Walk the Arctic Circle Trail in Greenland with a Cicerone guidebook

• Location
• Description
• Contents
• Introduction
• Sample Route
• Maps
• Updates
• Reviews

Greenland is the largest island on Earth, excluding the continental landmasses, with an area of 2,175,600km² (840,000 square miles). Greenland is also one of the world’s most inhospitable and sparsely populated places, with an ice cap occupying 85% of the landmass, leaving only a narrow coastal strip ice-free during the summer. The bulk of Greenland lies north of the Arctic Circle – the line of latitude 66° 33’ 39”. In high summer this is the ‘Land of the Midnight Sun’, but in the deepest midwinter there is no sun at all, just the eerie flickering of the northern lights.

Greenland is a harsh environment, where every type of life has had to adapt to survive the long and bitterly cold winter. It is also a fascinating place to explore, especially on foot in remote places, and in the summer months it can be surprisingly easy. Geographically, Greenland is part of the North American continent, but politically it is tied to Denmark and Europe. The country was granted home-rule status as recently as 21 June 2009.

The Arctic Circle Trail is a splendid trekking route that fits neatly into one of the largest ice-free areas of West Greenland, lying 40–50km (25–30 miles) north of the Arctic Circle. The trail runs 165km (102½ miles) between Kangerlussuaq and Sisimuit, and the total ascent/descent along the route is surprisingly low, at 3315m (10,875ft). Walkers usually take 7–10 days to complete the route.

Only around 300 people per year walk the trail, but they come from all over Europe and North America. They are usually experienced backpackers, but this is often their first experience of walking in Greenland. Access to the trail is easy, and the walk can commence immediately from the international airport at Kangerlussuaq. Although Greenland has the reputation of being an expensive place to travel, the Arctic Circle Trail is completely free of charge. The trail is equipped with a series of basic huts, for which there is no charge, and it costs nothing to pitch a tent in the wilds. At one point there is the option of paddling a canoe along a lake – again free of charge. Some walkers even fish or gather berries along the trail to supplement their rations!

Well-prepared walkers, who take care to pack lightweight and efficient gear, will doubtless rank the Arctic Circle Trail as one of the classic walks of the world. There is an incredible sense of space and silence from start to finish, and, if blessed with sunny and stable weather, few walkers would wish to be anywhere else. It is essentially a summer route, and this guidebook describes the trail during the brief summer months (June to September), when the tundra is vibrant with new life. The dark Arctic winter, with its sub-zero temperatures, is of course a completely different experience!

Geology
Greenland is part of the Laurentian Shield. This is a vast area of ancient rock, among the oldest exposed rock in the world, stretching across much of North America. Whatever its original structure, it has been altered beyond recognition during the course of its existence as it was crushed under incredible pressures, causing it to melt and re-crystallise over and over again. Vast areas of rock were torn apart, crumpled together and intruded by a variety of igneous rocks and mineral veins. Unravelling the long and complex history of Greenland’s geology is time-consuming, but geological study is made much simpler because so much of the bedrock is buried out of sight (and hence out of mind) beneath the ice cap, or beneath glacial drift and blanket bog.

In the region of the Arctic Circle Trail the bedrock is broadly described as being Palaeoprotozoic (2500 to 1600 million years old) and Archaean (as much as 3800 million years old). During that distant epoch the Earth’s atmosphere was high in methane and ammonia. The earliest life forms were stromatolites, anaerobic cyanobacteria which very slowly enriched the oxygen content of the air, making it possible for more complex life forms to evolve.