FROM THE ICE SHEET TO THE FJORDS Through the largest muskox herds on earth DATE: 16-30 July 2018 PRICE: 2795 EURO
ABOUT THIS EXPEDITION In West Greenland, the vast ice sheet gently dips towards rolling, green hills, which grow wilder as you move further west towards the dramatic alpine coastal mountains and fjords. This highly varied terrain allows to design fantastic trips. Glacier hiking, paddling and serious trekking through fantastic scenery, we combine it all into one fantastic journey as we hike from the edge of the Ice Sheet all the way to one of the world s most dramatic fjords! Upon arrival at the International Airport of Kangerlussuaq, we immediately get dropped at a dramatic location, where we spend our first night right at the edge of the ice sheet. It is the start of a 4-day intro trek on rolling terrain, and with continuous great views towards the vast expanses of Greenland s ice sheet. Your recovery day is just a physical one, as we go back to the ice sheet for a mind-blowing day hike on the glaciers, during which you will jump across deep crevasses and marvel at this surreal world. Now we are really warmed up for the main course of this trip: an 8-day expedition from the rolling tundra towards the dramatic scenery and jagged mountains of Eternity Fjord on a track which has only been hiked by a handful of previous Puffins! Desert like valleys, large muskox herds, boulder hopping on endless plateaus, and finally sensational views as we approach Eternity Fjord and hike the length of a sensational valley in which glaciers and huge waterfalls dive down from the surrounding ice sheets. They calve icebergs in lakes are feeding the huge murky meltwater river thundering down towards the fjord. The terrain is rough, but the reward of being in such a pristine, vibrant wilderness is impossible to describe! And that view and feeling of pride and accomplishment when you eventually reach the fjord We end the trip with a blast: a speedboat cruise and whale watching tour through Eternity Fjord and towards Maniitsoq. The Eternity Fjord is truly our favourite fjord in Greenland: it is lined with massive, ice-capped mountains draped by countless glaciers. There is 100% certainty of spotting reindeer, muskoxen and polar foxes throughout this trip make sure you collect some antlers to furnish your living room back home! This is without any doubt one of the real classics in our expeditions schedule, a true best-off for those who like to experience Greenland s outstanding wilderness on foot. All our previous travelers have given it a 5 star rating. A truly the perfect adventure for physically strong hikers who are searching for a next level trip!
ON YOUR BUCKET LIST HIGHLIGHTS First bivy at the foot of a 40m, calving ice wall. Introduction trek at the edge of Greenland s vast ice sheet. Day trip with crampons and ice axe on the ice sheet, once-ina-lifetime experience! Roaming through large reindeer and muskoxen herds. 8-day expedition trek through uncharted wilderness. True pioneering: no trails, fording rivers, searching our own way through the wilderness. Speedboat-cruise and whalewatching in Eternity Fjord, our favourite fjord in Greenland.
LOG This schedule should be regarded as a general guideline. The guide can alter plans at any moment during the trip for your safety and convenience, as a function of weather conditions, snow cover, ice conditions,. Day 1-4: trekking at the edge of Greenland s ice sheet Upon arrival in Kangerlussuaq, a 4-wheel drive bus drives us up a dramatic road towards the Ice Sheet. We get dropped at Russell Glacier, right at the edge of Greenland s massive ice sheet. A roaring meltwater river seperates us from a 40m high wall of ice, with large chuncks regularly crashing down. A truly incredible spot to start our journey and for a first bivy! The next three days, we continue hiking along the calving ice walls for a while, then hike into hilly tundra. We have good chances of spotting reindeer, muskoxen and polar foxes throughout this entire trip make sure you collect some antlers to furnish your living room back home! Further highlights are a 680m summit overlooking a vast, nameless glacier right down at our feet, countless lakes in which we can have a refreshing swim, and paddling across a lake on a 40m isthmus with the 2-person packraft your guide will carry all the way just for this section! On the fourth day, we arrive back in Kangerlussuaq. We spend 2 nights in the Hostel, and enjoy a hot shower and a nice dinner with the group.
