Camp on a thick mile: Greenland’s ice layer (day 1)


From ICECAP to the ocean (well … almost)

Arctic Circle Trail likes to be marketed with slogan «Ocean ice taca«

Great, right?

Just one thing … the path does not really begin In the ICECAP.

Instead, it begins in Kanggerusuaq, and the ice itself is 24 miles (38 km) away. I really wanted to see the ICECAP. My original plan was to add the Ice Ridge path from Russell Glacier, but Logistics brought on the road. So what is the next best option?

Spend a night camping In the ice itself!

This is a warm -up for the trip, to learn some new skills for future adventures and the opportunity to experience what covers 80% of Greenland.

Girl Power, Polar Edition

The day before, I had arrived in Kangerlussuaq and slept in the shelter. The rain spilled in the morning, but the forecast promised that it would be clarified. Cross fingers!

At the meeting point of the Tour company, I met our guide, Anna, and the other participant, Fon. Only the three, three girls. Which feels good, because let’s be honest: girls are the most great!

Anna, Fon and me guide.

I opted for a guide because camping in the ice layer is not exactly the place to «encourage it.» Falling into an ice hole is not on my desire list, thank you very much.

Polar bear status report

The sightings in this area are rare, but a few weeks ago, someone saw clues near Russell Glacier and on the edge of the ice layer. Being in a group felt safer, even if Anna did not wear a weapon (it is not considered necessary here).

I would love to see a polar bear in nature at some point, from a safe distance. However, not on this trip. Not on the ice and not when I go to Arctic Circle Trail.

Crash on the plane and Arctic hares

We left the city in a 4 × 4, stopping to see a 1968 military aircraft accident site (all survived, but the remains are still scattered there) and some scenic views. Not far from kangerussuaq, we even saw some Arctic hares. Nice!!

Rebos of clash of airplanes near Kangerlussuaq.

Such long old boots

On the ice edge, we attack in harnesses, grab sleds, attack crampons and go to ice. They told us to bring mountain boots because the crampons do not fit in the trails of trails. I will walk through the Arctic Circle Trail in the trails of trails, so I brought an old pair of gore-tex boots (they filter, but I hope that the waterproof socks would do the trick). I was planning to pull anyway. What a last epic adventure for these boots ;-).

They were only around 1.2 miles (2 km) for camping, but pulling sleds with equipment through ice is not something I have done before. In addition, every five steps I stopped to take photos and videos, because honestly, it was even more incredible than I imagined. How to be on another planet.

Greenland’s coldest winery?

In the camp we install three things: bathroom, sleeping tent and a «common store» (cooking and heat). After lunch, it was time to go to a walk. But first, I had to try the bathroom 😉

Ice cannon

Canyons, Greenland style

Anna gave us one more instruction on the hairdresser on the crampon walk before starting to explore. Up and down the icy hills, surely easily once you trust the peaks on your feet. Then, we drag on our hands and knees to look on the edge of a cannon. One hundred feet down there was a beautiful transparent river (you can drink all the ice water). Surreal.

Do not follow the ducks!

The ice layer constantly changes: rivers, lakes and moulinas (those bottomless appearance holes where fusion water fads). NASA once dropped 90 rubber ducks in moulinas to track the flow of mass water. They were never seen again … and probably will not, depending on climate change. So I stay away from those holes …

Polar cock? Don’t care if I do

He was still raining a little when Anna brought us to a lake on the ice and asked:

«Do you want to go for a dip?«

Devils, yes!

I am not a winter swimmer (especially not without a first sauna), but this is an element of the desire list that I had not realized that I was on my desire list.

None of us had swimsuits, but since we were only girls, we were thin.

It was frozen, obviously, but survible. My feet fingers suffered more. I last about 90 seconds in the water, five of them submerged to my shoulders.

Ice Ice Baby!

In the abyss

After that we continue our icy walk. Everything suddenly stopped and told us to wait. He began to hack the «loose» ice and screwed some kind of ice to secure a rope. Then he cut me and told me to look on the edge. I am not afraid of heights, but looking at such a deep hole where you can’t see the background, even a little weak legs.

Really trust that rope here …

See the abyss

A short but impressive adventure

The walk was only 3 miles (5 km), but between the tracking to Canyon’s edges, looking at Moulins, stopping every five minutes to take everything and take many, many photos and videos, took four hours.

It is a really special place. It is very different from any other place that has been. I got on the ice and I had a very strong feeling of «this is where I want to be, this is the kind of things I want to follow.» I was going to be so happy and inspired. New experiences like this are food for the soul.

Now it’s bed time. Cross fingers I can keep hot (and there are no polar bear visits 😉

Home Sweet Home.

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