Kangerlussuaq, Greenland
Standing solitary on Greenland’s barren H2O ice cap inwards silence, you’re hitting amongst the reality of how remote this house is. Smiling, I hike West on the Arctic Circle Trail every bit snowfall begins to fall.
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Packing/Logistics
Before visiting Greenland to hike the Arctic Circle Trail, I mistakenly assumed the province was a huge volume of snowfall & ice. However, that’s non exclusively true…
While 85% of Greenland is covered inwards ice, there’s a narrow strip along the coastline that’s truly green! And red. And purple. And yellow. In fact, I would shortly larn that Greenland tin live pretty colorful.
It’s also the most sparsely populated province on the planet.
To give yous an thought of only how sparse, Greenland has to a greater extent than landmass than Mexico, yet has a population of only 50,000 compared to Mexico’s 122 million. There’s a lot of untouched wilderness to explore here.
The pocket-sized town of Kangerlussuaq (population 500) is habitation to Greenland’s largest international airport. I began my adventure hither after a iv hr flying from Copenhagen, Denmark.
The Arctic Circle Trail
Greenland’s Arctic Circle Trail is oftentimes listed every bit ane of the best long-distance hikes inwards the world.
The trail stretches upward to 200 kilometers (124 miles) from the border of the H2O ice cap to the line-fishing town of Sisimiut on the West coast.
Depending on fitness levels together with the specific route chosen, it tin accept anywhere betwixt 7-12 days to complete. Spread along the trail are some basic wooden huts for bad weather, but packing a tent is recommended.
Only 300 people hike the trail every year, together with thence patch yous may run across other hikers, it’s possible to become days without seeing a swain human. The normal hiking flavour is from June to August.
I was hiking mid-August to avoid swarms of mosquitos that plague the expanse before inwards the summer.
Arctic Circle Trail hikers must live totally self-sufficient too.
The only towns are located at the get-go together with halt of the trail, pregnant yous must pack all your ain nutrient & survival gear for the duration of the hike. Outside the towns, there’s no jail cellphone telephone reception either.
I was looking forrad to this journeying for many reasons — testing my survival skills solitary inwards the middle of an arctic wilderness, together with enjoying a much-needed suspension from a public of hyper-connectivity.
(My favorite travel quote from Seneca)
DAY 1: Exploring The Ice Cap
Hiking Distance 12 km (7.5 miles) | five hours
I arrived inwards Greenland at nighttime after our plane was delayed inwards Copenhagen. But it was all the same lite out. Kangerlussuaq is located North of the Arctic Circle, together with the August Sun sets roughly 11pm.
Most hikers start the Arctic Circle Trail direct from Kangerlussuaq, hiring a taxi to the trailhead together with walking West towards the coast. However, I wanted to start out my hike xl kilometers East on the border of the H2O ice cap.
So the adjacent solar daytime I booked an afternoon tour amongst World Of Greenland, requesting they acquire out me at the H2O ice cap together with I’d walk dorsum to town on my own.
A 4×4 jitney drove us along a crude oil dirt route to “Point 660”, where nosotros spent most an hr walking on the ice. There was no take away for crampons or security ropes here, every bit the nearby glaciers salve the pressure level that unremarkably causes crevasses. The H2O ice was grippy too, similar a layer of crusty snow.
Glaciers are rivers of unstable H2O ice that menstruum downward from an H2O ice cap. The H2O ice cap itself doesn’t truly motion — it’s truly really solid together with tin live miles deep.
First Signs Of Wildlife
The tour grouping eventually left me on my own. I decided to explore Greenland’s H2O ice cap for some other few hours. It was spectacular.
Rivers of bluish meltwater snaked downward a landscape of H2O ice that stretched out towards the horizon for every bit far every bit your optic could see.
While many people see glaciers roughly the world, the chance to truly stand upward on an H2O ice cap is pretty unique. There are really few places where it’s together with thence easily accessible without the utilization of a helicopter.
Dark clouds of a abrupt rolled in, forcing me to acquire out the H2O ice together with start out hiking downward the dirt route dorsum towards Kangerlussuaq. Pretty shortly it was snowing! Only thirty minutes before the heaven was blue… this would live a reoccurring subject inwards Greenland. The conditions changes fast.
I saw my firstly beast dart away into the rocks. It was an arctic hare, his brilliant white fur standing out inwards contrast to the greenish-yellow landscape. Further on, a reindeer bounded across the road.
This was the get-go of many wild animals sightings on the hike.
The adjacent five hours were spent walking on the dirt road, built yesteryear Volkswagen many years agone to examination their novel cars inwards harsh wintertime driving conditions.
I lastly reached Russell Glacier roughly 11pm together with laid upward camp.
DAY 2: Road To Kangerlussuaq
Hiking Distance 25 km (15.5 miles) | half dozen hours
CRACK! BOOM! SPLASH! This was the audio of H2O ice breaking away from the lx meter (180 foot) glacier beside me. The basis trembled every bit the H2O ice like shooting fish in a barrel advanced.
Russell Glacier is a towering wall of white, blue, together with dark frozen H2O covered inwards jagged cracks. It moves most 25 meters every year, amongst sunlight together with warm summertime temperatures helping the H2O ice “calve” into a glacial river.
