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Ski Tours in West Greenland
- Christine Rex
- 37 minutes ago
- 4 min read
We reached Greenland on 24 April and are now peacefully anchored at the end of the Arsuk Fjord, waiting out a storm. The sunshine and crisp temperatures have allowed us to recover from the crossing and settle into Greenland at our own pace. Unfortunately, our attempt to retrieve Gregor`s lost sunglasses by diving for them was unsuccessful.
A few days later, we experience Danish hospitality in Grønnedal. Two members of the Joint Arctic Command unit give us a tour of the former military station and the surrounding area. We also get a glimpse of Greenland’s wildlife, including musk oxen, reindeer, and snow hares. Other highlights at this location include: a hike followed by a sauna—the two from Joint Arctic Command took us to the pier; a group dinner at the military station; and a gift—a large bag of musk ox wool for future knitting projects. Our journey continues northward.
Along the way, there is little ice, except on the approach to Paamiut, where we have to navigate through an ice zone. Once again in Paamiut, we encounter the Inuit’s reserve. At a discreet distance, they come to meet us at the pier. In the following days, the weather is overcast and windless. With the motor running, we cover daily legs toward Nuuk. Some of the route takes us through shallow inland passages with turquoise-blue water. When the sun breaks through, it really glows. Eventually, we end up at a dead end in front of a still-frozen sound and have to turn back. As before, we’re more or less on our own.
When we get to Nuuk, we come across two commercial boats offering sail-and-ski tours. Looks like there isn't much snow left, though. The harbor master greets us warmly at the pier. So we stay for a few days and wait for our friend Sibylle. The city of Nuuk reveals itself to us as a large city: a rather small harbor for large and small ships, paved streets, many cars, a few modern shops, hotels, restaurants, people dressed in modern clothes, unattractive buildings from the past, and a beautiful landscape surrounding the city. And it’s raining nonstop!
With the storm raging, we press on and sail the inland route toward Maniitsoq. The shallow areas constantly demand our attention. Suddenly, though, there’s a loud thud, and our Aegir has run aground. Fortunately, a small motorboat with locals is behind us and helps pull us out of the shallows with a few extra horsepower. The scraping sounds beneath us are ominous, but we manage to free ourselves. We follow the locals for a few miles until they speed off at full throttle. What a shock! Once again grateful for our steel hull and the protected rudder. We've had enough of shallow waters for now and sail further out toward Maniitsoq—much to Sibylle's chagrin, as she's feeling a bit seasick in this swell.
In Mannitsoq, a massive iceberg awaits us in the outer harbor—one we’d already seen on social media. Its position allows us to make a perfect approach to the public dock. Already moored there are a commercial sailboat and a “fragment” of the large iceberg. However, we still manage to fit alongside the dock and closely observe the ice movements around us. The next day, we’re drawn to move on immediately. We pass through Hamborgersund and turn into Eternityfjord.
We're surrounded by stunning scenery. Towering mountains, impressive glaciers, small ice formations in the water, just enough snow for ski touring, and sunshine will characterize the next two weeks. At our anchorages, we use the dinghy equipped with a depth sounder, and every now and then we secure the Aegir with shore lines.
Extreme tidal ranges are putting us to the test. In Kangaamiut, Sibylle leaves us, and we continue to take it easy. Weather conditions are incredibly stable: sunshine, temperatures around 4 degrees, no wind, and it’s already light for 24 hours a day. With the dinghy, we explore uncharted anchorages. Fishing, collecting clams, hiking, one last attempt at a ski tour, swimming in chilly 7-degree water, relaxing, and we tackle minor boat maintenance tasks until we head further north.
Our next stop is Sisimiut. On June 1, we cross the Arctic Circle and reach Sisimiut under engine power. Waiting for sailing weather isn’t an option for us, as the forecast calls for nearly nonstop north winds for the next 14 days. Contact with the harbor master in Sisimiut reveals that there won’t be any space for the Aegir in the harbor for quite some time. However, we can anchor across from the harbor, so it’s not far by dinghy to Greenland’s second-largest city. Thus, we’ll stay here for the next two weeks and fill our days with additional boat work, doing laundry at the hotel (to save water), visiting museums, cooking, baking, shopping, and planning the rest of our journey. On top of that, Gregor has a dentist appointment on the agenda—a dental crown fell out. He quickly and professionally gets a good aluminum replacement. It should hold out until winter—hopefully! And so we keep coming back to the little town. Coincidentally, we happen upon a confirmation ceremony and admire the beautiful traditional costumes, especially those of the women. Colorful beadwork and sealskin pants are wonderfully combined.
We’re also getting some use out of our hiking boots, and we’re happy to be in touch with Sohvi and Juho from the SY Lumi. Slowly but surely, we’re starting to spot other sailing ships on Marinetraffic heading toward Greenland, and keeping a close eye on ice conditions around the Northwest Passage. There’s still plenty of time before, hopefully, a suitable window opens up for our journey westward.
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