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Appetizer — see zoom edition on maps.google.com
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Day 1. Arriving in South Greenland
We fly directly from Denmark to Narsarsuaq. Upon arrival we will be accommodated in the hostel situated close to the airport at the edge of the "middle country". The tourleader will hold an info meeting and explain the coming days' activities. Darkness falls late this time of year and the afternoon will be spent doing a hike to the “Signal Hill" to enjoy the view over Narsarsuaq and the surroundings and get ourselves warmed up for the coming hiking trips. This afternoon hike will treat you with beautiful panoramas and the opportunity to experience a real Greenlandic forest - no wonder Erik the Red rightfully named this big island "the green country". We return to our hostel late in the afternoon. -/L/D
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Day 2. By boat to Qassiarsuk
We cross the fiord by boat to Qassiarsuk, the village where Erik the Red settled down in the year of 985. At arrival to Qassiarsuk we will take a stroll through the village and sense the relaxed atmosphere of a true Greenlandic village. Prior to leaving Qassiarsuk we will visit the ruins of the settlement of Erik the Red known as Brattahlid. In the summer of 2000 the long house and the church were restored leaving us with an impression of their appearance in the old days. Subsequent to this we cross the ridge of the Narsaq peninsula. It is a very fertile area with a landscape of beautiful colours — green, yellow, white and blue. We quickly get an impression of why this area is "densely" populated with sheep farmers today and why the Norse settled here years ago. After a couple of hours of hiking we arrive to Nunateq and our hostel for the night - located beautifully with a view of mountains, icepacked fiords and the ice cap in the background. There is still time to some smaller hikes to the fiords or to the nearby vantage point or perhaps you would like to try out fishing for trout, uvaq and cod fish. This idyllic place will be our home for the next two nights. B/L/D
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Day 3. Trekking nearby icebergs and the ice cap
Nunataaq is beautifully located between two fiords on the edge of Bredefjord. This fiord is full of ice provided by huge glaciers in the head of the fiord. As the tide changes the fiord is a hive of activity with icebergs floating back and forth. The day is partly at your own disposal: you can go fishing in the fiord, take a short walk in the beautiful surroundings or perhaps just let the ice and the time pass by and enjoy the silence and peacefulness of this extraordinary sheep farming place. Later on a hike to the Nunataaq peninsula will be organised - this hike treats you with a panoramic view over Bredefjord and the icy wilderness beyond towards the ice cap.
The trip starts out with an ascent from where the view of the fiord and the ice cap in the background is breathtaking. This is the perfect spot to do a short break and enjoy a warm cup of coffee. We continue our trip towards Tasiusaq with its 4 houses! - another sheep farming place in the area. From Tasiusaq we head off along the fiord and enjoy the beautiful view - and if we are lucky - an iceberg tilting in the blue waters of the fiord. As we use the same path going back to the hostel as going out, it will be possible to hike back individually in your own pace. Arriving in Nunataq we end the day with a nice hot Greenlandic meal. B/L/D
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Day 4. Trek to Sillisit
Today's trek goes through the land of Erik the Red, a magnificent landscape draped with small lakes and a great view over the ice packed fiords. During the tour we might see white-tailed eagles, as a lot of them are nesting in this area. We will probably encounter sheeps on our way or maybe a herd of Icelandic horses. They walk around freely in the highland during the summer when they are not used for gathering sheep or carrying the kids around in the village. At the end of the day we will arrive at the sheep farm, Sillisit, along the edge of the "Eriksfjord" with a great view of the icebergs stranded on the moraine by the mouth of the Qooroq fjord. In Sillisit we stay overnight in a small hostel located with a view of the fiord and next to the fabled "Burfjeld" mountain. B/L/D
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Day 5. Day tour from Sillisit to the Narsaq peninsula
The trek of the day brings us up in the heights in this wild and untameable landscape. We have an ascent to the edge of the Narsaq peninsula from where we have a great view over the land of Erik the Red, "Eriksfjord", and the peaks of the Narsaq mountains and the great ice cap in the background. We enjoy this picturesque area and head back to Sillisit in the evening. If you do not wish to participate in today's trek it is also possible to kick back and stay in Sillisit with a good book or go fishing for trout or cod fish. The hostel is located next to a sheep farming place making it possible to get a glimpse of the life that is lived here in the outback of South Greenland. B/L/D
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Day 6. Boat-trip to Narsaq - our first Greenlandic town!
