activeasanexpedition leaderwell intooldage. Inmyearlier
years Iwent ona fewsoloexpeditionsandwouldspendweeks
at a time travellingalonewithmysleds. In theevenings Iwould
sit inmy tent andwritemydiary,which I foundpretty tediousat
times. Thegreat thingabout being ina team is the fact that the
impressionsof each individual combine to formagreaterwhole
whenshared. If Iwasalways travellingalone, Iwould certainly
reach the limitsofwhat I coulddomuch faster.
You’vebeen travelling theworld for somanyyearsandhave
seensomuch–what haveyouenjoyed themost?
Fuchs:
It’snot somuchaplacewhere I feel happiest, butmore
likea recurringsituation. Itmight be just abrief snapshot. A
stillness that youcanactually feel.Here,weareused to the
constant noise fromcarsandpeople.When I’m travelling through
northernGreenland, I oftenhear nothingapart from thewind
blowing.Thissharpensallmysenses ina completelydifferent
way. I smell differently, seedifferently, hear differently, I absorb
everythingaroundme completelydifferently. This createsan
extremely intenseexperience that extendsbeyondallmysenses.
Theconcept of time isalsodifferent.Here,wearealwaysmore
or less tied to time.Out there, timealmost standsstill because
youare free from its constraints.
Is it difficult to return tonormalityafter anexpedition?
Fuchs:
I used tofind it verydifficult, but I’ve learned to live
with it. And I likemy lifehere too– I’m certainlynodropout.
I likegoing to restaurants, to the cinemaor to the theatre. The
one thing that hasalwaysbotheredme issuperficiality.When
I return froma long tripandamdocking in thePort ofHamburg,
anda journalist asksmewhen I amheadingoff againbefore the
ropeshaveevenbeensecured to themoorings, I havedifficulty
taking themseriously. Thissuperficial tickingof boxes–assoon
asyou completeone thingyouhave tomoveonto thenext –
sometimesgetsonmynerves.
Howdoyou take theseunique impressionsof nature
homewithyou?
Fuchs:
Therearesome images that staywithyou. This ismy
personal capital,which I haveaccumulated throughoutmy life.
The images frommy trip toLabrador in1977are just asevocative
todayas theyweresixweeksafter theexpedition. Thesame is
trueof theNorthernLights. I’veseen themsooften, yet amstill
fascinatedby them. Even todaywhen I am lying inmybunkwhile
off duty I oftendecide togoupondeck, andas I stand there
freezing inmy thinclothing, Imarvel at justhowgigantic theyare.
Theseare themoments thatmakemedowhat I do, themoments
that keepmegoing. I don’t go to thepolar regionsbecause I am
somekindofmasochist or tograpplewithadversity. I takeon
thishardshipbecause it bringswith it amazingexperiences that
enrichmy life.
More recently, you’vebegun todocument changes innature,
particularlydue to climate change. Is thisa completelynew
challenge for you?
Fuchs:
I am trying topassonwhat I haveexperienced. These
landscapesareextremely important tomeand I carewhat
happens to them.When I lookathowmuchnatureandpeople’s
liveshave changed in recent decadesand thepolitical effectsof
this change, I feel it ismydutyasaneyewitness todocument it.
It’snot enough to takebeautiful picturesand tell exciting
stories.
The interview tookplaceon17 January2014 inOldenburg, Germany.
The interview locationwasprovidedby theBüntinggroupof companies
.
Arved Fuchs’ polar sailingboat, theDagmarAaen,was
built in1931asafishingboat for use in theNorthAtlantic
andNorthSea. Itwasgivenanupgrade toensuresafe
passage throughdifficultwatersand for overwintering
survival in icy conditions.Thehullmade from6 cm thick
oakplanksandoak frames is reinforcedwithup to6mm
of aluminium,while thesternandkeel areprotectedwith
up to3 cmof steel. Theboat ispoweredbya220m² sail
areaanda180hp, 3 cylinder, 4strokeCallesenDiesel
engine type425CO.
Toensure reliablenavigationand communication, the
DagmarAaenhasstate-of-the-art technology including
radar, GPSsatellitenavigationandemergencyalarm
systems. DespitehavingGPS technologyonboard, Arved
Fuchsstill reliesonhis trustedsextant toguidehim. In the
event of anemergency, heandhis crewhaveaccess toa
12person life raft.
Safetyat sea
Sextant andGPS
Issue26
trends inautomation
Inspiration
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