Part of our mission on this Oceanwide Expeditions voyage is to scout and shoot some Greenland #trailrunning options for future trips. The terrain here is harsh – even forbidding – with serrated ridgelines and dagger-like spires stabbing into gruel-gray cloud banks. Along the edges of Scoresby Sund – a fjord system named for an infamous 19th century Scottish whaler – Devonian sandstone outcrops ruck up, covered in sparse tundra scrub and little else.
Temperatures have hovered around zero since our arrival, dipping towards -10 Degrees on the odd occasion. And amidst the cathedral icebergs and glacier-choked ravines, there lurks the largest predator on land: the polar bear. All in all, a daunting terrain to run in, but the utter geographic drama and natural splendour makes it impossible to say no to the lure of running in earth’s final remaining wilderness.
Our first scouting was from the scenic mooring of Jittehavn. Robs and I headed out under the watchful eyes of our guides, Jan and Georg, borh armed with.30-06 calibre rifles. While the rest of our group continued on their hike, Robs tested out a few potential loops. Over the next week or so, the plan is to recce half a dozen areas with easy zodiac landing spots, allowing runners to explore a multi-day route unlike any other trail on the planet.
Right now, Robs needs to un-thaw his toes, because tomorrow the adventure aboard the ‘Rembrandt van Rijn’ will continue. Plus, the aurora borealis forecast for tonight is not shabby at all!