Experiences in Greenland
THE ICE SHEET
The vast scale of the ice cap puts the world in its proper perspective – whether you see it from a dog sled, the sea, on a pair of skis or in a pair of walking boots.
A GREENLANDIC NATURAL ATTRACTION
The Greenlandic ice sheet is a gigantic ice cap that both overwhelms and astounds nature-lovers. The impressions of the magnificence of the ice and the deafening silence are memories you will never forget from your first encounter with the ice sheet. You can fly, sail, drive and walk to the fringe of the ice which at its edge can be up to 100,000 years old.
ACCESS TO THE ICE SHEET
In some places you can walk on this permanent historical monument from the last ice age, for instance at Kangerlussuaq. It is an experience that is out of this world! Travellers looking for an extreme experience also have the chance to cross the ice sheet. It is a great challenge, requiring special permission and competence, which only a handful of bureaus have specialised in offering to customers. Several well-known sports events in Greenland contain stages to the ice sheet.
THE SIZE OF THE ICE SHEET
Greenland’s ice sheet creates enormous glaciers, which under the influence of the force of gravity are forced out towards the coasts. Here the ice breaks off and forms the icebergs that are one of Greenland’s major natural attractions. The ice’s total area of 1.8 million km² (695,000 square miles) corresponds to 14 times the size of England. The ice-free area amounts to 350,000 km² (135,000 square miles) – equivalent to the area of Germany.
FROZEN FRESHWATER
The ice sheet has covered large parts of Greenland for the last 2-3 million years, but active glaciers and constant melting have meant that the ice has been recycled many times. The aging ice sheet is only a few metres thick at the ice fringe, but more than 3,200 metres (10,500 feet) thick at its highest point. The ice contains 10 per cent of the world’s reserves of fresh water as well as atmospheric particles which scientists can use to gain an insight into the climate of both Greenland and the Earth going back some 250,000 years. “
THE MELTING ICE SHEET
“Greenland’s ice sheet is melting today far more rapidly than at the turn of the millennium. Many researchers think that every year the ice is losing more mass than is being created. If the entire ice sheet melted, the world’s oceans would rise by approx. 6-7 metres (20-23 feet). Fortunately this will not happen from one day to the next. However, at a time characterised by heated debate on global warming, a visit to the fascinating ice sheet gives even more food for thought.
THE MIDNIGHT SUN
See the warm and magical light of the midnight sun north of the Arctic Circle, which makes it possible to go sailing or hiking no matter what time of day it is.
THE LAND OF MIDNIGHT SUN
Midnight sun in Greenland is practically a state of mind, and it makes the traditional concept of time lose all its meaning. You may as well leave your watch in your suitcase, because the day has neither a beginning nor an end. Children on roller skates dash down the street in the middle of the night with the sun hanging low on the horizon. Small motorboats chug out of the harbour and groups of people sit dotted around the hills enjoying the never-ending rays of sunshine. During the summer, small communities buzz with life until the early hours.
WHERE TO SEE THE MIDNIGHT SUN
So where and when is it best to see the midnight sun? Midnight sun can be experienced north of the Arctic Circle for a period lasting from a single day to five months, depending on how far north you travel. In central Greenland the sun does not set from the end of May until the end of July. During this period, the soft, warm rays from the low-lying sun make the surrounding scenery appear almost dreamlike; icebergs and hilltops are bathed in a surreal palette of pink, purple, yellow and red.
THE SUN’S RAYS ON TOP OF THE WORLD
This unusual phenomenon is due to the tilt of the Earth’s axis and its orbit around the sun. The relationship of the two means that, during summer north of the Arctic Circle, the sun is visible around the clock. In contrast, the region is characterised by dark polar nights during the winter. In the southerly regions of Greenland that do not lie above the Arctic Circle, there is no midnight sun, although the nights certainly do remain light during the summer months.
SUMMER SUNSHINE AND WINTER DARKNESS
The number of days of continuous summer sunshine and winter darkness depend on the latitude of the places you visit. The most northerly town, Qaanaaq, has both the highest number of days with midnight sun and the most winter darkness. However, reflections of moonlight in the snow and the glow from the Northern Lights help to light up the landscape during this period.
