New Trips 2010
Greenland Kayaking Trips
It's called falling in love because that's just what happens to everyone who goes there. It's impossible not to. Look at the photos. There's nothing like the fjords of Uummannaq. The climate here is high arctic desert. In summer Uummannaq has 2000 hours of sun. The temps budge past 70° F at times and can occasionally dip to freezing. Annual rainfall is 2 inches per year. Some days are so calm the ocean is like a pond and the reflection of the mountains on the water makes you wonder which way is up. The 24 hour sun will tan your skin and live in your blood forever. We travel self-contained in a tight group, paddling through the fingers of water that border the second largest ice cap in the world. Ice is floating everywhere, in batches of bergie bits to coliseum-like behemoths. The play of light on the ice and its constant booming in the fjord is pure magic. We'll camp by pure fresh water streams and hike to mountain lakes at the edge of the ice cap. Whales blowing, icebergs rolling and shattering, fox sneaking through camp, the sun circling but not setting -- these are just a few of the impressions you'll bring home from Greenland. It's a dream vacation for all who cherish nature and the glide of their kayak in clear waters.
Since there really is no night, you can explore and take pictures twenty four hours a day. Just living in twenty four hours of sunshine is a never-forgotten experience. We begin in Baltimore and stop at Kangerlussuaq on our way to the quaint Danish and Inuit village on the island of Uummannaq off the west coast of Greenland. We'll stay in the European Hotel Uummannaq, enjoying their splendid fare before heading off for the start of our trip.
We'll spend our paddling days amidst the smaller fjords within sight of the Greenlandic ice cap. The sights from our kayaks are expansive and breathtaking: 1500 foot gneissic rock walls rise beside us, distant glaciers gleam in warm sun, icebergs the size of convention centers drift with winds and currents, and the whales are on the roam.
We'll also paddle on a freshwater lake and fish for landlocked arctic char in its cold depths. On several day hikes we'll see waterfalls, wildlife, the ice cap and fjords. Nights are spent camping at sites near freshwater streams where we'll take photos of arctic wildflowers, icebergs, whales blowing offshore and the dramatic play of light on massive rock faces.
