Introduction
During the summer of 2022 I traveled to Greenland, a country which has fascinated me since reading an apocalyptic trilogy written by the Dutch author Thea Beckman as a teenager. The main aim of my trip was simple: to hike the Arctic Circle Trail, a long distance route in West-Greenland which runs from Kangerlussuaq, the location of Greenland's only international airport, to the coastal town of Sisimiut.
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View from the plane of the Ice cap over East-Greenland
Kangerlussuaq
Home to the country's only international airport and main internal transport hub, Kangerlussuaq is visually mainly defined by its history as an American airbase. It has a grid-like layout, and consists of a strange amalgam of buildings, whose function can only be deciphered by plates attached on the outside of the buildings.
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The ice cap
The Ice cap is the most defining element of the landscape in Greenland. It is impossible to comprehend its size; it is over 3km at its thickest point and 2,900km wide. The cap is melting at an alarming rate; the sound of the glacial rivers which run towards the sea is deafening. It is an uninhabitable place for men and standing on it conveys a feeling of being in a different world.
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The Arctic Circle Trail
I spent most of my days in Greenland on the Arctic Circle Trail, a long distance hiking route of 165km through the wilderness in West-Greenland, going from hut to hut, and when walking back, also sleeping between the huts. The route traverses a region uncovered by snow during the summer months and one feels very small in this landscape shaped by retreating glaciers. Cairns along the route point walkers in the correct direction.
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Sisimiut
The coastal town of Sisimiut in West-Greenland, for most of the year covered by a blanket of snow, is a striking mix of colourful buildings and lights. My favourite moment of the day was just after sunset, at dusk, when the lights are switched on, which created a beautiful palette of complementary colours.
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Assaqutaq
Assaqutaq is one of the many abandoned fishing villages on the coast in West-Greenland, where its inhabitants mainly depended on the sea for their subsistence. Some of its buildings have now been renovated and serve an educative function.
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A chronological description of my trip to Greenland, with more text and photos, is available on my hiking and travel blog.