THE FLORA OF GREENLAND
Greenland is much greener than most people think. Colourful flowers, lush meadows and hardy plants spring up when the summer’s mild winds blow.
GREENER THAN YOU THINK
Colourful flowers, plants, bushes and heaths make beautiful contrasts to the icebergs and the white expanse of the ice sheet in Greenland. Tourists visiting the country for the first time or airline passengers at an altitude of 10 km (33,000 feet) are rarely inclined to believe that Greenland can offer such green scenery and fertile landscapes – but do not let yourself be fooled by the Arctic nature. If you arrive during the summer via the two international airports in Kangerlussuaq and Narsarsuaq, you will meet a Greenland that lives up to its name. Here, in the mild climate at the base of the extensive fjords, you will notice in particular the greyleaf willow that often grows to the height of a man. Cruise guests who venture into the old quarters of the town cannot fail to see the idyllic houses with green gardens and flowerbeds resplendent in all the colours of the rainbow.
INTENSE ARCTIC SUMMER
During the brief and intense Arctic summer the mountain landscapes are adorned with a wealth of colours from flowers, herbs, mosses and heather. Five types of orchid flower in Greenland. There are even small trees that grow in the innermost fjords in Southern Greenland! Further north, Disko Island is a paradise for flora-lovers. Half of Greenland’s more than 500 species of flowering plants, horsetails and ferns are found on this old volcanic island.
COMMON FLOWERS
Although Greenland geographically belongs to North America, the majority of plant species originate from Europe. Greenland’s national flower, Niviarsiaq, which means ‘young woman’, is, however, most common in North America. The flower is also known as broad-leaf fireweed, and is found all over the country. It is particularly common in stony soils and sandy riverbeds. The Greenlandic bluebell can be seen as far north as Upernavik in North Greenland and on the east coast up to Daneborg. The bog blueberry has sweet blueberries, whilst the more common mountain crowberry produces tasty blackberries that are popular ingredients in many Greenlandic desserts and as an accompaniment to boiled cod liver.
HANDBOOKS ABOUT GREENLANDIC FLORA
Multilingual handbooks about Greenlandic flora can be bought in bookshops in major towns. Along with your photos from Greenland, such books might be able to convince your family and friends that there is a lot more to Greenland than just the ice sheet and icebergs! Multilingual handbooks about Greenlandic flora can be bought in bookshops in major towns.
HOT SPRINGS IN GREENLAND
Southern Greenland’s crystal-clear 38 degree warm springs were discovered by the Norsemen 1,000 years ago.
UUNARTOQ’S HOT SPRINGS
Hot springs in Greenland are a common natural phenomenon, but the island of Uunartoq is home to the only place where the springs are warm enough to bathe in. On the uninhabited island between Alluitsup Paa and Nanortalik in South Greenland there are three naturally heated springs which run together to a small stone-dammed pool. Surrounded by mountain peaks and drifting icebergs, you can lie in the warm water and enjoy the almost surrealistically beautiful natural surroundings. It is a great experience for both body and the soul! On Disko Island there are thousands of hot springs, whilst on the other side of the country in East Greenland the springs only number just over the hundred mark. On the other hand, several of them are considerably warmer than on Disko Island. The hottest are between 50-60 degrees Celsius (122-140 degrees Fahrenheit). None of these have been dammed up, however, and therefore they are not as well known as the hot springs in South Greenland.
WARMER THAN THE SURROUNDINGS
The hot springs in Greenland are not due to volcanic activity, as is the case on Iceland. It appears that the water is heated by deep layers in the earth’s crust rubbing against each other. The definition of a hot spring is that it has the same temperature all year round and is warmer than the location’s average temperature. The hottest spring in Greenland is around 60 degrees Celsius (140 degrees Fahrenheit), whilst the hot springs on Uunartoq provide water with a temperature of 37-38 degrees (98-100 degrees Fahrenheit) – an absolutely perfect bathtub temperature!
