What actually makes the trek difficult
- For a trained hiker, this trek does not present -technical- difficulties (strong slopes...), nevertheless...
- Length: few hikers are used to treks of 6 to 10 days in full autonomy. One should think i) the bag, and ii) its content very carefully if one expect to do a "responsible" trek, i.e. without dropping useless things in the huts, if not on the trail.
- Length: during a trek, 6 days are more tiring than 1+1+1+1+1+1 days
- Length: mental. After one day of walk, one walk toward unknown areas, without escape possibilities.
- Itinerary: Huts are good landmarks. However, the trail and marks (or cairns) often do not exist. Sometimes, the map itinerary differ from the marks, which can also differ from the actual trail. One should know how to read and interpret the 100000e scaled map to make the best choice.
- Itinerary: The code of the map (i.e. green (easy), blue, red, black) is obviously based on the slope. Trained hikers will "run" in the black sloppy trails, but cry when looking for a practicable path in the -green- horizontal bogs.
- Bogs and torrents: One rapidly understand that the trek will be done the feet in water.
- Flies and mosquitoes: Without head-net flies may forbid you to open the mouth. They like to enter in your ears or bump into your open eyes.
- Head-net: With the sun behind you, you see the head-net but not where you can put your feet. By chance, this rarely happens.
- The combination of several of these factors rapidly becomes harassing and highly energy consuming.
- Responsible hiking: This means: "avoid to drop your useless material in nature", carry your rubbish at least up to the next hut. By respect for the others, avoid to drop your paper handkerchief in nature.
- Landscape, wildlife and photography: Will slow down your progress when you would like to walk
What facilitates the trek
- Landscape, wildlife and photography: Makes you understand why you are here
- People on the trail: Generally ready to help, to give news about the trail (new bridges, huts, areas to avoid, state of water level...)
- The "free" concept: Huts, canoes...
- Drinkable water: By drinking each time it is possible, carrying 50 cl is sufficient
Kangerlussuaq - Sisimiut or Sisimiut - Kangerlussuaq ?
- Bad weather may be meet on Sisimiut rather than on Kangerlussuaq
- To my view, the most difficult part (bogs, willows, unmarked itinerary) is D5 (from K toward S on a 6 days trip) and D2 (from S toward K).
- There are more hikers going from K to S rather than from S to K. It is more easy to find a canoe from S to K.
- No problems of (dry) foods in S (several supermarkets). Getting food in K is more risky. If one expect to start from K, one should bring dry foods from its own country.
When to start ?
I started in the middle of Jully
Earlier (June)
- More bogs and water level is higher
- More flowers
- White legs flies may bite you
- Probably less people on the track
Later (middle of August)
- Dryer track
- No or few remaining flowers
- Less flies and mosquitoes
- Arctic bilberries to eat
- Less people on the track
- Beginning of darkness during the "night" => colder nights
Some tips
- Burn your empty metallic boxes (of canned food). This removes fat matter, helps to crush them and therefore facilitate their carriage in your bag.
- Do not carry soap for crockery washing. Replace it by sand, clay... This is efficient, not polluting, and lighter.
- Herrings, tuna fish, mackerel in oil... oil is very useful on paper to start a fire.
- Do not carry books, you will not read them and may be tempted to leave them in nature or in a hut. Burn them rather than increasing pollution.
The hike
The hike described below has been done by a dilettante hiker, untrained but sporting. However, I really enjoy and I am used to complete immersion in countryside.
A bit photographer, very naturalist, half an hour can be lost because of "nice flowers" on the track.
I enjoy neither challenge nor effort. Being alone, I walk only when I want, whatever the hour. Finally, I have an experience in polar environment, so that I know how to take benefit of midnight sun.
Knowing that, you can understand why I can take 2 hours where you will take 1 hour, and how I can have 20 hrs days of walk with 1 hr sleep in the middle.
If you go with friends, timings will be more plannified and rigids.
If you walk during the "night", you benefit of colder temperatures, less or no flies, more photogenic lights, no cold when you want to sleep, and more places to sleep in the huts (during the day).
I took 6 days, and I had 10 days of food in case of bad weather. I went from Kangerlussuaq to Sisimiut with an excellent weather on almost the whole trip.
Materiel [Not yet translated. Please ask if you need a translation]
[*****] : à éliminer
[-2], [+3] : nombre à prendre en plus ou en moins
Marche
Sac à dos Cheetah Karrimor
Imper de sac
Imper de duvet [-1]
Guêtres
Tongues plage
Chaussures glacier Tecknica
2 p chaussettes
3 p soquettes
3 pantalons [-1] = 2
4 slips [-1] = 3
4 tee-shirt / polo [-1] = 3
1 chemise
1 sweet
1 bonnet
1 collants
1 p gants
1 casquette
1 poncho imper
1 anorak
1 moustiquaire de tête
2 couv. survie [-1] = 1
[1 lunettes soleil]
Vie
1 briquet
[1 réchaud multifuel + reservoir]
1 réchaud Esbit [+1]
1 boîte conbusible Esbit [+7]
1 cuill. soupe
[1 cuill café]
1 fourchette
1 couteau
3 gamelles
1 bobine fil voile + 3 aiguilles
10 m cordelette 3 mm
1 lampe frontale
1 ouvre boîte
Hygiène
1 gant
savonettes
1 serviette
1 brosse dents
1 petit tube dentifrice
5 aspegic 500
3 dolipranes
5 pansements
1 tube jetable mercurochrome
1 tablette micropur
2 rouleaux PQ [-1]
1 citronelle
1 ciseaux
Voyage
billets avion
CB
Carte identité
10€
carnet
3 stylos
Lonely Planet allégé
Couchage
Tente Newberry Jamet
Natte mousse
Duvet
Plaid polaire
[Chaussons laine]
Reportage (4,5 kg)
Mini sac à dos
Nikon D50
Zoom 28-80
Zoom 80-200
5 accus (D50)
+ filtres UV et polar
Panasonic Lumix TZ4
9 accus (TZ4)
Cartes SD : 8 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 1 + 1 Go
Boussole
GPS
Enregistreur MD Sony + micro
1 MD 1Go
Budget (Euros)
| Travel... | ||
| A/R Paris Kangerlussuaq / Plane |
580 | |
| A/R Bordeaux Paris / Train |
160 | 740 |
| Transports within Greenland... | ||
| Sisimiut-Qasigiannguit / Ferry | 267 | |
| Qasigiannguit-Ilulissat / Ferry | 60 | |
| Ilulissat-Aasiaat / Ferry | 78 | |
| Aasiaat-Kangerlussuaq / Plane | 246 | |
| Itinerary change / Air Green. | 30 | 681 |
| Life... | ||
| Food | 495 | |
| Camping (7 nights) | 73 | 568 |
| Culture, doc... | ||
| Maps | 83 | |
| Books | 63 | |
| Whale safari | 142 | |
| Comm (internet, postcards...) | 40 | 328 |