Danish Expedition to Queen Louise Land

The Danish Expedition to Queen Louise Land, also known as the Danish expedition to Queen Louise Land and straight through Greenland’s ice sheet (Danish: Danske ekspedition til Dronning Louise’s Land og tværs over Nordgrønlands indlandsis), as well as Danish North Greenland Expedition, was an expedition to northeastern Greenland and across the Greenland ice sheet in 1912–1913. It was the first such venture that went across the broad central part of Greenland. The expedition was led by Johan Peter Koch (1870–1928). Its purpose was to study the vast ice sheet, making glaciological and meteorological observations. Instead of sled dogs, sixteen Icelandic ponies were chosen for transporting 20 tons of materials, including 6 t (5.9 long tons; 6.6 short tons) of compressed hay to feed the ponies.

The first phase of the expedition was reaching Queen Louise Land, a nunatak region located on the edge of the Greenland Ice Sheet, and the building of a wintering station there. In the spring of 1913 the members of the expedition left their base and headed westwards on an approximately 1,200 km (750 mi) long journey, crossing the Greenland Ice Sheet and reaching the western shore near Kangersuatsiaq, former Prøven.