Until Next Year Ukkusissat!

Photo © Mark McDermott

Everyone knows the expression Carpe Diem. Seize the day. When you’re mid summer north of the Arctic Circle and the sun never sets, there is a lot more of the day to seize. We took full advantage of those long hours of glorious sunshine. We were busy from just after breakfast until 23:00 hours. It was a very long and rewarding day for everyone but then, everyday on Fram is quite busy. After your vacation on from, going back to work will be a chance to catch up on your rest.



Photo © Mark McDermott



We started our landing operations in Uummannaq at 10:00. Once again there was lots of sunshine and very little wind. Absolutely ideal conditions.

Photo © Mark McDermott

Optional excursions today included:
• A boat trip and then a walk in The Red Desert. ( Hm. Whenever I think of the Red Desert I wonder why it isn’t called The Yellow Desert because it is definitely yellow and not red.)

Photo © A. Wenzel

• A really excellent lunch buffet of Greenlandic foods at the Uummannaq Hotel. If you’re a real foodie than this was the spot to be. Lunch always features local delicacies such as muskox, caribou, whale meat, seal meat, halibut, Greenland shrimps, capelin, as well as various salads.

• A talk with a local hunter. This was an opportunity to learn more about the way of life in Greenland.

If you didn’t choose any of the optional excursions then you were free to go exploring on your own.



Photo © A. Wenzel

As usual when we are in Uummannaq, everyone is welcome to join the Expedition Team on a hike to Santa’s Hut which is located at the base of Uummannaq mountain. This is a very popular hike of medium difficulty which people of average fitness can easily do. The faster walkers arrived at Santa’s Hut in 45 minutes where the Hotel Staff was waiting with coffee, tea, cakes and cookies laid out on the rocks. The ABs had chauffeured the hotel staff around the island in the Polar Cirkel boats!

Photo © A. Wenzel

After a twenty minute break, we continued on our way back to Uummannaq and the ship. It really could not have been better weather for hiking.

At 17:00 Fram picked up the anchor and we headed off for the second port of call for the day Ukkusissat. It was our final call in Ukkusissat for this season which is always a sad occasion for those of us working on Fram. Over the years we have seen the children grow into young men and women. They are our friends. It is always nice to see them and at the end of the Greenland season a little difficult to say good-bye.

As usual, we invited the people from the village onboard Fram where they entertained us with Greenlandic folk singing and dancing. They also modeled some of their traditional clothing. The singing and dancing wrapped up around 21:00 at which point we hopped in the Polar Cirkel boats and enjoyed the later part of the evening in the village. In the town centre there was coffee, tea and cake available.

At 22:45 it was time to go back to the ship and to say our final good-byes.

Until next year Ukkusissat!

Humpback whales time!

When approaching Qeqertarsuaq the top of the mountains were covered in clouds. So instead of going vertical towards Lynmarksglacier the long hike group went horizontal in direction of the valley of the winds. But after the bridge we did not follow the red dots towards the waterfall, we looked for the yellow dots and stayed close to the shore-line. Looking backwards we could see the short hike groups walking along the beach enjoying the flowers and the icebergs along the way. After about one and a half hour hiking we had a splendid view over a big part of the shoreline consisting of black basaltic rocks. In the sea were lying numerous icebergs in all shapes and forms. Because we saw them from above we had the possibility to study their shapes and different colors. Just after lunch we agreed on taking on a new experience, 3 minutes of silence. While sitting in the grass and enjoying our first silent seconds we heard this enormous cracking sound...unbelievable the enormous iceberg just in front of us broke in two and we could enjoy the show and sounds that lasted for some minutes. We decided to make some noise by taking pictures and to take the three minutes of silence in another spot. At this same spot we could enjoy the forms and shapes of the basaltic rocks. When the lava cooled down it formed the most beautiful shapes, which we now see in the landscape as plateaus with cut-off basaltic columns and a basaltic columns in the shape of a rose. Nobody regretted the fact we had to change our plans and walk along the coast instead of hiking up towards the glacier.

Today we also continued with our product development by launching a new excursion called: Ice Cruising with chance of Whale  Watching. In the morning and in the afternoon 18 passengers were divided over 3 polarcircle boats to enjoy the ice and in the hope to come close to some of the frequent visiting whales in the area. And what a luck they had! All the boats had to opportunity to see two Humpback whales at close sight. They were very active and not afraid at all. When leaving Qeqertarsuac we were lucky again and spotted several Humpback whales in the vicinity of the ship! What a great experience! At the end of the excursions the most passengers still had some time to walk around in Qeqertarsuaq. This town has around 900 inhabitants (2012) and hunting and fishing are the primary occupations for the inhabintants. At some houses you could see stripes of catfish hanging out for drying.