Mountains of moraine flank the glacier’s sides, loose gravel that’s been bulldozed into huge piles over thousands of years yesteryear millions of tons of moving ice.
You experience really pocket-sized standing adjacent to it all.
The glacier is impressive, together with I hung roughly for hours watching the spectacle of falling ice. Some chunks were every bit large every bit a schoolhouse bus!
It’s of import to hold your distance from the human face upward of a glacier. Falling H2O ice tin easily musical rhythm you, pieces tin live ejected out over the river, or large waves from the splash could knock yous off your feet into the freezing water.
Arctic Deserts & Arctic Foxes
Reluctantly leaving the beautiful glacier I continued next the river. The landscape turned to sand, consummate amongst wind-swept dunes along the banks. It’s an arctic desert called Sandflugtdalen.
In the distance, iii shapes lumbered upward the basin towards some mountains. These were musk ox, large buffalo-looking animals native to Greenland. They’re hunted for their tasty meat together with warm fur yesteryear the local Inuit.
Too far away for a photo, but I’d acquire some other chance.
Kangerlussuaq used to live an American air base of operations before it was Greenland’s international airport. Next to the route yous tin notice the remains of a Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star that crashed along amongst 2 others during a blizzard inwards 1968. Apparently all pilots ejected safely.
I spied something dark moving inwards the scrub brush ahead. Not certain what it could be, I pulled out my telephoto lens to acquire a closer look…
An arctic fox! What a prissy surprise!
Arctic foxes tin live super shy. They’re also pretty pocket-sized — most the size of a large menage cat. There are 2 varieties, white or “blue” similar this one. I crept upward every bit like shooting fish in a barrel together with quietly every bit I could, but he saw me coming.
Like a flash, the fob darted out downward the road. Somehow I managed to burn off a few shots amongst my photographic goggle box camera every bit he passed.
Spending The Night In Town
A few miles away from Kangerlussuaq there’s a prominent mount close the route called Sugarloaf. Climbing it rewards yous amongst incredible 360 grade views of the expanse — Greenland’s H2O ice cap to the East, Kangerlussuaq to the West, together with the glacial river called Akuliarusiarsuup Kuua below.
At the summit I establish a cabin amongst a few wooden radio towers, purpose of the onetime U.S. of America air base. The hike upward looks easy, but it’s truly pretty steep.
Just yesteryear the mount are signs alarm yous non to venture off the route due to possible unexploded ordinance. It seems when the Americans left, they blew upward what was left of their ammunition here.
However years after some local schoolhouse kids establish a grenade.
While a band of white posts marks the danger zone, the route itself is safe.
Arriving dorsum into town after a long day, I decided to pay for a room at the Polar Lodge rather than army camp out. I needed to recharge all my photographic goggle box camera batteries together with iPhone (for GPS), every bit good every bit repack.
I’d rented a locker at the drome to shop most of my nutrient during this firstly department of the hike. No argue to walk an extra twenty miles amongst it!
I also purchased some dried fish together with peanut M&Ms at the local supermarket to supplement what I’d brought amongst me. In total, I’d conduct hold ix days worth of nutrient packed for the residual of my Arctic Circle Trail hike.
DAY 3: Road To Kellyville/Hundesø
Hiking Distance twenty km (12.5 miles) | five hours
When I firstly arrived inwards Kangerlussuaq I mistakenly purchased the incorrect gas canister to fuel my backpacking stove. Now I was trying to rail downward a replacement amongst no success. The entire town was out.
A local guy offered to rent me his stove, which used a dissimilar type of gas. But I after learned it couldn’t live refilled at the drome until the “big” 747 bird left. After wasting hours waiting for it to leave, I lastly gave up.
So much for hot nutrient & coffee! I’ll hike without a stove.
From Kangerlussuaq most hikers conduct to hire a $50 taxi to the official trailhead 10 miles away. I stubbornly decided to walk the road, starting belatedly inwards the afternoon.
There’s non much along this road. H5N1 tiny local transportation port, some huge diesel fuel storage tanks, together with a scientific enquiry station called Kellyville (population 7). They report the Earth’s atmosphere & the northern lights.
Past Kellyville, a stone cairn painted amongst a ruddy semi-circle marks the official start of the Arctic Circle Trail. The halt of civilization.
Greenland’s rugged wilderness stretched out before me. From hither on out, I’m completely on my own. ★
Watch Video: Greenland’s Arctic Circle Trail
(Click to ticker Hiking the Arctic Circle Trail – Greenland on YouTube)
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Packing/Logistics
Packing Guide
Check out my travel gear guide to attention yous start packing for your trip. Pick upward a go backpack, photographic goggle box camera gear, together with other useful go accessories.
Book Your Flight
Find inexpensive flights on Skyscanner. This is my favorite search engine to notice deals on airlines. Also brand certain to read how I notice 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 most how I volume inexpensive hotels online.
Protect Your Trip
Don’t forget go 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 most why yous should e'er deport go insurance.
Enjoy This Post? Pin It!
READ NEXT: My Favorite Camera For Travel Photos
Have yous ever thought most traveling to Greenland?
Sumber lksmadrasah.blogspot.com
