Within just a few days you will experience the arctic wildlife, places of historical interest, Eskimo ruins and the fantastic nature of East Greenland. This kayak trip is easy mode and can be joined by beginners as well.
Starting directly from the airport at Constable Point, Jameson Land, you are going to explore the extraordinary nature and wildlife from the seaside at 70 degrees North. We will visit several of the places named by the whaler William Scoresby back in 1822.
Paddling in East Greenland
When: August
Duration: 50+/- Nautical Miles or 60+/- Statue Miles
6 days kayaking and hiking
5 nights camping
8 days total travel time (from Iceland)
Price per person: 11.050 DKK
Guide/tour leader: Yes
Min. no. of participants: 3
Included: dbl. or sgl. kayak w/lifejacket, tour leader while paddling, full catering during trip (while paddling), tent, sleeping bag, 1 overnight stay at guesthouse in Ittoqqortoormiit (ITT); helicopter ticket from ITT-CNP
Not included: extra snacks, breakfast etc. while staying in town, flights to/from Greenland
Tour description:
DAY 1: You fly from Iceland to Constable Point (CNP) where the tour leader is waiting with kayaks and gear. After a first “meet’n greet”, the trip overview and expectations will be discussed and all participants will be fitted for paddles and lifejackets. All non-trip personal gear will be sent directly to town by helicopter, where it will be stored at the guesthouse until our return. As soon as the trip kit is packed and ready for storing in the kayaks, we will have a quick lunch before departure.
After lunch we will pack the kayaks and start paddling. Our first destination is going to be “Fame Øer” (“Fame Islands”) – discovered and named by William Scoresby in 1822. At the first island we will have the chance to take a closer look at the ruins of winter Inuit houses. For our first overnight stay, we will continue to the next island, where there is a small hut. Tents for sleeping will be up and dinner prepared.
DAY 2: Every morning, after breakfast, we will look over the day’s route, take down the tents and store all equipment in the kayaks. We plan on being on the water by 10am every day.
Making its way to “Ulveodde” in the bottom of Hurry Fjord, the group will paddle until lunch time. usually there'll be some pee break in between leaving camp and lunch break.
Here we will have lunch and try to locate more historical Inuit remains: “The window” – rediscovered a few years ago. Departing in the late afternoon, we will paddle to the cabin at “Kalkdalen”. The cabin is in good shape and big enough for all of us, so we will spend the night inside. All participants are welcome to explore on their own, “Kalkdalen” is located in a really beautiful area.
DAY 3: We follow the coast and head for the valley “Sødalen” (“The Lake Valley”), and with a little luck, we might spot musk oxen there. “Sødalen” is a grassy area with lots of arctic fauna and even black and blue berries. After camp set up and a meal, we will hike in the beautiful area surrounding “Sødalen”. Overnight stay in tents.
DAY 4: From “Sødalen” we continue, following the coast to the small hut “Dom Brava”. The hut is very small, but can be used for preparing food inside, if the weather is bad.
There are good fishing lakes close to “Dom Brava”, so we might catch a nice fish for dinner. We will spend the rest of the day exploring the area, since the terrain is perfect for hiking. Overnight stay in tents.
DAY 5: Today we will cross over Hurry Fjord to reach the huts at Kap Stewart. Kap Stewart was also named by William Scoresby, and the Ryder expedition (1891-92), who explored the Scoresbysund Fjord, built a winter depo there. The area is rich in fossils.
A good meal will surely be welcomed this day, since this is going to be the toughest part of the expedition. When the camp is set up, you can either stay overnight in the tents or the hut.
Day 6: Today we will do the second crossing of Hurry Fjord. Directly on the other side of the fjord is the deserted village, Kap Hope. Kap Hope was once a great hunter society, but the inhabitants slowly deserted the village, moving to the bigger town with better facilities, Ittoqqortoormiit.
We will spend the rest of the day exploring Kap Hope and the nearby surroundings.
Camp set up and overnight stay in tents or in one of the deserted houses.
Day 7: On this last day of paddling the group will paddle to Ittoqqortoormiit. If any problems arise, there will be numerous exit points for earlier pick up. We pass by a small lagoon just next to Kap Hope, called “Basaltnæs” (“Basalt foreland”), see “Gule Fjeld” (“Yellow Mountain”) with its funny, round shaped stones and pass the beautiful beach at the “Walrus Bay”.
After arrival at the guesthouse, all participants have time for a nice, hot shower before dinner.
Day 8: Our guide will meet the group for breakfast and assist you during check in. You will have free time until the helicopter arrives – you can for instance visit the small local museum or the tourist office. Departure from the helipad to Constable Point, from where the scheduled flight will bring you back to Iceland.