SNOWSHOEING IN GREENLAND
Explore winter in Greenland the slow way, hiking through the landscape on snowshoes with a seasoned guide and a group of friends.
It is fun, it is easy, and it involves walking on snow. What’s not to like?
We are of course talking about snowshoeing, an age old means of transportation in the Arctic which today is a way of experiencing scenery while opening up the landscape and slowing down the traveler compared to faster adventures such as dog sledding, snowmobiling and skiing.
WINTER HIKING
Snowshoeing is as basic as hiking, but with the added benefit of being able to approach the entire landscape as a trailless adventure all while enjoying walking in winter without the hassle of sinking into deep snow. It is definitely possible to create long expedition style treks far into the backcountry on snowshoes in Greenland, much like you would go wilderness hiking in the summer season, but mostly snowshoes are used for easy access to shorter walks focused on scenic beauty and with a more soft adventure approach to the experience.
ALONG THE EDGE OF THE ILULISSAT ICE FJORD
Ilulissat is a year round destination, and in winter the adventure guides from PGI Greenland will take you on snowshoes along the banks of the UNESCO World Heritage Site at the ice fjord. Hiking together in a group of friends makes for a fun, inspiring, and ultimately also relaxed trip, complete with coffee breaks and time to enjoy the rather astonishing view of icebergs overwintering at the mouth of the fjord, before heading back to town, only a short walk away.
Snowshoeing in East Greenland often happens in conjunction with a wider adventure setting like a dogsledding trip with Travellodge Greenland from Ilulissat. They would bring along snowshoes to their remote hut location at the edge of the Sermilik fjord on Ammassalik Island. Travelers then arrive on skis, dog sleds or snowmobiles to the hut, and the snowshoes are used for exploring the local area around the hut, including quick climbs to hilltops with views out over the ice fjord and across to the Greenland Ice Sheet in the distance.
But Tasiilaq is also a great starting point for a walk into the hills or an easy climb to the vantage points overlooking the icy Denmark Strait to the east. And basically this sort of quick adventure is what snowshoeing is all about both in East Greenland and elsewhere – an easy way to get an introduction to the winter outdoors in Greenland.
RIVER FISHING IN GREENLAND
Greenland Arctic char fishing is for those discerning connoisseurs who want a wilderness experience in remote mountain valleys, accompanied by pristine fast-flowing rivers and clear water fishing. When the arctic char arrive in the fiords of Greenland in June, the anglers have long since planned their trip, prepared fly rods and packed their fishing gear. We know that because they knock impatiently on the door in July, ready to go, as soon as the fish migrate up the rivers in large numbers to reproduce.
Soon begins a short, intense season, when the char, desperate to escape the fish hook, turns and twist its body in a powerful torque, and drags the angler around in a duel that challenges both parties, quite reminiscent of the struggle that the Atlantic salmon can dish up.
RIVERS WITH ARCTIC CHAR IN WESTERN GREENLAND
In West Greenland fishing is concentrated, in particular, around the towns of Sisimiut, Maniitsoq and Kangerlussuaq, where there are two dozen rivers with strong angler profiles along the west coast. Fishing destinations are wilderness experiences that can only be reached by boat or helicopter, and every river usually has no more than six to twelve fishermen at a time – so this small group of ‘geeks’ gets access to exclusive char experiences that you would have to search far and wide for in northern Europe and the U.S.
ANGLING IN THE SOUTH OF GREENLAND
South Greenland is known as the bread basket of Greenland, and the local population, since the very first immigrants arrived here, has been aware that the rivers in the region are literally swimming with Arctic char. At Ipiutaq farm near Narsaq, and on the rivers further inland in Tunulliarfik, also known as Erics fiord, the optimal conditions for the use of both spin and fly rod are from mid-July to September. The clear flowing river Ilua is located in the neighboring valley to Ipiutaq guest farm, while other rivers in the area are also suitable for fly fishing and spin fishing with the turbid waters flowing directly from the ice cap.
From 2013, Ilua river and lake system is the first place to be operated under a fishing concession from the Government of Greenland and is owned by Ipiutaq guest farm. The accessibility of individual rivers makes it possible to buy day trips, especially from Narsarsuaq, and we have noticed that some anglers use the area in this way as an à la carte menu of options that can be combined according to their requirements.