Day 5: Wandering on the ice sheet Another day to mark in your agenda! Today a 4-wheel drive bus takes us to the ice sheet again, where we will have a day tour on the ice sheet; walking across crevasses and discovering this fascinating, lifeless science-fiction landscape. Mind blowing! Day 6-14: From the tundra to the fjords: Eternity Fjord expedition After a last extensive breakfast in the hostel, we board a speedboat in the harbor, which takes us down the endless Sondre Stromfjord towards the mouth of Robinson River. We get dropped in the hearth of the wilderness the start of a dramatic 8-day trekking towards Eternity Fjord. We hike up the roaring, turquoise Robinson River towards our first camping spot. Countless muskox skulls and bones remind us that we are heading right into the hearth of the largest muskox herd on earth. The first 3 days of the trip offer fairly easy terrain. We hike through rolling hills until we reach a splendid panorama overlooking the upper Paradise Valley, with a meandering river snaking through the green valley floor. The landscapes lower in the valley will remind you of Mongolia or Marocco rather than Greenland! We ford two easy rivers on the way and camp on outstanding spots where we can take a dip into the warm water. The vegetation disappears almost altogether as we climb higher into the mountains, crossing snowfields and hopping from boulder to boulder. The tundra is so poor in this area that musk oxen and reindeer are virtually absent. These plateaus are not lifeless at all though, as we encounter snow grouse, arctic hare and arctic foxes. This is the hardest section of the trip, but the landscape starts to change dramatically and glaciers and wild mountains appear as we make a descent towards a vast, turquoise lake. We cross it again with our 2-person packraft, camping at the other side the Eternity Fjord side! We have two and a half days to go to make it to the fjord probably the most sensational hike of your life. We bend into a valley separating two ice sheets, chasing countless musk oxen and reindeer on the way and traversing above a huge canyon. The landscape gradually grows more complex, and after crossing a pass you will get the goose bumps as we get Eternity Fjord into view in the distance and deep below, lined by a phalanx of jagged mountains. To get to the fjord, we have to hike the length of a sensational valley, which has likely be walked by just our reconnaissance expeditions. Glaciers and huge waterfalls dive down from the ice sheets into the valley, calving icebergs in lakes are feeding the huge murky meltwater river thundering down towards the fjord. The terrain is rough, but the reward of being in such a pristine, vibrant wilderness is impossible to describe! And that view and feeling of pride and accomplishment when you eventually reach the fjord Day 14: Spare day. In the afternoon, we end the trip with a blast: a speedboat cruise through Eternity Fjord and towards Maniitsoq. The Eternity Fjord is truly our favourite fjord in Greenland: it is lined with massive, ice-capped mountains, and countless glaciers dive down into its chilly waters. We have good chances to spot minke whales and humpback whales on the way. In Maniitsoq, we spend the night in a local hotel and have a nice dinner in town. Day 15: After breakfast, we take the airplane back home to Europe through Kangerlussuaq.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION Participants: minimum 7/ maximum 10 Flight schedule: Inbound (16/07/2018): Kopenhagen (11:00) Kangerlussuaq (11:40) Outbound (30/07/2018): Maniisoq (10:50) Kangerlussuaq (11:20) Kangerlussuaq (13:10) Kopenhagen (21:30) The time difference between Copenhagen (GMT +1) and Greenland (GMT-3) is 4 hours Physical level: On average, we hike 4-6 hours per day. The particular thing about hiking in Greenland is the total absence of trails. The terrain can be harsh at times (bush, boulder fields, river crossings). A very good physical fitness is required (you should be able to run 10km without any problems), and prior experience with multi-day hiking trips in mountaineaous terrain is highly recommended. Prior experience with glacier hiking is not required. Climate: Summer climate in the area is very favorable. Located in the rain shadow of the coastal mountain ranges, weather is often sunny and dry with daytime temperatures up to 14-22 C. Personal equipment: Puffins provides high-quality, lightweight expedition tents and stoves. If needed, you can rent expedition sleeping bags and mattresses. All participants will receive a detailled luggage checklist. Need some more equipment? As a Puffin, you will enjoy significant discounts at our partner store Mounteqshop (Waregem, Belgium; also as an online store). Meals: All meals are provided by Puffins: breakfast, snacks, lunch, and a freeze-dried evening expedition meal. Language: This trip will be guided in English. You can also approach your guide Gilles in French, Spanish and Dutch!
Price Includes: VAT & handling costs Detailed travel information International flights Kopenhagen - Kangerlussuaq Kopenhagen Domestic flights in Greenland Local transits (boat, 4 wheel drive trucks) Use of high-quality trekking tents and stoves All meals from arrival in Greenland until departure in Greenland Not included in the price: Flights to/from Copenhagen Overnight stay(s) in Copenhagen Rental of expedition sleeping bag (if necessary) International passport Travel insurance and optional cancellation insurance Charges for excess luggage (Air Greenland allows 20kg of check-in baggage) Alcoholic beverages in Kangerlussuaq and Maniitsoq All activities as mentioned in the day-to-day schedule Professional guiding by a mountain guide (NL/FR/ES/EN) Local permits
TRAVEL DOCUMENTS Both EU Citizens and non-eu citizens need an international passport to access Greenland. TRAVEL INSURANCE Travel insurance is obligated when participating to this trip. However, it is not included in our package as frequent travellers often already have their own travel insurance. For EU citizens, we can offer the Golden Travel Insurance of Mapfre Assistance at a rate of 4 EURO per travel day. If you choose to explore the market yourself, it is your responsibility to dispose of an insurance contract, which at least equals the protection level of ours by the time you travel to Greenland. Important points of attention incude: - Coverage in Greenland and above the Arctic Circle - Coverage of the following activities: off-track trekkings, packrafting, glacier hiking - Unlimited coverage for search & rescue - Unlimited coverage for repatriation - Medical expenses up to 2,000,000.00 EURO per person - Medical post-treatment costs: 6,200.00 EURO per person - Flight costs when a re-booking is required duet o force majeure (volcanic eruption, ) - Hotel costs during an extended stay due to force majeure (closure of airspace, airport, ) Upon registration for this trip, we will request details on your travel insurance including contract reference, name of your insurance company, and a contact number of your insurance company. A cancellation is not required, but highly recommended. Please contact us for further information.
ABOUT YOUR GUIDE Despite his young age, Gilles Denis (28) from Brussels has an impressive palmares in the outdoors. He set aside his career as a physicist in order to focus on his true passion: hiking and climbing expeditions through the last great wilderness areas on earth. Recently he has also addressed to sea kayakking, for which he is going through a training programme to become a professional guide. In 2020, Gilles is planning on one of the most difficult and varied expeditions which has ever been made on Greenland: a combination of a winter traverse of the ice sheet, 1000km of sea kayakking along the wild southeast coast, and the ascent of some of the highest and most remote big walls on earth. Such a multidisciplinary approach is virtually unheard of in the outdoors! Gilles has been guiding for multiple organisation in Greenland throughout the last few years. His passion and knowledge are beyond compare and his calm and easy-going personality will make you feel at ease from the start. And we promise you will be inspired by the time you board your airplane back home! WANT TO REGISTER? Drop us a line at info@puffins.travel! PUFFINS A new style of Arctic pioneering