It's The Differences



When we visit foreign countries we naturally make comparisons with home. In Greenland there is enough in common with North America or various parts of Europe that we can move about comfortably, but that commonality is often superficial and it is the differences, the things outside of our lexicon of experience, that make visiting a new destination like Greenland so rewarding.

For example Sisimiut is the second largest city in Greenland with a population of approx. 5500 people. In both North America and Europe that would qualify as a small town. Here Sisimiut is a big city. The total population of this very large country is 55,000. Back home the entire population would make a small city.

The people here drive the same models of cars and trucks as we do at home, however the roads are a convenience within the towns. No two towns are connected by roads. Longer distance travel is by boat, or air, or snowmobile, or dog team. There are modern supermarkets, just like the ones at home but the freezers also have muktuk, caribou, muskox, whale meat and other local delicacies. You can buy a rifle, ammunition and all manner of fishing and hunting supplies along with a loaf of bread and a quart of milk.

The children go to modern schools, just like back home. The curriculum is very similar but in Greenland the boys can go out and hunt with their own rifle at the age of twelve. Most people hunt and fish or have someone in the family that supplies the larder with game.

During the peak of summer a day never ends as the sun never sets. In the winter one has to wait a very long time for dawn.

Walk a couple hundred metres outside of town and you hear nothing but the wind carrying the song of a Snow Bunting. No sirens. No car alarms. No traffic noise.

We have many things in common with Greenland and those familiar things are comforting and pleasurable to find, but it is the differences that make Greenland so special.

Overall the people seem more friendly. They are quicker to wave, or to say hello to a stranger. Try saying “hello” to a stranger at home.

We arrived in Sisimiut just before 11:00. The sky was overcast. The temperature was a comfortable 10˚C with very little wind. These were ideal conditions for the long and difficult hike up Palaasip Qaqqa mountain. This morning 30 people set off on the hike and 27 made it all the way to the top! The hike has a high degree of difficulty. Every time we offer the hike there are a few people that find they have bitten off more than they can chew.

We also offered optional boat excursions to the abandoned village of Assaqutaq and a hike “back in time” to Tele Island.

As always, there was plenty to do and see in Sisimiut.

Blue West 8



Broad-leaved willow



 Early in the morning the brave FRAM lies peacefully at anchor at the very end of the long Sondre Strømfjord.

As a first measure we get unusual visitors: The ground personnel of Air Greenland comes aboard to do the check-in on board of our ship, a very useful service, a floating airport terminal, so to speak. 

Common Cottongrass



It starts pretty early, so not so many words are spoken while waiting in line. After this is done and the first strong coffee, things are getting better and the spirit of adventure gets the better again. About time, because on the pier there are strange vehicles waiting, big and bulky and obviously strong. These will bring the first group of departing guests on the long and bumpy ride towards the ice cap. Interestingly, this dirt road was constructed a long time ago by the car manufacturer VW, in order to test their SUVs on the ice. As soon as the first "ice riders" have departed, everyone else leaves the ship in the Polar Cirkel boats, mounts a shuttle bus and is brought to the Science Centre, "downtown" Kangerlussuaq, our bas of operation for the day. Several activities start from here, be it the guided tour through the town including the interesting museum for the younger history of Kangerlussuaq, the former station Blue West 8. Also from here starts the second round of the ice-road drive, as well as the delicious Barbecue in the afternoon by the lake, where Musk ox burger is served and the mosquitoes also have a feast...Somewhat in-between a familiar aircraft appears in the sky and touches down on the large runway. It is the one that brought us here, now coming in with the next group. Words of envy are audible, for they are heading for the adventure, whereas ours is about to end. However, it was a splendid time, with so many impressions and souvenirs,

 sunshine all over. So there's one thing left to do - come back one day...

 In the meantime, a brand-new and curious bunch of arrivals emerge from the airport and gets shuttled down to the Fjord where FRAM is waiting, ready for another adventure

It's Wasn't The Euro Cup But...

Photo © Mark McDermott

Our journey in Greenland is coming full circle. This morning we crossed the Arctic Circle once again as we made our way south to Itilleq. In fact the Arctic Circle lies just a couple of hundred meters south of this beautiful village.

