Dates 2022:
- 17 – 27 September (guided by Daniel Kordan)
We invite you to join our unique expedition on “Maria” schooner to South Greenland. We plan to sail through the southern fjords of Greenland in summer and to sail through the legendary Prince Christian Sound.
We will visit stunning Prince Christian Fjord and Tasermiut fjords. The main goal is to shoot beautiful icebergs, fjords and high granite peaks of the region. That’s why we’ll work out our everyday timetable taking into account ice situation and the weather.
We have 2 quick and maneuver “Zodiacs” which can be launched at any moment to get closer to the animals or to go ashore. Safety measures questions are paid special attention: satellite phone, navigational system and ice maps.
So what is the Prince Christian Sound? That is rugged terrain, lots of high amazing peaks. I call this place “Arctic Patagonia” because of numerous granite walls.
You can take a glance on the area we intend to explore by eyes of hikers:
1) 25-day hiking and packrafting expedition through extreme Southern Greenland. Pictures and Video. Trip report part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4 and part 5.
2) Greenland hiking, 2009
3) Greenland Big Wall Kayak Trip – The Map
4) Stunning Tasermiut fjord photos
But instead of kayaks and hiking with all the gear and wear we have a schooner with all facilities and a private chef! So no need to hiking in wild conditions and rafting for weeks. We’ll see everything in comfort at best suitable times for photography. No need of camping! You will be always in comfort, and you can always charge your batteries. We have triple and twin cabins on board.
There will be not much of hiking on the tour! Always there is a possibility to stay at the shore, near the waterfall etc.
We’ve chosen September and October as it is the best time to visit Big Walls of Arctic: there is a major chance of solar activity and thus northern lights! But do not expect to see many icebergs on this tour. It is mainly about mountain super remote landscape.
Air tickets: we will buy air tickets in the beginning of 2020, when the schedule will be out. Notice that flight to Greenland are expensive (expect the price around 1000 usd from Copenhagen return, or around 600-700 USD return from Reykjavik).
“Maria” schooner
Schooner «Maria» is a modern sailing ship, that has been designed by the world-famous ship designer O. van Meer Design, and was built by Laan & Kooy, Den Oever in Holland. Originally the ship’s hull was constructed in 1963 as a fishing vessel, and worked as a fishing vessel on the North Sea after being finished. Year 1993 the old fishing vessel was modified to become a sailing vessel and was equipped to meet the standards of a charter vessel.
The vessel is equipped to meet all the modern safety requirements, and is always carrying a certificated and competent crew according to the authorities requirements.
All passenger cabins are equipped with a sink. On the corridor you can find 5 pcs toilets and 5 pcs showers. The vessel has a 230V electrical system, to which electricity can be produced with our own generators while at sea.
Day 1, 17 September
The start is from Narsarsuaq, Greenland.
To reach Narsarsuaq airport (code UAK), I recommend the Air Greenland flight departing from Copenhagen or Iceland Air departing from Reykjavik Domestic.
Boarding the schooner and departure.
Tickets available for exact dates from RKV at:
https://www.icelandair.com/
And for Air Greenland flights I recommend to arrive a day or 2 days earlier, stay in Nuuk one night from 15th to 16th or transfer in Nuuk on 16th September and stay in Narsarsuaq hotel one night 16 to 17th September: https://www.hotelnarsarsuaq.gl/?lang=en
Day 2
At 9:00 a.m. we check out and board the schooner “Maria”. Once we are on the schooner we will start sailing towards inner islands and fjords of South Greenland towards Stordalens Havn.
Soon we encounter the highest and most dramatic peaks of the whole Greenland in these fjords. During the evening we may take the optional hike to one of the ridges at Stordalens or Kangerdluk fjords. We may even bring a tent with us to the small lakes up the top to meet sunrise or wait for northern lights if the weather permits.
Day 3
Greenland ice shield is the second biggest in the world except Antarctic. Fjord system consists of many big glaciers from Greenland shield. These days we’ll sail into gorgeous mini-fjords. It’s here where you can see the most splendid icebergs. Many of them are pure blue pieces of ice which have just broken away from glacier’s terminal. We are at Prince Christian. Every day we will try to get to observation point above the fjord: mountains are very high here, so we need a higher point to achieve panoramic views.
