Tour type: Alpine skiing tour
What’s included: Guide, food for 8 days, all transportation, accommodation, luggage transfer and snowmobile assistance
Departures: March and April
Duration: 8 days
Accommodation: Hut and hostel
Meeting point: The domestic airport in Reykjavík
Group size: 4-12 participants
Language: English
Note: This tour can also be offered as a private departure.
Alpine ski touring in East Greenland
In the heart of the deep fjords of the Arctic East Greenland, surrounded by steep granite mountains, a small village called Kuummiut lies buried in snow. This Inuit hunter’s village of 350 inhabitants finds itself at the edge of one of the most impressive mountain ranges one can find on the planet. This is the ideal place to discover the still existing Inuit hunters culture at the same time as one enjoys the finest alpine touring skiing one could possibly dream about. During the trip we discover the edge of the great “Sweitzerland“ massif by staying a couple of nights in the Tasiilaq mountain hut. All transport of baggage is assured by a snowmobile, which also helps skiers with the long legs of the trip. This trip is a discovery on alpine touring skis of these magnificent mountains as well as of the great people that have survived for thousands of years in this hostile environment.
Included: Guide for 8 days, food for 8 days (from lunch day 1 to lunch day 8), , 2 nights in hut, 4 nights in sleeping bag accommodation in Kuummiut, 1 night in hostel in Kulusuk, luggage transfer, snowmobile assistance.
Not included: Flight Reykjavík – Kulusuk – Reykjavik are not included, but can be added on the first and last day of the trip, Personal equipment, insurance and expenses.
Flights Reykjavik-Kulusuk-Reykjavik. The price depends on the available flight seat on the concerned date.
See what Edu who went with us on Remote Peaks of Greenland last year said about the trip
Want to go with a group of your own? We can also costomize a ski touring trip for you and your friends, colleagues or fellow adventurers, If you prefer this plesase contact us for more information.
If you have questions, please check our FAQs. If you do not find the answer please contact us: booking@greenland.is
Day 1: Reykjavík – Kulusuk – Kummiiut
Flight from Reykjavík to Kulusuk. In Kulusuk we load our baggage to a snowmobile and start our trip to Kuummiut, pulled by a snowmobile. After a approx. 12 km we will find a boat waiting for us at the ice edge, from where we sail to Kuummiut, a small village of approx. 350 inhabitants. Arriving to Kuummiut in the late afternoon. Most likely there will be a ‘welcome committee’ comprised of the children of the village.
Night in a sleeping bag accommodation in the village.
Day 2: The Kuummiut Mountain.
Today we will climb the 1050m high mountain above Kuummiut. We put on the skins in front of our accommodation and start climbing until we meet a beautiful ridge up to the summit of Kuummiut Mountain. Magnificent mountain view awaits us at the top before a beautiful descent down a small glacier and on the moraine down to the Ammassalik fjord again. Night in the same accommodation as the night before.
Ascent / Descent approx. 1050 m. Skiing: 6 – 7 hours.
Day 3: From Kuummiut to Sweitzerland
With the help of a snowmobile we cross over to Tunu (the backside) and then through a mountain valley towards the Tasiilaq Mountain Hut, situated in the southern part of the very impressive Sweitzerland mountains. We will be pulled behind snowmobiles and will stop and ski between impressive steep granite summits and hanging glaciers if time allows it – the transportation time to the hut varies depending on the snow conditions. In the late afternoon we arrive to a mountain hut at the foot of huge granite peaks. Night in the cosy Tasiilaq mountain hut.
Ascent 1000 m. / Descent 200 m. Skiing: 8 – 9 hours.
Day 4: Sweitzerland
Discovery on skis of the mountain range. We climb up to a col to get a view over the huge Karale glacier tongue and discover the „back side“ of the Tripples (2233 m). Few people get to go to this remote area so prepare yourself for untouched snow and steep mountains in all directions. Night in the Tasiilaq mountain hut. If the weather is clear we will have a look out for the northern lights.
Ascent / Descent 700 m. Skiing: 6-7 hours.
Day 5: Tasiilaq fjord
We start the day by skiing down to the Tasiilaq fjord (800 m descent) and from there we travel with the help of a snowmobile to a narrow valley. We climb to a small col at 500 m and depending on conditions up to a glacier above the col to get a nice descent. We then continue back to Kuummiut.
Ascent 500-700 m. / Descent 1300 to 1500 m. Skiing: 8 to 9 hours.
Day 6: Tunu
We cross the small fjord of Tunu to get to some of the magnificent mountains towering the village. With skins we reach a col at aprox 500m where from we enjoy the view over the islands towards the south. Descent back to Tunu and crossing over to the village. On the way home we have the option of a second climb to 500 m. Ascent 500 m. (with another 500 optional) / Descent 500 m. Skiing: 6 to 7 hours.
Day 7: Kuummiut – Kulusuk
Travel back to Kulusuk, first with boat and then aprox 12 km by skis. Arrival in late afternoon to Kulusuk village where we stay over the night in sleeping bag accommodation at the Kulusuk Hostel.
Day 8: Kulusuk- Reykjavík
Short discovery of Kulusuk village in the morning before traveling back to Iceland. By skis we walk the 3 km from the village to the airport where from we take the flight back to Reykjavík.
Greenland
For your own wellbeing and safety we strongly suggest following the advice of our equipment list, this includes having good quality rain-gear, tops and bottoms! Also respect that cotton clothing is not appropriate for any strenuous outdoor activity – this includes jeans and t-shirts. Modern outdoor clothing is by far more comfortable and will greatly improve your experience.
Ski touring / gear and clothes:
Tours with indoor accommodation:
The style of accommodations varies between different IMG tours. Consider the following:
Tours with camping (winter conditions):
Practical information:
Luggage: Luggage limitations in the flight to Greenland is 15 kg. It is good to have trekking shoes or boots to travel in, use in the evening at camps and in the visit to the village at the end of the tour. Only bring outdoor clothing to Greenland. In Greenland we will walk on skis strait from the Airport and the outdoor clothing is practical in the Inuit village at the end of the tour.
It is best to pack in a duffel bag and backpack that can be used for day touring. The duffel bag is carried in a sledge that we pull after us during the tour.
To get the most out of the limited baggage that is allowed in the airplane and in the helicopter all participants must have one handbag. Ski boots can be taken as handbags or one bag/small rucksack of 6 kg and max size 55x35x25 cm. Extra luggage can be left with Icelandic Mountain Guides at the airport and it will be brought back to the airport in the end of the tour.
Should you have any questions regarding this equipment list or the equipment on our tours feel free to contact booking@greenland.is
