Greenland and Iceland Adventure

The North Atlantic Ocean is home to two islands, neighbors that are still so different in many respects. One is an island continent covered by a vast body of ice and a coast line of  great peaks and enormous glaciers. The other is a small volcanic island whose high geological activity has shaped its appearance. Our tour begin with an arctic experience on the dramatic east coast of Greenland. Here the landscape is marked by contrasts between high (basalt) peaks and the arctic ocean decorated with floating icebergs. Traveling between base camps by boat we explore the area around  the village of Tasiilaq on Ammassalik Island, Kummiiut and the Karale fjord where the great glacier tongue of Knud Rasmussen glacier calves into the fjord. After we head to Iceland where we will visit three different areas that offer us a chance to experience different types of landscape;  volcanic, glacial and geothermal. In our exploration of these places we will hike through  mountains that come in all shapes and sizes, glaciers, lava fields and green valleys covered with arctic birch.  A tour that offers a great combination of two amazing countries.

Departures:
09.07 – 25.07 2012 - Full!
06.08 – 22.08 2012
All departures are offered in English and French

Tour type: Base camp hiking in tents – 17 days    
Total distance: 140 kilometers (87 miles)
Altitude: 0- 1100m
Walking per day: 5-7 hours
Maximum ascent: 1000 meters (3280 feet)

Included: 8 days in Greenland, 9 in Iceland, guide for 17 days, food for 17 days (from lunch day 1 to lunch day 17), flights: Reykjavik – Kulusuk – Reykjavík, boat transfers in Greenland, bus transfers in Iceland,  tents accommodation (12 nights), 3 nights in hostel in Tasiilaq, 1 night in guest house in Reykjavík.
Group size: 5 to 15 participants.
Please note: The tour starts at the domestic airport in Reykjavík and ends at the Reykjavík bus terminal.
Available upon request: Four-star accommodation in Reykjavík - please contact us for more information.
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Package price for accommodation in Reykjavík before and after the tour, with pick up and drop off at the beginning/end of the tour:

In a guesthouse with shared facilities:

Based on double occupancy: 20.000 ISK per person (for persons traveling together, both persons have to purchase this item for it to be valid).

Single room: 28.500 ISK.

                                          
In a three-star hotel with breakfast and a private bathroom:

Based on double occupancy: 29.000 ISK per person (for persons traveling together, both persons have to purchase this item for it to be valid).

Single room: 46.500 ISK

You can also only add the pick up and drop off at your accommodation in Reykjavík at the beginning/end of the tour for 4.000 ISK.

Day 1: Reykjavík- Kulusuk- Knud-Rasmussen glacier and Karale fjord
Flight to Kulusuk and arrival in Greenland at the same hour: two hours flight and two hours time difference! At the port of Kulusuk we board a boat that will take us between islands and cliffs to the Knut Rasmusen glacier, named after the famous Danish-Greenlandic explorer (about 2 hours sailing).  At the front of the Knud Rasmussen glacier with steep granite mountains of almost 2000 meters on both sides we can see the icebergs calving into the sea. We set up the  camp opposite the glacier in the Karale fjord with breathtaking view to the surrounding mountains and glaciers.

Day 2: Karale fjord
Ahead is a beautiful day at the end of the world! It is possible that we will be awakened by the noise of icebergs breaking off the glacier on the other side of the fjord. Or it might be the cry of sea birds being hunted by Arctic foxes... To reach the higher grounds we climb the relatively easy hills above our camp up to a 850 m high mountain. There we will get fantastic view of the surroundings. Night in the same camp.
Walking: 5-7 hours.

