“Running in deep snow is more strenuous than I
expected. Respect for the dogs increases when
you can jump onto the sledge again,” says Thomas
from Heidelberg. The amateur triathlete likes to
travel to Arctic locations often. “In particular,
the combination of diving and the dog sledge
adventure was especially appealing to me on this
expedition,” he explains.
04
05
SERMILIK FJORD
During the dog sledging tour, the accommodation
is a good example of the “off the grid”,
adventurous nature of this trip: a lonely cottage
lying at the edge of Sermilik Fjord. There is no
running water, but plenty of snow on the roof to
thaw and use. The generator provides power and
the stove heats the cabin up quickly – all ready,
warm and cosy for the adventurers to return from
the frozen lands.
The dive trips embark from this little beacon of
comfort in a breathtaking landscape. The scenery
is majestic and immense, with its steep mountains,
gigantic fjords, and magnificent icebergs.
The special attractions underwater are the
incredible icebergs. Frozen in time, these icy
behemoths broke off last summer from a nearby
glacier which is in turn fed by the huge Greenland
ice cap. First, an appropriate entry has to be found
in the water. “How and where we can go diving
cannot be predicted,” says Gust, and anyone
who has been in the Arctic knows exactly what
he means. First, the weather can change at any
time, but also the ice conditions must be closely
watched at all times. If the ice is too thin, even the
comparatively gentle huskies can’t drive up to the
ice edge.
Guests will get a unique
and incomparable
diving experience
Gust has a solution to that: A hole is literally
hacked into the thicker part of the fjord ice and
that is the dive entry point. “Big cracks in the
ice can quickly occur in the spring time. Divers
could also enter the water using one of these
cracks, but it’s important to always check out
the surrounding situation so as not to move into
dangerous territory,” Gust explains while closely
inspecting the fjord through his binoculars.
SDOP
26