Wanderlust Travel Magazine (UK)
5 Active adventures in GREENLAND
Sail into the far north this summer for a heart-racing expedition...
Greenland is a place packed with natural drama: iceblasted fjords, giant glaciers and jagged tundra terrain make up its rugged topography. The country is truly one of the last wildernesses on Earth, and expedition cruise specialist Polar Routes believes Quark Expeditions’ Greenland Adventure trip is a thrilling way to explore it. Here’s just five unique adventures you can enjoy off and onboard…
1 KAYAKING
Greenland is where kayaking originated, so where better to enjoy the sport? The southern tip of the country is perhaps its most striking: a complex web of fjords that fissure the island like a mini delta. Paddle through the channels and inlets, passing aqua-hued icebergs of varying sizes, while the granite cliffs and towers loom over you as you glide along the glass-like water.
Tasermiutfjord is the pick of the bunch, with leafy hills and towering snow-dusted peaks
(aptly known as ‘Big Walls’) framing its ink-black water, including Ulamertorsuaq, seen as the Arctic’s version of Yosemite’s El Capitan. Crumbling settlements along the fjord signal a former Viking presence and you can moor up at the many Greenlandic towns for an insight into Inuit culture.
The twin-engine helicopters on Quark’s Ultramarine ship can take you even further afield: a heli-kayaking trip in the upper reaches of southern Greenland takes you to clear lakes plugged by toothpaste-blue glaciers.
2 MOUNTAIN BIKING
You’ll be pleasantly surprised by the amount of mountain biking trails hidden among the fjords in Greenland’s wilds.
Ultramarine’s helicopter will help you to find them, dropping you on the green plains to pedal 80km of gravel roads, linking a community of sheep farms and small settlements. Stop at some of the towns to explore the likes of Qassiarsuk (close to the Viking ruins of Erik the Red’s former settlement Brattahlid) and Narsaq, admiring their multi-coloured houses that speckle the rolling countryside. The town of Qaqortoq, meaning ‘white’ in Greenlandic, is another option for mountain biking, with around 30km of narrow trails. You can even trace the banks of the lake it sits on, Tasersuaq, and swap pedals for paddles.
3 HIKING
A wilderness like Greenland deserves to be appreciated in the rawest possible way – on two feet – and Quark’s cruise offers plenty of ways to do that during the summer months.
Ultramarine’s smaller Zodiac boats and helicopters mean you can push the boundaries and access some remote corners of southern Greenland’s wilds, with hikes that are suitable for walkers of all levels. You can stroll colourful flower-speckled tundra, keeping an eye out for Arctic hares and peregrine falcons as you go, trace ridges overlooking the region’s plethora of dramatic fjords and follow rushing, pristine streams – often with no-one else around.
For a once-in-a-lifetime experience, Ultramarine’s helicopters can soar beyond
the coastal glaciers to the immense Greenland ice sheet, the second-largest ice cap in the world, behind Antarctica. Not only will you be able to feel the crunch of the ice beneath your feet as you step out onto the sheet, you will also have the chance to learn from Quark’s onboard team of expert glaciologists about this unique and fascinating environment.
4 WILD CAMPING
Quark’s cruise also gives you the chance to immerse yourself in Greenland’s natural landscapes with a wild camping experience. Camp in Tasermiut Fjord and join local guides as they lead you through the flowerstrewn Arctic vistas, pointing out Norse ruins and sharing the colourful background of their homeland. Walk close to the coast to spot a whole host of marine wildlife, including seals, seabirds and even whales.
Return to camp for a traditional meal cooked over an open fire and when darkness falls, with a bit of luck, you’ll see the phenomena known as ‘polar twilight.’ If the conditions are right, the sky will turn blue, violet and purple, strikingly illuminating the mountains and snowy landscape for an otherworldly and unforgettable sight.
5 FORAGING FOR FOOD
Summer in southern Greenland isn’t just great for active adventures; the green hills and pastures provide an unexpected bounty of food, too.
The camping experience involves roaming the tundra with a local chef, shadowing Inuit culinary traditions and scanning the ground for mushrooms, mountain plants and Arctic herbs and berries. Gather them before returning to camp, where you’ll whip up a traditional dish so you can savour the taste of Greenland.