515 Meter View

Iceberg Sitting In The Entrance To Sildefiorde

At Sildefiorde (60' 51N 46' 25W), we found a spectacular anchorage surrounded by low steep granite hills with a sliver of icecap peering between. The token iceberg that sat in the middle of the entrance had left us plenty of room to get past. After a narrow granite walled channel that reminded us of a gorge, the bay opened. There were two houses on either side and a chute for loading the farmed reindeer that roam the area. When we passed the yellow house, a man of European appearance came out and waved.

It took a bit of circling to find good depth without being too close to shore. After making sure we were not going to end up on the beach if the wind picked up, we headed to shore to get a better acquainted with our surroundings. We chose a knoll at the head of the bay that gave us a look at the cloud covered icecap and of the bay on the opposite side that we had contemplated going into. Before the end of the walk their was no doubt this would be a two night anchorage.

Snow Dragon At Anchor

We woke up to a beautiful sunny, day our first in over a week of rain and fog. perfect weather for our planned hike up to Iganarssuanguaq, a 515 meter peak, the highest on the island. Two reindeer pranced in front of us as we contemplated the best route, the only evidence we saw of them apart from bleached antlers. The vegetation and 15C temperature made the steep climb with quick elevation gain a little tortuous at times but the view was worth the effort. From the top the icecap dominated 180 degrees of the horizon while lakes and islands filled the rest of the landscape.

Going down took more concentration but was physically less demanding. The vegetation was not as thick but every time we needed a handhold, juniper with its sharp needles seemed always to be evident. Since we still had a lot of distance to cover we resisted the temptation to pick blueberries until we were well down. After carefully walking and sliding our way down from the ridge, the valley proved to be an easy stroll back. We had been planning to stop by the yellow house and say hello. But during our hike we saw the man take down his Danish flag and prepare to be picked up by a boat. He had already left by the time we returned. After six hours of exploring, we were ready to head back to the boat and enjoy a more substantial meal than the sandwiches, chocolate and blueberries during our hike.

For more photos please click on Sildefiorde Album.