Nuuk
I had only seen Greenland on maps, TV, and maps. I was intrigued to find out more about it. Landing in Nuuk, I dove right into the sightseeing and food savouring. Since it was winter and not yet peak season, many of the Nuuk activities weren’t available yet. This time of the year, I would recommend doing a mix of indoor and outdoor activities.
I was intrigued to try out some of the Greenlandic foods. They didn’t disappoint.
In Greenland, nature is always in full command. Ice, wind, and the general weather pattern were both unpredictable and polarizing. For example, most popular tours were impacted by the ice flow around Greenland. 2025 had been a big ice year with portions of the iceberg broken up South of Greenland. Water taxis here have a strengthened hull to navigate through some ice in the winter, which was needed. Our trip to Kapisillit was heavily obstructed by ice, so we ended up navigating to the semi-abandoned settlement of Qornoq for a day tour. Which I highly recommend. We were blessed with a very sunny day, which made the hour-long excursion very pleasant.
Day 1 & Day 2
As you can see from the above pictures, there was quite a bit of ice around Nuuk, which was actually quite abnormal for Nuuk. Part of the reason that Nuuk was settled and colonized by the Danes was because it was navigatable by sea even in winter. Having this much ice in the bay proved to be quite an issue for many of the ships. Our sailboat, Skydancer, not only had to navigate through this sea ice, but also had to sail through a snowstorm. Fortunately for us, Estella and Nick were seasoned sailors; they braved the storm and arrived in Nuuk at 4am for our 10am departure.
Sailing underway for Skydancer.
The owners, Estella and Nick, were welcoming, energetic, and kind despite the very few hours of sleep after battling the ice storm.
Skydancer is a comfortable schooner that can accommodate up to 10 guests. However, IceAxe had the foresight to realize that 6-8 guests are more than enough. The interior was very cozy and comfortable with a full kitchen, two bathrooms, one with a shower, two round seating areas, an external covered hangout area, a sun-tan deck, and a shore landing dinghy.
(Cabin tour)
This first day is a relaxing day. With much more ice in the middle of the fjords, we are relegated to our option C: saddle mountain. Co-captain Nick was kind enough to let us do a little engine room tour. The waters are calm and the sky is clear. Our group checked the forecast and hoped for a great aurora light show.
Day 2
After a calm evening with some aurora, we are in the bay of Saddle Island. A full day of skiing ahead of us. Greenland rewarded our patience with a nice day of skiing some creamy powder. The view was stunning throughout.
This part of Greenland doesn’t have many crevasses, but there are certainly avalanches, especially with the new snowfall we had just gotten. We lapped a section of the mountain, ended the day with 5500 feet of ascent, and skied.
I brought my 94mm skis, which in hindsight might be a bit on the skinnier side, considering the creamy, sometimes grabby powder. I would bring something just a bit wider or longer next time.
One of the owners of the boat picked us up in the dinghy, which was followed by a nice shower. We were fortunate that Skydancer had a shower and a water maker onboard. However, one should always practice water saving, as the water-making machine may not be able to produce water when the water temperature is cold.
Day 3
We woke up to extreme tilting of the boat and shattering of the sliding plates. The plan of the day was to ski a gully called the “Playboy Mansion.” The forecasted 59 knots of wind have arrived. We decided to take it slow in the morning to see if the wind dies down.
After a day of waiting, it seemed like the wind was not giving up any time soon. The activities turned to cod fishing, which was surprisingly easy, even just with artificial lures. We were landing fish every few minutes.
We always had enough food, so no need to keep all the fish today.
Day 4
Time to head up the “Playboy Mansion” today for some good skiing. Due to the recent snowfall and strong winds from yesterday, avy danger is high. We slowly head up the slope with one of our guides assessing the stability along the way. We carefully picked our way through the instabilities and rocks to reach the saddle. The conditions were made for a great day of skiing.
Some of the stronger skier went to try their hand at one of the nearby couloirs. A precarious day to be trying it with the abundant signs of instability. Thankfully, all came down safely despite a remotely triggered avalanche.
I lapped the saddle a few more times, enjoying the great snow.
So how do we cap off a successful day? By jumping into the freezing icy waters! It’s polar plunge time!
Capping off the eventful day, we anchored near the settlement of Igdlúnguaq.
Day 5
Leaving the anchor, we commuted for an hour to a deep fjord near the “z-wall.” Estella and Nick really pulled off the difficult maneuver to get us to shore without anchoring. Really appreciate their extraordinary skills and professionalism.
We started the day with a very cold day at 15 degrees F. With winds battering down on us, it was the coldest day we had on the trip. The climb up was divided into two parts; the first part was in the shade, which brought us 2500 feet up with a fantastic view of this deep fjord. The second part led us through a plateau, then upward with some openings and crevasses on the side.
4000 plus feet later, we have reached a high point just below some cliffs and walls.
Snow condition of the day was punchy, crusty, and grabby, with the lower part being icy, real variable snow. I navigated down slowly.
Folks had lower energy today, so we started heading downhill with some stops for pictures.
Prepping for the last ski day, we anchored up in the beautiful bay that we couldn’t get to on the first day. We settled in on a beautiful evening, hoping for some more aurora viewing.
Day 6
We woke up after a great night of aurora viewing. Honestly, it almost felt too easy to view aurora. All we needed was a night of clear sky for some great light show. I was grateful for the Greenlandic sky giving us a beautiful show before our departure dates.
The last day of skiing. We saved the best for last. Today’s objective is the “birthing canal” and a high point on the south end of the Great Island.
For this first lap down, I even tried skiing down a couloir. The snow was just too perfect for this.
(The small couloir I was trying to ski down.)
For the second lap, we summited a high point. We could see the limitless ocean and ice all around us. It was a perfect way to end this amazing experience.
All that was left to do was to ski down, all the way through the “birthing canal.”
Once again, great thanks to Estella, Nick, Andrew, and Brian for such a great trip. I hope to see them more in the future.
