«This is your captain speaking. We are approaching the Inland Ice. The ice cap is to your right. » Seconds later we find ourselves glued to the window of the airplane, the Air Greenland flight from Copenhagen to Narsarsuaq, looking down upon the Inland Ice underneath us.
We are three friends from Bergen, Norway, traveling to Greenland for a 16-day kayak trip.
We are alone in the fjord as our adventure kicks off. This is Eriksfjord, and right across the bay we can see Erik the Red’s original settlement Brattahlíð. This was where the vikings settled 1.000 years ago, and the place from which Leif Eriksson, the son of Erik the Red, left to discover Vinland.
So its after a brush with history that we paddle towards the stream of icebergs where the Qooqqut Fjord meets Eriksfjord. Our expectation to paddle in a jungle of icebergs was immediately met.
A couple of days later we arrive at Narsaq with its 1.500 inhabitants. For a few hours we find ourselves in the midst of civilization once again buying various provisions such as muskox meat and a couple of kilos of chocolate! In the afternoon we cross the ice-filled Narsaq Sound.
Because of a strong current a large area is left iceless, and all the icebergs are pressed together in a belt. Shortly after we get our first glimpse of the mighty Inland Ice. We set up camp by some old Inuit settlements with a view of the Inland Ice. What a majestic and historic location. We prepare muskox filets over fire and for dessert we bathe among icebergs as the sun sets behind the ice.
"We are alone in the fjord as our adventure kicks off"
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One of the high-points of our trip is the Qalerallit Fjord where three glaciers meet from the Inland Ice. At the innermost part of the fjord we pass mountains with bird colonies of ivory gulls. They look turquoise as they fly by above us because of the reflection from the fjord.
We paddle our way to the most amazing sand beach and camp out overlooking the glacier front that is fragmented into palatial columns. Every time the glacier calves the ground shakes beneath our feet. Here it feels like time is standing still and the everyday bustle just does not exist.
After a good night’s sleep we enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning sun. To our surprise a seal floats by on an ice floe. It was clapping its stomach, shaking its white mustache and giving us a great start to our day. We set out in Tuno an area connected to the open sea.
Suddenly we hear a big breath and a couple of hundred meters away from us, we see some humpback whales! They are blowing water steam about 13 times before they lift their bellies above the water only to dive. For two hours we find ourselves on a whale safari completely captivated.
We talk about the whales all day and about how fortunate we feel to be right here right now. In our camp on the last night of our trip the overwhelming display continues.
First the sunset over the bay of icebergs and then the Northern Lights! Our experiences melted into the simple life. All we needed was the kayaks. It was a time to simply be, a time to reflect on life, relax and reconnect to oneself.
Dear Greenland, till we meet again.
