(Fri Aug 22th - Sun Aug 31ST, 2014)

Roughly 100 km north of the polar circle in southwest Greenland lies the Arctic Circle Trail.

This long distance trail stretches for 170 km from the international airport of Greenland in Kangerlussuaq to Greenland’s second largest city, Sisimiut. During the summer months from June to September, the trail is free of snow and offers a spectacular hike from the inland to Greenland’s coast. Except for a few cabins and one bridge over the biggest river, the trail offers no luxuries, not even cell phone reception. The landscape along the path is very diverse, changing with each kilometre one comes closer to the coast.

In a group of three, we hiked the trail in late August when autumn was just about to start. It took us nine days to reach the settlement of Sisimiut where we then spent our last day just taking a well-deserved rest and enjoying this small colourful town.

We only met a few fellow hikers on the trail; in both directions and nine days, it had to be less than twenty people. The trail is far from being overcrowded. Besides human beings, we also encountered numerous reindeer and polar rabbits. Part of the way, we were paddling using canoes that are freely available at the shores of one the largest lake on the trail. Most of the time, we were camping in the wild, enjoying fresh Greenlandic evenings and mornings, often founding ourselves in spectacular locations.

We only used huts two times for staying overnight; however, these were highlights thanks to the positions of the huts and the comfort they offered to tired wanderers. Several nights, Aurora Borealis (northern lights) was creating its magical performance in the sky.

Wounds and tiredness do always vanish in the end. Memories remain.

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