“I think I’ll hike up Lille Malene to catch the sunset. Want to join?”
How could I say “no” to that invite from my friend Lasse. It had been a glorious day, and even though I was still very much in the grip of a mystery illness I’d bought with me from Australia, off I went.
Given we were a little late in setting out, we took the most direct route up the mountain. Straight up Nuuk’s ski piste.
There is a reason they have ski lifts up these things!
I was quickly gasping for breath and my eyes were streaming with tears from the cold air as I tried desperately to keep up with my long-legged friend. Being a Greenlander, he was much more accustomed to the cold and walking in snow than this Australian body! Plus, he is half my age and in full health… what was I thinking?!
A little over half-way up the mountain, Lasse stopped at the first clear viewpoint of the iconic Sermitsiaq mountain. I love this mountain so much!
We spent several minutes there watching the last of the Sun’s rays illuminate the top of the mountain, before Lasse asked if I wanted to keep going to the top. I suggested that he should go on without me and I’d wait for him to come back.
As he headed off, I perched myself on one of the rocks to watch the light changing on the scene before me. Sunsets in Greenland are some of the most beautiful in the world – a kaleidoscope of pastel colours that fade to darkness rapidly during the Winter months, and not at all during Summer.
Move your mouse over the image to see the full panorama
When it became too cold to sit still, I made my way over to a tall cairn I could see a few hundred metres away. By the time I had reached it – the blue hour had already begun. So short are the twilights in Nuuk in early February.
Lasse reappeared to collect me, and back down the ski slope we plunged – much faster and easier than going up!
And although this little excursion had me hacking my lungs up for the next couple of weeks – I thank Lasse for the invite and will never forget the beauty of that sunset on Sermitsiaq.
Discover more about Greenland
If you enjoy the outdoors and are thinking about visiting Greenland’s capital, check out the Ultimate Travel Guide to Nuuk, which contains practical information for planning your stay, and the Nature Lovers’ Guide to Nuuk, which focuses on outdoor adventures.
I have a large number of blog posts about Greenland, so feel free to read more about my experiences here on my blog.
Or, if this post has piqued your curiosity about Greenland in general, learn more about this amazing country by:
- reading my Greenland-specific blog at Guide to Greenland
- checking out the information and wide range of trips available at Guide to Greenland
- exploring the Government tourism site at Visit Greenland
