Our trips | Ski touring |

GREENLAND STEEP SKIING WEEK

Exploratory summit-to-sea steep skiing from our lodge in the wilds of arctic East Greenland.
Trip length // 8 days

First descents, exploration & classic steep ski lines above the fjords of East Greenland

Vast backcountry ski terrain: a complex coastline of glaciated alpine ranges 

Experience life in a remote Inuit community at our comfortable ski lodge

A partnership of highly experienced IFMGA mountain guides and Inuit elders

 

Join our close-knit team of guides in opening up the massive steep skiing potential of East Greenland's ranges from our home village of Kulusuk.  Thousands of glaciated alpine peaks dropping to the ice-bergs and sea ice of the fjords offer many lifetimes of striking lines amidst one of the most extensive wilderness areas on earth. Skinning from our door, towing in by snowmobile, or travelling by boat, we’ll set out from our lodge each day, searching for the best snow and ski tours. For several nights, we plan to base from our wilderness hut located in the fjordlands north of the lodge, opening access to the northern aspects of Apusiaajik. We have an intimate knowledge of these mountains and a long list of possible first descents to suit different conditions. Our small guiding team love steep skiing and helping skiers develop new skills. Places fill quickly so please contact us early if you are interested in joining us.

East Greenland Ski Touring, Mountaineering & Trekking Specialists

TERRAIN/SKI OBJECTIVES

The lodge is located on a wild coastline of fjords and and alpine mountains bounded to the west by the Inland Ice and the east by the pack ice of the polar current. This is one of the richest areas for exploratory backcountry skiing on earth. For over 20 years now, our passion has been exploring and skiing these mountains.

Our small and isolated village is surrounded by a wilderness region of remote summits and icebound fjords. Our lodge and mountain hut provide access to countless beautiful ski lines on faces, couloirs and glaciers that finish at the water, or ice, of the sea. Vertical height gain starts at around 700m and rises to over 2000m further inland. Ascents/descents closest to the lodge average between 800m and 1000m of vertical, allowing us to link multiple descents.

 

There are countless first descents and classic lines to be skied.  Skinning from the shoreline, we spend much of our time on glaciated terrain.  With a group of up to 6 skiers joining our IFMGA guide, we look for objectives where we can move efficiently, tying into a rope where necessary on glaciers and short steep sections.

 

The gentle spring cycle of this high latitude creates a stable snowpack where optimum conditions can last for many hours, aspects from SE through to NW softening during days that never get dark. This is the trip for folk who want to go beyond the classic descents of our backcountry weeks and venture onto more advanced lines.

 

With some fjords frozen and other open water, we may tow-in by snowmobile or ride dogsleds to cross sea ice or launch our powerful motor boats to push a way north through pack-ice to the point we start skinning.

 

 

East Greenland Ski Touring, Mountaineering & Trekking Specialists
East Greenland Ski Touring, Mountaineering & Trekking Specialists

PLAN

In this wild and remote region, the state of the sea ice, snowpack and prevailing weather dictates everything that we do. All plans work from there and no two weeks are the same.

 

Flying into Kulusuk, East Greenland on Saturday, we'll meet you at the snow strip and skin around 30 minutes to the lodge whilst all kit is taken by snowmobile.  After lunch and an update on conditions, we cover a detailed avalanche exercise, if time allows as part of a short ski tour. Sunday is our first full ski day. Early each morning, we will check the state of the sea ice, snowpack and weather before confirming our objective, sometimes skiing classic lines, others exploring new ground. We ski each day, either from the door or more normally using snowmobiles to tow in over the sea ice; other days we may travel by dog sled or boat to reach our mountain. Of the 6 full days of skiing, we plan to spend 2 nights at our mountain hut before returning to the lodge again. After a full week, we skin back to the snow strip on Saturday in time for your prop-plane flight to Reykjavik, Iceland. 

OUR LODGE

A traditional wooden cabin we have built ourselves over the years, our lodge is nestled in the tiny Inuit village of Kulusuk, home to 200 people.  

 

A comfortable and practical base to explore East Greenland, our lodge provides cabin bedrooms, running water, hot showers, and flushing toilets, a rare thing in this cold climate.  There’s a drying area for kit, a sitting room heated by a stove and a big table we all gather around each evening.  Cut off by sea ice 6 months of the year, our stores and freezers are well supplied to provide a plentiful and varied menu. Whenever possible, we eat locally caught fish, from salmon to arctic char, cod and halibut. 

East Greenland Ski Touring, Mountaineering & Trekking Specialists
East Greenland Ski Touring, Mountaineering & Trekking Specialists

ABILITY

We work hard to build compatible teams.  Many folk ski with us each year; if this will be your first time, we ask that you are a strong backcountry skier comfortable making daily ascents between 1200 and 1500m (at around 400m/h).  Whilst we will be looking for soft spring snow in descent, access will likely involve dealing with re-freeze: you should be comfortable skinning and kick-turning on hard surfaces. On the descent, you should be able to safely ski variable snow up to 45 degrees, taking time and care where necessary but opening up when the angle lessens and the snow is good. Use of a mountaineering axe and boot crampons assists in boot-packs in harder snow and in gaining steeper summits.  Your guide will lead a detailed avalanche training exercise and handle any ropework required whilst on glaciated terrain. Please contact us if you have any questions about your suitability for this trip.

GUIDING

We are a small & dedicated team of internationally qualified IFMGA/UIAGM mountain guides who are also passionate skiers. As East Greenland specialists, we encompass over 20 years' experience in this region. We have great respect for these remote mountains, carefully managing the unique risks this arctic environment presents.  Our safety record is a result of this focus. 

 

We are happy to help folk keen to refine technique, from glacier travel and avalanche safety to technical ski and mountaineering skills.

East Greenland Ski Touring, Mountaineering & Trekking Specialists

SNOWPACK & CONDITIONS

The prevailing weather system in the Kulusuk region oscillates between long periods of high pressure – bringing stable, colder, clear conditions – and low-pressure storms driving in snow from the NE. 

 

Straight off the ocean, these systems are relatively warm and can bring high winds, leading to high volumes of snowfall that stick to the steepest faces. When the high pressure returns, this moist snow is dried out.  Whilst avalanche conditions are clearly dynamic and require constant vigilance, our maritime snowpack tends to settle quickly due to moisture content. Persistent weak layers are uncommon.  For all our trips, we recommend a versatile touring set-up suitable for European alpine winter conditions, with the addition of some warmer layers.

 

MARCH

Colder temperatures and more frequent storms lead us to search out powder on sheltered aspects.

 

APRIL

High pressure from the Icecap tends to dominate, bringing stable conditions.  As the month progresses, spring snow can begin to form on steeper southern aspects whilst cold snow dominates on the rest of the mountain.

 

MAY

The arrival of warmer temperatures and a strong spring snow cycle opens up great corn skiing on multiple aspects.  Long daylight hours and low-angle sunlight due to our northerly position keep spring snow good for many hours.

GETTING TO GREENLAND

To come visit us on this remote coastline, we’re best reached via Iceland, only 1 hr 40 mins away by turbo prop-plane.

 

Keflavik, Iceland’s international airport is a hub for North America and Europe and also the starting point for flights to our local airstrip in Kulusuk.

 

Seats on these Icelandair-operated flights are in short supply and book out early. Whilst we don’t organise flights ourselves, travel agent VR Travel aims to reserve tickets for all our trips and can assist with international connections. You can also book direct with Icelandair.

 

East Greenland Ski Touring, Mountaineering & Trekking Specialists

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