Greenland day 6: Trip up to pt's 680 & 802

Earlier start today: we're breakfasted and underway by 8:20. The plan is to move up into some interesting terrain we saw on Day 5, get up to a ridge, and see what we can see. Back across the streams/rivers and towards the glacier, but we head to the left-hand side this time. Up through a mix of glacier, talus, and snow, up, up until we get to a glacial "lake" that we had seen before. Now left over a col, around another lake, some climbing, some traversing, some snow, out onto another glacier, and then up and across. At some point we put on the crampons and continue up some gradually steeper snow. Ropes on towards the top and then we are at the col and onto rock. 

A quick break and some looking around before making the (obvious) call to do the easier peak to the left. Up, up, up on easy talus terrain until we reach the peak (pt680 on one of the maps). Break, views, cairn building, views, discussion of what to do next, no agreement (groups are "fun"). Eventually J decides for us and we head back towards the peak two over from the one from Day 5 (pt802). 

Down, down the way we came, back across the glacier, back onto the snow but now up, up. It's sunny and hot! hot! up! hot! up, up until we hit the col. More nice views, this time in different directions. We turn right and follow the ridge to the peak with a bit of snow and some easy scrambling. Great views from the peak. More eating, photos, and cairn building. Then it's time to go down, down. First repeating the way up, then diverting off onto a big snow field which we're able to take down a few hundred meters. A bit of unpleasantness through a couloir and then we rejoin the path from the morning.

Back to camp, food, food, and sleep.

Another very, very nice day with great weather. Yay! We are in Greenland!

Greenland day 5: traverse of pt835

The day starts like the preceding one: overcast with some low clouds. We are underway at around 9:00.

First we cross the streams/rivers, then up to the glacier. a bit of crampon instruction and practice, then up on to the glacier for real. Up and across until we hit snow, then roping in (one team) and following the snow across to the slope we hope leads to a nice col. Up, up the steep snow, across some ice, more snow, up up. At some point switch to a 3-team and a 2-team, move up. Across the bergschrund, more up to the top of the slope. Here sheltering in the randkluft and doing some planning.

J goes forward, leading up an ugly bit of wet slab and loose mess and then belays the rest of us up. From there it's up, up a fairly loose slope until we high the col. Awesome views from here (we aren't in the clouds since they have lifted). Some food and a discussion about what to do next. We opt for the shorter traverse of pt835 and head up to the peak to our right.

This is a mix of loose mess and some nice scrambling that takes us to the top and some more stunning views. The sun is almost out and it is fantastic! Yay! We're in Greenland! Some cairn building and view appreciation and then we start down the other side.

This is a bit messy and steep, but J finds a great route and gets us down to the col. Another short break, on with the crampons and down the snow on the other side. When it gets a bit steeper (moving from one snow field to the next) we rope in, but otherwise continue down to the glacier. Fast and easy down, down the great snow. Across the glacier and back to camp for soup, quesadillas, and a normal freeze dried meal. Then bed.

What a great day! The weather is really starting to improve. Tomorrow is going to be good!

And here's the track:

Greenland day 4: the first tour (up to pt642)

Not much rain overnight; mainly just light drizzle, but still low clouds in the morning. After breakfast we head back up the valley to the lake from yesterday, moving into a cloud up top there. Left and easily up the valley wall to get to the ridge, build a cairn to be able o fin d the turn off on the way back, and then left along and up the ridge. We are, unfortunately, still in a cloud, so we we don't have the great views, but it's atmospheric and still a nice walk/light scramble up, up until we heat the peak (pt 642 as marked on the 1:100,000 map). Here we are between two cloud layers, so we can actually see a bit!

Build a cairn on the peak, have a snack, continue to the end of the ridge (and maybe another peak... the cairn-builders build another one there, just in case). More nice views, speculating a bit about whether or not we were the first here (no decision), and then turn around to head back the camp the way we came.

Really nice day with no real rain. And the forecast is steadily improving.

Yay! We're in Greenland!

