Greenland on skis:
Alot to discover
A classic adventure of a lifetime
It’s the classic polar expedition: Crossing the largest island in the world is an experience you won't find anywhere else. Although physically and mentally challenging, it is well manageable for skilled individuals, making it a great experience.
Highlights
560 km on skis, crossing the largest expanse of ice in the world outside Antarctica
Travel like Fridtjof Nansen in 1888, on skis pulling a sledge
Visit the abandoned DYE2 station after about 120 km
Visit the small hunter village of Isortoq
Helicopter flight along the spectacular coast of East Greenland
Expedition Essentials
Date: 1 May - 5 June 2026
Trip duration: 36 days, of which 28-30 are on the ice
Requirements: This expedition involves skiing, pulling sledges, and camping in a tent. It requires physical fitness, good health, team spirit, and prior expedition experience.
Equipment: Ulrich Expeditions will provide you with most of the expedition equipment. Thomas Ulrich has perfected many parts of the equipment himself. As an expedition participant, you will be equipped by Ulrich Expeditions in the same way as the very top polar explorers are today. You only need to bring a few items of equipment yourself. Ulrich Expeditions will provide you with a detailed equipment list.
Prices (target price per person)
6 - 7 participants: CHF 20,500
4 - 5 participants : CHF 22,500
2 - 3 participants: CHF 35,500
Included in the price: The above sum includes flights, hotel accommodation, permits and meals in accordance with the travel program.
Not included: Personal equipment (according to the equipment list). Personal health, accident and evacuation insurance for the polar region. Cancellation insurance. Additional costs due to postponements and/or delays due to external circumstances (e.g. weather or flight delays). Additional, voluntary activities.
Expedition Details
Starting point. The starting point of the tour is the easily accessible town of Kangerlussuaq on the west coast of Greenland. There, we make the final preparations and then drive about 30 kilometers by special transport over a gravel road to the edge of the ice sheet. On the way, we pass several lakes, an airplane wreck and soon have a panoramic view of Greenland's immense ice front. At the famous Point 660, our journey across the ice begins.
28 to 30 days on skis. We walk uphill over the glacier for a few days until we finally reach the ice plateau where we see nothing but ice. It takes around 28 to 30 days to reach our destination of Isortoq on the east coast (around 560 kilometers away); progress depends heavily on the weather. In May, temperatures on the inland ice can drop to -35° Celsius, but it can also be very warm during the day.
Physical demands. On average, the group walks for around 8 - 11 hours a day, with short breaks inbetween. Everyone pulls a sledge with their luggage and some of the group's equipment. Around day 11, we reach the abandoned American early warning station DYE2, which is sinking into the ice - one of the most fascinating "lost places" in the world, and the crossing ends in the small village of Isortoq, which lies on a rocky island. The last few kilometers may therefore be covered with fjord ice.
Final Destination Isortoq. Isortoq is a special place: 44 people still live there and set out to hunt and fish every day. It is therefore not uncommon for polar bear skins to hang on the houses to dry. We slowly approach civilization again: From Isortoq, we take a helicopter to the airport in Kulusuk, flying back to Iceland and beyond.
“It’s just so different from what you expect. The vastness is an experience in itself. You feel small and fragile, yet you feel like you are in the center of it all.”
“It’s not about endurance, it’s about the joy of doing something that totally changes your perception.”
See our other guided expeditions:
Arctic
Antarctic