Home

Galleries

News/Blog

Technology

Media

Bio

Links

Ice Climbing an Atlantic Iceberg

Conception Bay, Newfoundland - June 2019

Sunday Night - Channel 7 Australia
Watch the entire segment from "Sunday Night" on Channel 7 Australia.
I was contacted by Channel 7 in Australia about doing a project in Newfoundland. They had a team that was travelling to North America, and they wanted to film a story about icebergs. In particular, they were interested in climbing one and planting a satellite tracking beacon on top. Since I already had experience doing this, I agreed to help them out, and the next thing I know I'm off to Conception Bay to meet up with them and my old friends Rick Stanley & John Oliviero from Ocean Quest, who were part of the team when I did this the first time, back in 2015. This iceberg seemed stable, but it actually rolled about 2 1/2 hours before I climbed, it, then it rolled again a couple of hours after I got off. Thank you to Rick Stanley, Johnny Oliverio and rest of the team at Ocean Quest for helping to keep me safe.

Iceberg_Climb_2019_01

Iceberg_Climb_2019_02

Iceberg_Climb_2019_03
Aboard the Ocean Quest boat, checking out one of the icebergs at close range.
At the summit of the berg.
I brought the flag of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society with me onto the iceberg.

Iceberg_Climb_2019_04

Iceberg_Climb_2019_05

Iceberg_Climb_2019_06
The berg was grounded out near a small island, which was a great place for the production team to set up a tripodded camera and fly their drone.
Reaching the summit.
I had to film myself on the iceberg. This shot was from a GoPro camera I brought with me.

Iceberg_Climb_2019_07

Iceberg_Climb_2019_08

Iceberg_Climb_2019_09
Drone view during the climb.
Handheld GoPro shot.
The safety boat, watching for any signs of the iceberg rolling or breaking up.

Iceberg_Climb_2019_10

Iceberg_Climb_2019_11

Iceberg_Climb_2019_12
Jumping from the landing site to the main slope of the iceberg.
The drone shots really show the scale and size.
With the host of the program, Angela Cox.

Iceberg_Climb_2019_13

Iceberg_Climb_2019_14

Iceberg_Climb_2019_15
Another view of me at the top.
Humpback whale giving us a view of its tail fluke.
The trick was not putting a hole in the inflatable Zodiak with my sharp ice tools and crampons.

Iceberg_Climb_2019_16

Iceberg_Climb_2019_17

Iceberg_Climb_2019_18
The safety and production teams.
I just love icebergs. Each one is a unique, natural abstract sculpture.
Blue ice and dark sky. This iceberg likely broke off from a glacier in Greenland a couple of years ago.

Iceberg_Climb_2019_19

Iceberg_Climb_2019_20

Iceberg_Climb_2019_21
These bergs take several years to travel down from Greenland to this part of the Atlantic where they inevitably melt and disappear.
At the top as the drone circles around.
This ice is thousands of years old, and no human has ever set foot where I was standing.

Iceberg_Climb_2019_22

Iceberg_Climb_2019_23

Iceberg_Climb_2019_24
Looking straight down.
Getting ready to place a satellite tracking beacon.
Placing the tracking beacon.

Iceberg_Climb_2019_25

Iceberg_Climb_2019_26
With the tracking beacon in place, I had the chance to enjoy the view for a little bit.
The longer I remained, the greater the chance of the iceberg rolling with me on it.... Time to go.

1