Kayak and Glacier Hiking, 15 days

Greenland kayaking trips. 15 day Travel Journal

Day 1. Flight to Greenland, boat transfer to Narsaq

Three-hour flight from Reykjavik (Iceland’s domestic airport) to Narsarsuaq (Greenland) with spectacular views of the glacier tongues and the huge southern Greenland ice-sheet… We are in the Arctic now! Welcome at the airport by our English speaking guide and an hours crossing by high-powered zodiac to the city of Narsaq. Once settled in our hostel off we go to our supply store to get kitted out with kayaks, paddles, clothing and navigation accessories. If conditions permit, we make first contact with water to get familiar with the use of the rudder. Overnight stay at the Kayak Hostel.

Days 2 to 13. Kayaking route

Preparations in Narsaq before leaving for the island of Tuttutooq

We start the journey crossing the great fjord of Narsaq, sailing amid icebergs  heading southwest toward Tuttutooq Island. The landscape is one of low mountains with waterfalls cascading into the sea and the constant presence of seals. We travel parallel to the coast, doing some trekking and sheltered by the islands until we reach the cabin of Ujaraq, a local fisherman. Depending on the weather and how the journey progresses, the guide will decide whether to circumnavigate Tuttutooq island or take the “shortcut” to the Qaleralliq fjord: carrying our kayaks over an isthmus for 400 meters and arriving at a point right across from the fjord that leads directly to the Qaleralliq glaciers, the Perito Moreno of the Arctic. Camping overnight.

Torsukattak fjord zone

It’s really a blue iceberg!

Firstly, we cross the wide Kerssuaq fjord, often plagued by ice and, with luck, visited by whales. We spend two days skirting the coast in a northeast direction through an area relatively uncharted by kayakers, approaching the mouth of the Torsukattak fjord and its islands until we reach the Qaleraliq Fjord. Camping overnight.

Towards Qaleraliq

Reaching the Qaleraliq glaciers

The next stage is a beautiful 15 km sail along the cliffs before reaching the three gigantic Qaleralliq glaciers, the gateway to the 2,500 kilometers of icy plateau leading to the northern coast of Greenland. It goes without saying that the spectacle, seen and heard from our silent kayaks, is awesome! Still surprised by the intermittent roar of cracking or seracs collapsing into the sea, we set up camp on a sandy beach. After a break, we trek up to Lake Tasersuatsiaq, where we have a privileged view point of the infinite Inlandis or Greenlandic ice-cap. We are in caribou, arctic fox and hare country. Camping overnight.

Ice hike

Going up to Inlandis plateau

After breakfast and dismantling the tents, we sail to the end of the fjord, disembarking to enter the perpetual Inlandis ice-sheet. It is about four hours of hiking, enjoying the sights of the rimayas or large transverse cracks, as we reach the great moraine (mixture of ice and sediment) following our guide’s instructions. The return journey will take us back to our kayaks, where we set camp for the night. Camping overnight.

Sandy beach and Qaleraliq glaciers

Glacier Fronts

The easiest and probably the most spectacular day, we travel by kayak around all the Qaleralliq glaciers to set up camp on nearby Caribou island. Camping overnight.

Sermiat Naajaat Glacier … No limits!

Once we backtrack Qaleraliq Fjord, we set sail in a north-eastern direction, circumnavigating the island of Akuliaruseq (also called caribou because of their presence there) to visit the two Naajaat Sermiat glaciers. This is the day we cover the most ground but by now our muscles are up to the challenge… No limits! Camping overnight.

Qingaarsuup Island

Qingaarsuup Island, our last camp

Today we head towards Qingaarsuup Island, our second last objective. We camp next to a cabin and have an easy trek up to get a unique view of Inlandis and much of the route traveled during the previous days. By now we are already expert salmon fishermen and gatherers of mushrooms and wild blueberries (from August), tasty and rich in vitamin C. Camping overnight.

Tutturooq and Narsaq

On our last day kayaking we weave through the Ikersuaq icebergs towards Stephensens Bay in the now familiar island of Tuttutooq. We disembark there to see the Inuit ruins of Manitsuarsuk (settlement of fishermen and hunters, inhabited until the eighteenth century). After lunch we cross to Narsaq, our starting point, where we will find being back in civilization almost exotic! Overnight stay at the Kayak Hostel.

Day 14. Stay in Narsaq. Optional excursion: Qaqortoq and Hvalsoy Church

Free time to visit Narsaq town: the museum, the inuit market, the church or the leather shop. Option of a small hike to nearby mountains.

Optional: Excursion to Qaqortoq town (135 €) and the norse ruins of Hvalsoy Church (190 €)

Boat transfer to Qaqortoq, described as the most charming town in all Greenland. Time to take a stroll around the city, while you enjoy the beauty of its colourful buildings and the awe-inspiring landscapes. Explore on your own the museum, the fur shops, the traditional kayak club, the church or the only fountain in the country. Then, we will pursue our sailing from Qaqortoq to visit the best preserved norse ruins in Greenland. We sail past the large island of Arpatsivik, the norse “Hvalsey” or Whale Island, and into the Hvalseyfjördur, where the church ruins stand in a quiet and peaceful setting. In the afternoon, boat transfer way back to Narsaq.

Overnight stay at the Kayak Hostel.

Narsaq… where we will find being back in civilization almost exotic

Day 15. Transfer to Narsarsuaq airport.

Boat transfer from Narsaq to Narsarsuaq, where we have time to walk around in the area or visit the Bluie West One museum, US militay base frozen in time since the Second World War.

Flight Narsarsuaq-Reykjavík (Iceland’s domestic airport).