The 1975 University of St Andrews Greenland Expedition

was led by Dr PWF Gribbon, a Physics lecturer from the University of St Andrews, Scotland, who had led previous university expeditions to Greenland. The expedition team of 10 spent almost 12 weeks in the very warm summer of 1975 climbing the largely unexplored mountains around Stordalens Havn in South Greenland. They also travelled by canoe to the islands of Pamiagdluk and Tornarssuk and made first ascents there too. In total, 41 first ascents. Scientific reports were also submitted by the expedition team. The Thumbnail and neighbouring routes and cliffs plummet from Maujit Qaqarssuasia and Agdlerussakasit. They made the first ascent of Agdlerussakasit (1763m) on 14th August 1975 and the first attempt on Maujit Qaqarssuasia (1590m) getting to within a 100m of the summit.

1996: British team climbing west of Maujit Qaqarssuasia

a Leeds-based climbing team with Chris Bedford, Simon Inger, Henry Lickorish and Alastair Mitchell. They approached the Torssukatak mountains from a base in the west at the head of Narssap Sarqa fjord, and made 6 first ascents and the second ascent of Magic Arrow (The Ogre). They reported on the vast potential for big new routes on the faces of Maujit Qaqarssuasia and Agdlerussakasit.

1997 Scottish Torssukatak Spires Expedition: second ascent of Agdlerussakasit, first ascent of Maujit Qaqarssuasia

with Pete Benson, Andy Benson, Kenton Cool and Al Powell. Approaching from camps west of the Torssukatak towers, they made 18 ascents. This included the first ascent of the main (highest) summit of Maujit Qaqarssuasia, and two routes on its South Face - 'Rampant' and 'Totty'. They also made the second ascent of Agdlerussakasit.

2000: British team first ascent of The Thumbnail

with Ben Bransby, Matt Dickinson, Ian Parnell and Gareth Parry. Matt Dickinson had spotted The Thumbnail in 1999 on a guiding trip. A 31-pitch all-free direct route (E6 6b 5.12c). This was the first route up The Thumbnail, and indeed the first ascent up the eastern face of the mountain from the sea (the team did not ascend the highest mountain summit of Maujit Qaqarssuasia) . Also on the expedition were Matthew Bransby and Sandy Ogilvie.

2000: British Eastern Torssukatak Spires Expedition

Jon Bracey, Ian (Reny) Renshaw, Virginia Cooper, Steve Powell, Matt Goode, Vicky Barrett, Charlotte Mainwaring, and Alex Messenger spent three weeks climbing from a basecamp on the west side of Torssukatak Fjord, in a valley south of Whale Top (Point 1303), putting up first ascents in an area to the south of the mountains climbed in 1975, 1996 and 1997.

July-August 2003: British Irish Australian Torssukatak Spires team

with Jon Roberts, Dewi Durban, James Mehigan and Richard Sonnerdale. A new route on The Thumbnail cliffs was put up: The Cruise Line, E3 5c, climbed without the use of pegs or bolts. Cecilia Buil and Roberta Nunes arrived as Richard and James completed their descent. Other routes were put up on Pamiagdluk Island including on 'Mark': a route named 'Called Into Question' 450m E2 5b; and on 'The Butler': a route named 'The Cripple and The Tortoise' 200m E2 5c A1.

2003: Spanish/Brazilian team makes third ascent of Thumbnail cliffs

with Cecilia Buil and Roberta Nunes, they put up the route Hidrofilia, a 31-pitch climb up to 6c+/7a, A2+, having paddled 80 km from Nanortalik in their kayaks. First ascent of the east summit of Maujit Qaqarssuasia from Torssukatak side of the mountain, second actual ascent of the mountain (main summit climbed in 1997). Accompanied by the film-maker Jesus Bosque up to the half-way terrace, and assisted by Gorka Ferro, sea kayak specialist.

2007: Polish team puts up Golden Lunacy on the Thumbnail cliffs

David Kaszlikowski and Eliza Kubarska put up a new route on the Thumbnail cliffs called 'Golden Lunacy', an all-free route. It was accessed by kayak to the foot of the climb. Four days of climbing led to the halfway point and the ledge system that cuts across the cliffs. However, David and Eliza were forced off the mountain by storms and an epic retreat. A week later, when the bad weather abated, they returned and completed the whole face in 2 days. Total climbing of 27 pitches, including traverses, of 2000m. Free climbing up to 5.12a, some pitches climbed unroped. They reached the east summit (previously reached by Buil and Nunes in 2003) It is clear that 'Golden Lunacy' stands as a lovely route. I particularly like the layback pitch around pitch 13.

2010: US/Belgian team with Bob Shepton and 'Dodo's Delight'

A US/Belgian team briefly visited mountains on the west side of Torssukatak fjord in Bob Shepton's boat 'Dodo's Delight'. The boat had been wintered in Aasiaat, and new routes were put up near Upernivik before the climbers sailed south to Cape Farewell. Approaching from the same valley as John Bracey's expedition in 2000, a first ascent was made of Shepton's Spire by two routes, and they then traversed the long east ridge to Breakfast Spire. Climbs were also made on Quvnerit Island.

2012: another Polish team make the second ascent of Golden Lunacy

with Alek Barszczewski, Marcin Ksiezak and Jan Kuczera, between 22nd and 24th July. This largely followed the 2007 route, Golden Lunacy, with a few variations and included another ascent of one of the subsidiary tops of Maujit Qaqarssuasia. The route was filmed and makes excellent viewing: first, second, third clips. Watch out for the lovely layback pitch I mentioned, near the end of the second clip. The views from the top are great too.

2012: Swiss Expedition puts up new route on Whale Top

A Swiss expedition visited the valley south of Whale Top (Point 1303), where Jon Bracey's team had climbed in 2000. There were 20 people in the team including 14 young climbers aged between 14 and 20. They put up a new route on Whale Top called 'La Chute du Rein', 600m, 6c.

2013: US Expedition puts up new route on Breakfast Spire

Quinn Brett, Prairie Kearney, Lizzy Scully and John Dickey spent 18 days climbing from the valley south of Whale Top (Point 1303), where Jon Bracey's team had climbed in 2000. New routes included 'Morning Luxury' on Breakfast Spire and 'Plenty for Everyone' on Barnes Wall.

2013: Spanish/Basque trio add new routes from Narsarmijit Valley

Jose Maria Andres, Vicente Castro and Kepa Escribano spent two weeks climbing from a basecamp near the head of Narsarmijit (Frederiksdal) valley, putting up new routes (6c, 6b+, 7a, 6c+, 6c) on Breakfast Spire, Navianarpoq, the Tikaguta-Navianarpoq ridge, and on Punta Aiarpoq on the Shepton Spire ridge. They later also made what is believed to be the first ascent of Punta Alboran (Half Dome) on Semersoq Island, travelling along the coast in Castro's yacht.

2014: Belgian pair Vanhee and de Dobbeleer overland and by kayak

The Belgian climbers Siebe Vanhee and Tim de Dobbeleer began an attempt on The Thumbnail, but in an honest and interesting account decided to withdraw, not least because some of their equipment in their kayak fell into the sea after they had started climbing and they could see it floating away. Their visit was part of a longer Greenland climbing trip and you can read Siebe's account on his own website. They put up a new route and first ascent in the valley west of Stordalens and also climbed routes on Nalumasortoq in the Tasermiut area, and 'War and Poetry' on Ulamertorssuaq.