CROSSING THE ICE SHEET
A 600 km totally self-sufficient east-west crossing of the ice sheet by pulka, offered by tour operators.
A number of expeditions regularly take place on the ice sheet, including 600-km crossings from east to west, generally requiring around 4 weeks' travel by pulka (sledge). Because of the impassable, highly dangerous fracture zones, a helicopter drops people off at point 660 near Kangerlussuaq (west) or by boat after the village of Isortoq (east), where the ice is accessible, passable and takes on the appearance of mountains and valleys, lakes and rivers (bédières) of extremely pure blue water at 0.5°C. While expeditions here are less risky than those around the glacier, the terrain is still rugged and requires a certain amount of experience. Spring is by far the best time to go, as the ice is still intact and temperatures are much milder than in winter. During the summer months, the melting ice surface can become very wet, resulting in crevasses, moulins, torrents, stretches of water and sharp ice surfaces. After several kilometers, the surface flattens out and the slope weakens until conditions are more suitable for human progress. And here, in the midst of Greenland's icy interior, a landscape akin to another planet in the solar system, is revealed an incredible calm and silence that can only be matched in a few other places on the planet. An overwhelming silence of beauty against the omnipresence of ice that will make you feel tiny in a gigantic immaculate universe. An unforgettable expedition that will take you beyond your own limits.
An expedition on the ice sheet cannot be improvised, as it requires extensive training, costly logistical organization and special government authorization, not to mention the need to find insurance in case of accident, repatriation and the required equipment (freeze-dried food, tents, pulka, skis, warm clothing, GPS, shovels, distress beacon...).
Several tour operators offer expeditions, including Icelandic Mountain Guides, Ousland Expeditions, Pirhuk and The Red House. Find out more beforehand on the website, and don't hesitate to contact them by e-mail or telephone!
For the less adventurous, expeditions to the edge of the cap on foot or by helicopter are also possible! Find out more on site.