Snowshoeing in East Greenland
Experience authentic wilderness
10-Day snowshoeing tour in East Greenland
This tour offers more than only snow; it is also an intensive introduction to the life and culture of the modern Inuit and their particular history. The East Coast of Greenland, a dramatic setting of sharp toothed alpine mountains meeting a cold ocean full of drift ice and loaded with majestic icebergs. In this magic winter world we have our base camp in Tasiilaq located on the island Ammassalik, from here we discover the surroundings during light to moderate graded snowshoeing day tours.
The Aurora Borealis draws her mighty crown of magic light far through the clear, crispy cold polar night. Huskies are lying close to each other under a blanket of fresh snow and are scarcely illuminated through the small windows of the coloured houses of the village. The night took over the day and the icebergs in the bay are like statues in a frozen sea. In this citadel of the cold, where winter still rules, we will introduce you to a way of life in a surrounding rarely seen. During this special winter tour you'll learn about the complex life of the modern Inuit who continue trying to find a balance between the traditional life of seal hunting and the modern days with alcohol, snacks and the internet.
The cosy Red House will be our home in the village. This simple but authentic accommodation will serve as a warm nest to get back to in the end of the day. Run by the legendary polar explorer Robert Peroni it is more than just a guesthouse. We will make tours over the frozen ocean along mighty icebergs en we will climb some local peaks from where we will enjoy a view you’ll find hard to forget. For one day you can exchange the snowshoes for a dog sledge, pulled by direct descendants of the wolves you will make a day tour to the Sermilik Mountain pass from where the view on the fjord is absolutely stunning.
Day 1 – March 1/23
After arrival at Keflavik Airport you will be welcomed by your guide and a transfer to a comfortable hotel in Reykjavik will follow. In the evening there will be a welcome dinner where the details for the days to come will be discussed.
Overnight: Hotel in Reykjavik
Day 2 – March 2/24
In the course of the morning we leave from Reykjavík Domestic Airport to Greenland. If we are getting closer to the coast we are to be welcomed by a wide drift ice zone that keeps Greenland’s east coast in an icy isolation.. After landing on the island of Kulusuk, we fly with a helicopter to the on the island of Ammassalik situated town of Tasiilaq. The helicopter flight takes 15 minutes. Wooden houses, friendly Inuit, barking dogs and the cradle, cosy Red House are waiting for us.
Overnight: The Red House Tasiilaq
Day 3 – March 3/25
After breakfast we prepare ourselves for a first tour in Greenlandic snow that will lead us to a bay south of Tasiilaq. At the map it is just a tiny bit but it will lead us into a kind of paradise, nice rolling mountains to climb and descend will finally bring us at the frozen seashore where, with a bit of luck, we will be able to spot some grounded icebergs. We will use this view for lunch and walk back to the village afterwards. In the afternoon we will visit to the local cultural and historic museum. During this visit a lot of the local history will be revealed.
Tour info: Duration 4 hours, 200 meters of climbing and descending
Overnight: The Red House Tasiilaq
Day 4 – March 4/26
After a short walk through the village we will mount our snowshoes at the beginning of the Blomsterdalen. Just outside of the village in this valley is the local cemetery, covered with plastic flowers an unusual colourful oasis in the white landscape. We walk further on into the valley and start to go uphill a couple of hundred meters until we are on a nameless ridge with a spectacular view towards the impressive ridge of Polhems Fjeld and the Aammanqaaq. Later in the afternoon we enter the village on the other side, there will be some time left to enjoy the atmosphere of the village.
Tour info: Duration 4 hours, 200 meters of climbing and descending
Overnight: The Red House Tasiilaq
Day 5 – March 5/27
From Tasiilaq we cross the frozen fjord and walk in an easterly direction towards a peninsula where we will climb a 175 meter high peak. Since this one rises straight out of the ocean it generates an impressive mountain. The view south is at the drift ice zone and north we are flanked by the 1000 meters high Polhems Fjeld. After our lunch out in the field we walk back and hopefully will have the opportunity to climb on one of the frozen icebergs.