In the morning we will be picked up by boat heading for Narsaq. After about two hours of sailing on the Eriksfjord, we will arrive at Narsaq, one of the most colourful and beautifully situated towns in South Greenland. At the head of the peninsula, between two fjords and the ice covered Narsaq strait just outside the port, the colourful houses are spread out in the landscape. We find our way to the hostel, wich is centrally placed in the town. After lunch we have a walk around town to get familiar with it. The rest of the day you can go exploring Narsaq and its surroundings. Take a look at the Atlantic harbour with its cargo ships from e.g. Denmark, the harbour with its small fishing vessels and the bigger shrimp trawlers that bring their catch to the Royal Greenland factory at the harbour. Maybe your dinner will consist of freshly caught shrimps or even seal or whale bought at “Brættet", where hunters sell their catch. Narsaq Museum is also worth visiting, as are the ruins from the Norse settlers just outside town. Maybe you want to pay a visit to the local brewery - if desired, the tourleader can arrange a visit to the Narsaq brewery - the first of its kind in Greenland. B/L/-
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Day 7. Norse ruins, icebergs and the beautiful Narsaq mountains
The hike today brings us along the Narsaq Ilua, a small idyllic bay - always nicely “decorated" with icebergs. We walk along the shore and enjoy the view over the Narsaq strait and the Sermilik fiord which stretches from the ice cap towards the sea with its crystal-clear and ice filled water. Here, close to the fiord, where the Narsaq mountains rise from the sea, we can enjoy the colours of the icebergs and their fantastic formations at very close range — you can even hear them craking. Lunch is enjoyed close to Dyrnæs where you find remains from the Norse settlers; ruins, stone walls as well as a small spring with drinking water. It is possible to skip today's hike if you wish to stay back in town to have a closer look at its sights. B/L/-
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Day 8. Boat trip and hike along waterfalls to Igaliko
After breakfast we head back towards the harbour and the boat, which will take us to Itelleq - the seaport of Igaliko after an hour an a half of sailing. Those who wish only to do a small hike of around an hour can take the path along “Kingsroad" to the episcopal settlement of Igaliko. On todays hike we move along the fiord before we start the ascent. The area here is beautiful and lush due to the many waterfalls. We experience these waterfalls and the unspoiled nature surrounding them and continue our hike in the mountains until we reach the village of Igaliko. After reaching Igaliko we have the rest of the day to enjoy the historical remains from the Episcopal period of Igaliko during the Norse period. Igaliko is a picturesque Greenlandic village with colourful houses placed in the middle of the lush and green landscape bordering the high and barren mountains and the azure waters of the fiords. We will spend the night in a hostel in Igaliko in double rooms. B/L/-
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Day 9. Trek to the foot of the Burfjeld mountain
The area around Igaliko invites us to do magnificent treks. We will spend the day on a trek to a nice little plateau called Narsarsuk, Greenlandic for “tiny little plain". Here we can enjoy our lunch and the magnificent view of the calving glacier and the icebergs drifting by in the fiord. The fiord is filled up with icebergs from the Qoorooq glacier — a glacier arm from the ice cap, which produces not less than 200,000 tons of ice within 24 hours. Here at the foot of the Burfjeld mountain, 1752 m - home to a viewpoint since the Norse period - there is a great chance of finding the Greenlandic moonstone and other gem stones. From Igaliko we follow the turbulent river towards a beautifully situated lake - maybe you feel like a cold dip in the waters. From the lake we have an ascent in a marvellous area to a plain with yet another beautiful lake. It is possible to return the same way or take an alternative route through the mountains back to Igaliko; this will be decided according the the current weather situation. B/L/-
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Day 10. Day off in Igaliko and boat trip back to Narsarsuaq
Besides being an old episcopal centre with an interesting history, Igaliko is also a very beautiful place. The colourful houses, every day life in the settlement, the mountains and the turquoise waters make up the perfect place for relaxing and enjoying some time off or maybe even do a small hike. After enjoying some hours on our own we trek back to the harbour of Igaliko using "Kings Road" Kongevejen and jump on the boat to Narsarsuaq. The boat trip brings us across the underwater moraine in the mouth of the Qooroq fjord, where the icebergs strand on their way towards the open sea. We get close to these giants with their blue, white and turquoise colours - a world of fantasy. B/L-
