Our very name, The Great Expedition Company, was born out of many unhurried rendezvous throughout the Arctic over the last six years. Our name is what we believe in, and vice versa.
We are committed to telling stories of a newly discovered past that plays a significant role in our future. Aware and inspired by the fragility and evolving diversity of the Arctic, we have honed the artful skill of curating unique and impactful travel experiences based on these fundamental disciplines: intentionality, curiosity, and expeditionary spirit.
Naturally, we feel encouraged to keep alive the conversation of respecting and preserving these very fragile environments whilst continuing its exploration. As such, the ventures of The Great Expedition Company go far beyond the traditional traveling model. We are committed to skilfully supporting curious travellers through a unique combination of industry expertise, proven past experience, extensive network connections and unique access to remote Arctic areas.
THE ARCTIC REGIONS BY WILLIAM SCORESBY IN 1823
EASTERN GREENLAND WITH JOE SHUTTER IN 2019-2023“ I preferred the Coast of Greenland to that of Spitzbergen. This was not only the most promising station for success, but likewise the most agreeable to my wishes, as affording a hope of making researches on a coast that was almost entirely unknown. The result was successful in both respects. “
William Scoresby, An Account of the Arctic Regions, published 1823
We have a message and a purpose. We’re proud to be personable.
Before The Great Expedition Company came to be, Joe - the seasoned explorer behind this concept - had already been traversing through the world on his own accord: exploring the Amazon’s ancient paths, Iceland’s harsh and unforgiving highlands, the Faroe’s green-clad mountainsides, Northern Norway’s sharply teethed cliffs, sailing within the world's oldest fjord system in Greenland, seeking out arctic wildlife in Svalbard, and recently scouring the rough passages of Antarctica.
These experiences may seem easy to story-tell on the surface, but it can be hard to fully comprehend and appreciate the sheer importance of both exploring yet preserving our planet, particularly the Arctic. In a hope to not be just a fleeting visitor of our awe-inspiring planet, this is how The Great Expedition Company came to be: to encourage others to intentionally wander and wonder, explore with purpose, and leave with a new inspiration to keep alive their expeditionary spirit.
The desire for adventure and exploration is genetically encoded in all of us: humans and animals alike. We’re not interested in selling you a mere trip, for you can buy that anywhere else. Instead, The Great Expedition Company travels with you, curating unique itineraries and sharing in the experiences of worldly exploration. This is what truly sets us apart.
In an ode to the brave and bold explorers of our past, we not only feel inspired, but mostly compelled, to live out our ethos: to keep alive the expeditionary spirit inside us all, travel with intention and vigour, and ignite the necessary conversations about our ever-changing future on our stupendous, fragile planet.
ABOUT JOE SHUTTER
British-Brazilian, Joe exchanged London for Iceland to pursue his masters degree in Environment and Natural Resources. Gripped by Iceland's remarkable landscapes, Joe began connecting with Iceland in a profound way, and now uses his expertise to help others to discover their own connections.
Through his lens and many years of exploration, Joe has been leading workshops and expeditions in Iceland and the Arctic regions for over six years. He is most passionate about helping those who love what they do excel, day by day.
For Joe, imbuing a sense of humility and respect for the natural world in which we are often fleeting visitors is one of the biggest impacts we can strive towards. If we can laugh along the way, then so much the better!
@JOESHUTTER
“ And so it turned out [...] that an unshared happiness is not happiness.”
- Christopher McCandless, Into the Wild
Keep up with Joe’s adventures on Instagram @greatexped
