UKC

Thinking of taking a gap year after uni and i was thinking of things to do. Going climbing in greenland is something id love to do, having been there for a month a few summers ago. was wondering if anyone has any info on the best places to go for alpine style climbing and when the best time of the year is. Thanks alot

In reply to Alexander123:

Do a search. A few folk on here have climbed there.

In reply to Alexander123: Greenland is a big place with a lot of options. I was in NE Greenland this year in a huge virgin area.

Its not the kind of place you go to on a "last minute deal" Southern Greenland is more accesable. The likelyhood is you need to charter a flight to get you where you want to go. Jun-Aug(summer) is more rock climbing but this means more loose exposed rock. You may be limited on where planes can land. April May(spring) is great for alpine style climbing with rock/snow and ice. Seasons do vary.

Would propably say due to cost/remoteness/logistics you are better off going with 6+ people. Commercial firms are available they cost 3 times what we paid.

In reply to Alexander123: The Stauning Alps (half way up the east coast) is excellent with fantastic granite peaks and lots of glaciers. Most of the peaks have been climbed but many only once so new route possibilities about. However it is dear and you'll need a party of 8 to fill the aeroplane. It'll cost you between £2000 and £3000 each I think but if you are palnning new routes you may get some grants. There is lots of info on the area in Donald Bennetts guide (now out print) and in the AC library.

In reply to Laubie: Yeh i wouldnt be going for another 18 months so plenty time to plan. thanks for that info though, just really gettin ideas at the moment.

In reply to Alexander123:
Tangent have a very good name
http://www.tangent-expeditions.co.uk/
It is worth looking at their website for ideas, even if you don't go with them.

In reply to Alexander123:

See http://wayupnorth.co.uk/index.html (my friends website)for reports on my trips there (lemon mountains 1999 and 2000)

In reply to Alexander123: I was there a long time ago (94) and went up the East coast from Ammassalik on a very small boat sailed by a Danish hunter called Peter Winther. He lived in Greenland and was very helpfull and knowledgeable. Flying into the hills might be more efficient but leaning over the side of a tiny boat, that is overloaded with gear, pushing pack ice and small bergs out of our way with our feet, looking for open leads through the sea ice and having a fascinating conversation with a local hunter took some beating. The climbing was good too. Good luck with the planning.

I went to the southern tip of Greenland. This was rick climbing, but on a bigger, semi-alpine scale. The trip didn't seem that hard to organise, and this only partly because i didn't do any of the organising.

There's a mega-helpful guy called Nils who lives out there. He sorted us out, and wasn't after cash in any great way. i think he just wanted people to come to help the place a bit. He was our only 'guide', and we would pay the local fishermen directly for transport. He would be easy to contact.

And, although we were rock climbing, only inland it was all glacial.