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Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2000
Denmark's crown prince leaves for expedition in Greenland
By JAN M. OLSEN -- Associated Press
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) -- Crown Prince Frederik left Tuesday for an expedition that will take him on a 2,170-mile dogsled trek through the extreme cold and darkness of Greenland's northern fringe.
The trek honors the 50th anniversary of the Sirius Patrol, the navy unit that monitors the northern fringes of Greenland, the world's largest island and a semiautonomous Danish territory.
Frederik, 31, is a member of the Frogman Corps, an elite navy unit, and has been trained in survival and Arctic skills. The heir to Denmark's throne and the five other crew members have undergone medical checks and learned first aid to cope with emergencies.
Greenland Premier Jonathan Motzfeldt bid the group farewell in Copenhagen, where they boarded a plane for Greenland. He gave Frederik a leather necklace with a polar bear claw to bring the group luck.
"Take good care of your dogs. They are your survival," Motzfeldt said.
Forty-three dogs will pull three sleds, each weighing about 990 pounds.
After spending a few weeks in Greenland preparing for the expedition, the group will start out in February from Qaanaaq, north of the U.S. Air Force base in Thule, 310 miles south of the North Pole. The route along the coast will take them to the island's northernmost point and then down the east coast to the town of Ittoqqortoormiit.
The expedition includes the prince, four former members of the Sirius Patrol and a cameraman who will produce footage for television shows to be broadcast later.
For at least a month, they will advance in total Arctic darkness before the sun appears on the horizon for a few hours each day. They also could face polar bears, blizzards and temperatures as low as 58 degrees below zero.
"We'll always be the smallest ones before the weather gods," said crew member Steen Broen Jensen.
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