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Appetizer — see zoom edition on maps.google.com
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Day 1. Arrival at Qeqertarsuaq on the Disko Island
We take the Airbus flight from Copenhagen to Aasiaat via Kangerlussuaq. In Kangerlussuaq we change flights to the smaller DASH7 plane, which is used all over the Greenlandic coast. In Aasiaat we will be transferred to the harbour and continue by boat to the Disko Island. The Disko Island is the largest island in Greenland with very characteristic basalt mountains of 1000 metres altitude. In the Disko Bay we encounter the first icebergs and the closer we get to the Disko Island, the chances of spotting whales increase. The sea around the island is the habitat of the whales this time of year. When we arrive to Qeqertarsuaq we will be accomodated at the hotel. -/-/-
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Day 2. Greenlandic handicrafts and local visit
After a good nights sleep we are ready for new experiences in Qeqertarsuaq. We start out with an easy and relaxed day, taking our time to absorb the impressions of this little town. In the morning we will visit the local handicraft centre, where the local artists turn Greenlandic raw materials such as antlers from the reindeer and nar whale teeth into beautiful knives, jewellery etc. If you like working with your hands, it is possible to do your own handicrafts with the Greenlandic materials. In the afternoon we will be invited for "kaffemik" in a local home. Kaffemik is a Greenlandic tradition celebrating all great events in life such as birthdays and childrens' first school day. Our host will tell about common life in the town and might even show his or hers national costume. B/-/-
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Day 3. Whale watching
We will spend the first part of the day with local hunters, sailing out searching for whales. This time of year it is the peak season for the bowhead whale in the Disko Bay. Today this species is protected after it was almost extirpated by international whalers. The bowhead whale is one of the three species belonging to the right whale species; named this way because it is 'the right whale to catch', being very slow and therefore easy to hunt down. It is very often seen sleeping in the surface, making it easy to get close to. In Greenlandic it is called "Arfivik", which means "shaped like a barrel". Lunch will be served on the boat and we will be enjoying it while keeping a close ey on the sea. In the afternoon you will have the possibility of visiting the town museum and the Arctic Research Station (not included in the package prize). B/L/-
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Day 4. Day trip on dog sledge
After breakfast we will get ready to leave for our dog sledge trip. We start out by walking to the lake between the Arctic Research Station and the heliport where the dog sledges and the dog handlers will be waiting for us. When the sledge has been rigged up we will be divided into groups of two persons per sledge; each sledge with its own dog handler. We will bring along lunch and coffee and head west through the valley of "Blæsedalen" crossing the ice-bound river "Røde Elv". On the way we enjoy the silence, only interrupted by the scoring sound of the sledge in the snow, the cracking dog whip, the breathing of the dogs and the stunning scenery on the Disko Island. We are back in Qeqertarsuaq late in the afternoon where the rest of the day is at your own disposal. B/L/-
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Day 5. Whale watching and snowmobile trip to the Lyngmark Glacier
In the morning we will be accompanied by local hunters and again we are sailing out searching for more whales. We will havelunch on the boat and enjoy the last whale watching on this tour. In the late afternoon snowmobiles will take us up to the Lyngmark Glacier, a spectacular tour to 960 masl. On the glacier awaits an amazing panorama of the Disko Bay. In nice and clear weather it is possible to see the mouth of the Kangia Ice fiord near Ilulissat, across the Disko Island and towards Aasiaat, both situated almost 100 kilometres away. We will stay overnight in a comfortable hut directly on the glacier having time to enjoy the silence, the spectacular landscape and the sunset. Another possibility is to try the old Arctic traditions of constructing an igloo. B/L/D
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Day 6. The Lyngmark Glacier
Nothing is as beautiful as a sun rising in freezing weather and snow — this can be enjoyed accompanied by the morning coffee in the warmth of the hut or outside in the fresh Arctic air. The morning will be spent discovering and enjoying the silence on the glacier. You can hike up to the highest point of the glacier from where you can see fiords up north and spot cabins close by the edge with a view over Qeqertarsuaq. In the afternoon we will be transported back on snowmobiles to Qeqertarsuaq and check-in at the hotel in town. B/L/-
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Day 7. By helicopter to Ilulissat
