On 11 August, when they had covered about 200 kilometres (120 mi) and had reached Umivik Bay, Nansen decided that although they were still far south of his intended starting place, they needed to begin the crossing before the season became too advanced for travel.
Pada 11 Agustus, saat mereka berjalan sepanjang sekitar 200 kilometer (120 mi) dan mencapai Teluk Umivik, Nansen memutuskan agar meskipun mereka masih sangat jauh dari tempat tujuan awalnya, mereka perlu memulai perlintasan tersebut sebelum musim menjadi terlalu maju untuk perjalanan.