Swiss Arctic rowers set records in extreme conditions

Swiss rowers make their way through the Arctic, braving snow, ice and waves Keystone-SDA

After 33 days at sea, four Swiss rowers are back on solid ground having become the first people to row across the Arctic region unassisted.

During their mission, the Arctic Row team braved adverse weather conditions and set new landmarks in the process.

Their first steps on land were still a little tentative – after such a long time at sea, Florian Ramp, Roman Möckli, Frederik Jacobs and Ben von Mitzlaff first had to get used to the feeling of solid ground beneath their feet again.

Upon arriving in the Faroe Islands, the four were welcomed by locals and family members who had travelled there to meet them.

The Swiss team has become the first ever to cross the Arctic Ocean entirely under their own steam. The records set by the four rowers on their journey are further testament to the team’s remarkable achievement.

Their pioneering achievement is to be officially recognised for, amongst other things, the first complete crossing of the Arctic zone in a rowing boat and the longest total distance covered by a team of four in the Arctic Ocean.

Extreme conditions

When the Swiss adventurers set off on their expedition from Longyearbyen, Norway, on July 3, they had put on between seven and ten kilograms. The repetitive nature of the rowing had taken their toll on their reserves.

For weeks, the four of them did not see a single ray of sunshine. During a storm, water seeped into the cabins, which could not be dried out from then on and in which they were at times forced to huddle together in a cramped space.

“Our adventure was tough,” wrote the team, having pushed themselves to their limits during the crossing. Now, they said upon their arrival, it was time to come to terms with the extreme conditions of the past few weeks

Pushing boundaries

Jacobs in particular, who had no previous experience of ocean rowing, had had his doubts beforehand. The crossing marked his first experience of extreme sport. And in the process, he realised that his body was capable of more than he would have thought possible.

“We’ve pushed our own boundaries. We’ve proved that a great deal is possible if you just set out to do it,” wrote the team, who also hope to encourage others to push their own boundaries.

The four also want to use the expedition to draw attention to another boundary that is currently shifting. “The fact that we were able to row so far north was only possible because the ice is melting more and more,” Möckli noted.

Together with his team, he wants to encourage people to look after the Earth. The donations they collected on their journey through the Arctic Ocean will therefore also be used for climate protection.

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Translated from German, reviewed by an English Department journalist.