After being accosted by beautiful baby huskies, I finally made it to the starting point of the hiking trails around the Ilulissat Icefjord. The Ilulissat icefjord is located on the west coast of Greenland and is approximately 250km north of the Arctic Circle. The icefjord is a result of the calving of the enormous Sermeq Kujalleq glacier, which is one of the most productive, fastest and most active glaciers in the world. When this glacier calves, huge chunks of ice fall into the ocean and the astoundingly beautiful Ilulissat Icefjord is the result. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most awe-inspiring spots in all of Greenland.
There are three main hiking trails around the icefjord of varying lengths and difficulties. The yellow route is 2.7km long and takes approximately 1.5-2 hours to complete. This is a beautiful trail, and is great for those who want to get great views of the icefjord but who aren’t fit enough to undertake a full days hike. The red route is 1km long and is the least exciting trail by far. This trail is short, direct and will get you to the icefjord, but there won’t be much to see along the way. The blue route is approximately 7km long and takes about four hours for someone with average fitness levels to complete. The blue route was by far my favourite route. This trail will give you stunning views, gorgeous rocks to scramble on; and on a clear day, the sunsets from this route have to be seen to be believed.
The beginning of the trail is a long boardwalk and is very easy to traverse. However, if this boardwalk gets even slightly covered in ice (which is pretty commonplace in Greenland) it can become extremely slippery, so take care and make sure you are wearing good hiking boots with strong grip on the soles.
After just a few minutes of walking along this boardwalk I turned around a corner and got my first glimpse of the magic that lay ahead of me.
With every step I took, more and more ice became visible. Huge icebergs as tall as skyscrapers and as wide as football fields rose up from the sea; the word majestic doesn’t even come close to explaining the magnificence of the icefjords beauty.
I soon came across this sign.
Now, I am not usually one for following rules, but this sign has advice that should definitely be followed. These icebergs are constantly calving and breaking up; and they are so enormous that when calving occurs, huge tsunami-esque waves form and anyone too close could find themselves in serious trouble.
Eventually the boardwalk ends and the trail becomes much more like real hiking. Extremely rocky and uneven terrain, one must scramble across huge boulders and deep mud patches. It is, however, at this point on the trail that the fun really begins.
There are several tour companies in town that offer guided hikes, but I recommend giving these a miss. All of the hiking trails are incredibly well marked and easy to follow; so going it alone will save you money, guarantee some solitude and allow you to go at your own pace. However, it would be easy to slip and injure yourself on the trails, so if you are hiking on your own, make sure your hotel is aware of your plans and know to raise alert if you don’t arrive back within a reasonable timeframe.
When I say that some of these icebergs are enormous, I mean it. It is hard to truly gauge the sheer size of these behemoth bergs from photographs, but this is one of the few of my photographs which comes close.
Though whilst hiking I was unable to see any actual calving occur, I could definitely hear it. The icefjord is alive and full of activity. Huge cracks sounding like calm gunshots ring out as clearly as if they were happening right in front of you, despite the fact that the calving is happening many kilometres away. The echoes ring out and reverberate to all those lucky enough to be in the bay.
This next photograph is one of my favourite from the day. It is 100% unedited, yet almost doesn’t look real. The cloud streaks in the sky were a rare treat and made it borderline impossible to take a bad picture.
I could’ve stayed at the icefjord for the entire day, but as the clouds rolled in and the sun started to disappear from the sky it was time to head back to town for something extra special and spectacular…
On the walk back I came across the Zion Church. Like most churches in Greenland, this one is only opened for special services and thus I was unable to see inside. But it is pretty gorgeous from outside, and one of the more unusual churches I have ever seen.
THE LOWDOWN
Getting to Ilulissat: Air Iceland has direct flights from Reykjavik twice weekly in the summer months
Ilulissat Hikes: Entry to the Ilulissat Icefjord is free and free hiking trail maps are available from the World of Greenland office
Hotel Arctic: The most amazing hotel in all of Ilulissat, it even has igloos! Click here to learn more
Camera: Olympus OM-D E-M1 with 12-40mm lens and 52mm HOYA polarising filter
Remember: Hiking boots, 2L of water, adequate food and a fully charged camera
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I love reading your posts!
