Last day on the Arctic Circle Trail. Hard to believe it is over already!
Tyson and I were up early (well, for us anyway) for a 7am departure. It was 22km to Sisimiut and we wanted to get there just after lunch to ensure we managed to secure a bunk at the hostel. No more drafty tent for us! Well, me anyway. Tyson was still deciding where he would stay.
It was an absolutely glorious morning
[move cursor over the image to see the full panorama]
as we said goodbye to our new German friend
and chose-our-own-adventure across the spongy ground and up to the Kangerluarsuk Tulleq Sud Hut.
Beyond there, the trail followed the fjord for a while, and it was incredible to finally be hiking in the sunshine under blue skies.
After about 5km, the trail turned away from the fjord and started to ascend steeply, following a river to the highest pass along the route.
Towards the top, we came across a toilet with one of the best views in the world
before continuing over the pass for the downhill run to Sisimiut.
Random things along the trail indicated that we were getting close to civilisation again
but the Arctic Circle Trail had one last epic natural vista for us 🙂
A clear view into the valley at the base of the impressive mountains (including the iconic Nasaasaaq) just outside of Sisimiut.
Yet another highlight of the trek!
Unfortunately we couldn’t spend too much time admiring the view, as a freezing wind had come up (I even had my thick, wind-proof gloves on!) and I was even more motivated to get to the hostel early to secure a bed.
After one final river crossing and a quick lunch on the other side
we began hiking through the valley we had admired from on high
and finally saw our first glimpse of our final destination.
The trail turned into a road a few kilometres further on
and this seemed to go on for-absolutely-ever as it led us eventually into town.
We headed straight for the Sisimiut Hostel, only to discover that it was not open until 4:30pm. It was 2pm. So much for arriving early!
In another impulsive change of plan, Tyson suggested we head back to the Hotel Sisimiut – the best hotel in town. We had seen an advertisement for their “hiker’s special” on the way into Sisimiut and, given that we needed 3 nights of accommodation and would share a room, it wouldn’t actually be much more expensive for each of us than staying at the hostel.
Bad news when we arrived – they didn’t have any more of their double rooms left with the “hiker’s special” 🙁 However, they did offer us the business suite at a very good rate and, in the end, Tyson and I decided to throw Danish Kroner to the wind and enjoy a little luxury 🙂
Read more about hiking the Arctic Circle Trail
If this post has piqued your curiosity about hiking and trekking in Greenland, read about the rest of my adventure over 8 days on the Arctic Circle Trail:
- Day 1 – Kangerlussuaq to Katiffik
- Day 2 – Katiffik to Canoe Center
- Day 3 – Canoe Center to Ikkattooq
- Day 4 – Ikkattooq to Eqalugaarniarfik
- Day 5 – Eqalugaarniarfik to Innajuattoq II
- Day 6 – Innajuattoq II to Nerumaq
- Day 7 – Nerumaq to Kangerluarsuk Tulleq Nord
- Day 8 – Kangerluarsuk Tulleq Nord to Sisimiut
- Arctic Circle Trail Summary
If it has sparked an interest in Greenland more generally, learn more about this amazing country at Visit Greenland, and check out the wide range of tours of all kinds (not just hiking and trekking) at Guide to Greenland.
Trekking Information
Distance = 25.8 km
Time taken = 8hrs 19mins
GPX File =Arctic-Circle-Trail-Kangerlusarsuq-Tulleq-Nord-Sisimiut.gpx
Strava Link =https://www.strava.com/activities/1813015249
Map
Altitude Profile
Read more about hiking the Arctic Circle Trail
If this post has piqued your curiosity about hiking and trekking in Greenland, read about my adventure over 8 days on the Arctic Circle Trail:
- Day 1 – Kangerlussuaq to Katiffik
- Day 2 – Katiffik to Canoe Center
- Day 3 – Canoe Center to Ikkattooq
- Day 4 – Ikkattooq to Eqalugaarniarfik
- Day 5 – Eqalugaarniarfik to Innajuattoq II
- Day 6 – Innajuattoq II to Nerumaq
- Day 7 – Nerumaq to Kangerluarsuk Tulleq Nord
- Day 8 – Kangerluarsuk Tulleq Nord to Sisimiut
- Arctic Circle Trail Summary
Also check out the Official Arctic Circle Trail website that I created for Destination Arctic Circle, and the Arctic Circle Trail Go-to Guide at Visit Greenland for which I was the primary creator. You may also be interested in the dedicated hiking trails site for the Arctic Circle region.
If it has sparked an interest in Greenland more generally, learn more about this amazing country at Visit Greenland, and check out the wide range of tours of all kinds (not just hiking and trekking) at Guide to Greenland.
