10.07.29 - Caving adventures in Greenland

By Steffen Fog

Starting from Kangerlussuaq, which is the airport most tourists arrive at, you can reach the edge of the Ice Sheet in four-wheel drive vehicles. It's thus one of the only places in Greenland where there's a road that leads directly to the edge of the Ice Sheet.

This makes it possible to enjoy a unique, spine-tingling experience peculiar to Greenland: namely, climbing down into the Ice Sheet, down into fissures, tunnels and grottos which the melt water creates at the edge of the Ice Sheet. These tunnels and wells are home to the most fantastic, beautiful formations, abstract contours and colours in the ice. The Ice Sheet very much contains a natural gallery of nature's own works of art.

- "What you experience are the absolutely fascinating colours and the quite unique light that prevails down there. The contours in the ice combine with the feeling of taking a step back in time, due to the fact that the ice in the Ice Sheet is made up of the many layers of snow resulting from snowfalls dating back thousands of years. These layers are particularly easy to see in the wells because the walls have been washed completely clear. The further down you go, the further back in time your journey takes you. The ice is crystal clear because it is so compacted that the air bubbles are no longer visible. There are therefore no pockets of air and you can see several metres into the ice," says Kim M. Petersen, who offers caving expeditions at Kangerlussuaq, and is the owner of the firm Arctic Caving Adventures (link only in Danish).

Arctic caving takes place in melt water tunnels and shafts created by the melt water. At the onset of summer, most of the snow at the edge of the Ice Sheet melts and large lakes and rivers of melt water are created. At the end of these rivers the water creates large tunnels and shafts, also called wells, down into which the melt water runs. When the melt water disappears again in September, it's possible to climb down into the wells and the tunnels. However, the season is already over by October when the snow arrives and fills the caves and covers the access holes, in addition to which daylight is in short supply.

World record

Kim M. Petersen began ice climbing seriously in 1996 when taking part in a French expedition down in the Ice Sheet's caves.

- "A couple of years later - in 1998 - I was with a team down in the caves in order to make the film Journey Into the Amazing Caves. On this occasion, we broke the world record by going 203 metres down into the ice," says Kim M. Petersen.

- "It's difficult to describe what you experience down there. You just can't help being in awe, and the sounds you hear are indescribable. The sounds of the lapping water and the creaking and roaring of the ice propagate enormous distances. You stand there and seem to journey back to a time many thousands of years ago, whilst wondering what life was like at that time. At the same time, you always have that nagging question as to how you're going to manage to climb up again. It's always hardest to come up again; it's easy to get down, but getting up again can be hard work," says Kim M. Petersen.

Arctic caving isn't for everyone

Climbing in the ice caves isn't for everyone. Kim M. Petersen recommends that only people with previous experience from glaciers, e.g. from glacier courses and climbing on ice, take part in arctic caving. Ideally you should have experience from other types of caving, e.g. in cliffs, be less than 45 years of age and be in good physical shape.

- "It's vital that people can look after themselves once we're down in the ice caves," he explains.

However, these requirements do not mean that the edge of the Ice Sheet is completely out of bounds to ordinary travellers. If you aren't experienced enough to have a go at actual caving, you can try the less demanding rappelling trips in the fissures that abound in the Ice Sheet, or even just go on a glacier hike on the ice, which may include one or more nights spent on the ice itself.

The rappelling trips only go down to depths of 5-10 metres in the glacial fissures and only down into fissures with which the guides are completely familiar.

If you remain in the vicinity of the airport at Kangerlussuaq, you can also try rock-climbing or rappelling on crags in the area.

There are suitable challenges for both new beginners and climbers with a little more experience.

- "Here I've had all sorts of groups, including families consisting of mum, dad and the kids. It's a good chance to experience Greenland's nature in a slightly different context," says Kim M. Petersen.

Practical information and getting there and away:

There's a direct flight from Copenhagen to Kangerlussuaq operated by Air Greenland, six times a week during the summer and four times a week during the rest of the year.

One of the few tour operators to offer tours down into Greenland's Ice Sheet is Arctic Caving Adventure (link only in Danish), which is based in Kangerlussuaq.

Going on such demanding and challenging arctic caving adventures requires at least one week in Kangerlussuaq and the trip must be planned at least three months in advance. Season: September-October.

If you have only a limited amount of time in Kangerlussuaq, you can try climbing in the fissures in the ice or taking part in hikes on the ice, which may include options of an overnight stay. Such activities require a few days in Kangerlussuaq, and must be booked at least a day in advance.

If you have only a whole day or half a day, it's often possible to go on a climbing or rappelling trip at the cliffs near the airport.