LOCAL CULTURE AND RIVER ANGLING
If you are able to look away from the river for a minute, it is worth delving into the local cultural experience that is part of the landscape.
In South Greenland, the many ruins of the Norse culture are a reminder of the different waves of immigrants in a region closely linked to transatlantic shipping lanes. The Norse tradition of farming lives on today in the form of sheep herding and farming communities.
In West Greenland there are local families who have fished at the same Arctic char rivers for several generations. Families camp for the weekend, or visit for the day, during the summer, and you will often experience fish being smoked in ovens that are built entirely by natural materials, people going reindeer hunting, and stories that are told about hunting and family. Locals and anglers each have their own spot among the ample space along the river, so you can easily navigate the area without disturbing each other.
SKI TOURING
Ski touring in Greenland is an active backcountry experience dominated by silence, grandeur, and first runs from peak to beach.
Achieving results
Ski touring means working to get results. There are neither lifts, snowmobiles, or a helicopter to take you to the top, only your own legs and a good guide. But the reward easily compensates for the hardships endured along the way, and as an added bonus you have the entire climb from peak to beach to familiarize yourself intimately with the landscape and the view.
THE FLOATING HOTEL IN THE ETERNITY FJORD
The Eternity Fjord. The name casts a spell on most of those who hear it, and it is not only the name which hints at hidden magic. In the alpine mountains around this fjord north of Maniitsoq on the west coast of Greenland some of the biggest backcountry skiing adventures in the country lie hidden among jagged peaks and azure glaciers.
You don’t check into a sports hotel in the Eternity Fjord. Instead, you bring your own accommodation in the shape of a local tour boat. From a ship based platform the backcountry world opens up for trips into the unknown and up, up, up past rough, rocky cliffs, softly curving snow fields, and spellbinding glaciers where crevasses expose all kinds of blue tones in the ice. And looking back you will see how the distance covered has already turned your basecamp into a tiny colored dot on the fjord surface.
Ship based ski touring is a luxury that feels like home and where just about any kind of skiing interest in your group can be met. The captain and the mountain guide simply move the hotel to an area with the type of runs you and your group are looking for. And don’t worry, first runs are everywhere.
Ski Touring IN East Greenland
Ski touring in East Greenland’s Ammassalik District is operated right from the doorstep of one of the world’s smallest international airports on the island of Kulusuk, just two hours by plane from Iceland’s capital Reykjavik. Remoteness, alpine peaks, and local culture are the keywords here, where the adventure begins by taking a boat from the ice edge in Kulusuk just a short distance from the airport runway.
That’s right, you basically walk and drive your gear straight out onto the thick sea ice, where the boat awaits, and from there you go to Kuummiut, a couple of hours up the Ammassalik Fjord, where you make landfall in a village with roughly 300 inhabitants.
Kulusuk is a typical Greenlandic fishing and hunting community, and out here you will live in a guest house converted from a private home, and be treated to one of the best combinations of hospitality and sublime skiing terrain anywhere.
Kuummiut is known for its combination of deep snow, immense nature, curious kids with a keen skiing interest, and remote snowmobile-supported alpine experiences around the high altitude Tasiilaq Mountain Hut near the famous jagged Triplets peaks. This is what makes ski touring in Greenland truly unique.
Ski Touring in Nuuk
Greenland’s capital Nuuk is located right at the doorstep of the backcountry and with boat support the winter world opens up a number of day climbs to peaks among which is the all-time favorite north side of Sermitsiaq, the signature mountain of Nuuk.
In Nuuk you even have the opportunity to hop on a bus downtown and ride it right to the edge of the city and the trails at the end of Line 1 in Qinngorput from where a short climb to the Circus Lake opens up ski touring routes for skiers of all levels. In the ski season the city bus also runs all the way to the ski lift from where you only have about 20 minutes to the top of Quassussuaq / Lille Malene.