Greenland Day 3: some hiking in the rain

It rains most of the night, but the sleeping is still good. We get a late start - the argument is "what's the point in starting early?" but G is awake early anyway. Still, J lets him out of the fence and he can go sit and drink coffee in the group tent and not make a nuisance out of himself. ;-)

Good breakfast, a bit of a rest, some sitting around, lunch, more sitting around, and then a hike since it's not raining all that much any more. We head up the valley with the idea of checking out the glacier. The glacier is gone, but the lake which is left is absolutely stunning. Yay! We're in Greenland! We do plenty of recon along the way and then walk back ot camp. Read some, dinner, sitting around, then off to bed.

It rained off and on all day, never really hard, and it's not cold or windy, but it isn't really conducive to serious mountaineering. Let's see what happens tomorrow. We have ideas for cool stuff to do ranging from alpin hikinge to actual mountaineering. The weather and conditions just have to play along!

Greenland day 2: setting up the first base camp

The weather forecast isn't great, so we make a comparatively early start. Good breakfast, then load up the boat and head to the first base camp spot (off Tasiilaartik fjord). We unload the boat and then wander around for a bit looking for the best site that's not too far away. This doesn't take all that long. After moving everything to the site, we pitch all the tents and get moved in, pitch the group tent, eat, and start setting up the perimeter.

After camp is mostly setup we go for a hike around the corner along the fjord to do a bit of recon and check out some cool looking slabs.  The slabs look great, but there's no obvious way to protect them, so no climbing this afternoon for us. The anticipated rain starts, so we head back to camp. More food, dinner, more rain... but things are dry(ish) in the group tent. After dinner we finish setting up the bear perimeter in the rain... that's a goat rodeo, but we eventually finish. Then: sleeeeep.

Greenland Day 1: arrival in Kulusuk

We do the normal start from the boarding house in Reykjavik (after breakfast at the same time as a bunch of loud Germans), walk to the airport, check in, meet the 3rd member of our Pirhuk group (we'd already tentatively identified him on the flight from Zurich the day before, but he introduced himself to us). Meet the 4th member of the team on the plane. Painless flight. Better weather than expected in Kulusuk (blue skies!). It's sooooo nice to be back!

After heading to the lodge and dropping our stuff, we try to go bouldering but mainly end up scrambling and walking (can't find the place we went bouldering back in 2018). Good dinner in the lodge with a group which is just back form trekking, then bed. Yay! We're in Greenland! It's soooo nice to be back!

Greenland Mountaineering Expedition: Overview

• d0 Thu, Aug 4: flight Zurich to Reykjavik
• d1 Fri, Aug 5: arrival in Kulusuk
  
• d2 Sat, Aug 6: setting up the first base camp
• d3 Sun, Aug 7: some hiking in the rain
  
• d4 Mon, Aug 8: the first tour (up to pt642)
• d5 Tue, Aug 9: traverse of pt835
• d6 Wed, Aug 10: Trip up to pt's 680 & 802
• d7 Thu, Aug 11: lazy morning, packing up camp, boat transfer to 2nd camp, between Kaarale glacier and "huge unnamed" glacier", set up camp
• d8 Fri, Aug 12: recce of area and objectives, play on boulders
• d9 Sat: long day across "huge unnamed" glacier and up to pt 1500 (as marked on 1:250,000 map)
• d10 Sun, Aug 13: rest morning, stroll up to viewpoint above camp & Kaarale glacier
• d11 Mon, Aug 14: climb up to peak behind camp
• d12 Tue, Aug 15: rest & boulder day
• d13 Wed, Aug 16: to and on to the Kaarale glacier
• d14 Thu, Aug 17: boat trip back to Kulusuk, rest at Nanoq Lodge
• d15 Fri, Aug 18: flight Kulusuk to Reykjavik
• d16 Sat, Aug 19: rest and eat in Reykjavik
• d17 Sun, Aug 20: flight Reykjavik to Zurich

• stories: day 5, day 9
• all tracks
• J's trip report