This report details a five-day hiking trip along the east bank of the Tasermiut Fjord in southern Greenland, traveling south from Klosterdalen. The journey was the culmination of many years of meticulous research, including gathering maps and aerial photos from various sources.

Photos:   https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B1i5n8hH4nwrHg

Cartographic Discrepancies

A key source of information was the Harvey Maps, specifically the “Tasermiut Fjord & Nanortalik Hiking Map” (ISBN: GRE-TASER-17), which is the official map for the region: https://longitudemaps.com/products/tasermiut-fjorden-nanortalik-hiking-map_gre-taser-17. However, the route depicted on this 1995 map was found to be a “fantasy.” The trail shown simply does not exist today. As someone with a strong background in cartography, I can confirm that the topographic lines on the map are not accurate. I believe that Harvey Maps should update this map or cease its publication.

For reference, our actual route is available here: https://caltopo.com/m/N1SETQC.

The Challenge of the Terrain

The journey began with a drop-off by boat from Nanortalik onto a rocky shore, as there is no established trail. We were immediately confronted with the necessity of bushwhacking through dense and challenging terrain. The landscape was incredibly beautiful, but our progress was severely limited. After three grueling 10- to 12-hour days of hiking, we had only covered approximately five to six miles down the fjord, though we likely covered six times that distance in lateral movements while navigating obstacles.

The primary obstacles to movement were threefold:

  1. Dwarf Birch Thickets: These trees grow sideways rather than upwards, creating an almost impenetrable thicket. At the end of the growing season, they were at their maximum size, completely obscuring the ground. Trekking poles were rendered useless as they would not find solid ground, sinking into the moss beneath the sticks. While challenging, a redeeming quality was the lack of thorns, which allowed us to push through without being shredded by briars. It is also important to note that the light green moss that grows over some creeks and runoffs will not support weight, a lesson we learned quickly.
  2. Chasms and Cliffs: The route is extremely rough and remote, and we were constantly forced to navigate around numerous chasms, cliffs, rivers, and waterfalls. As regular climbers, we are accustomed to challenging rock faces, but trying to navigate this terrain while wearing packs on loose scree with potential for creating a small avalanche did not make for a good bouldering experience.
  3. Route Passability: There is a lot of discussion online about the passability of the east shore of the Tasermiut Fjord. Based on our experience, I would say it is not passable for a through-hike. The only other report I have found from someone attempting this hike involved an individual coming from the south (we attempted from the north) who also abandoned their attempt. In the end, we abandoned our attempt halfway through the planned 20-mile route.

Communication Challenges – MAJOR ZOLEO FAILURE

A critical part of our preparation was carrying redundant communication devices. We carried both a Zoleo and an Iridium satellite phone. When we realized we couldn’t meet our original goal, we attempted to use the Zoleo to contact our boat captain for an early pickup. The Zoleo successfully connected to the satellite network in the U.S., but its backend telephone network failed to connect to the Greenlandic phone system ( or any +299 phone number) . This was frustrating as the Zoleo’s UI indicated the message had been sent with a green checkmark, which was misleading. When we finally got back to civilization, we placed the receiving Greenlander’s phone on a table and sent it a text. The Zoleo had indicated that it got through, but it clearly had not. Thankfully, our backup Iridium satellite phone worked, and we were able to arrange our pickup.

Conclusion

Despite only completing about half of our planned route, the trip was extraordinarily rewarding. We experienced a level of pristine beauty and remoteness that is hard to describe. We could even hear the sounds of snow and glacial cracking from a distance as avalanches occurred during the night.

I would recommend this area for hiking, but with the caveat that one should not expect to cover significant distances. This hike is the culmination of many years of backpacking experience and requires a painstaking amount of preparation. The audience here on Backpacking Light seems the appropriate place to find people who would be adequately prepared for this. The average person who just happens to be stumbling into Greenland looking for an adventure should probably not try it. The feeling of being “beyond the edge of civilization” was a unique and unforgettable experience.