#3 Camping in Greenland

Camping in Greenland #3

Fog hung heavy out over the fjord the next morning partially obscuring the Danish Naval Ship anchored offshore. After loading our gear onto the zodiac boat and donning our expedition coats and life vests we boarded and set off through the now heavy fog to Narsaq another village down an adjoining fjord.

Houses on land soon dissolved into the mist as we sped further away from shore, the wind cold upon our faces. Pulling scarves more securely around our necks and faces, drawing hoods more tightly and snuggling in, the cold brisk air was both refreshing and numbing. With everyone packed in tightly together, it offered a degree of comfort and protection from the cold. 

At only a moment’s notice our pilot throttled down, slowing as we approached icebergs silently adrift in our route. Quietly passing by them, we strained to get better looks. Further on, again slowing down, we entered a field of icebergs, some like ghostly images shrouded in light fog. Shining like bright crystals, the ice shimmering in the available morning light, the bergs appeared in many shapes and forms, some rounded and contoured, others sharp edged with pointed tips, or hollowed out seeing though them to view others just beyond. It  was both magical and mysterious these large chunks of ice – just floating peacefully upon the cold blue water. 

Fog lifting, the icebergs were now becoming more fully visible – blue tinged as a result of the snow and air compacted and compressed over eons within glaciers. Yet, despite their size and cold pretense they appeared harmless. To smaller craft such as the zodiac boats, one could concede that the threat of danger was less. The real danger from icebergs lies toward larger, deeper hulled ships that face the danger of the 75 or more percent of the ice below the surface of the water which, as in the Titanic, did not maneuver quickly enough around a gigantic one where most of the ice was below the water surface.

Approaching Narsaq, colorful buildings greeted our sight backdropped by a towering mountain in the background partially cloaked in the slowly lifting fog.

The objective for stopping in Narsaq was to get provisions for the next 3 days camping and spend some time looking around the village. 

Kunuk took us to the local grocery store to show us several of the more local items sold there. It looks very much like any grocery in the US other than the native or cultural food items and imported foods. Stopping in at a local craft shop, we were shown several handicrafts created by two of the locals who where there. I bought a stone carving of a native harpooner complete with his spear.

Outside the craft shop an elementary school was in recess with the children playing outdoors. They were really cute youngsters, saying hello to us through the wooden fence.

After a bit more exploration in the village we gathered for our “picnic”/lunch and then proceeded to the dock and boarded the boat that would take us to the camp much further away down another fjord. 

Across from the camp were three faces of a glacier. Less than a few years ago the glacial face had been one mass, but due to the warming climate the glacier has melted back exposing land masses between that had been covered for untold years. Throughout the day and night, as the iceberg calved (ice breaking away from the mass) the sound was like thunder in the distance. That thunderous sound amplified as it spread out across the water to our camp on the opposite shore.

The camp consisted of several (unheated) dome tents and a couple of longer dome dining tents, the only ones that had heat. Inside the dome tents were 4 bunk beds and a small table and chair. Maralyn and Graham (the couple from Scotland) took one side and I took the lower bunk on the other side. Snuggling  deeply into the cozy sleeping bag, partially clothed, pulling the bag close over my face to ward off the freezing air, I was snug and comfortable – until nature called necessitating, redressing somewhat and hurrying outside to relieve myself. Two outhouses at the furthest end and away from camp tents accommodated the entire camp.

In the still of the night, stars in the heavens shown clear, sharp and bright, the stillness only broken by the rumbling thunder of the calving glacier echoing across the fjord from the opposite shore.

It was a relief to scurry over to the dining tent where we were greeted by warmth and the aroma of meals cooking. A cup of hot tea, cocoa or coffee helped take away the chill. 

Being an early riser, I was up, dressed and outside quickly. Exploring around camp in the quiet of dawn, the glacier spoke loudly, watching a huge splash into the water as another part of the glacier broke free.

Fernando, from Madrid, Spain joined me in my early morning reverie. We shared our mutual admiration of the beauty that surrounded us and further our concerns about the warming climate, the changing world, war in Ukraine, governments, politicians and our worries for the younger generations. The world is not an isolated place, I believe, and these qualms are universally shared. 

This day our group headed up into the hills beyond camp. We walked through areas that had once been glacier covered, saw glacial lakes and scrambled over rocks and boulders ascending into what Maralyn and Graham described as much like the Scottish highlands.

Some pesky light rain made for slippery surfaces but we managed to conquer the conditions and higher up stopped for  the daily “picnic”. Here we collected crow berries and blue berries and otherwise relaxed.

Then, suddenly, someone spied a lone caribou a bit below our location. After nibbling as he trod along, he then quickened his pace running out of sight.  On our return, a small herd of caribou were seen briefly before they too ran off. Throughout the trip the only real wildlife we saw were those few caribou.

The following day was a highlight of my trip to Greenland. We were setting off across the fjord to hike upon a glacier!