The Arctic Circle Trail

August 2018

Welcome to a frozen land. A place where even the edges of this vast island only thaw a few meters down in the summer. The summer brings endless sun and respite from the darkness of winter, but the sun only kisses the earth gently, lightly, sparingly. Even in late August when the sky darkens a few hours a night the frost can be thick and the short nights frigid. 

Here is a place where the tallest forests are only as high as a man. A place where the ground is boggy as the moisture has nowhere to escape its frozen prison. A place where people have left little impact on the earth.  For many it is an awakening; the peace, quiet and tranquility of nature.  Only water lapping on the shores of a lake, the wind whistling through or a loon calling can be heard.  Here the reindeer and muskox roam and the arctic fox slyly flits here and there. 

Every single one empty

Four of us set off to hike the 160 kilometre Arctic Circle Trail. Stretching from the ex US base of Kangerlussuaq to the second largest town of Sisimiut. Very soon we became three after a Spanish fellow that Lisa had found online deserted. The matter was over stove fuel. Someone had bought the wrong type, a rookie mistake for someone seemingly experienced. We resolved ourselves to cold food and presoaked meals a thought our deserting friend couldn’t live with. 

The first few days were rocky hills punctuated with glacial tarns; resembling sizeable lakes they had neither inflow or outflow. Not a single stream punctuated our journey those early days. Just a tiny colourful cabin every 15 kilometres and lots and lots of fallen reindeer antlers. This was landscape freshly moulded by glaciers. As we hiked the landscape changed, the rain and winters over time took its toll on the landscape making rounded peaks into jagged mountains. It was like a journey through geological time. Always accompanying us was the reindeer and the fluffy white arctic hare. 

We had assumed we would be mostly alone as it was rumoured only about 300 people hike this route annually, in reality it is now close to 3000 most over the three summer months. In winter snowmobiles complete the route in one day and dog sleds slightly longer. 

The abundance of people was a blessing as fellow hikers were happy to share their gas, occasionally giving us leftover canisters as we progressed. We went from warm evening meals to the luxury of tea and hot lunches and new friends towards the end. We even stayed in the occasional larger cabin all of which were well situated above a  picturesque lake or pass. 

On the second day came the possibility of canoeing along a lake rather than hiking the shore. Several canoes were rumoured to be in use but in rough repair. Lisa and I found one abandoned half way down the lake. Heavily patched with duct tape it didn’t leak a drop. With only half a paddle we found in the canoe it was slow going until I duct taped a hiking pole to the blade giving us a semi usable paddle. We too abandoned it after four kilometres realizing our progress was far slower and colder than hiking. 

Ahead was the “big” city of Sisimiut and its 5,500 inhabitants. As the trail progresses the mountains get higher, streams start to flow and even the occasional river has to be crossed. The sight of Sisimiut beckoned to me like a beacon. It felt like a citadel to a pilgrim stumbling through the cold boggy wilderness. Its colourful buildings, hot meals and friendly people a blessing and a reward for hiking across the largest part of unfrozen Greenland. Its day trips to abandoned villages and sublime jagged peaks worth the journey alone.