Kangerlussuaq, Greenland
Preparing to hike Greenland’s Arctic Circle Trail? Here are unopen to useful tips for packing as well as planning your trek based on my Greenland adventure inwards August 2015.
When I start began planning to hike Greenland’s Arctic Circle Trail, it was hard to respect useful details online. There were a few spider web log posts nigh the trek, but they were written inwards German linguistic communication or Danish.
So this is my testify to remedy that province of affairs as well as brand the hike to a greater extent than accessible to English linguistic communication speakers who are interested inwards exploring this beautiful as well as lesser-known expanse of the Blue Planet on foot.
Located nigh xxx miles northward of the Arctic Circle, the typical route stretches 102 miles (165km) from Kangerlussuaq International Airport to the angling hamlet of Sisimiut on the West coast.
It’s possible to lengthen the trip to 124 miles yesteryear starting from Greenland’s H2O ice cap for those who are upwards for the challenge.
Recommended Experience Level
While most of Greenland is covered amongst ice, the Arctic Circle Trail is ice-free during the summer. Passing through depression valleys covered yesteryear many lakes, it’s a relatively slow walk amongst regards to elevation.
The difficulty comes amongst packing all your ain nutrient as well as supplies to in conclusion at to the lowest degree 10 days. Plus a consummate lack of culture nearby inwards the effect of an unexpected emergency.
Arctic Circle Trail hikers must conduct maintain sense surviving lonely inwards the wilderness, agreement their ain limits, reading weather condition patterns, as well as the mightiness to navigate unfamiliar terrain using a map as well as compass.
At the hike’s midpoint, y'all tin forcefulness out live on v days as well as l miles away from whatsoever type of civilization. You’re on your ain out there. It’s non a trek for beginners, but y'all don’t bespeak to live on a serious mountaineer either.
How Long Does It Take?
Depending on fitness levels as well as the specific route chosen, the traditional 102 mile long Arctic Circle Trail from Kangerlussuaq Airport to Sisimiut tin forcefulness out conduct maintain anywhere betwixt 7-10 days to complete.
To start from the H2O ice cap similar I did, innovation for an additional 2-3 days.
It’s of import to regime notation that Greenland is a wild as well as unpredictable place. If y'all intend y'all tin forcefulness out hike the trail inwards 10 days, brand certain to include 2-3 extra buffer days for delays due to weather, injury, exhaustion, or canceled flights.
Seasons & Weather
While hiking the Arctic Circle Trail is possible inwards the winter, it’s far to a greater extent than hard & technical. The master copy hiking flavour is from June to September when the trail is gratuitous of snow.
Greenland has a musquito problem. Swarms tin forcefulness out live on downright maddening from June until mid August when the start frost finally kills them off. I started hiking August twelfth as well as had to suspension out my musquito caput cyberspace a few times.
The trail is extremely dingy & boggy inwards June later the snowfall melts amongst river crossings becoming deeper as well as to a greater extent than dangerous. In September, the conduct chances of snowfall storms is higher every bit wintertime begins.
In August, the air temperature fluctuated betwixt 60’s (F) inwards the solar daytime to 30’s (F) at night, amongst 1 afternoon of snowfall flurries.
Over the 10 days I was on the trail, I experienced steady pelting for iii of them.
Flying To Greenland
Flying to Greenland is the most expensive business office of this epic trekking adventure. Air Greenland offers regular flights to Kangerlussuaq from Reykjavik, Republic of Iceland as well as Copenhagen, Denmark. So you’ll bespeak to acquire yourself to 1 of these cities first.
I flew to Greenland from Copenhagen for $1032 USD circular trip. Now if you’re hiking the Arctic Circle Trail from Kangerlussuaq to Sisimiut, you’ll also bespeak to acquire yourself dorsum to Kangerlussuaq inwards monastic enjoin to piece of work out the country.