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Day 11. Trek to Den Døde Bræ - “The Dead Glacier"
The trek leads us from Narsarsuaq through the ‘Hospital Valley’ and the ‘Flower Valley’. The valleys have been created by the ‘Dead Glacier’ which we will encounter subsequently. The hike leads us along the Narsarsuaq River with its spring at the ‘Dead Glacier’. For the interested it will be possible to do a hike that leads all the way up to the glacier, experiencing the incredible forces that have formed the surrounding landscape through millions of years. From this exact glacier it is possible to encounter the characteristic blue ice whisch derive from the below layers of the ice cap. Due to the severe pressure from the above layers of ice, the air is pressed out and only the blue colours of the water can be seen. B/F/-
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Day 12. Departure day
It is time to say goodbye to Greenland. We will have time to visit the interesting museum in Narsarsuaq, which contains a great collection of pictures from the Second World War when Narsarsuaq airport was an American base for planes crossing the Atlantic between Europe and the United States.. B/-/-
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Meals
Meals included are marked in the itinerary with B (breakfast), L (lunch), and D (dinner). Meals not included are marked with -
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Accomodation
Conditions at the sheep farms vary from primitive to very good, but the cabins are all well-equipped with kitchen and bunk beds. In Narsarsuaq, Narsaq and Igaliko, we stay at hostels with shared facilities. It is not possible to stay in a single room during the tour. If you book this tour as a single person you will be accommodated in a double room with another participant of the same sex.
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International departure
This trip is sold internationally, which makes it possible for non-Danes to book the tour. In that case the tour will be conducted in both Danish and English by a Danish tourleader.
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South Greenland — the garden of Greenland
South Greenland is green, fertile with a diversified landscape and nature constituting deep fiords and high mountain ranges. The towns are situated close to each other, but open country is always nearby. In South Greenland you will find all the attractions of Greenland: icebergs, the ice cap, fiords, green hills and picturesque towns and settlements. South Greenland is far the best place in Greenland for trekking.
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Narsaq
Narsaq means the plain. The town is spread beautifully on the plain at the foot of high mountains. Around 1,800 inhabitants live in Narsaq. The town has a rich business life with its own fish factory, sheep abattoir, the only one in Greenland, and a manufactory of clothing made of fur and skin from different Greenlandic animals. Close to the harbour you will encounter “brættet", where you will find the locals selling their own catch of fish, seal and whale meat. Narsaq is beautifully situated between two fiords and the easy access to the sea implies that almost everyone here have their own boat. The mountains surrounding the town invite you to relax and enjoy the silence of this beautiful area.
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The Narsaq Peninsula
This is one of the most beautiful hiking areas in South Greenland. Here you will find lakes and mountains with a fantastic flora and varied bird life. The area provides grazing for several sheep, and some of the sheep farmers have rebuilt their former houses, which we use as hostels on this tour.
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Igaliko
Only 50 people live in Igaliko. The houses are situated at the head of the fiord and surrounded by redish coloured mountains. Nearby is the mountain Illerfissalik “burfjeldet", known for its moonstones. Igaliko has a long history, going all the way back to the time when Erik the Red was living in South Greenland. It is a very special area - green fields and colourful Greenlandic houses are found right next to the blue fiord. In Igaliko there are many sheep farmers, descendants of the Greenlandic people who first farmed the area hundreds of years ago. A walk in the mountains might intrigue you to investigate the beautiful and colourful stones which are to be found everywhere. In Igaliko there is only one shop, but it supplies the whole settlement with the most necessary items, such as sugar, clothes, petrol and tools.
