A day of contrasts. Eagerly waiting, endless cups of cof’fee, watches ticking by in slow motion and conversation stalled as both of us stared blankly out of the window as our thoughts wandered along the Arctic Circle Trail.
We made slow progress in the big arctic bus that took us to the Ice Sheet. The dirt road was built in 1999 by VW so they could test their cars in extreme conditions on the Ice Sheet, only to be abandoned four years later as the ice sheet retreated and the maintenance of the road became too expensive.
We arrived at Point 660 at four O’Clock. An hour and a half later than we expected. Although we only had around 12km to walk, so daylight wasn’t going to be an issue. We crossed the moraine unceremoniously dumped by the retreating ice sheet and onto the ice itself. The start.
The Ice Sheet and the grey sky merged into one infinite sea of white. A place, for me, to stand and stare and admire the vastness of this white wilderness. However, we needed to get on so we made our way back to the bus and the dirt road, said our goodbyes to the other passengers, put on our sacks and started the 37km walk back to Kangerlussuaq. A straight forward walk, no navigational skills required, just retrace our steps along the dirt road.
We only got 8km down the road when we reached a high spot that looked out over the side of the Russell Glacier. A breathtaking view of one of nature’s most powerful creations. The retreating glacier left behind stunning waterfalls, ground out of the hard Greenland rock and gigantic unstable lateral moraines, with thunderous rock falls, followed by absolute silence. And to top it all, there was a picnic table there with our names on, so we could cook dinner in comfort!
The only noise throughout the night was the calming noise of the waterfalls… a perfectly peaceful night. As we had only did 8km the following day was going to be long. Seven hours of dirt road, dusty and hard on your feet, all 29km of it! Our own fault for being led astray by the view the previous evening. It was a day of being able to walk side by side, just two boys in high spirits on a little jaunt!
The scenery passed by slowly as we made our way back to a beer or two! The long low ridges, that ran either side of the wide sandy valley were punctuated by hills just as a child would draw a Crocodiles back, sharp regular protrusion. The Autumn colours were in full swing, vivid shades of reds, browns and yellows. There were no trees because of the permafrost, the ground instead was covered in broadleaf willow and beach scrub, that spread low just above ground level, Arctic Crowberry’s and Arctic Blueberries… it would be nice if they are still in fruit as we travel the trail.
The last hour of the walk was hard on our feet and our willpower, but as Kangerlussuaq comes into sight that long awaited beer pulls us in.
Today we start the trail, with a rucksack heavier than I have ever carried, but getting lighter as the days progress…
Outside it’s a crisp and sunny day.