The one-way flying from Sisimiut to Kangerlussuaq costs nigh $200 USD.
If y'all bespeak assist searching for international flights to Republic of Iceland or Denmark, brand certain to read my pop post service nigh How To Find Cheap Flights.
Accommodation Options
Accommodation inwards Greenland earlier as well as later the hike is expensive. H5N1 unmarried room inwards Kangerlussuaq or Sisimiut volition laid y'all dorsum nigh $100 – $200 USD. H5N1 hostel dormitory bed costs betwixt $30 – $40 USD.
However both towns also conduct maintain campgrounds available amongst bathrooms.
Kangerlussuaq Accommodation
Kangerlussuaq Youth Hostel
Old Camp Hostel
Polar Lodge (where I stayed)
Hotel Kangerlussuaq
Sisimiut Accommodation
Sisimiut Youth Hostel
Seaman’s House
Hotel Sisimiut (where I stayed)
Trail Huts & Camping
Spread along the route are a serial of ix basic wooden huts amongst bunks that are gratuitous for hikers to use. Packing a tent is highly recommended though, every bit unopen to huts solely slumber four as well as could perchance live on total when y'all arrive.
Bad weather condition may also forestall y'all from reaching 1 of the huts inwards time, thence having a backup innovation for shelter is really of import for your security inwards Greenland’s vast wilderness.
Due to personal preference, I spent most nights wild camping. However I did slumber inwards two of the trail huts during my hike, as well as took an afternoon nap inwards a third. If you’re hiking from hut to hut each day, the total journeying (from Kangerlussuaq airport, non the H2O ice cap) volition conduct maintain 10 days.
How Many Hikers?
Only 300 people hike the trail every year, thence piece y'all may encounter other hikers, it’s possible to become days without seeing a swain human depending on which calendar month y'all create upwards one's take away heed to testify the trek.
I met nigh 10 hikers on the Arctic Circle Trail over 10 days. Most were German linguistic communication or Danish, as well as 1 other American. Many people hike this route for the solitude, thence walking together as well as chatting for a few miles earlier breaking off on your ain over again was the criterion routine.
Food & Water
The traditional Arctic Circle Trail route takes 7-10 days for most people to complete. So hikers bespeak to pack at to the lowest degree 10 days worth of nutrient to live on safe. That’s a lot of food!
At 1-2 pounds (16-24 ounces) of nutrient per day, that’s nigh 10-20 pounds of nutrient on your back. To continue it every bit low-cal every bit possible, I recommend buying dehydrated backpacker meals as well as bringing them amongst y'all to Greenland.
While at that spot is a supermarket inwards both Kangerlussuaq as well as Sisimiut, they don’t stock dehydrated meals. They create conduct maintain ingredients for trail mix — but to live on prophylactic I’d also develop your ain trail mix earlier y'all arrive. It volition live on cheaper as well as you’ll conduct maintain to a greater extent than options.
Water on the other manus is pretty slow to conduct maintain attention of, every bit at that spot are countless freshwater lakes, ponds, as well as streams along the Arctic Circle Trail. So amongst careful planning y'all tin forcefulness out acquire yesteryear amongst simply a unmarried Nalgene bottle. No filter is required either! Of course of report at that spot is e'er a conduct chances of H2O contamination, but it’s pretty depression out here. Most hikers don’t purpose one.