After some eventful days on the Disko Island we will fly from Qeqertarsuaq to Ilulissat by helicopter — a truly breathtaking flight across the bay. From the helicopter we will be able to see the basalt cliffs and mountains from above with the surrounding icebergs in the bay below us. Approaching Ilulissat we will once again be able to see the huge icebergs that are being pushed out into the Disko Bay from the Kangia Ice fjord by Ilulissat. The helicopter trip included in this trip is an experience you will never forget. After arrival in Ilulissat we will check-in at our hotel situated with a stunning view over the Disko Bay. B/-/-
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Day 8. Hiking trip to the old settlement of Sermermiut by the icefiord
Today we are going on a hike to the remains of the old settlement, Sermermiut, situated by the Kangia Icefiord. Sermermiut is, like Kangia, part of the enormous UNESCO World Heritage site. Palao Inuits have lived here periodically for about 4,500 years. In the 1950's the national museums in Denmark and Greenland did some epoch-making excavations in Sermermiut, testifying three main cultures Saqqaq-, Dorset- and the Thule-culture, and additionally interesting documentation about when the Iniuts were absent from the area due to climate changes, illnesses or famine due to poor hunting conditions. The results from this place have been used as references for excavations in the rest of Greenland. From "kællingekløften" also called Suicide Gorge we have the best view over the icefiord and the giant icebergs. A magnificent experience. B/-/-
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Day 9. Ilulissat
We will spend a relaxing day in Ilulissat. It is surely worth a visit to go to the Ilulissat Museum - former birthplace of the Arctic explorer Knud Rasmussen or perhaps stop by the art museum which houses an impressive collection of the Greenlandic artist Emmanuel A. Petersen’s pantings. The harbour is always worth paying a visit. In the morning the fishermen approach the Royal Greenland factory in their dinghies selling the catch of the day of halibut, redfish and catfish. You might be lucky to see the hunters hand in recently shot seals to be sold at the local fish market "Brættet". Today will be the last chance to buy local souvenirs such as handicrafts, carvings - the so called "tupilak" and sealskin products. B/-/-
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Day 10. Home journey from Ilulissat
We take the flight back to Copenhagen via Kangerlussuaq after a unique stay in the fabulous Greenlandic nature, culture and wildlife. B/-/-
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Meals
Included meals are marked with: B (Breakfeast), L (Lunch) and D (Dinner). The meals not included are marked with -.
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Accommodation
The nights are spent in a hotel in Qeqertarsuaq and Ilulissat, and in a small hut at the Lyngmark Glacier.
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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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Ilulissat - the land of icebergs
Icebergs are called 'Ilulissat' in Greenlandic, and so it comes as no surprise to anyone who has been here, that this is the name of the town. Ilulissat is beautifully situated at the mouth of the 60 km long icefiord packed with enormous icebergs calved off by the most productive glacier - Semeq Kujalleq - in the northern hemisphere. The largest icebergs strand at the mouth of the icefiord - at depths of 250 to 300 metres - and do not break free until the next spring tide or until they are so eroded that the gravity point shifts and they tilt or break into smaller pieces of ice.
Ilulissat is the third largest town in Greenland and has 5,000 inhabitants and at least 4,000 sledge dogs. This is an eloquent statement of the significance of the dog sledge as means of transport, even in a large modern town. Ilulissat is in fact the district with the most dense presence of sledge dogs. The harbour is full of fishing cutters, trawlers and dinghies that testify the great importance of fishing to the town, especially the great importance of halibut fishing. Only a couple of kilometres out of town the lush Sermermiut valley extend all the way down to the icefiord. In 1727 this was the site of Greenland's largest settlement of 250 people. Excavations have since shown that the beautiful valley has been inhabited for thousands of years.
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The bowhead whale:
The bowhead whale gets quite old, actually up to 200 years which makes it one of the animals with the highest life expectancy among all the mammals on earth. Only giant sea turtles reach more or less the same age. How odd it is considering that the whales we see today in the Disko Bay perhaps have survived 200 years of aspiration. The bowhead whale is one of the three whales that belong to the winter whales of Greenland. The other two are narwhale and the beluga. The bowhead whale is a very heavy baleen whale with a big head, almost completely black with a white chin. It is approx. 20 metres long and weighs approx. 60 ton. Due to the brutal hunting made by the European whalers in the 17th and 18th century, the bowhead whale was almost exterminated. It is still very rare even though it has been protected throughout the last 70 years. The whalers were allowed to catch one bowhead whale when celebrating Queqertarsuaq's 200 years anniversary in 1973. The jaw of the this whale now functions as an entrance gate in continuation of the "kongebroen" - "King's Bridge" in front of the town museum.