Tour info: Duration 6 hours, 200 meters of climbing and descending
Overnight: The Red House Tasiilaq
Day 6 – March 6/28
Today´s tour has a particular long warming up, 5 kilometres over the frozen Kong Oskars Fjord in the direction of the valley Qorlortoq. From here we will follow a frozen creek that leads us to the frozen Qorlortoaq Lake. From here we will try to make an attempt on the 382 meter high nameless peak. The reward is another stunning view and a magnificent descent. If you don’t feel like walking today, this is the day for dog sledging
Tour info: Duration 6 hours, 400 meters of climbing and descending
Overnight: The Red House Tasiilaq
Day 7 – March 7/29
Today is going to be one of these you will remember, we go on higher into the Blomsterdalen towards the 679 meter high Sömandsfjeldet. At an easy pace we climb towards the ridge of this mountain and from there to the summit. Anything more beautiful is not available in this area; it gives a feeling of somewhere extremely high.
Tour info: Duration 7 hours, 700 meters of climbing and descending
Overnight: The Red House Tasiilaq
Day 8 – March 8/30
The last tour of our program is the one towards Ymers Mountain. From Blomsterdalen we walk to another frozen lake from where we climb up towards a 650 meter high mountain pass. South gives us view on the drift ice and west brings a view on the Greenlandic Icecap while beneath us the ice field of Uunnquttoq is streaming downhill. A great downhill run brings us back into the village.
Tour info: Duration 7 hours, 700 meters of climbing and descending
Overnight: The Red House Tasiilaq
Day 9 – March 9/31
Time to say goodbye to everybody we have met in the village, after we have packed our bags the helicopter will take us in a couple or runs back towards the airstrip in Kulusuk. From here the small plane from Iceland will bring us back towards Reykjavik. In the evening we will enjoy a good buffet downtown and we stay in the same hotel as the first night.
Overnight: Hotel in Reykjavik
Day 10 – March 10/April 1
An early airport transfer to Keflavik Airport followed by the flight back home.
Note
Keep in mind that weather circumstances seriously can affect the travelling schedule of this tour. Flights between Iceland and Greenland may be problematic because of the poor weather conditions. Waiting times are not unusual and even cancelled flights and days of waiting are not uncommon. Plan some days with a light schedule after your tour just in case weather ruins the schedule. Any additional costs as a result of flight delays are on the own account of the participants. Under certain conditions travel and luggage insurance will apply, we recommend you to have a good insurance for this. Ferdakompaniid is not responsible for any costs as a result of delays. The program of the tour is depending on local conditions (weather and snow), if these are not in favour of us changes in this program are unavoidable. Any program change will be made in consultation with the participants, but it at any time at the discretion of the guide.
Participants
• Minimum 7 – maximum 12
Dates
• March 2 – march 9
• March 23 – march 30
Price
• 1.971 Euro per person
Included
• Transfer Keflavik – Reykjavik v.v.
• Two nights in hotel in Reykjavik in DBL rooms facilities en suite, inc. breakfast
• Two dinners in Reykjavik
• Local transfers Reykjavik to and from Domestic Airport
• Flight Reykjavik – Kulusuk v.v. inc. taxes
• 7 nights in the Red House guesthouse on DBL room shared facilities in sleepingbag
• Snowshoes with walking poles
• Entrance local museum
• English speaking guide
Excluded
• Flight to Iceland from your home country
• Dog sledging tour
• Personal Insurances
• Personal expenses
Equipment
Ferdakompaniid provides all participants with snowshoeing equipment, we use TSL225 and MSR Denali. Mounted underneath your walking shoes this will create a great platform to start walking through the snow, in addition to keep your balance we supply walking poles. Your shoes must be warm, waterproof and be able to give your ankle support (minimum shoe type category B).
Pack list
• Sport tape
• Daypack (35 litres)
• Mountain shoes
• Indoor shoes
• Sleeping bag
• Fleece jacket
• Gloves / mittens
• Hat
• Shawl
• Warm clothing
• Wind and waterproof breathable outer layer
• Valid passport
• Copies of travel documents
• Sunglasses
• Sun cream / lip cream
• Torch
• Pocket knife (not in your hand luggage during flight)
• Snacks like muesli bars
• Thermos bottle
• Towel
• Thermal underwear
• Snow goggles
• Baklava
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