''August above the Arctic Circle and the 24 hour daylight of the solstice is only just receding; each night gets, almost imperceptibly, a little duskier.  We’re thus not confined to the normal pattern dictated by the dark nights far to the south of us.  After an afternoon cruise, finding a clear passage on the western, inland side of a group of islands, we moor for the night in a quiet bay with only a little pack ice drifting on a slow tide.  After a big dinner of fresh-caught Arctic char and a lovely white wine, 4 of us don’t feel ready to turn in, and so a late night paddle is suggested.  The sea kayaks are quickly unlashed from the deck and we leave the boat behind, each paddle stroke breaking the perfectly mirrored surface.  It’s 11pm and the brilliantly coloured red, purple and pink clouds are reflected in the water.  Travelling at water level in a kayak, you see so much more; a ringed seal curiously eyes us as we drift past.  Two hours later and a hot drink in front of the stove makes a perfect finish to a magical evening.''

''After 4 days of exercise, it was universally decided to have an easy day onboard, motoring southwards.  Countless major glaciers calve into Kangerdlussuaq Fjord and so the first order of the day was to find a way through the maze of ice that chokes the mouth of this huge waterway.  With a look-out up the mast, it wasn’t long before we could reach clearer water to the south.  The next hours were spent traversing a 20km stretch of coast where the Icecap flows almost unhindered by mountains directly into the Ocean; Siggi kept the Aurora a healthy distance as we watched in awe as 30 m high blocks thundered into the water – what a sight!  By early afternoon, a walk ashore seemed like a good idea and so we launched the zodiac boat and made a landing on a small promontory, some interesting hummocks upon which had been puzzling us.  As soon as we got closer, we found the remains of 3 Inuit winter homes, the roofs missing but the turf and stone walls still in good order; our guide described the population that used to live and hunt in this region several hundred years before but had died out during a particularly cold period.  Back onboard, we decided to travel a further 20km to an anchorage that offered protection from the wind that was freshening from the NE.''

''The headland that rose above our anchorage was capped with jagged snow-topped peaks but it was the large valley system that we had our eyes set on – from the very basic map, it looked like we could gain access to an attractive top and then a gentle slope that would lead to the other side of the landmass.  Setting off early after breakfast, we landed, carrying only day packs, a gun and flares to ward off bears in the unlikely event of a meeting (bears usually stay around the sea ice – their natural hunting ground).  The valley floor was initially very wide and almost completely flat; deposits of fine sand and gravel having been laid down by the many streams that drain the glaciers higher up.  The delicate flora that covered the region was quite stunning with carpets of flowers growing in banks.  As the valley narrowed and steep walls rose on either side of us, we crossed the terminus of a glacier that extended across our path.  No paths or signs of previous visits, we made our own way through piles of glacial debris, first crossing one lateral moraine, then another.  After 4 hours of walking, we reached our highpoint, a rocky summit that rose to the side of the valley.  Dropping down the other side of the headland, we could trace the route we planned to follow; ending at a beautiful bay with a couple of big icebergs, we’d arranged to meet the Aurora there.  Later that evening, we watched entranced as at least 2 fin whales patrolled up and down the fjord, surfacing 3 or 4 times in close succession before diving to feed again.''

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