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Participation
A tour like this requires full participation, and everybody will be involved in day-to-day duties such as cooking and dishwashing. The tour leader will organise the group into teams in the beginning of the tour.
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Grading
This tour is graded a 2-3. In Greenland there are no established trails, and we hike cross-country most of the time. The luggage will be transported between the bases by tractor or boat. You will only need to carry your own day-pack.
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Duration
12 days, with 7 days of trekking and 4 boat trips on the blue-green fjords. The boat trips vary in duration between 1/2 and 2½ hours. Treks are of 5 to 8 hours duration. The durations given here are guidelines and can vary from tour to tour. There are several days where participation in the programme is optional, and the tour can be adjusted to suit your preferences.
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Climate
The average temperature in the Narsarsuaq area in June and July is approx. 10-15°C. If the sun shines from a clear blue sky it can be much warmer in the daytime. Because of the dry air the weather will feel much warmer than in comparable temperatures in most other European countries. It can be a little foggy in the mornings but it usually clears up later in the day. Rain and showers may occur. Please note that the weather in Greenland can change rapidly.
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Currency
Danish kroner (DKK). In the small villages only cashis accepted. In Narsaq, Igaliko and Narsarsuaq it is possible to use the most common credit cards.
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Electricity
There are only a few opportunities for charging batteries on this tour. At the sheep farmers' houses electricity is only provided by a generator, so we can not guarantee that these will be on long enough to charge your batteries. Please bring plenty of spare batteries for your camera etc. In Narsaq and Igaliko the access to electricity is very good.
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Mobile phones
It is possible to use mobile phones in certain areas of the trip. In general we urge you not to use mobile phones when with the group in order to not interrupt the treks and excursions with conversations over the phone.
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Maps
Walking map of South Greenland 1:100.000
or alternatively maps of Narsaq or Narsarsuaq
South Greenland — Østerbygden 1:250.000
These can be bought localy in Greenland or at Nordisk Korthandel, Studiestræde 26-30 Copenhagen, Denmark. Phone (+ 45) 33382638.
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The price includes
Flight from Copenhagen to Narsarsuaq - and return
Danish- and English speaking tour leader
All accommodation in 2 bedded or 4 bedded rooms
7 nights in hostels in towns or settlements
4 nights using sheep farms
Meals as indicated in the itinerary
Boat trip between Narsarsuaq and Qassiarsuk
Boat trip between Sillisit and Narsaq
Boat trip between Narsaq and Igaliko
Boat trip between Igaliko and Narsarsuaq
Luggage transportation to and from the airport and harbours
Luggage transportation between accommodations
Conducted tour at Erik the Red's settlement - Brattahlid in Qassiarsuk
Contribution to the Danish Travel Guarantee Fund
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Not included
Personal traveling expenses for souvenirs, maps, drinks and beverages throughout the tour etc.
Cancellation and travel insurance
Meals as indicated in the itinerary
(Allow approx. 100 - 150 DKK at restaurants per not included meal)
It is possible to cook your own dinner in Narsaq, Igaliko and Narsarsuaq, which will cost approx. 30-50 DKK
Entrance fees to the Arctic Research Station, museums etc.
Rental of kayaks, horses and fishing equipment etc.
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Please note:
The program is subject to alteration. A trip like this is very dependent on weather conditions; such as changes concerning wind, precipitation and ice. As a consequence of this some delays or cancellations of some parts of the program may occur, especially those that concern flight or boat transportation. No compensation will be offered within the first 24 hours of delay or change of program due to circumstances that can not be influenced by Topas. Your tourleader will aim to lessen the inconveniences and fill out the time with an alternative program.
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