Thank you! I look forward to sharing many more with you 😊
Wow the images are stunning! Putting greenland in my to-go list now
Thank you! You won’t regret it- it’s one of the most incredible places I’ve ever been to 😊
Absolutely breathtaking! Well done!
Thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed 😊
This is absolutely stunning. Great, informative post and fab photos… Seeing this makes you realize how important it is to stop global warming!! Love, Kathleen
I’m so glad you enjoyed 😊 no kidding! The ice sheets are melting too fast and one day amazing places like this will all be gone 😞
What a stunning place and a photographer’s dream.
It really is a gorgeous place- it was impossible to take a bad photo!
Greenland is now added to my long list, headed of course by Iceland. Time for a two-centre break!
That’s what I love to hear! I hope you get there soon 😊
It saddens me that I’ll most likely never see Greenland, it’s not even a place I would have considered but you’re making me jealous now!
Why will you never see it?! You have plenty of time!!
Just seems a hard place to reach and very expensive. Seeing Asian prices has made me realise how much we pay back in Europe!
It is hard to reach and it is expensive but I promise it’s worth every bit of effort and money! It may take a while to save up enough but please don’t write it off as being an impossible dream 😊
Great Post.
Wow, this is stunning. Love reading your posts and following your journey! 😉
Thank you very much 😊 I look forward to sharing many more posts with you!
looks so amazing!
I love to read your posts….I always thought Greenland had nothing to do!! I was wrong!!! Cheers!!!
Thank you very much! I look forward to sharing many more posts with you 😊 hopefully I can convince you to add Greenland to the bucket list!
Your descriptions are so eloquent, and those pictures are stunning. The paths look never-ending in a sort of magical way 🙂
Thank you so much 😊 I look forward to sharing more Greenlandic magic with you!
I’m always amazed at how detailed your notes are on The Lowdown.
You obviously carry pen and paper wherever you go, ask a lot of questions and take great notes to share with others.
You put more expertise, professionalism, information and style into your project than millions put in to their actual job.
I read other travel blogs, but yours is one of the best.
I’m not sure I would travel to some of the places you go to because I like covering big cities and large events. But it is refreshing to see someone so in love with nature and doing a good job on their blog.
Do you ever post a list of places that are on your schedule to travel to?
I’d be interested in knowing where you’re going by looking at a list.
As always, “Great Job!”, and be safe.
Paul
Wow thank you so much! This is one of the nicest comments I’ve ever gotten on the blog! I’m so happy you enjoy reading it and I hope I can continue to make it better and better 😊
I haven’t got a list for my future travel as my plans always seem to change very quickly- however adding a page for my upcoming travels is a great idea and I’ll get on working to add one in.
Thanks again Paul! I look forward to sharing more stories with you 😊
Incredible pictures…what a dramatic landscape!
Dramatic is the perfect word for it!
What do you wear when you hike? I know you said you usually wear skirts and dresses. The photos were absolutely gorgeous. You’re right about your favorite photo…a-mazing!
I usually wear some comfy leggings or thin yoga pants with a suitable top, sweater or jacket depending on the weather 😊 thank you so much! Greenland is such a magical place!
This looks so amazing. You got some great images.
Thank you! I’ll see you next post 😊
I’ll be there 😊
Beautiful photos. They don’t do justice to their massive size and scale. It must have been awe-inspiring to see them in person. It didn’t appear any other people around. That would have added to the impact for me by being alone there.
No doubt you are well aware of the problems faced by Greenland’s icepack and the melting of the glaciers. There was another report only a couple of days ago about bad news for some in the northeast of the country.
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=4771
Enjoy. It is a pleasure to tag along with your travels.
I am very aware, it’s horrible but it seems like much of greenlands natural beauty is destined to melt 😞
There were a few other people on the trail but mostly I was alone- which made the experience even more wonderful.
I, too, was reading about it and thinking how sad taht one day, this fantastic scenery will be gone! So glad you shared this trip with us.
It’s definitely a sobering thought, isn’t it?