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The dogsledge:
The dogsledge was used, and is still used by a great number of the Inuit people on the west coast of Greenland north of Sisimiut. The construction of the dogsledge was in past times adapted to the local environment as to the amount of snow and ice. It was made of two sledge runners on which they used skin straps to truss an amount of tie broads and two levelling poles. The construction ensured that the sledge did not split but was flexible in the uneven terrain. The sledge was pulled by a team of approximately 5 to 10 sledge dogs. The hunter especially used the dogsledge as a means of transportation as he was supposed to go hunting on the sea ice. Today, the sledge still functions as an important means of transportation in many places in Greenland, and every year this ancient means of transportation is celebrated at the Greenlandic Dogsledge Championship.
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General information on dog sledge transportation
To keep you safe from accidents and hypothermia and to secure an ideal ride on dog sledge it is important to have these few rules in mind.
- The sledge driver will often run next to the sledge or “hang" over the railing in the rear of the sledge. In most cases the sledge driver will sit in front of the sledge to make it easy for him to get on and off. Therefore the passengers sit in the rear end of the sledge.
Passengers are faced in the driving direction.
- If you pass flat terrain you can shift position and sit across the sledge.
- Place your legs on the sledge to prevent your feet from hitting rocks and ice.
- In rough terrain or up hill, hold on to the wire/ropes on the sledge. NEVER hold on to the side of the sledge as this can cause injuries to your fingers if they are caught under the sledge.
- In rough terrain you can help the sledge driver with the balance by leaning to the opposite side of where the sledge heels to.
- When driving on ice you will now and then pass cravasses in the ice. It is important to stay on the sledge (unless the driver gives other specific information) as it is usually easier to pass these cravasses sitting on the sledge.
- During steep ascents it may be necessary to step of the sledge and walk next to it until the ascent has been passed.
- If it is cold you should now and then step off the sledge to run/walk next to it.
- Never approach the dogs without permission from the driver.
- Never give leftovers from lunchboxes to the dogs.
- Always use sunglasses and remember sun lotion with high factor. The sun lotion should not be water based due to the frost.
- Camera and video equipment is best kept underneath the clothes to secure the batteries against the cold.
- Food is best kept underneath the jacket or packed in between clothes where it can be kept frost-proof.
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Duration:
10 days — 9 nights.
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Climate:
In the Ilulissat area the 24-hour average temperature in February, March and April is between -16°C and -14°C. The nights can be colder, but during the day the sun and the dry air give the impression of warmer temperatures than is actually the case. Night temperature can be as low as -30 °C. This time of year the weather is usually very clear, giving good visibility and the chance of seeing northern light in the evening.
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Light conditions in Ilulissat:
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Electricity:
There are only a few opportunities for charging batteries during the stay on the Lyngmark glacier. Thus bring plenty of spare batteries. During the stay in Qeqertarsuaq and Ilulissat the electricity admission is good.
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Mobile phones:
On most of the trip there is no mobile phone signal. In general we ask you not to use mobile phones when with the group. Please only use your mobile phone for text messages and conversation when you are not with the group.
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Maps:
Saga Map no. 11, Qeqertarsuaq - Diskoøen.
Walking maps North Greenland, Ilulissat. 1:100.000, can be bought locally.
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The price includes:
Flights Copenhagen — Kangerlussuaq and return
Flight: Kangerlussuaq — Asiaat
Boat transfer Asiaat - Qeqertarsuaq
Helicopter trip: Qeqertarsuaq — Ilulissat
Flight: Ilulissat - Kangerlussuaq
Meals as indicated in the program
English speaking Danish tourleader
Accomodation throughout the entire trip
1 dog sledge ride
2 days with whale watching in the Disko Bay
2 tours on snowmobile
Overnight stay in a hut on the Lyngmark glacier
Greenlandic sledge drivers and approximately 12-14 dogs per sledge — 2 participants per sledge
"kaffemik" - visit in a local Greenlandic home
Visit to the local handicraft workshop
Hike in Sermermiut
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Not included:
Personal travelling expenses for souvenirs, maps, drinks and beverages throughout the tour etc.
Allow DKK 120 per person per meal for not included meals
Renting of sealskin clothes for the dog sledge trip and whale watching trips - approx. DKK 450
Entrance fees to museums etc.
Entrance fee to the Arctic Research Station, approx. 150 DKK
Travel and cancellation insurances.
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Notice:
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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