PADDLER 64
“ The 900km before me was split into three equal sections – Upernavik archipelago , Melville Bay and the last third from Savissivik to Qaanaaq . ”
PADDLER 64
TRYING TO DODGE THE ICE AGAIN
And so I found myself in Upernavik again in late July this year – about three weeks later than in 2023 to try to dodge the ice . This time , I had a support boat on standby . Laasi is a hunter up in Kullorsuaq and his wife , Birgitta , a teacher there . They were going to do some narwhal and seal hunting in Melville Bay and were happy to go super slow and hang around in VHF radio contact – or satphone contact in case I needed assistance , advice , or just to know what the ice conditions were like . It turns out the ice was just as bad as the previous year , if not slightly worse and was causing problems for hunters accessing close to the coast in Melville and with the traditional narwhal hunting . And so it turned out that , yet again , the ice was more of a worry than anticipated , but there was nothing for it but to give it a go . There was no way I could afford to leave it and come back again next year .
And so , on a cold and rainy day at the end of July , I paddled out of Upernavik Harbour , winding my way through the Upernavik Archipelago , a whole series of islands and headlands , fairly well sprinkled with tiny settlements that continued up to Kullorsuaq – the last settlement before Melville and where I would meet up with Laasi and Birgitta . The 900km before me was split into three equal sections – Upernavik archipelago , Melville Bay and the last third from Savissivik to Qaanaaq . That first section was glorious – beautiful weather ( after the first day anyway ), mirror calm waters , incredible scenery and icebergs and the icing
“ The 900km before me was split into three equal sections – Upernavik archipelago , Melville Bay and the last third from Savissivik to Qaanaaq . ”