Spring 2013
The 2013 season started in mid-March with our classic Sailboat Ski trips onboard Aurora. For the 8th year in a row Captain Siggi has impressed our guests with his freshly picked mussels and delicious soups, after the group has skied from one fjord to the next, from one mountain to another. Runar organized ski mountaineering courses in the mountains around the town of Isafjordur, we did some winter camping under the northern lights and assisted several groups of professional skiers, climbers and photographers with logistics in the area. It's busy times and that's how we like it.
When snow melts, we'll store our ski gear and take out our trekking boots and kayaks. We have some departures where we accept individual bookings and where we still have a few places available:
"Fjords and Birdcliffs" is a new 6-day hiking trip in Hornstrandir where we spend the nights in the old farmhouse of Kviar and in confortable tents in the majestic Hornvik while all luggage is transported with a speedboat. It's a relatively easy trip as the participants are not required to carry heavy load between campsites. We have two guaranteed departures in July: 8/7 - 13/7 and 22/7 - 27/7.
More details: http://boreaadventures.com/nature/Fjords_and_Birdcliffs/
"Lost Fjords" is another 6-day trekking trip in Hornstrandir. It's more physically challenging than the other trip as the participants are required to carry their backpacks between campsites. It covers the entire northern part of Hornstrandir and shows all the best that the area has to offer; history, midnight sun, bays, arctic foxes and bird cliffs. We have two guaranteed departures for that trip: 15/7-20/7 and 29/7-3/8.
More details: http://boreaadventures.com/nature/Lost_Fjords/
"Paddle in the Wild" is a 6-day kayak trip where we experience beautiful fjords, waterfalls, Drangajokull glacier and small islands. The area has rich wildlife; abundance of birds, seals and arctic foxes, good chance to spot whales and porpoises. This trip is intended for people with kayaking experience. Nights will be spent in good and comfortable tents. We have available places for one departure: 5/8 - 10/8.
More details: http://boreaadventures.com/summer/Paddle_in_the_Wild/
We'd be happy to have you onboard one of those trips and we guarantee that you will return with a big smile on your face and great memories from our remote corner of Iceland.
Rúnar Óli Karlsson
Skiing through the hardship of Hornstrandir - New video
Last May we were privileged with the visit of Jordan and Chad Manley, Forrest Coots and Chad Sayers, coming to Iceland to film a skiing segment for Arc'teryx and Gore Tex. We spent ten days with them crossing a glacier, paddling kayaks wit
h skis strapped on deck, sailing the fjords, eating good food and of course skiing. What a great bunch of guys and the result is this amazing film where the story of the landscape is as important as the skiing itself. Thank you guys!
You can see more of Jordan's work here: http://jordanmanley.com/blog/
You can see more of Jordan's work here: http://jordanmanley.com/blog/
Rúnar Óli Karlsson
The One Life Crew
In May last year we got the One Life crew on board Aurora. They are a group of tough snowboarding girls of four nationalities and the aim was to film and shoot their adventures in the fjords of Hornstrandir. They had a blast and the first result appeared in Cooler Magazine. Here is the article.
Thank you girls for a great trip!
East Greenland - an awesome wilderness
The extent of the Denmark Strait sea-ice reached a record
high this past summer and it looked like we wouldn´t be able to reach the coast
of Greenland as planned. Fortunately the ice cleared enough and we were able to
sail out of Ísafjörður harbour with a group of enthusiastic explorers on July
29th.
Before long we were reaching under full sails, heading towards Greenland at a speed of 10-12 knots. We had planned to start our expedition in Nansen Fjord but it was packed full of ice so landfall was in one of our favourite spots in the magnificent Kangerdlugssuaq Fjord. This is one of the most spectacular areas in the Arctic with views of towering mountains and immense ice-filled tributary fjords. Kangerdlugssuaq Fjord is a region of Greenland that only a few hardy adventurers in the annals of Arctic exploration have ever deigned to challenge but one that we have studied and explored for many years.
Soon after Aurora was safely anchored in Suhaili Bay, the group took to the kayaks to explore the vicinity. After only half an hour of paddling on the calm waters, they came across a young polar bear swimming in the sea. Watching in awe as this magnificent animal climbed out of the water and onto an iceberg, the bear then retreated to a nearby island.
We spent a few fantastic days exploring the surrounding area onboard Aurora, kayaking the tranquil waters and hiking in the hills and mountains. We continued south along the coast, which the British Admiralty has quoted 'as the most difficult in Greenland'. Visiting some of our favourite, sheltered anchorages and hiking and kayaking en route. After two weeks of outstanding adventure we arrived in the village of Kulusuk where our guests left us for their flights back home.
In 2013 we are planning one trip on this exclusive expedition to the 'Forbidden Coast' and only nine seats will be available. Please don´t wait too long to secure your seat.
From the end of August to mid September 2013, we are running two week-long tours in the Ammassalik area. We call this expedition 'Arctic Fjordscapes'. The trip is suitable for anyone interested in experiencing the magic of late summer in Greenland onboard our expedition sailing yacht the Aurora. We combine visits to the local villages alongside easy activities such as hiking and kayaking. This is early autumn and the northern lights will surely light up the night sky for us as we anchor in secluded coves. The two trips both start and conclude in the village of Kulusuk where the small airport offers domestic and international flights.
Before long we were reaching under full sails, heading towards Greenland at a speed of 10-12 knots. We had planned to start our expedition in Nansen Fjord but it was packed full of ice so landfall was in one of our favourite spots in the magnificent Kangerdlugssuaq Fjord. This is one of the most spectacular areas in the Arctic with views of towering mountains and immense ice-filled tributary fjords. Kangerdlugssuaq Fjord is a region of Greenland that only a few hardy adventurers in the annals of Arctic exploration have ever deigned to challenge but one that we have studied and explored for many years.
Soon after Aurora was safely anchored in Suhaili Bay, the group took to the kayaks to explore the vicinity. After only half an hour of paddling on the calm waters, they came across a young polar bear swimming in the sea. Watching in awe as this magnificent animal climbed out of the water and onto an iceberg, the bear then retreated to a nearby island.
We spent a few fantastic days exploring the surrounding area onboard Aurora, kayaking the tranquil waters and hiking in the hills and mountains. We continued south along the coast, which the British Admiralty has quoted 'as the most difficult in Greenland'. Visiting some of our favourite, sheltered anchorages and hiking and kayaking en route. After two weeks of outstanding adventure we arrived in the village of Kulusuk where our guests left us for their flights back home.
In 2013 we are planning one trip on this exclusive expedition to the 'Forbidden Coast' and only nine seats will be available. Please don´t wait too long to secure your seat.
From the end of August to mid September 2013, we are running two week-long tours in the Ammassalik area. We call this expedition 'Arctic Fjordscapes'. The trip is suitable for anyone interested in experiencing the magic of late summer in Greenland onboard our expedition sailing yacht the Aurora. We combine visits to the local villages alongside easy activities such as hiking and kayaking. This is early autumn and the northern lights will surely light up the night sky for us as we anchor in secluded coves. The two trips both start and conclude in the village of Kulusuk where the small airport offers domestic and international flights.
Rúnar Óli Karlsson
Looking back on Greenland
Our guide Haukur Sigurðsson published a great post on his blog this summer about his adventures in Greenland last year. He sure has a good eye for photos with his background in visual anthopology and a sense for the Inuit culture. I recommend this reading. Haukur's Blog can be found HERE.
