Please note that this is an example itinerary. It's a great route, but is subject to change depending on local conditions, group ability etc.
Day 1 Fly Reykjavik to Kulusuk, East Greenland Flights are with Air Iceland. A spectacular flight over the icebergs of the Denmark Straits, and great views of Greenland’s coast and the pack ice as we get closer. Landing on the gravel strip in amongst the mountains is quite an experience. You will be met at the airport by our in-country team and taken to your accommodation in the village. There will be time for a look around the village, and your guide will give you some briefings and information about the area, before preparing for our departure to the trekking area the following day.
Day 2 Travel to the trekking area In the morning we make our way to the village harbour to meet the boats that shall take us northwards through the fjords to the start of our trek. It is a spectacular journey of about 2 hours, weaving between icebergs and passing countless rocky islands and towering peaks that rear up out of the sea. We shall pass the small settlement of Kuummiut on the way, the last speck of habitation for hundreds of miles along this wild coast. As we near our destination, the fjords become narrower, and the mountains higher, until we arrive and disembark at the head of a beautiful sheltered fjord. As the engines shut down, the true silence of the Arctic becomes apparent. We move a little way up the valley before pitching camp for our first night in the wilderness.
3-5 Tasiilaq Fjord to Ningerti The first few days of the trek shall be spent moving up a breathtaking valley, the southern part of which is cut by the stream of Tasiilap Kua flows. Local families have been travelling here for generations, making the most of the rich stocks of trout that can be found in the crystal-clear waters. This is a stunning place – a wide green valley floor strewn with boulders and moraines with towering ridges on each side. A series of glaciers tumble down from hanging valleys high above, carving out smooth walls of rock hundreds of metres high. The first two days shall take us to near the top of a pass from which we look down to the upper reaches of Sermilik Fjord, our objective for the following day. There are several rivers and streams running across the valley floor on this part of the trek, and we will have to make a few river crossings, as well as crossing some areas of moraine.
Day 6-7 Along the shores of Sermilik Fjord The scale of Sermilik Fjord is breathtaking. It is at least 15 km wide, and surrounded on all sides by glaciers and mountains. Just beyond its western shore, Greenland’s inland icecap rears up, blanketing the mountains beneath a thick white sheet. A great number of glaciers flow into this fjord, meaning that its waters are often almost choked with icebergs of all shapes and sizes. On a still night, a distant roar can be heard echoing up the valleys. This is the sound of millions of tonnes of ice grinding together amongst the ocean currents at the mouth of the fjords. We shall head southeast along the coast. This is the most difficult part of the trek, with lots of ups and downs over headlands and inlets, and there is one point where about 50 m of fjord must be forded below a glacier. However, camping on the shores of this magnificent and peaceful fjord is well worth it.
Day 8 Rest Day At about the halfway point of the trek, we’ll have a rest day during which there will be the chance to explore the local area, or just take it easy.
Day 9-10 Ilivnera to Sapulik Continuing along the shores of Sermilik Fjord, the route becomes easier. We shall pass the sites of a couple of old settlements along the way, but all that remains is a hunters hut in one of them. They are situated in hauntingly beautiful places, and it is easy to imagine why these people settled where they did. There are a couple of straightforward river crossings to be made along this part of the route.
Day 11 To Amitsivartiva Fjord Heading south, and inland, we enjoy a fairly short day of easy trekking though a wide valley and alongside a large lake that teems with Arctic Char. Amitsivartiva Fjord is a remarkable feature – only a couple of hundred metres wide, it stretches for several kilometres inland through the mountains. The views down this narrow waterway to the icebergs and peaks beyond are stunning, and we shall find a place to camp around here.
Day 12 To Tiniteqilaaq Picking a route southwards from our camp, we ascend a ridge that sweeps us southwest towards the small village of Tiniteqilaaq. Striding along this ridge makes for an exhilarating day, with spectacular views in all directions up and down fjords and across countless mountains and glaciers. We begin to drop down and soon arrive at the village. Tiniteqilaaq is a small hunters’ settlement that has a few amenities such as a shop and a post office. We shall camp on the edge of the village.
Day 13 Boat rendezvous and return to Kulusuk After a leisurely start we break camp for the last time and pack all of our equipment, ready to meet our boats for the journey back to Kulusuk. It is a beautiful journey through Ikâsagtivaq Fjord with high jagged ridges each side, then out across the wide stretch of Ammassalik Fjord, before weaving between rocky islands that surround Kulusuk.
Day 14 Day in Kulusuk A day to take it easy when there will be time to explore the village and the local area. There are some lovely short walks to be done on the island that take in some fascinating and ancient Inuit sites.
Day 15 Fly from Kulusuk, Greenland, to Reykjavik, Iceland