BOHOMAROON

The largest Island in the world

Reading/Listening List

• The Greenlanders by Jane Smiley
• The history of the Vikings by History Nerds

The idea of travelling to Greenland got me excited from the very beginning. I recall, years ago, watching a “homemade” documentary of someone’s ski trip there and being in awe of the vast scenery. Greenland is the world’s largest island and an increasingly high-profile autonomous territory of Denmark.
In August 2024, I joined a Much Better Adventures Sea Kayaking and Ice Trekking trip, which would cover 100Km over seven days. Flights between Reykjavik (Iceland) and Narsqrsuaq (Greenland), take around three hours and the flight over the huge land mass and landing over the mountains into the ex-US army base is impressive.
I had mentally prepared myself for grim weather, but to my surprise (and delight), after collecting my bags and venturing outside the tiny airport, the sun was shining and it was a balmy 17c.
The journey from the airport could not have been better, after a short bus ride, we arrived at a boat port, with Icebergs floating on the water, got some extra warm layers and life jackets on and then jumped onto a Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) for a one-hour transit to Narsaq.

We stayed overnight at the Narsaq Kayak Hostel, small but comfortable with bunk beds and, most importantly, warm showers 😊 The next morning we had an early breakfast and then headed back to the boat port for the journey to Qingaarsup Island. As we had seven days of wild camping, the double kayaks would need to carry not just us but all our equipment – tents, clothes, food and sleeping gear. Fresh water would be collected en route. Our guides briefed us on the daily plans and carried a ‘mess tent’ in which all cooking and eating took place. I was impressed with the variety of menus which included pasta, rice, vegetarian dishes, tinned fish and always a dessert, often chocolates.
The first thing about Greenland at this time of year that got me immediately, was the mosquitos, lots of them, they were relentless on land, and my only escape was tucked up in my tent at night or on the water. A mosquito head net was a life saver! The other piece of essential gear was my Robens Serac 900 sleeping bag, with a comfort limit of -20 degrees C which made every night a cosy one.
The first day of kayaking was relatively easy, 14.4km in 4.5 hours, with a leisurely stop for lunch and to take in the scenery. We had beautiful blue skies and paddled past enormous icebergs; it was simply stunning. We set up our first wild camp in the late afternoon, finding the best spot possible. A perfectly flat piece of land would have been wonderful, but I had to make the best of a slight incline!

Day 2 was more challenging, covering 25km in around 7 hours. The calm of the water and size of the icebergs really was a sight to behold. On multiple occasions our guides had to remind us not to get too close to them as there was the ever-present danger of pieces falling off into the water. During lunch, an enormous cracking sound and subsequent splash of a block of ice hitting the water was a stark reminder of the danger.
By late afternoon we had found a camping spot and while we were putting up the tents a local Inuit man who owned a cottage nearby, came over to say hello and ask where we were from. He and his wife invited us to have some food with them later in the evening, with the promise of tasting seal meat caught that day during a fishing trip. Joining them to eat locally sourced food and discover more about their culture was a real bonus to the evening. Our meal of boiled seal meat and potatoes was delicious, and it turned out that he was a massive Liverpool football fan (I have no opinion on that 😊).
On the third day, we did a 14km glacier hike. We donned on hard hats and crampons and cautiously trekked for 7 hours to the top and back at the Qaleralig glacier. Being a cold glacier, we were relieved not to have to fight mosquitos over lunch. Trying to navigate getting a sandwich into my mouth underneath a head-net, while avoiding letting in any flying friends was quite challenging!
In the following two days before returning to Narsarsuaq, we kayaked a further 51km, so by the end had travelled a total of 90km in the Sea Kayaks and a final hike in Narsarsuaq meant we had travelled 25km on foot.
However, Greenland wasn’t quite ready to let me go just yet. The weather conditions didn’t allow any planes to land for two days, so we stayed at a nearby hotel until the weather improved. Apparently, this is not an unusual occurrence. Still, a couple of days with a hotel buffet and time to catch up on emails was no bad thing, it had been a great trip overall with some spectacular views including Whale spotting , lots of birds and plenty of ice, both on and off the water. The group were good fun, and we were well looked after by the trip organizers. I have a feeling I’ll be returning to Greenland for more adventures in the future.

Highlights and Learnings

• Massive Icebergs on the water, which were incredible close up
• Seeing a whale from a (very safe) distance while in the Kayak, pop its head out and then splash its tail down while diving under the water
• Listening the to the icebergs moving late at night and early in the morning from the comfort of a warm tent