AN INCREDIBLE ENVIRONMENT
Greenland is a land of stark beauty and unparalleled contrasts. With eighty percent of its land covered in an ice sheet, the coastal areas have a slightly more mellow environment allowing clusters of towns and villages to cling to the rugged edges. The remote craggy eastern areas of Greenland are highly indigenous with strong communal values and traditions.
Greenland has very few roads and most settlements are only accessible by helicopter, airplane, boat or in winter by snowmobiles and dog sled teams. Homes are colourful, with hues of blues, cinnabar reds, forest greens and butter yellows. Polar bear skins are drying on the lines with husky dogs howling in the wind. The sheer raw beauty of the landscape with the clarity of light, it's grandiose glaciers and gigantic jagged icebergs make visiting Greenland an experience of a lifetime.
BOOM! CRACK! CRASH!
Kayaking through the fjords hearing the champagne fizz and pop of air being released from the underwater zones of the icebergs is a incredibly unique experience. The next moment, the angelic white snow stretching up to the sky is violently interrupted by the heavy sound of thundering artillery. Without a single warning shot, the iceberg begins to rock and crack as a large chunk breaks off and rolls over into the water. The assault of ice hits the unsuspecting water with a spectacular thud left ringing in your ears and stinging your sight.
Witnessing an iceberg calve right in front of you sends a shock of adrenaline racing through your entire body, yet leaves you unable to move a single bone. Exhilarated by their impact and awestruck by their beauty, these larger-than-life icebergs and glaciers peppered throughout Greenland will take your breath away faster than the swiftly melting snow.
Holding onto the edge of the Kayak as the water recovers it composure, you will find that this is not unusual activity in this incredible ice laden land. Navigating your way through the maze of icebergs in swift twists and sharp turns, you will discover the magnificence of Greenland close up and how amazingly different this country is to anything you have experienced before.
Cruising the crystal clear waters of Scoresbysund in East Greenland, you realise how expansive yet desolate this land truly is. Located on Greenland’s eastern coast, Scoresbysund is the world’s largest and longest fjord system spanning over 110km.
Covered almost entirely in a glistening layer of glassy ice, East Greenland is breathtakingly beautiful with its striking features and picturesque backdrops. Over time the affects of climate change have taken a toll on this once immaculate ice sheet. With increasing temperatures and exposure to bright sunlight, the icebergs and glaciers have slowly begun to melt. As the gigantic icebergs begin to shed, rafts of white ice break away and float into the fjords of Scoresbysund with no way of escape. Known as an iceberg graveyard, there is something magical and entrancing about the solace to be found in this secluded corner of the world.
SPECTACULAR SCENERY
Home to some of the most stunning local flora and fauna despite its long harsh winters, you will be enchanted by the overwhelming beauty of East Greenland’s array of landscapes. When the harsh winter winds blow into a mild summer gale, the melting ice on the coastal plains makes way for a fertile landscape of lush meadows, colourful flowers and stocky plants. You can eat wild blueberries by the handful as you take in the vibrant hues of herbs, mosses and heathers that adorn the scenic sweep like a brazen badge of fruitful honour.
Hiking through the rugged arctic mountains you are bound to have tantalising glimpses of muskoxen, arctic foxes, hares and other animals native to Greenland. If you are really lucky you may see Polar bears but any hike needs to be taken with an experienced guide.
Trading in your hiking boots for a paddle and life jacket, you can thread through the myriad of tearaway iceberg and get up close and personal to some of the most mesmerising sea creatures such as seals, Atlantic walruses, whales and arctic birds.
AURORA BOREALIS
And once night time rolls around, witness one of the most vivid displays of the Northern Lights so close you could reach out and swirl its pinks, blues and greens together with your fingers.
TAKING A TRIP BACK IN TIME
And if you’re wanting to explore more of this remote and untouched land, make sure to visit the small communities tucked away in this far corner of the country. Hiding in an inlet just off the mouth of Scoresbysund is Ittqqortoormiit. Home to approximately 490 people and shut off from the rest of civilisation for almost nine months of the year, Ittqqortoormiit is the most remote village in Greenland.
Undisturbed by the shifts in society and changes to the modern world, watching the Inuit people living off the land to support themselves is a refreshing reminder of a simpler time. From hitching a ride by dogsled to watching the drowsy sun drape around the distant fjords and disappear into nothingness, the unforgettable moments you will experience in East Greenland can simply not be found anywhere else.