We weren’t due to arrive in Itilleq until 13:00 which left the morning open for lectures, briefings and bridge tours. The Captain donated 1.50 hours of his precious time to the bridge tours. He explained with great patience much of the equipment on the bridge and how it functions. We gained new insight as to what the job of the navigators might entail.

Photo © Mark McDermott

Once again we had the good fortune of blue skies and very little wind. If you opted to skip the lectures, the open decks were a great place for a morning stroll, or to just sit and relax with a beverage of your choice and watch the icebergs as we cruised on by.

The first Polar Cirkel boats began ferrying everyone ashore shortly after 13:00. In Itilleq we had the opportunity to join people in their homes for coffee and cakes. It was a very nice experience to meet Greenlanders and to get a better idea of what life in Greenland might be like. Certainly they are a very hospitable people.

Photo © Mark McDermott

Everyone had nearly two hours to go exploring before the weekly soccer match between Team Fram and Team Itilleq started. It was a really fun and spirited game although a bit confusing to watch and probably equally confusing to play. It was almost impossible to tell who was on which team. The Fram side was a little bit undermanned in the beginning so Greenlanders played for both sides. If you received the ball and someone tackled you then obviously they were on the other side.

Photo © Mark McDermott

Still, it was an entertaining game. There were enough goals for both sides to keep the spectators cheering. There was even live music on the sidelines as someone had brought a keyboard and a guitar which contributed mightily to the festive atmosphere.

In the end Fram won the match with a score of 6 to 5. It is quite rare that we win in Itilleq. If I were a betting man, next week I would bet on Itilleq !

At 16:45 the last Polar Cirkel boat left shore and at 17:00 we heaved anchor and headed south towards Kangerslussuaq where our journey began.

Photo © Mark McDermott



At 17:30 there was a charity auction in the Observation Lounge. Up for auction were a master chart of the voyage, a water colour painting by the ship’s photographer and the ship’s flag which had been signed by all of the officers and the Expedition Team. We were able to raise 2575€ for the children of Greenland. A great big thank you to all of the people that bid for these charity items and especially thank you to the winning bidders!



Fly, Hike & Ride

How long can 26 nautical miles be..? Answer: A whole long night. The vast ice field around the port entrance of Ilulissat forces us to slow down to under three knots, some people swim faster than that. But there's no choice, except turn around and skip this important stop. This is not something our Captain Hårvik would do, let alone Expedition Leader Karin who spent the whole night on the bridge watching for icebergs.

But as everyone else wakes up in the morning, we are already at anchor in front of Ilulissat, the "Paris of the Arctic". Well, couldn't find the Moulin Rouge, but it is true that a lot of the cultural and social life of Greenland takes place here. And of course it is the hub for Greenlandic tourism of all sorts.

We are profiting from this by going either on one of the hikes leading down to the incredible Sermermiut Fjord, taking a boat ride to the mouth of the world's most productive glacier, or - and this is a killer thing to do- enjoying the bird's eyes view from the helicopter. The weather is not only playing game, it is pampering us with clear blue skies and temperatures you would expect in the Baleares.

Whatever activity we decide on, it is dominated by one thing, and one thing alone - ice. The size of the icebergs in Sermermiut is mind-boggling, gargantuan white cathedrals of the most impossible shapes are towering all around us, being reflected beautifully in the clear, dark water. Although the actual glacier is about 60 km away, its emissaries tell the tale of the power of frost. And who would think how abundant life can be here in this cold world? Plankton, shrimp, fish, all kinds of birds, and - if you are really, really lucky - whales is what you see.

Some of us are lucky indeed, having a big humpback whale right next to the fjord boat. What a day to remember! Already entertained by nature, all sit down with a big smile in the observation lounge later in the evening, when the famous MV FRAM crew show is presented, with the backdrop of thousands of icebergs and a gentle midnight sun. Life can be good, right?

A Dream Vacation

Quillisat
Photo © Andrew Wenzel

All through the bright night Fram carefully wove her way through the ice. It was impossible to maintain full speed as icebergs were everywhere. Slow and steady wins the race. Due to the heavy ice conditions we arrived at Quillisat, an abandoned coal mining village, about 40 minutes later than originally planned.

Photo © Andrew Wenzel

At 9:40 we landed on a cobble stone and sand beach. Wild flowers were in abundance once again. In the sandy beach environment Sea Sandwort and Oysterplant were most notable.

