Europe

[Visited: August 2024]

After sailing south from Ilulissat on the Sarfaq Ittuk and enjoying the sight of massive icebergs being sent out into the Atlantic from the icefjord, we make a brief stop at Qasigiannguit after which the ship turns west. The gentle movement rocks us to sleep, and in the early morning we arrive at Qeqertarsuaq. The sun is hiding behind a thick layer of clouds, and all we know is that we only have three hours here, and that the ship will not wait and depart punctually. We walk through the quiet streets of the village to the volcanic beach on the east side. Here we find chunks of icebergs washed ashore on the black sand. A little further out, we see enormous icebergs seemingly motionless in the tranquil waters of Disko Bay. Will they travel long distances, or will they fall apart slowly, sending more pieces of ice towards this beach?
We walk further east, pass the Arctic Station of Copenhagen University and a surprisingly green football field with balls and even shoes lying around before we leave the last houses behind. We cross the Røde Elv river over a small pedestrian bridge, and work our way up the hills towards the interior of Disko Island. After a while, we hear the sound of water rushing down. We have arrived at the waterfall we were looking for: we see water squeezing itself through the rocky landscape. I find the best spots to see the waterfall in full force; the better viewpoint would be on the other side of the river but there is no way to cross it here. We now continue hiking up, and soon give up sticking to the trails and just walking straight through the landscape. My friend turns back to Qeqertarsuaq, while I continue straight towards the waters of Disko Bay.
After I arrive at the coastline, I make a left and walk further east. Almost with every step, the coastline becomes more dramatic. Steep black cliffs plunge straight from the highlands of Disko Island into the sea below. Massive icebergs are everywhere, and it seems like they are all stuck there forever. Some of them seem like enormous, plomp castles, while others have the elegance of carefully sculpted works of art. Truth is, as I am writing this they have surely moved elsewhere, fallen apart, or turned upside down. I see small waterfalls, I see another black beach, and then I reach the moment I was dreading: I had to turn around. I am some 5k from the ferry and have less than an hour before departure, so I make sure to push on. When I come closer to Qeqertarsuaq, I see a colossal iceberg towering over the village with its brightly coloured wooden houses. I even have some spare time left when I board the Sarfaq Ittuk, and ten minutes later, we continue sailing south, passing more icebergs on the way.

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Qeqertarsuaq (Greenland)

Qeqertarsuaq > Greenland > Europe

[Visited: August 2024]

Around the World in 80 Clicks