After our trip on the Arctic Circle Trail, we had planned to fly back to Kangerlussuaq to visit the ice cap of Greenland. The weather however had something against it, as our flight on Thursday got cancelled because of some low clouds and heavy wind. As the plane on Friday was already full, we were rebooked on Saturday's flight, which was the same day where we had to fly back to Copenhagen. That meant that we had to cancel our trip to the ice cap and while that certainly was a pity, we soon adjusted to the situation and just made the best out of it. Getting up to a blue sky on Friday early morning, to me it was clear how I would spend that additional day. Just outside of Sisimiut was a mountain called Nasaasaaq and while it not only was within easy reach, it apparently also featured a scramble to get to the top. It sounded exactly like something I would do in Switzerland and understandably, Zoe, Gregory and Lisa decided to do something else. :) Joni however opted to tag along and so we left Sisimiut after a short stop in the supermarket around 10 o'clock. Knowing the way from our arrival a couple days before, we followed the main street out of Sisimiut, passed the bored sledge dogs once again and walked down the dirt road until we had reached the muddy construction site.
Right there should have been the start of the ascent and looking at the mountainside ahead of us, it took us a moment until we saw a fairly hidden trail leading upwards. Coming closer, we found a sign lying on the ground saying that that was the path up to Mount Nasaasaaq. Why exactly the signpost was on the ground and not standing as it should have been, we couldn’t figure out. We just hoped that the trail was still accessible. :) Well, there was only one way to find out and so we headed up the steep and rocky slope, where before long we had to use our hands for the first time. The scramble was short however and while the terrain got easier afterwards, we already had gained enough height to get a beautiful outlook over the lake outside of Sisimiut.
Unfortunately, the panoramic view wasn't there for very long, as we soon went over a hill and ventured into the valley beyond. Valley might have been the wrong word though, as ravine would have worked just as well, given that we had to walk along a narrow rocky trail with impressive mountainsides to either side. Once again, the ascent was steep and as we were mainly in the shadow, it was fairly cold, even though there still wasn't a single cloud in the sky. Eventually reaching the end of the slope, we came upon a plateau that featured the only turnoff of the whole hike. Taking a right turn after a short break, we faced another steep and rocky ascent, that once more required the use of our hands. Luckily, it was nothing too difficult and we enjoyed the challenging terrain, after we had had little of that on the ACT. :) Well, the slope leveled off as soon as we had brought that climbing section behind us and from now on led gently upwards along a wide mountainside.
Walking along the still rocky trail, we noticed that we weren't the only ones trying our luck today, as some other hikers could be seen ascending far away in the distance. About 15 minutes later, we came upon the end of the gentle slope and as the view ahead of us finally opened up, we could see a peak that for sure would have had the best lookout over Sisimiut. To visit that mountain would have been quite a detour however and so we decided against it, following the direction of a huge arrow on a massive boulder instead, that pointed the way towards Mount Nasaasaaq. Heading further upwards, we walked across an enormous boulder field and while the trail in that part was only vaguely to be seen, the direction luckily was pretty obvious. :)
10 minutes later, we had reached a vast plateau, where a fantastic view towards the ocean as well as to the mighty Mount Nasaasaaq unfolded ahead of us. Wow! There was no other choice than to take a break and to marvel at our surroundings which not only featured the two landmarks but reached all the way to some icy Greenlandic mountains in the distance. :)
As it was kinda windy on the exposed plateau, we moved on before long and headed straight to the bottom of Mount Nasaasaaq.
Looking at the impressive mountainside in front of us, there was absolutely no trail to be seen, but once we had started with the final ascent, we soon noticed that the path was surprisingly easy to find. Plenty of markings were leading the way and even though we lost the trail a couple times in between, we always found it again shortly afterwards. Having read beforehand about the challenging scrambling parts, the first one presented itself about halfway up the mountain. A steeper rock wall had to be overcome and while the additional rope wouldn’t have been absolutely necessary, we definitely didn't mind that it was there. :)
Enjoying the dazzling view from the top of the rock wall for a moment, we continued to ascend before long and about five minutes later already came upon the second scrambling section. And what a surprise that was! An even steeper rock wall had some fixed iron steps in it and it almost felt like we were on a trail in Switzerland, as we never would have expected to see anything like that in Greenland. :)
With the help of the steps, it was no problem to conquer the rock wall and as the “worst” was now behind us, the rest of the ascent happened in a breeze. Well, to be sure, the ground remained tricky and there was a rather exposed part before the peak, but both presented no real challenge anymore. Standing on the summit around noon, the view that unfolded around us was just unbelievable. We had a 360° panorama, reaching from Sisimiut, to the ocean, to a super long fjord and to the hilly countryside of Greenland. Even the ACT could be seen in the valley below and for a while we just stood there admiring the scenery.
As expected, we shared the peak with the other hikers, but as it was a surprisingly vast one, there was plenty of space for all of us. It was even possible to descend a gentle slope on the far side and therefore I decided to head a bit further to get a better picture of the fjord. Walking downwards for a couple minutes, I noticed a movement on a hill in the distance and hardly could believe my eyes. Three musk oxen, most probably a family, were standing on that hill and were curiously looking in my direction. As they had a steep ledge below their feet, it was impossible for them to get down and once Joni had caught up with me, we used that advantage to get as close as possible. :) Joni had the better camera and ventured a bit further, while I observed the stunning animals from afar. Not only the musk oxen were stunning however, as the view definitely was one of the best we had had in whole Greenland. :)
Once we had seen enough, we returned to the summit, just to notice that the other hikers had left already and so we sat down for lunch, having the peak all to ourselves. :) While the weather had been perfect so far, slowly, but surely, some clouds appeared in the sky and when an hour later we started to descend again, the sun was mostly gone. That was absolutely fine though and while it had been a bit cold on the peak, moving down the mountain soon warmed us up again. :) Passing the two scrambling sections without any problems, we were back at the foot of the mountain in no time.
As the descent was exactly the same way as the ascent, we just retraced our steps to the construction site and from there headed back to Sisimiut. Well, what a great day that was! With some of the best weather in the whole two weeks and the perfect view from the summit, the ending of our trip to Greenland couldn’t have been any better. And as for that outing to the ice cap, let’s do that the next time we’re in Greenland. :)
Highlights of the day: the stunning view from the peak, the well-maintained trail and of course the three musk oxen :)
This hike is for you if:
- you're looking for the best views over Sisimiut and its surroundings
- you always wanted to stand on a mountain top in Greenland :)
- you don't mind some challenging terrain
- you have a spare day while being in Sisimiut
This hike is not for you if:
- you have vertigo
- you don't like to scramble
- you mind getting up or down some very steep slopes
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