Dog-Sledging | Skiing | Walking & Kayaking

ARCTIC WALKING: Greenland | Arctic Russia | Ellesmere Island & Svalbard

GREENLAND 2008

Greenland is familiar to many of today's travellers who see its mountains and glaciers far below as they fly in comfort to destinations in North America. The mountainous coastline is broken up by long fjords dotted with icebergs that have calved from the ice-cap. From this height it is not obvious that there is an ice-free fringe that can be surprisingly lush during the short ten-week summer. This period, with its 24-hour daylight and spells of settled weather, is ideal for walking and camping. As the snow melts, the tundra blossoms and migrant birds fly in to nest. On the shores of the fjords, lying below magnificent alpine peaks, the tundra provides an ideal habitat for the specialist wildlife of the far north.

Northeast Greenland at latitude 72º North is a remote and scenically dramatic part of the High Arctic, which has earned the name of "The Arctic Riviera" because of its fine settled weather. We continue to focus on this region since it is an unspoilt wilderness.

Loch Fyne, Northeast Greenland

Scoresby Sund, Northeast Greenland

NO VACANCIES

Loch Fyne, a north-south fjord with three small hunting huts at the southern end, is considered to be one of the best locations on the coast of Northeast Greenland. Flying into the area by a small aircraft suitable for landing on uneven terrain we will travel lightly. We will set-up our own camp and normally see no other people for the 14 days that we are in the area. Our base camp will be situated where we land, 4 km. inland from Loch Fyne. This is a beautiful location with fantastic access and views of the valley of Stordal and the fjord Moskusoksefjord. Walking is possible on the surrounding hills such as Fuchs Bjerg on the western side of Stordal and luscious valleys. We will move camp to allow us to explore the coastal area around Loch Fyne with its hunting huts, other abandoned trappers' huts and ancient Inuit sites. With such a variety of opportunities, there should be the possibility to walk in a different area most days, and to admire the wonderful scenery. In the valleys there will be wild flowers, nesting birds, particularly waders, and, if we are lucky, lemmings. Being close to Muskusoksefjord we will be surprised if we do not see many musk-ox and their families. The wolf population of the area is reported to be recovering and it is possible that they may be seen. Other wildlife we might see includes arctic foxes, arctic hares, waders, skuas, geese and, perhaps, snowy owls and gyrfalcons.

Price £4600 (includes flights)

Fiords of Scoresby Sund Supported by Boat

NO VACANCIES

This expedition uses a boat to support a nine-day hike around Scoresby Sund; this will enable us to reach deep into Milne Land while carrying only day packs. Scoresby Sund is the largest fjord system in Greenland and is an area of awe-inspiring scenery, where 2,000 metre mountains rise directly from the sea and enormous glaciers gouge out the valleys and the waters are iceberg-choked. There are ancient historic sites, remains from WW2 and modern hunters' camps to visit as well as a wealth of wildlife to watch on land and in the sea. The last two days are spent at the settlement of Ittoqqortoormiit where we meet the local people.

Price £2900 (includes flights)