Login | April 23, 2024
Going green Part 3
PETE GLADDEN
Pete’s World
Published: August 13, 2018
Today is the third and final in a series of columns addressing hiking in Greenland. And in this week’s piece I’d like to devote the whole shebang to one trail, the 124-mile Arctic Circle Trail (ACT).
Heck, having spent over a week on the ATC, I have to admit that even an entire column still doesn’t come close to giving this spectacular trail the justice it deserves. Nonetheless, I’ll take a whack at it.
The ACT is a point-to-point trail between Kangerlussuaq and Sisimiut, and depending on your fitness level and the weather, the trek will take anywhere from seven to 12 days to complete. But remember, up there - and this is really cool - the sun never really sets in the summer. Thus, you get 24/7 light for hiking.
Now before I start waxing more platitudes, let me get real for just a second. We’re talking about a trip that demands you have a good semblance of fitness, and a trip that demands preparation––preparation from both a gear and experience standpoint. What’s more, only about 300 people per year hike the trail so you should consider the fact that you’ll likely receive zero trailside assistance the entire time you’re trekking.
And don’t just take my cautionary note. The only guidebook on the Arctic Circle Trail, Trekking in Greenland: The Arctic Circle Trail, states in very stark terms: “Walking across the remote Arctic tundra can be a dangerous activity carrying the risk of personal injury or death.” So I reiterate, you must be well prepared.
Now let’s get back to the platitudes. I’ve hiked and backpacked all over the world, and after doing this trail I’ll raise my right hand to testify that it’s one of the most amazing, head-spinning long-distance hikes on the planet. What’s more, the ACT traverses some of the wildest unfrozen regions of the island, and it enjoys some of the island’s best weather. Finally, what’s really supernatural about hiking the ACT is the utter and spellbinding silence that’s always surrounding you. It’s a world devoid of noise.
Most people - me included - have begun the ACT in Kangerlussuaq, which is the perfect starting point for hiking since you can literally deboard the plane then begin walking out of town to the trailhead. And if you need some last second supplies, well, right across the street from the terminal is a supermarket where you can purchase basic supplies.
Finding drinking water along the trail is pretty simple because Greenlandic lakes, streams and rivers are clean and unpolluted. Thus, Greenland is one of those rare places on Earth where filters are not needed. But I would recommend sticking to drinking water out of well oxygenated water sources where the water flow rate is high. Simply dip that Sierra cup in an ice cold stream and drink up. Cheers.
Another really cool component of the ATC is the eight wooden huts spaced along the trail at anywhere from 15-20K intervals. Some are small, containing just four to six bunks, while others are spacious, offering primitive kitchens, paraffin stoves and pit/solar toilets. And despite all the beautiful tent-worthy camping spots along the trail, we were so blown away by the simple intimateness of the huts that we altered our tent-pitching itinerary such that we could make a hut at the end of each day’s hike.
Several of these huts are perched high atop rocky ridges overlooking alpine lakes, making for magnificent endpoints to the day. And I can still vividly recount my emotions while in those stunning places…where sprawled out on smooth, glacially polished rock, lying in the warm northern sunshine, gazing out at the otherworldly sights spread out in front of me like an IMAX panoramic film, I was in the throes of sensory overload, savoring the barrage of metaphysical sensations as long as I could.
Probably the most amazing section of the trail is ascent up to the Qerrortusup Majoriaa Valley, about 1,200 feet above sea level. At the top of the climb we were rewarded with a “million dollar” view of this Lord of the Rings-looking valley where a winding, churning river is flanked by the steep, overhanging walls of a very menacing looking Kællingehætten peak.
All that and much, much more is now collectively locked up in my memory - and those recollections register as some of the most exhilarating experiences of my life.
Well, for what it’s worth, that’s a snippet of the ATC.