Just 20 minutes by boat from Nuuk you have access to Kangerlusarsunnguaq Ski Center which has hut based accommodation at the foot of the Teqqiinngallip glacier. Out here a large mountain area well suited for Nordic touring offers plenty of good routes for weekend getaways and even summer skiing on the glacier itself.
SermitSiaq And Qingaq
If you strive to see the world a bit more from above the alpine peaks Sermitsiaq and Qingaq in the Nuuk fjord are obvious picks for peak bagging close to Greenland’s capital.
A short boat ride from downtown Nuuk takes you to Sermitsiaq, and the city landmark culminates at nearly a kilometer above sea level with gorgeous views of both the capital and the Sermitsiaq glacier – the old icy giant dwelling on the mountain side and slowly winding its way to the fjord waters.
From up here you have several routes to the fjord, and usually the snow conditions will dictate your choice of descent. But regardless of your choice the ride down delivers plenty of great views to Bear Island and behind that the characteristic Qingaq peak.
Qingaq is the second highest mountain in the Nuuk fjord complex, and while it takes true alpine climbing equipment to reach the 1630 meter peak the ascent is moderate until about 1400 meters, and from up here you have views of both the ice cap, the fjord, Nuuk, and the sea on a clear day.
SNOWMOBILING
Snowmobiles are an integrated part of everyday life in Greenland, they give us freedom and mobility during the winter, and we use snowmobiles for transportation, work and sports.
SNOWMOBILING IS PART OF EVERYDAY LIFE
Riding a snowmobile in Greenland has become a part of our local culture and we have adopted this means of transportation as a natural extension of how we move throughout the countryside.
For some of us, especially young people in the larger cities, it is a fulltime lifestyle with all the trappings of what that lifestyle encompasses relating to identity, fashion, the right lingo and the sporting aspect. But snowmobiling is far more than an important element of local youth culture; we use the snowmobile as everyday transport, in South Greenland with its culture of farming, during hunting in the mountains and out on the ocean ice. Some even use a snowmobile just to get to work.
During weekends family and friends will head out for tours in the mountains or go for a picnic at the local ski lift. If you keep an eye out for some of the groups of snowmobilers going out over some hill-side ridge, you will discover that it is often local people who are going out to a favorite hill side spot, camping for the day and using their snowmobile as a ski lift to get them to the top of the hill.
LONGING FOR WINTER
Every year around October a segment of the Greenlandic population begins to get restless. They go down into their basements rummaging for equipment; they look up at the sky and study the cloud formations, they share their joy when the first frosty days are upon us, and groups of young people get a dreamy expression in their eyes when the snow starts to fall.
Before you know it, there is enough snow for a snowmobile to race through town. The sound of this first pioneer of winter roars out on the street, signaling the beginning of a six month season, when the back country is conquered by locals inspired by the spirit of adventure. It is all about getting out into the mountains and enjoying the freedom that snowmobiling provides.
HOT SPOTS FOR SNOW MOBILE TOURS IN GREENLAND
While snowmobiling is possible in most of Greenland during winter, there a few destinations, best described as hot spots, for snowmobiling that offer real adventure tours.
Sisimiut has the largest accessible back country, and the mountainous area offers the possibility for lengthy tours between Sisimiut and the airport settlement of Kangerlussuaq; easy family friendly excursions to local sightseeing points; tours climbing up to the top of 1400 meter tall glacier, and alpine skiing challenges for daredevils that defy the hold gravity has on humans.
In Tasiilaq, on the East Coast of Greenland the winter landscape opens to the opportunities for exploration of a wild and almost impassable terrain, flanked on one side by the icy Strait of Denmark towards the east, and on the other side, the Ice Cap towards the west. A local tour operator offers the possibility of combining alpine skiing in the back country with snowmobiling support.
On the island of Qeqertarsuaq, adjacent to Ilulissat, large valleys and flat-topped volcanic mountains create the framework for snowmobile safaris that may be combined with dogsled tours. Especially the tour to the top of the 800 meter tall Lyngmarks glacier provides a rewarding view of the entire Disko Bay area, in towards the ice fjord and going south along the west coast of Greenland.