Thankyou for reading
Beautiful photos… I didn’t know that Greenland was on my travel wish list until just now. Must do that exact hike one day. Thanks for sharing!
Yay! I love to hear that Greenland is getting added to people’s travel lists. It’s a gorgeous place- you won’t regret it 😊
Lovely photos.
Amazing images!
Fantastic virtual guided tour. Great pictures with a very engaging narrative. Almost feels like we are doing the hike as we read on. I was considering Antartica as an “extreme cold” trip worth doing, but now I have to add Greenland as an appealing alternative.
I definitely recommend Greenland! There is so much do see and do and the presence of commercial flights means you can pick and choose exactly what you want to see and where you want to go 😊
Thanks for your great description regarding the size of the icebergs. Wouldn’t have believed they were that big just from the photos.
It’s crazy how huge they were! I would’ve loved to get closer to get some photographs that captured the scale- but there was no safe way to do so 😞
Stunning!!
Does anyone know what is paradise made of? ICE! It’s made of ice! I absolutely adore your shots and story. And your huskies 😁
That’s my idea of paradise for sure! Thank you so much 😊 can’t wait to share more with you!
Amazing photos! Absolutely beautiful! Cant even imagine how amazing it is in person 🙂
It’s beyond description it’s so gorgeous 😊 definitely one that has to be seen to be believed!
What an incredible place. And absolutely stunning photos.
Thankyou so much! I look forward to sharing more Greenlandic adventures with you!
Beautiful! What was the temperature?
About -3 degrees centigrade 😊
Oh my all the photos are so beautiful…almost as if they have been painted!! 👌🏻
Wow thank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed 😊
Hell Travelling the world, I am very happy to see your blog. I am Trek and tour manager from http://www.nepalhimalayastrekking.com . I would like to share my travel experience with you and if you are interested please you can work with me as a business partner Best Regards Prakash Lamsal
I once flew over Greenland. And it’s now on my list. Alas, there are so many places…
Story of my life! I want to go everywhere all at once 😊
Thank you so so much for taking us with you on an amazing journey to another world!!!!
Hey, wait a minute!!!!!!!
My pleasure! See you at the next one 😊
Yeah sure!
Amazing photos! And I agree that the photo with the streaked clouds is stunning. What a beautiful and dramatic landscape.
Pretty awesome place, and something that is an unusual destination. Truly amazing.
I sooo want to go there. I love the one with streaked sky and blue ice
Beautiful pictures. The place looks amazing!
It really looks beutifull there, I wish I get to visit that place some time. 🙂
Add it to the bucket list! 😊
Wow! You weren’t kidding about the beauty of the icebergs! Wow!!! Phenomenal!!! I was floored!!! Maybe I shouldn’t be following your blog….lol….it makes me add more and more to my traveling and bucket list!
And yet….in the back of my head I hear…. “Never let go jack….never let go!”
Haha adding stuff to your bucket list is a good thing!!
I’ve added ALOT lately. Ha ha!
this is amazing!
how long did you go for ?
I was in Greenland for just under a week, which was nowhere near long enough! Then spent just over a week in Iceland and a week in Scotland 😊
Thanks for your stunning photos and story. As an Australian who even finds Melbourne too cold at times, it’s probably the only way I will ever get a look at Iceland.
I promise you that the cold isn’t as bad as you think! It is cold for sure, but everywhere has such good heating indoors and you learn quickly how to dress warmly- never say never! 😊
Hi, great story and beautiful photos of what is an amazing place to go walking. Cheers, Mark
I just found your site and was reading through most of the blogs about this trip and I am completely in awe of the outstanding beauty in this part of Greenland. I love hiking and wish I could do it all day everyday and this place seems like one of the most beautiful areas of the world to visit! Definitely attaching Greenland to one of the top places I want to visit! Thanks for sharing!!!
Also, I just started my blog if you have the time or desire to check it out https://theauthenticlens.wordpress.com
I’m so happy you enjoyed reading! I hope you get to Greenland very soon 😊 and I’ll definitely give it a read
Amazing photos.
Thank you 🙂
I cannot start to say how grateful I am for your post, it is really useful