food and chocolate, send fuel and food to our food deposit in Clyde River, and sort out all the rest of the details.

9th of march the Baffin Babes will be out on the ice.

We still have room for sponsor logo on our hats!

With your logo on our hat, you will get attention whereever we get attention:

In the documentery (film) about the expedition, in the speeches after the trip and in media both in Norway and Sweden. In recent blogs you can see some articles about the Baffin Babes from newspapers and magazines. Both Aftenposten in Norway, Göteborgsposten and Dagens Nyheter in Sweden will publish articles in early March. Dagens Nyheter will follow us during the expedition with a blog twice a week.

Ingebjoerg, Oslo, Norway

I have struggled with some mystical stomach problems since December, but believed and hoped that I would be ready in time. The problem is that the doctors can't find out what's wrong. We all hoped that test results I got last Friday should give some answers, but they didn't. Then we had to face it: I will not be well in time to set out for the expedition the 8th of March. The girls have to leave without me.

While Kristin, Vera and Emma work hard with their heavy sledges between Qikiqtarjuaq and Clyde River, I will work hard to get well and in shape as soon as possible. In the beginning of April I will meet the girls in Clyde River and join the expedition there.

Before I got the bad news...                                   Photo: Eike Müller

Today it is only 9 days until the babes are leaving! We need more money! All new sponsors and ideas how we can get some are more than welcome.

Less than three weeks left to departure! Holy macaroni, holy snow, we need to speed up and get organized!

Vera trying out new wool underwear from Aclima.      Inga sorting out gear from our sponsor Acrtica

Of course the girls are smiling - the Spitsbergen camp 4 tent from Helsport will be our home, our shelter our castle for the entire spring!

The Simonsson sisters showing                  Vera looks small on the pulkas we are going to pull.

real babe-power! 

Finding a way through ice and snow, between mountains and over frozen rivers. We can only imagine the landscape that's waiting for us. (The maps are a bit tired of the endless ous of planning and are taking a power nap in bed!)

Are we strong enough?

Shoot practising with our Remington 870

Vera Simonsson, Pilansesberg 26 jan 2009

Even if the Arctic is The Place, parts of my heart is in Africa. And the world we are living in is amazing.  I spend more then three weeks traveling around and explored parts of Mozambique. I had the opportunity to go fishing with the locals in Xai-xai, we caught barracudas, which had the size of me! while a Great White circulated the boat. In Tofo I had the experience of my life with a whale-shark. The skipper told us to jump and we jumped in the water with snorkeling gear. I suddenly started to back paddle, a mouth, 2 meters wide, came towards us and I freaked-out ! We snorkeled for hours, 3 meters away, with the world’s largest fish, 10 meters long, awesome, amazing and unreal!

 Snorkling with a whale shark

We camped on paradise islands and sneaked up to rhinos when the wind was in our favor. Every night we grilled fish on the fire and enjoined the sky, the call of the hyenas the roar of the lion and the moment itself.

I am fascinated by the power and the pride of the African women and the children who always, alwayes smiles. With tears in my eyes I am now flying north, but with alot of energy for the next month of preparation, and I am defiantly going to teach the babes how to really shake their bums!

Women on their way home

Kristin, Drammen, Norway

A five pages article about the "Baffin Babes" and our expedition preparations is to be found in the newest number of the Norwegian outdoormagazine, "UTE" The magazine can be bought in most norwegian kiosks.

Planning and preparation takes all our time these days. Departure day, 2nd of March is getting closer and closer, and still we have heaps to do. Its hard work, but knowing what beauty and what exciting experiences that lies before us - all of us gives a little extra to get there. We put down a lot of effort in the seach for sponsors, finding the right equipment, getting the permissions needed, contacting locals on Baffin and so on. There are a lot of phonecalls, emails and meetings. Then its good to know; March- June wil be payback time!

Is it really that big?

Aleks from Acapulka came with our new pulkas today. They are 210 cm long and I must admit I was a bit scared by the sight. Are we gonna pull those monsterpulkas for 80 days?

Yes we are. Yes we can!