Day 3: Karale - Kuumiiut
Transfer by boat passing the fjord of Ikáteq, right under the beautiful mountains of Tunu and its spectacular granite peaks. We then sail into the interior of the immense  Ammassalik Fjord to reach the village of Kuumiiut at the end of a peninsula, where we set up camp for two nights. At this site there is a good possibility to catch arctic char. In the afternoon, a visit to the village of Kuumiiut.
Walking: 2 hours
 
Day 4: Ascent of Mount Kuumiiut (1050 m)
Today we climb the Kuumiiut mountain which dominates the village. This is not a very high mountain but we start the ascension at sea level!  From the top we have a magnificent view over fjords, islands, mountains and glaciers. Return to the same camp.
Walking: 6-7 hours

Day 5: Kuumiiut- Tasiilaq
By transfer by boat (2 hours) to Kong Oscars Havn and the town of Tasiilaq on the island of Ammassalik. With 1800 inhabitants and picturesque colored houses Tasiilaq is the largest town and capital of East Greenland and facing the mountain Polhelms Fjell (1008 m). Afternoon visit to the town. Night in a hostel.

Day 6:  Climbing Somandsfjeldet - Tasiilaq
Today we climb to the summit of Somandsfjeldet (679 m), the mountain that overlooks the village. This off-trail climb demands a sure foot but it's worth the effort. Across from the village the cliffs fall directly into the ocean and from the top we have a beautiful view on a large part of an archipelago, composed of dozens of islands. Large icebergs come floating down the fjord toward the south, their height sometimes exceeding 100 meters! Back in the village, we stroll through the streets of Tasiilaq and discover the Inuit way of life, the population still largely dependent on seal hunting. Same accommodation as the day before.
Walking: 5-6 hours.

Day 7: Præstefjeld-Tasilaq
Today we are going to explore another mountain. A litter further in the fjord lies the mountain of Præstefjeld. Our hike takes us first up the coast past the mountain and into a valley filled with many lakes. With take a scenic tour around the mountain and if weather permits we are going to climb its hills, a relatively accessible climb. Same accommodation as the day before.

Day 8: Tasilaq- Kulusuk-Reykjavík
Last short walk in the morning before our flight back to Reykjavík. Free evening in Reykjavík. Night in a guest house.

Day 9: Reykjavík-Þórsmörk
Departure from Reykjavík by the scheduled bus at 08:00 in the morning. Our route takes us south-east to the beautiful waterfall of Seljalandsfoss where we make a short stop before changing into the  mountain bus that will take us into the valley of Þórsmörk. Named after the Norse god Thor, Þórsmörk is a grandiose valley, carved into the volcanic tuff by many rivers descending from the glaciers. Getting into Þórsmörk is in itself a little expedition, because you have to ford at least twenty rivers! Our destination is also at the foot of Eyjafjallajökull (1617 m) volcano, covered by a glacier. Its eruption in April 2010 is still very memorable when it released huge amounts of ash into the atmosphere, paralyzing the air traffic in a large part of Europe for several days. Arriving mid-day at the  camp In the afternoon we will take our first hike exploration of the  surrounding area. We have many possibilities for our hike: a narrow gorge carved into the tuff (Stakkholtsgjá), caves and more. Overnight in tents.
Walking: 3 hours

Day 10: Þórsmörk
Today we are going to explore the natural wonder that is Þórsmörk, and enjoy the scenery. Þórsmörk means the woods of Thor and the green valleys are filled with arctic birch and colorful flowers. For example we can visit the song cave “Sönghellir” or hike up to Valahnjúkur a small peak where we can enjoy excellent views of the surroundings and the Eyjafjallajökull volcano. Overnight in the same camp as the night before.
Walking: 6-7 hours

Day 11: Þórsmörk - Volcano and Fimmvörðuháls Pass (1100 m) – Skógafoss
Today we will cross the famous Fimmvörðuháls pass that separates the glaciers Mýrdalsjökull and Eyjafjallajökull. From Þórsmörk we climb up the Kattarhryggir ridge to the Morinsheiði plateau where we begin to see the signs of the eruption in March 2010 and the lava flowed from the hills above and plunging like a waterfall into a deep valley. As our accent continues, we have to cross the new lava before coming to the foot of the two magnificent red craters. Arriving finally at the highest point of  Fimmvörðuháls at 1100m, we discover to the south. Our descent facing the ocean, following the many waterfalls of the river Skógá all the way to the famous waterfall of Skógafoss (60 m high, one of the most powerful in the country). Arriving at Skógar we set up camp. Overnight in tents.
Walking: 8 hours.     Accent/decent: 1000 m.
NB: In case of unfavorable weather (including poor visibility), we might shorten our day by going to the craters and back to Þórsmörk for a third night at the same camp.

Day 12 Skógar- Skaftafell
Final exploration of the area around Skógar before we get on the bus that takes us east along the coast. The road passes the village and beaches of Vík, crosses the great sand plains of Mýrdalssandur and the vast lava field of Eldhraun (Lava of Fire), made by one of the biggest lava flows in historical times. In the beginning of the afternoon we arrive at Vatnajökull National Park – Skaftafell at the foot of the Iceland’s highest peak, Hvannadalshnúkur (2119 m). After setting up our camp for the next three night we will go on our first discovery of the area. Night in tents.

Day 13: Vatnajökull National Park- Skaftafell
This beautiful park sits at the foot of Europe's largest glacier, Vatnajökull, a green oasis of arctic birch, surrounded by mountains and glaciers, decorated with colorful valleys, rivers and waterfalls. Views of  Hvannadalshnúkur to the one side and towards the ocean and the vast black sandy plains of Skeiðarársandur on the other. Today we are going to discover the park´s natural beauty. We might eithervisit the Valley Morsárdalur, Bæjarstaðarskógur woods, glacier Morsárjökull and the hot springs of Jökulfell, or climb on one of the peaks of Kristínartindar, with breathtaking views of all the glaciers which descend from  some of the highest summits in the country. Night in tents at the same camp.
Walking: 8 hours

Optional (not included in the price) on Day 13 or Day 14:
- Climbing of the Iceland highest peak supervised by a mountain guide: 23 900 ISK, or about € 155;
- A glacier walk on crampons on the Svinafellsjökull glacier, supervised by a glacier guide. 2 hours (price: 6 300 ISK, or about € 40) or 4 h (9 990 ISK, or about € 65).

Day 14: Jökulsárlón- Skaftafell
We take the bus to the Jökulsárlón glacial lake, dotted with icebergs "calved" by the great glacier Breiðamerkurjökull, one of the great wonders of this region. Optional boat tour on the lake (price: 2800 ISK, or about € 20). Return to Skaftafell in the afternoon. Same camp.
Walking: 2-3 hours

Day 15: Skaftafell-Eldgjá-Landmannalaugar
Spectacular bus transfer from Skaftafell to Landmannalaugar. We are heading back west but shortly after the village of Kirkjubæjarklaustur we turn from the main road into the highlands. At Eldgjá, the "crevasse of fire" created probably by a single explosion in the year 934. The eruption must have been almost as powerful as that one  of Laki in 1783. Eldgjá is a part of the mid-Atlantic ridge that for 200 million years has slowly but surely been distancing  slowly America from Europe. Arrival at Landmannalaugar around midday, and after setting up camp we start our first explorations of the area and to end the day it’s possible go for a nice bath in warm springs!
Walking: 2-3 hours

Day 16: Landmannalaugar
For our day in Landmannalaugar we have a choice of many different hiking routes through this extraordinary landscape characterized by the yellow rhyolite mountains with a hint of red or blue. In addition to its high geothermal activity, Landmannalaugar is very interesting for its great variety of volcanic formations. There you can find side by side acid rock (rhyolite flows and domes), cinder cones, explosives craters, pseudo-craters, crater lakes…. And after a good day’s hike we can again soak in the warm river. Same camp as the night before.
Walking: 6-8 hours

Day 17: Landmannalaugar- Reykjavík
After a last swim or a last walk, our bus leaves in the early afternoon. The route to Reykjavík is by the road of Dómadalur that will take us right past the world famous volcano Hekla. Arrival in Reykjavík in the late afternoon at the Reykjavík bus terminal where the tour ends.

Departure Date	Availability
09. Jul 2012	Full
06. Aug 2012	Available