My Greenland Trekking Diet
- Muesli/oatmeal amongst wild berries & chocolate-brown carbohydrate for breakfast
- Trail mix plus wild mushrooms/berries for dejeuner & snacks
- Canned fish sandwich as well as dried fish jerky for dinner
- Chocolate & Greenlandic Schnapps for dessert
(I brought dehydrated meals, but couldn’t purpose them due to a work explained below)
Artice Circle Trail Packing List
- 50 Liter Hiking Backpack
- Carbon Trekking Poles
- Waterproof Backpacking Boots
- Hiking Gaiters
- Cuben Fiber Tarp Tent
- 40 Degree Sleeping Bag
- Inflatable Sleeping Pad
- Emergency Space Blanket
- Waterproof GoreTex Shell
- Headlamp
- 32 Ounce Nalgene Bottle
- Jetboil Zip Cooking System
- Knife & Waterproof Matches
- First Aid Kit
- Heavy Duty Garbage Bags (4)
- Mosquito Head Net
- Long Underwear
- Hiking Pants
- Hiking Shorts
- Hiking Shirts (2)
- Wool Socks (3)
- Fleece Top
- Ballcap & Sunglasses
- Sunscreen & Lip Balm
- Mosquito Repellent
- Winter Hat & Gloves
- River/Camp Sandals
- Paper Maps & Compass
- iPhone & Camera Gear
Maps & GPS
You’ll desire to purchase a serial of iii newspaper topographical maps that encompass the entire length of the Arctic Circle Trail. While y'all tin forcefulness out by as well as large purchase these at the Polar Lodge inwards Kangerlussuaq, it’s ameliorate to acquire them inwards advance because inwards Greenland, things run out of stock easily.
You tin forcefulness out testify to pre-order the Arctic Circle Trail maps from Greenland Tourism. The trail is marked amongst occasional stone cairns along the way, but at that spot are a few places where y'all tin forcefulness out even thence lose the trail, as well as inwards bad weather, the cairns aren’t e'er super visible.
In add-on to the newspaper maps, I also packed my iPhone vi amongst a LifeProof FRĒ Power Case running Gaia GPS as well as pre-dowloaded maps. There is no cell-service on the trail, but y'all tin forcefulness out even thence use your outcry upwards every bit a GPS device.
What Would I Do Different?
After hiking the Arctic Circle Trail inwards August 2015, at that spot are ,a few things I’d create differently if I create upwards one's take away heed to return. Hopefully you’ll acquire from my mistakes!
My xl story (F) sleeping handbag was a fighting besides mutual depression temperature for wild camping, as well as I was forced to slumber inwards my vesture as well as purpose a infinite blanket for a few chilly nights. I’d in all probability desire something closer to 0 or 10 degrees.
I packed a swell lightweight as well as efficient Jetboil stove that became useless when I couldn’t purchase fuel canisters for it inwards Kangerlussuaq. The whole town ran out of the type I needed.
Shipping butane/propane to Greenland is difficult, because it’s non allowed on airplanes. Canisters must brand it yesteryear boat. Because of this, I’d recommend a multi-fuel backpacking stove instead. It allows y'all to boil H2O amongst a few dissimilar types of fuel.
Sure, I made due amongst mutual depression temperature nutrient for 10 days anyway, but potent hot java as well as warm dinners conduct maintain a wonderful means of re-energizing y'all on long-distance hikes. They were missed.
Guidebook & More Details
If you’re planning to hike the Arctic Circle Trail I highly recommend picking upwards the mass Trekking In Greenland yesteryear Paddy Dillon.
It goes into far to a greater extent than item than I tin forcefulness out encompass inwards a spider web log post, as well as it’s what I used to innovation my ain adventure. Good luck, as well as conduct maintain fun! ★
Packing Guide
Check out my travel gear guide to assist y'all start packing for your trip. Pick upwards a move backpack, photographic idiot box camera gear, as well as other useful move accessories.
Book Your Flight
Find inexpensive flights on Skyscanner. This is my favorite search engine to respect deals on airlines. Also brand certain to read how I respect the cheapest flights.
Book Accommodation
Booking.com is my favorite hotel search engine. Or rent apartments from locals on Airbnb. Read to a greater extent than nigh how I mass inexpensive hotels online.
Protect Your Trip
Don’t forget move insurance! I’m a large fan of World Nomads for short-term trips. Protect yourself from possible injury & theft abroad. Read to a greater extent than nigh why y'all should e'er behave move insurance.
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