By 1930 no place in the world was less well explored than Greenland. The native Inuit had
occupied the relatively accessible west coast for centuries. The east coast however was
another story. In August 1930 Henry George Watkins (nicknamed Gino) a 23-year-old explorer
led thirteen scientists and explorers on an ambitious journey to the east coast of Greenland
and its vast and forbidding interior. Their mission: chart and survey the region and
establish a permanent meteorological base 8 000 feet high on the ice cap. That plan turned into
an epic survival ordeal when August Courtauld manning the station solo through the winter
became entombed by drifting snow. David Roberts "veteran mountain climber and chronicler of
adventures" ( Washington Post ) draws on firsthand accounts and rich archival materials to
tell the story of this daring expedition and of the ingenious young explorer at its helm.
