It’s the kind of challenge that’s hard to fully grasp until you break it down.

Five hundred and forty kilometres.
Twenty-five days.
Temperatures dropping to around minus 30 degrees.

And almost nothing but white in every direction.

That’s what Gerry van der Walt is about to take on — an unsupported crossing of the Greenland ice cap, one of the most physically and mentally demanding expeditions in the world.

This isn’t a guided experience or a packaged adventure. Unsupported means exactly that: no food drops, no outside assistance, and no shortcuts. Everything needed to survive the journey — from food and fuel to sleeping gear — is loaded onto a sled and dragged across the ice for the full distance.

The daily routine is as relentless as the environment. The team will need to cover roughly 20 kilometres a day to stay on track, moving in disciplined intervals of skiing and short breaks. It’s a rhythm designed for endurance, not comfort — and one that repeats itself day after day, regardless of weather or fatigue.

While the physical demands are extreme, the real challenge lies elsewhere.

Once on the ice cap, the landscape becomes almost surreal. There are no landmarks, no variation, and very little sensory stimulation. Just a vast, endless white horizon. It’s this monotony — combined with isolation and exhaustion — that turns the expedition into a mental test as much as a physical one.

For Gerry, the journey has been years in the making. Having spent over a decade working in Arctic environments, the idea of taking on a crossing like this had been building in the background. Turning 50 became the moment to act — not with something comfortable or conventional, but with something that truly pushed limits.

Preparation has been anything but ordinary. In Johannesburg, that meant months of dragging heavy tyres up hills to simulate pulling a sled, along with “rucking” — walking long distances with weighted packs and gear. It’s a far cry from the icy conditions of Greenland, but one of the few ways to prepare the body for the strain of continuous load-bearing movement.

Even the logistics of getting to the starting point are complex, involving multiple international flights and a final helicopter transfer onto the ice. From there, the team is on their own, navigating, pacing, and adapting to whatever conditions they face.

If successful, Gerry will become one of only a handful of South Africans to complete the Greenland ice cap crossing unsupported — a rare and demanding achievement in the world of exploration.

But beyond the numbers and milestones, this is ultimately about something deeper.

It’s about stepping into an environment where there are no distractions, no noise, and no easy way out. Where progress is slow, conditions are unforgiving, and resilience becomes the most valuable resource of all.

In a world that often prioritises convenience, this kind of expedition stands in stark contrast — a reminder of what the human body and mind are capable of when pushed to their limits.

Listen to the full interview with Gerry van der Walt as he explains the physical, mental and logistical realities of taking on Greenland.