We try once again
Yes, Julia and I are trying for the third time now to make landfall and explore Greenland. We tried for the first time back in 2013 to visit this remote place and were thwarted by ice-flows. Then in 2017 we tried again and were not able to land due to severe weather. So, here we are again planning our third attempt at visiting this allusive place.
We decided to combine our long-planned trip to hike the Dolomites in Italy with this Greenland adventure and what follows is our planned itinerary. Let’s hope all goes to plan this time.
Oakland, USA
Oakland stands out as an important industrial port city in California and as one of the most important centers of African American culture. With its large downtown area and its industrial charm, Oakland reminds somewhat of some cities in the east coast like Pittsburgh or Baltimore.
Gatwick, England
London’s second airport, also serving a large spectrum of places world-wide. It is the world’s busiest single runway airport and is split into a North and South Terminal. The two terminals are linked by a free shuttle train.
Reykjavik, Iceland
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city of Iceland and with an urban area population of around 200,000, it is the home of many Iceland’s inhabitants. It is the center of culture and life of the Icelandic people as well as being one of the focal points of tourism in Iceland. The city itself is spread out, with sprawling suburbs. The city center, however, is a very small area characterized by eclectic and colorful houses, with good shopping, dining, and drinking.
Neerlerit Inaat Airport, Greenland
Depart Reykjavík for a flight to Constable Point (Neerlerit Inaat Airport) in Greenland, a small airfield west of Hurry Inlet in Jameson Land. Embark the sailboat and get an introduction and a safety briefing by the crew before sailing towards the village of Ittoqqortoormiit, one of the most isolated villages in the world. There will be a brief visit, where passengers are able to stroll around and experience the tranquility associated with its remoteness
Ittoqqortoormiit, Greenland
Ittoqqortoormiit, formerly known as Scoresbysund, is a settlement in the Sermersooq municipality in eastern Greenland. Its population is 452 as of 2013.
The former name Scoresbysund derives from the Arctic explorer and whaler William Scoresby, who was the first to map the area in 1822. The name “Ittoqqortoormiit” means “Big-House Dwellers” in the Eastern Greenlandic dialect. The region is known for its wildlife, including polar bears, muskoxen, and seals.
Hekla Havn, Greenland
Sail west between whole palaces of icebergs that gently drift under the influence of the currents in the Arctic waters after calving from the parent glaciers originating in the Inland Ice. Anchor at Hekla Havn, on Denmark Ø, the site of an old Inuit settlement and wintering camp of the first scientific expedition to Scoresby Sund over a hundred years ago. The day ends with a short evening walk exploring Hekla Havn and the surrounding area.
Rødefjord, Greenland
Sail west through the narrow Føhnfjord with the majestic basalt mountains of Gåseland on the port side and 2,000 meters high sheer granite cliffs of Milne Land on the starboard side. After being up close to the peculiar looking Red Island and even landfall at the red sandstone shore, the tour continues to the north through Rødefjord which is often filled with both larger icebergs and ice crust from icebergs that are breaking up. We will arrive in Harefjord in the late afternoon where anchors are set.
Harefjord, Greenland
We’ll make sure to pack our hiking boots because the entire day is spent ashore in Harefjord scouting for muskoxen, snow hares, grouse, geese and other wildlife, which normally graze on the south-facing slopes. This easy to moderate approx. 6-hour hike takes us on top of a ridge where we will have lunch with a breathtaking view over Harefjord, where the terrain drops down on each side and the glacier tongues descend into the sea. Those who prefer less exercise can stroll at the coast or stay on board enjoying the view.
Øfjord, Greenland
The sailing continues eastwards through the awesome Øfjord. This is one of the most spectacular parts of the trip. Terrific mountain peaks and granite walls tower 2,000 meters up from the sea just like if the Cerro Torre (one of the majestic mountains of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field in South America) and Fitzroy river (in Queensland, Australia) has been moved to the Arctic: A true feast for the eyes. Usually, the sea breeze in the Øfjord during the middle of the day allows sails to be set. A close look at some of the most amazing cliffs and a glacier front. This day ends by setting anchors in Jyttes Havn in the late afternoon.
