Summer hiking in South Greenland

MECCA FOR LOVERS OF THE OUTDOORS

Southern Greenland is a hiker’s paradise. You’re free to do as you want and any form of civilisation is miles away.
You won’t find signs, markers, or even hiking trails here. You’re like an explorer off the beaten track.

In the evening we fry fish we’ve caught ourselves and flat bread on our camping stove. It never gets dark in Greenland at this time of year, so we’ve left our watches at home. We simply sleep when we’re tired and wake up once our batteries have been recharged. What a feeling of freedom.

During our hike we find edible plants and go fishing in the many rivers that flow through this landscape. I will remember one river particularly well. Lakseelv, which means “salmon river” in English, which is ironically teeming with trout. There were hundreds of fish, and in ten minutes we caught at least ten trout.

KAYAKING CHAMPIONSHIP IN QAQORTOQ

During our trip we pass several Greenlandic settlements where smiles flow freely and where the locals show great curiosity.

Our arrival at Qaqortoq coincides with the Greenland Kayaking Championship, so the town is buzzing. That evening we watch the prizes being awarded and throw coins up into the air together with the locals to wish the winners good luck. Later we’re invited to a party at the hotel as the host’s friends are among the winning kayakers.

The Danish ship that brings supplies to the town hasn’t brought champagne for some while, so we raise a congratulatory toast using white wine instead. There’s also a barbecue with the other guests at the hotel. Two kayakers have caught trout from their kayaks, which are grilled over the barbecue much to everyone’s delight.