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| Eqi Glacier is one of the most active in Greenland. |
I always want to see what's around the next corner -- even if I'm starting a 23-km hike to Greenland's ice sheet at 3 o'clock in the afternoon. My legs say no, but my mind says absolutely.
I didn't come to Greenland just to see its world-renowned ice sheet, but to experience what it's like to stand on a mass of glacial ice that extends 1.7 million sq.-km. Covering 80% of the country, it's the second largest ice sheet in the world aside from Antarctica, and it's melting at a record pace.
I awake at 6 a.m. to take a five-hour boat ride from the town of Ilulissat to the Eqi Glacier -- a 4-km wall of ice that reaches 250 metres in height. The glacier is one of the most active in Greenland. Ice falling into the frigid ocean sounds like thunder. I watch it, mesmerized, for two hours on the boat before arriving at World of Greenland's Eqi Ice Camp across the bay, where I spot a sign that says: "Ice Sheet 4 hours."
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| A panoramic view of Eqi Glacier |
"Yes, it takes about eight hours, but I've done it in six," he replies.
I'm soon on the trail, slogging up the first portion of the hike -- a steep climb that lasts about an hour.
I question what I'm getting myself into as the thunder from the glacier begins to fade. I've never hiked such a long distance before, let alone in an afternoon, but I'm determined to walk on the ice sheet, regardless of whether my legs agree.
The scenery is like nothing I've seen before. There are no trees in the Arctic, only colourful low-lying shrubs in brilliant shades of red and brown. Giant black boulders are everywhere as if someone rolled them out to enhance the view. I keep checking over my shoulder for bears, even though there aren't any here. The same goes for people.
For those who love to get off the beaten path and away from it all, Greenland is the place to be. The population of Ilulissat is about 4,000, making it the third-largest city in Greenland. The population of the entire country is around 56,000. Finding a nice, quiet hike is never a problem.
Suddenly I get my first glimpse of the ice sheet on the horizon. It's enormous and looks ridiculously far. But the view gives me new life, so I cruise through the hilly terrain, eager to see what's around the next corner, only to find the part the guide warned me about.
The steepest part of the hike is the last few kilometres through a big valley. It looks like nothing I've ever done before. Doubt begins to creep in.
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| Cotton grows along the edges of Greenland |
"Oh come on! Not now!" I say aloud in frustration as the past two days of non-stop adventure ripple through my old bones.
I wish this story had an epic ending -- like I crawled to the ice sheet on hands and knees, and stood on it with tears of joy streaming down my face. Instead, there were tears of another kind as I am forced to turn back because of limited time. It is now 5:45 p.m., and if I want to make it back to town before dark, there's no time for stopping.
I accept that I didn't reach my goal of walking on the ice sheet. But I did give it my best shot, hiking a total of 18 km with lightning speed.
Ida Pallesen has walked on the ice sheet. Working as a guide for World of Greenland, the 28-year-old has been there more than 40 times, taking guests from all over the world.
"It's like a whole other world up there. It is like a desert of ice and you feel like it will go on forever," he said. "You feel very small ... like the time stops as long as you are up there. I feel very lucky to be one of the people that have had this experience."
- published by Sun Media January 2015
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| Me looking at a toe of the ice sheet. So close but yet so far, just like everything in Greenland. |