Føhnfjord, Greenland
The day is spent hiking in and around Jyttes Havn in Bear Islands as this is possibly one of the nicest and most picturesque anchorages in Scoresby Sund. There are two options of a longer or shorter hike in the Bear Islands, or on the northernmost tip of Milne Land, a short zodiac ride away. Jyttes Havn is the place to try your skills at sea swimming at 71°N and temperatures can be as surprising as 13°C in the summertime. If conditions and time allow, we will tend a bonfire on the beach and share stories.
Bear Islands, Greenland
Sailing the channel between the Bear Islands and Milne Land with a breathtaking view of the spectacular archipelago. As we sail into the last evening and night of the trip it is likely that we’ll be experiencing sights of the largest and the most fascinating icebergs of the journey. This provides a fantastic opportunity for photographs of the majestic and impressive icebergs that are often found in this area. When we wake up the next morning we are anchored at the at the airstrip in Constable Point.
Neerlerit Inaat Airport, Greenland
The last morning, we will enjoy a good breakfast together, write in the diary on board and share contact information with each other. Then we will disembark the sailboat for the last time and board the aircraft in Constable Point and fly back to Reykjavík, Iceland. In Iceland, the adventures of the expedition begin to sync in and your life after Greenland begins!
Reykjavik, Iceland
Spend a few days recuperating from our adventure to Greenland.
Gatwick, England
Fly back to the United Kingdom.
London, England
Spend a few days in London visiting with friends and family.
Venice, Italy
The city is virtually the same as it was six hundred years ago, which adds to its fascinating character. Venice has decayed since its heyday and is heavily touristed (there are 56,000 residents and 20 million tourists per year).
Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy
Cortina d’Ampezzo, commonly referred to as Cortina, is a town and commune in the heart of the southern (Dolomitic) Alps in the Veneto region of Northern Italy. Situated on the Boite river, in an alpine valley, it is a winter sport resort known for its skiing trails, scenery, accommodation, shops and après-ski scene, and for its jet set and aristocratic European crowd.
Pocol, Italy
Pocol is a village and ski resort in the Veneto region of northeast Italy. The village is a località of the comune of Cortina d’Ampezzo, in the province of Belluno.
Carbonin, Italy
Hiking the Dolomites.
Canazei, Italy
Canazei is a commune (municipality) in Trentino in the northern Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located in the upper part of the Val di Fassa, about 110 kilometers (68 mi) northeast of Trento. Its name derives from the Latin word cannicetus.
Canale d’Agordo, Italy
Canale d’Agordo (known as Forno di Canale until 1964) is a town and comune in the province of Belluno, in the region of Veneto, northern Italy. It has 1,230 inhabitants. Pope John Paul I (born Albino Luciani) and the landscape painter Giuseppe Zais were born in Canale d’Agordo. it has a Museum dedicated to Pope John Paul I called the Pope Luciani Museum.
San Pellegrino, Italy
San Pellegrino Terme is a comune in the province of Bergamo, Lombardy, Italy. Located in the Val Brembana, it is the location where beverage company San Pellegrino, and its carbonated mineral water drinks are produced.
Nova Levante, Italy
Hiking the Dolomites.
Molveno, Italy
Molveno is a comune (municipality) in Trentino in the northern Italian region of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 40 kilometers (25 mi) northwest of Trento.
Ponte di Legno, Italy
Ponte di Legno (Pònt in the Camunian dialect) is an Italian comune of 1,729 inhabitants in Val Camonica, province of Brescia, in Lombardy.
Varenna, Italy
Varenna is a comune (municipality) on Lake Como in the Province of Lecco in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 60 kilometers (37 mi) north of Milan and about 20 kilometers (12 mi) northwest of Lecco.
Milan, Italy
Milan is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city in Italy after Rome, with the city proper having a population of 1,366,037 while its province-level municipality has a population of 3,235,000. Its continuously built-up urban area (that stretches beyond the boundaries of the Metropolitan City of Milan) has a population estimated to be about 5,270,000 over 1,891 square kilometers (730 square miles), ranking 4th in the European Union. The wider Milan metropolitan area, known as Greater Milan, is a polycentric metropolitan region that extends over central Lombardy and eastern Piedmont and which counts an estimated total population of 7.5 million, making it by far the largest metropolitan area in Italy. Milan served as capital of the Western Roman Empire from 286 to 402 and the Duchy of Milan during the middle and early modern age.
Venice, Italy
Fly back to the United Kingdom.
Gatwick, England
Rest before returning home.
Oakland, USA
Back to the USA and the land of crazed and selfish Republicans.
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