Help Me Finish Greenland at 50
13 JANUARY 2026 – UPDATE:THE DEPOSIT IS LOCKED IN.
Two days ago, we hit the January 31 deadline and secured the expedition slot. The guides are committed. The permits are confirmed. Flights from Copenhagen to Greenland are booked. This is now officially a go!
The support has been absolutely overwhelming. I’m beyond grateful. The messages, the belief, all of it. Can’t thank you enough. Genuinely petrified and excited at the same time.
Still some work to do though, and now we’re in the final phase: securing the main logistics and gear to get me across that ice in May.
Living What I Teach
This is my 50th birthday white whale. I’m turning 50 this year, and I’m crossing Greenland’s ice sheet in May to prove I actually live what I teach. 25 days. 540 km. 120kg sled. Three years I’ve been building toward this. I’m petrified of it. But it’s something I have to do.
I’ve invested nearly €8,000 in training expeditions, gear, and months of preparation. Some came from my own pocket. Some came from people who believed in me early on. I’m deeply grateful for both. Those expeditions weren’t optional. They’re required to be accepted for a Greenland crossing. I had to prove I could handle polar conditions first, mentally and physically.
Now comes the part I didn’t expect to be hard: asking for help to finish what I started. But the way people have shown up during training, followed the journey on Instagram, asked how it’s going. That belief is real. It’s what makes me think asking isn’t weakness. It’s just the next step. Turns out that’s part of the journey too. Not the physical part. The human part. The part where you realize you can’t do extraordinary things alone.
The January 31 Deadline
I need to raise €6,250 by January 31 to lock in the guides, permits and everything else to make the expedition happen. Miss that, and this gets pushed back a year. That’s the reality of polar logistics. After three years of preparation, waiting another twelve months isn’t just inconvenient. It cuts deep.
A South African First
More South Africans have stood on the summit of Everest than have walked to the South Pole and crossed the Greenland Ice Cap combined. This May, I am attempting to join a group of fewer than 10 South Africans who have conquered the world’s second-largest ice sheet unsupported.
This cross…
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What Is This About
Over the past few years, I’ve worked with hundreds of people through coaching, speaking, and the expeditions I’ve led. Men and women. I’ve seen people transform when they realize that age and fear don’t stop you from living fully. When they choose discomfort over comfort. When they face what scares them. When they stop talking about their dreams and actually do the thing.I’ve spent significant time and resources helping others push their boundaries. Now I’m asking for support to push mine.
At 50. Terrified. All-in anyway.
Why This Matters
This Greenland crossing is real. The deadline is real. The financial commitment is real. I’ve already committed my share. Now I need the community that believes in this kind of work to step up.
But it’s more than that. In a world of polished content and curated lives, I’m doing something different. I’m living the lessons I teach. In real time. On camera. Uncomfortable, terrified, and committed anyway.
That’s the message many people need to hear. You can live. Not someday. Now. Not when you’re younger or richer or braver. Now. With fear. With doubt. With the people around you who believe.
That’s pretty fucking cool to witness. And to be part of.
When I come back from that ice, every story, every failure, every moment of doubt overcome becomes teaching material. Real. Lived. Not theoretical. Material I’ll use for the next level of work—courses, coaching, speaking tours about what it actually takes to pursue something that terrifies you.
That’s what your support makes possible. Not just a trip. A real-life story about what we as humans are capable of when we show up scared. At any age.
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Where The Money Goes
January Payment (€6,250)
Expedition deposit and slot confirmation
Guide team commitment for May Logistics coordination
Safety permits and evacuation insurance
March Payment (€6,250)
Final expedition costs
Equipment transport
Final logistics coordination
Flights and Accommodation (€3,800)
Copenhagen transit to Greenland
Pre- and post expedition accommodation
Return flights after crossing
Specialist Expedition Gear (€2,200)
Specialist ski bindings
Expedition harness
GPS and communication equipment
Total needed: €18,500
Full transparency
100% of donations go directly to expedition costs. I’m not making money off this. There’s no markup. Every euro funds the actual crossing.
If I raise beyond €18,500, 100% goes to Greenland conservation efforts. I’m exploring partnerships with organizations like Polar Bears International to protect the environment we’re crossing. Let’s do this!
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Just The Beginning
This crossing isn’t the endpoint. It’s the foundation for everything that comes after.
End of August 2026: Brand new courses, coaching manuals, and keynote talks on resilience, mindset, and performance. Not polished corporate content. Real lessons from 28 days on Greenland’s ice sheet. Raw moments. Failures. How I handled doubt. How I kept moving.
These aren’t theoretical frameworks. They’re what actually works when you’re terrified and choosing to show up anyway.
The Bigger Picture
This is just the first leg. After Greenland, the North Pole. Then the South Pole. The full Polar Trilogy. Each crossing building on the last. Each one feeding new material, new insights, new stories into the work I do. Then after that, who knows!
But it starts here. On Greenland’s ice.
What Your Support Means
You’re not just funding a trip. You’re investing in a real-life story that unfolds over the next few years. In a world of curated content and polished narratives, you’re part of something actually lived. Actually documented. Actually transformational.
That’s the future you’re building with this support. Real stories. Real lessons. Real impact.
Follow Along
My journey will be documented on Instagram at @gerryvanderwalt, my blog and in my weekly newsletter. It becomes part of everything I build after.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why are you asking for money if you’re already successful as a coach?
A: Because serious expeditions cost serious money. I’ve committed everything I could scrape together. Polar logistics, guides, permits, flights, accommodation for a month. That’s not cheap. I’ve put my money where my mouth is. Now I’m asking people who’ve gotten value from my work to invest in this next chapter.
Q: What happens if you don’t hit the goal?
A: The expedition gets cancelled. The guide team moves on. The slot gets filled by someone else. The money I’ve already invested doesn’t come back. Any donations get refunded. That’s the reality of polar expedition deadlines.
Q: How do I know the money goes where you say it goes?
A: Check my website. Look at the Svalbard expeditions I’ve run. Read what my coaching clients have written. I’ve been transparent about my work for years. This isn’t different. I’m happy to show you itemized costs if you ask.
Q: Can I give something smaller than €25?
A: Yes. Every amount counts. €10 is meaningful. €5 is meaningful. Give what makes sense for you.
Q: What if I want to help but can’t afford to donate?
A: Share this. Forward it to someone who might believe in this. Tell people about it. That matters as much as money. Community isn’t just financial.
Q: What’s the deadline actually about?
A: Polar expeditions have fixed seasons and fixed costs. The guide team books slots months in advance. If I miss the January payment, they give the slot to the next person on the list. There’s no rescheduling in polar logistics.
Q: Will you share what happens on the ice?
A: Yes. I’m documenting the journey. You’ll get updates, stories, and the raw lessons from out there. This becomes part of the content and coaching work that comes after.
Q: Why does this matter beyond just personal achievement?
A: This May, I’ll be one of fewer than 10 South Africans to ever complete an unsupported Greenland ice cap crossing. More South Africans have summited Everest. That tells you how rare and demanding this is. It’s not just about me getting on the ice. It’s about doing something that almost no South African has ever done.