Photo © Andrew Wenzel

As we walked up a gentle slope into the village a light drizzle began to fall. It served to magnify the melancholy feeling of the ghost town. Many of the buildings are in fairly good repair. It was occupied from 1924 until 1972. Local people still stay in the village from time to time, utilizing it as a summer get-away.



Photo © Andrew Wenzel





Snow Buntings, Lapland Buntings and Wheatears flitted about. The Wheatear chicks have already fledged. The adults birds got quite agitated if we approached their chicks too closely (by accident of course!)

It was very different from all of the other landings we have made so far. It was fun to wander around and peer inside the old abandoned buildings.

In the afternoon we planned on making a landing near the glacier Eqip Sermia which meant that our departure from Quillisat had to be on time. At 11:45 the last Polar Cirkel boat left shore. Shortly after we were on our way once again plying our way carefully through the ice.

Photo © Andrew Wenzel

By about 16:00 it became apparent that we would not be able to reach Eqip Sermia. The ice was just too thick. The Captain and Expedition Leader announced an alternative plan. We would turn a negative into a positive. We would take advantage of the now clear blue skies, brilliant sunshine and all of the glorious ice surrounding us. We would go cruising in the ice in the Polar Cirkel boats!

Soon all five boats were skipping across glass like seas towards thousands of icebergs. We had a full forty minutes to go exploring. Each iceberg was a unique sculpture. We stopped to photograph and to “o-o-o” and “a-a-ah” at iceberg after iceberg. We even had really great views of a Humpback Whale that was meandering about in the ice. Several people commented, “That was fantastic! I am so glad we switched to plan B. This was the highlight of the trip for me. Thank you!” “You’re welcome! We loved it too!”

Photo © Mark McDermott

To make a fantastic day even better the hotel staff arranged a BBQ on deck seven. Imagine us dining in the warm sunshine on deck 7 with a 360˚ view of icebergs. This is the stuff of which dream vacations are made.



Desert and Ice

The Greenlandic language may sound complicated, but actually it is very straightforward: Uummannaq means “Mountain in the form of a heart”, and so ANY mountain that remotely resembles that shape has the same name.

The town proper is like taken from a impressionistic painter’s palette, the colorful houses nestled into the foothills of the impressive mountain like little joyful dots. And the ice! It is simply everywhere, towering high, creating a frozen labyrinth through which FRAM cautiously finds her way. The size of these white and blue cathedral matches our ship easily, and this is only what we can see, the bulk of the berg being hidden in the water. We bring the boats out and are ready for the shuttle service ashore to do one ore more of the many things you can do here:

Be it an original Greenlandic lunch at the Uummannaq hotel, where they serve among others whale and musk ox, or the talk with a Greenlandic hunter who is only too willing to share his trade secrets, probably knowing that none of us will ever be able to do it anyway… A very special trip is the trip to the Red Desert, a unique place that sticks out from the rest of the surrounding landscape like … A half-hour boat ride brings us there, zig-zagging through the most amazing array of icebergs. On arrival, the colors are so striking that it is hard to believe they are natural. Hopping off the boat straight onto the rocks, then having an hour’s walk in this unreal landscape, product of an unusual event in Earth’s past. Sitting on a rock afterwards, having lunch with a view toward the inland ice, thousands of icebergs dancing slowly in the water underneath - well, this is certainly a significant moment… In the afternoon it is “all aboard” again, for the day is far from being over. A mere 30 miles separate us from our evening destination, Ukkussissat. This is a tiny village out of Uummannaq, and our northernmost point.

And it is difficult to reach, as it turns out: A dense ice field wants to be crossed, nearly a gapless belt of frozen hills, it looks highly unlikely that we make it. But our Captain Arild Hårvik proves himself as intrepid as experienced, and with a sure hand he navigates us through this white mess.

Definitely he’s the man of the hour. Only one hour delayed we can dispatch the boats to Ukkussissat, and the first thing we do is pick up a good percentage of the village’s population in order to bring them aboard. They show us their dances, they sing for us and they bring their traditional clothes, made of seal, reindeer and polar bear - beautiful! Then it is our turn to visit.

Boat by boat everybody goes ashore to wander around in the most authentic Greenlandic place possible. This is no tourist place, this is how people live in real life, in a place that couldn’t be more different from what we know. Our welcome here is owed to the fact that FRAM has maintained warm relations to the people here over many years, so it is a visit among friends. Late, very late, we come back on board and weigh the anchor for another adventure in the ice.