Holidays with Downtown

Day 1: Reykjavik, Kulusuk

The tour starts with our flight to Kulusuk, a village named after the island of Kulusuk. Departure and arrival are at the same time, so it is some kind of time-travel: two hours flight and two hours’ time difference!  Kulusuk is a small village clinging to the rocky coast, surrounded by iceberg-filled water. We go to Kulusuk Hostel, a cabin accommodation where we spend the night. We explore this colorful village. In the evening we will go over the adventures ahead and go over our equipment so we are well prepared for the unplugged wilderness. [D]

 

Day 2: Kulusuk, Karale Fjord

A boat picks us up in the morning and takes us to our first campsite in Karale fjord. We sail for about 2 hours to one of the most serene campsites in the world, surrounded by pointy peaks and dramatic glaciers. This beautiful place will be our camp for the next 2 nights. Once we have pitched our tents it is time for a little warm-up for the days to come. We march up a not to high peak above our campsite, still providing us with a breathtaking view over the fjord and a different sense of our size in the world. We spend the night in the Karale fjord camp. [B/L/D]

 

Day 3: Karale

Although silence is omnipresent in East Greenland, most likely you will wake up to the thunder of ice calving from one of the three glaciers surrounding us. This is a pleasant noise to wake up to and it will fill you with energy for today’s adventures. Our first hike includes less ascend and more focus on the vastness of the glacier. We walk into the fjord towards Karale glacier’s ice-wall, stretching four to five kilometers wide. Karale is the biggest glacier in the area, and enormous ice clumps regularly detach from it. As we follow the coast, we will need to ford a small river. If we have brought a bottle of whiskey, this is the ideal place to have a drink with ice that is over 600 years old! Feel free to bring some ancient ice back with you for tonight’s aperitif! At the end of our hike, we return to our fjord camp. [B/L/D]

 

Day 4: Karale, Nunartivaq Mountain

Today we leave Karale fjord, but just wait, the next campsite is no less amazing. We walk along the coast and eventually cross over a pass on Nunartivaq mountain, passing colorful rock formations and enjoying yet another great view. We descend down into a small valley full of old stone blocks (boulders) not far from a beautiful beach. We put up camp for the night. [B/L/D]

 

Day 5: Nunartivaq Mountain, Ikateq

Here is a tip: get up before everyone else does and take a dip in the ocean! You will need some extra kick as this will be one of the more demanding days. The trek includes following the slopes of the mountains that descend into the sea, towards the Southwest. We walk into the Ikateq strait, a narrow passage between the mainland and the Qianarteq island. We arrive in a valley with an old, abandoned military airport from WWII. This place is a fountain of curiosities. We put up our camp here for the night. [B/L/D]

 

Day 6: Ikateq, Tunup Kua

After we all find a WWII treasure, we continue through the Ikateq strait towards the Tunu fjord. Although, today is not as challenging as yesterday, we will still see some action. In Tunu we have to ford a large glacier river that flows in many branches towards the sea. Really refreshing! We continue to Tunup Kua valley, between high and steep granite mountains. There is something special about the energy here, and we will set camp in this magical place for the evening. [B/L/D]

 

Day 7: Tunup Kua, Tasiilap Nua

Today, we turn away from the coast for the first time and walk in the Tunup Kua valley. We go over a mountain pass to the Tasiilap Nua valley in the extremely narrow and deep Tasiilaq fjord. This fantastic valley is surrounded by up to 1500m high granite peaks on both sides. Today’s adventure includes crossing a glacier tongue, and we advise you to have your hiking sticks handy. [B/L/D]

 

Day 8: Tasiilap Nua, Tasiilaq

Following the coast, we walk north to the very bottom of the Tasiilaq fjord. On the way, we cross a couple of small streams, child’s play compared to the large river we crossed in Tunu on Day 6. We put up the camp close to a river flowing from the valley behind the Tasiilaq fjord, called Tasiilap kua. This is the last time we camp on this trip. [B/L/D]

 

Day 9: Tasiilaq

It is time to ascend out of the valley. We pack our bags for the next two nights, our sleeping bags and food for two days, and head up to Tasiilaq mountain hut. The hut is situated at around 700 m (2300 ft) altitude in a mountain range rising above 2000 m (6560 ft). The day starts easy, but we must hike one steep hill along a glacier moraine before we arrive to the beautiful view in the valley where our hut is located. Tonight, we make ourselves comfortable in this cozy mountain hut. [B/L/D]

 

Day 10: Tasiilaq (Climb a summit)

The goal for today is to find a place where we can enjoy the fantastic alpine landscape around us. We head out from the hut to climb a summit rising above our accommodations. After taking in so much beauty and splendor at the summit, we head back to our cozy mountain hut for the evening. [B/L/D]

 

Day 11: Tasiilaq, Kulusuk

During our last day of hiking, we descend down to the Tasiilaq fjord again, the same way as we came up. A boat awaits us and a smiling chauffeur will sail us back to Kulusuk, where we spend our last night in sleeping bags at the Kulusuk Hostel. [B/L/D]

 

Day 12: Kulusuk (Greenland’s native people)

Before we can say farewell to Greenland, we spend some time learning a bit about Inuit culture and history. On a guided tour of the Kulusuk Museum, a tiny and charming place run by a local family, we fill up on knowledge about Greenland's native people. Brimming with new knowledge and memories that will last a lifetime, we say goodbye to Greenland and fly back to Reykjavík, Iceland. On arrival, meet you driver for your transfer to Reykjavik International airport to board your flight back home. [B]

 

[B] = Breakfast | [D] = Diner | [B/L/D] = Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner