Fjord Skiing in Greenland

It's mid-April. Winter didn't really spoil us in the Alps. There were some good days, but nothing compared to the two winters before. Luckily, we are preparing for our trip to Greenland, so the time to store the skis in the attic has not quite come yet. We are heading to Nuuk, capital of Greenland. "La Louise", a polar schooner, is waiting for us at the port to take us on a nine-day ski touring trip into the heart of the fjords. Spectacular settings, navigating icy waters, amazing landscapes, and great snow are the ingredients to make a childhood dream come true. To many people, skiing and Greenland may belong together like fish and chips. A cold country with year-round snow – THE place for skiing, right?! But things are not always that simple.

Nuuk harbor in mid-April. We are arriving at "La Louise", a French schooner skipped by Thierry Dubois. It's snowing large flakes. The Greenlandic people are ready for spring, but this is the return of winter! And we are thrilled about it. There's a "ski resort" in Nuuk, but it's limited to one T-bar that starts right behind the airport. So ski touring is essential, but you must organize an expedition in total autonomy to get to the summits. The best solution is a boat. It's the ideal compromise between comfort and mobility. Mountains are mostly found along the coast, while a huge, flat glacier occupies the middle of the country. Most of the highest peaks are located in the eastern part.

Yet, the highest mountain, Mount Gunnbjörn (3,733 meters), is located on the west coast, where you'll find less hostile weather. There's no need to travel far to find great lines to ski. Nuuk Fjord, 160 kilometers long and with three large mountainous islands, is the ideal place. Seen from the sea, it's a series of bays surrounded by high peaks, many of them rising 1,800 meters straight out of the water. Our first stop is Itisoq Bay southwest of Storo Island. After several hours of sailing the calm sea, we anchor in a truly beautiful spot. Aliette, second captain of the Louise, takes us to shore in a small zodiac. It seats four persons and two trips are necessary to get the entire crew ashore.

The water temperature is close to zero and capsizing is not really recommended. It's also quite tricky to land men and gear as the tide left the beaches quite slippery. Needless to say that getting the ski boots wet is not an option because it would ruin the entire day. We start our first climb on the northeastern side towards a 1,105-meter summit. The snow is powdery; the skies are blue. The views of the three arms of Nuuk fjord below us – Nup Kangerdlua in the north, Qornup Suvdlua in the center, and Umanap Suvdlua in the south – are magnificent. As we ski down in perfect powder, we see the Louise as a tiny dot in the large bay, devoid of any other human trace. What a unique feeling! Every evening, we look at the map to plan our next adventure.

Thierry, who knows the area pretty well, makes several propositions that meet our expectations. Since night falls very late, there is lots of time in the evenings to look through the binoculars, read the terrain, and pick the route for the day to come. In Qorqut Bay, we climb Mount Qajuta (1,250 meters), high above the Qorqut and Ameralik fjords. We are rewarded by gigantic views. In the evening, we head north. The next morning, we climb the 1,350-meter "Iron Horse". The hike takes longer than anticipated, because the slope turns out to be extremely steep. From the summit, we enjoy the prettiest view across the glacier that feeds the Narssap Sermia Nuuk fjord. It's getting late and we search for the right spots to get some sunset action shots.

There's no skiing planned for the next day. The sky is cloudy. We decide to visit Kapisilik, a small fishing village overlooking a scenic bay, with dried fish on stalls in front of the houses and children playing in the schoolyard. Life seems quiet and peaceful, but we are sure that the harsh climate in the region is anything but easy on the people. The next day, we set sail early in the morning. It's sunny again and we want to reach the northern part of Storo island to ski the north face of Naujanguit: 950 vertical meters directly falling into the sea. Two glaciers that feed the fjords have calved the night before, and for the first time the Louise is forced to slalom through icebergs. For fun – and for some pictures – Thierry lands on an iceberg.

We climb onto the massive piece of floating ice. It's our "climb of the day". Everyone is motivated and impressed by the atmosphere. The good vibrations are necessary, because the next day we leave for our toughest adventure: climbing the highest point of Storo, the Qingap, which stands at 1,816 meters. We want to experience the evening lights on top of this beautiful mountain, so we set out late for the climb, planning to return to the boat around midnight. The plan sounds unreal, but we are high up north, and the days are extremely long now. We are skinning up the mountain in the gorgeous sunset. As we ski down, the polar night spoils us with picturesque twilight. We return tired but happy with big smiles on our faces.

Our next stop promises to be no less impressive. We anchor quietly in a beautiful cove south of Sadelo island, the smallest of the three islands in the Nuuk fjord, in the shadow of Mount Sadlen (1,210 meters). As we start skinning, the sun is warm and pleasant and there's a light breeze. Only 20 minutes later, a violent storm hits the mountain. We reach the summit seconds before massive clouds surround the entire island. Visibility is down to zero. Even worse, the temperature drops well below freezing. Unbelievable! The initial plan was to ski down the other side of the mountain, but we need to face the facts. Not knowing the mountain, we have to ski down the exact way that we came up, our own ascent tracks serving as the only orientation.

Our last two days in Greenland are too stormy for the Louise to anchor or the zodiac to drop us on shore, so we have to sail back to Nuuk. Maybe we weren't lucky in the end, but we couldn't care less. For the majority of our trip, we were blessed with great weather, incredible snow conditions, and unforgettable scenery. Greenland will see us again. Very soon!