Matt Spenceley

The mountains, fjords, glaciers and community of East Greenland have been a part of my life now for over 20 years. I found my home here on this wild coastline where steep alpine peaks meet the ocean. I've always been happiest in wild places and love learning and refining the skills that allow me to explore. Early on, this focus led to racing slalom kayaks on the Scottish team and and then a couple of seasons competing in the Ice Climbing World Championships, a powerful way to develop the skills that I now rely on each day. It meant a huge amount to me to become an IFMGA mountain guide, joining a small community of folk passionate about the mountains. Over the years, I've had the privilege of climbing and skiing in many places around the world but it's Greenland that has me captivated, from the everyday in the mountains and fjords around our home to long climbing and skiing expeditions and crossings of the Icecap.

What draws me? Learning more every day about the mountains, ocean, ice, and weather; being out on skis, on steep lines when everything comes together, to mellow powder runs when that suits the mountains; to be respectful and as safe as I can be amongst forces that humble; to follow the change of seasons and the longer rhythms of multiple years; adventuring with new and old friends; honing and using skill to read where I can travel – and where I shouldn’t; a sense of intimacy with the coastline that has become my home; cold early mornings; sunsets at 11pm; the Aurora Borealis setting the sky alight.

I turned up in Kulusuk in my teens with little experience but a passion for the mountains and sea. Over the years, Geo, who has come to be like a father to me, quietly taught me to read sea ice, navigate poorly charted waters, handle storms and watch out for the bears that belong here. 

On this pristine arctic coastline, together with my wife Helen, we’ve found a rich way of life that means a great deal to us.