Day 4
This day we spend travelling by land: we will visit Aapilatoq – the very remote village nested in between the most beautiful mountains of Greenland.
Day 5
The schooner continue to sail westwards towards the awesome Tasermiut fjord. We’ll see high mountains resembling Patagonia: granite peaks rise 200-300 meters above the mountain range and go high into the sky. We can sail close to the glacier fronts here.
Day 6
Today we start to explore granite walls of Tasermiut fjord. There are many locations under “Big Walls” of South Greenland. They remind me world-famous Fitz Roy or El Capitan. They are the Ulamertorsuaq (1830 m, the Arctic version of El Capitan), the Nalumasortoq (2050 m, it is shaped like an open book, 900 meters tall with plane walls) and the giant granite peak of the Ketil (2,010 m). Unlike Patagonia it is no need to hike to reach beautiful viewpoints: there are always waterfalls, lakes, ponds and colorful autumn carpet as a foreground. These are completely wild and remote places. The Tasermiut glacier is amazing itself, descending 1400 meters above the water and it’s a hanging glacier.
Days 7, 8, 9
Three days to explore amazing granite peaks of Tasermiut fjord: Ketil and other “icons” of South Greenland.
Day 10
On the way out of Tasermiut we visit quiet villages Nanortalik and Qaqortoq. On the way to Qaqortoq we may stop at hot springs island. It is a truly magical experience to warm up in the 38 C water looking at northern lights above and icebergs passing by in the fjord. We will sail in direction to the village of Saarloq, a village almost abandoned. We stop for a short hike. In the afternoon we will set off for Uunartoq through the complex system of fjords. In the evening we will have free time to enjoy a relaxing bath in warm springs of Uunartoq. It is the only thermal springs to which access is possible in Greenland, while icebergs float just outside of hot springs. Night near Uunartoq Island on the yacht.
Day 11, 27 September
Departure day – we depart from Narsarsuaq airport (Iceland Air or Air Greenland)
Pricing:
Total price: 7900 USD per person twin cabin, 6900 USD per person triple cabin
Maximum Number of Participants: 18
Difficulty: easy
Included in the price:
– Accomodation and transportation by schooner
– All meals (except alcohol and snacks)
– Instruction and master classes by professional guide
– Professional crew of arctic sailors
– Zodiac boat services
– Fuel
– Port taxes and fees
Not included in the price:
– Airfare to and from Greenland
– Visas (if applicable)
– Alcohol
– Snacks
Please check flights to Greenland at Airgreenland dot com and Air iceland connect.
We buy air tickets in the beginning of 2020.
What to bring
Gear:
– DSLR camera with tripod and remote shutter release
– A wide angle lens. For example, Nikkor 14-24 or Canon 17-40. Best lens for use in wide-angle scenes or architecture photography
– A middle-zoom lens such as a 24-70 mm
– A telephoto zoom lens, such as a 70-200 mm. 300 mm with 1.5 TC or 500 mm, 600 mm are recommended for wildlife and bird photography. Be sure to have additional tripod mount to this lens.
Wear:
– Waterproof and windproof jacket (consider the average temperature +5 – +10 C at nights and +8 – +15 C during the daytime)
– Waterproof pants
– Warm jacket and thermal pants
– Wellingtons or fishing boots
The full list will be sent by mail to participants.
What is the difference between workshop, tour and expedition?
Workshop: we have a very light schedule, and in between sessions we spend lots of time on lessons, processing instruction. We have time to teach each other in-fields. Suitable for beginners.
Tour: We bring you at amazing locations at exact time! We help you to setup cameras and travel a lot. We are short in time to make so many tuition sessions as we can do during workshop. Suitable for beginners.
Expedition: we use all our time to work hard on our photography! We have almost no time for tuition, but we work shoulder to shoulder, sharing our secrets and tips. You may always consult with a leader. You should know your camera settings very well, it is not suitable for complete beginners.
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