Author: Traveling Rockhopper

Before going to Greenland, I read that it’s not so windy there. But for your own good, it’s better to assume it’s windy and take appropriate clothes. 🙂

Wearing proper clothes is very crucial in Greenland. A few layers, with outer wind- and water-proof one is a very good idea; especially in winter. In summer months (June-August), the weather may change from very warm to very cold, plus mosquitoes and midges may be quite annoying.

Low humidity is a good news for all people who are scared of cold in Greenland; when the air is dry, the low temperatures don’t feel so cold. 😉

Is it cold in Greenland?
Well, it is often cold.
Cold places are “cool”. 😉

Greenland has an Arctic climate with average temperatures about 10 degrees Celsius in the warmest months (it can be even around 20C). Winder is colder, much colder; so you really have to plan what kind of clothes you should take with you for visiting Greenland. At the end, “cold” is a part of unique experience in Greenland. 😉

Can you believe there are hot springs in Greenland?

“They are not due to volcanic activity, as is the case on Iceland. It appears that the water is heated by deep layers in the earth’s crust rubbing against each other.” (source: https://visitgreenland.com)

The temperature of hot springs in Greenland varies between ~37-60 degrees Celsius.

If Greenland cannot be called “Iceland”, maybe “Glacierland” is still an option? 😀
Of course, I’m joking; nevertheless, the huge area of Greenland is covered by ice sheet so glaciers are popular in Greenland.

Dog sledding is an interesting experience you can have in Greenland, in winter.
At some point, I was thinking “poor dogs”, but these dogs actually don’t mind low temperatures and love to run; so it’s definitely far far from “elephants in Thailand”, etc.

Just be aware, that sled dogs are “kind of wild dogs”, even looking extra cute, they can be pet only if the owner allows to do so!

25 km from Kangerlussuaq, you’ll find this amazing Ice Cap.

Here, I’ll only cite a sentence from https://visitgreenland.com/destinations/kangerlussuaq/ :
“nothing conveys Earth’s power like the Greenland Ice Cap”.
Nicely said! 🙂

Apparently, Kangerlussuaq has more than 300 days of clear sky a year.
Well, I’m not sure how much truth is in this sentence. 😉

Kangerlussuaq is a small town with about 500 people living there.
Kangerlussuaq is a name of the town and nearby fjord; it means “big fjord”.
Kangerlussuaq is a good starting point for visiting a few beautiful sites in Greenland.

Because of its location, in Greenland you can experience long, dark nights in winter (plus enjoy northern lights) and long, sunny days in summer (when the sun stays above the horizon).

The northern lights are a wonderful phenomenon. Its idea is relatively simple, but it’s still very fascinating and effective.

Long, dark nights in Greenland (with “some help from the Sun” 😉 ) give a great opportunity to observe northern lights.

p.s. I was already writing about northern lights, that I’ve seen in Norway; so you’ll find seem practical issues in my previous posts:
http://travelingrockhopper.com/photographing-northern-lights_norway_21/
and
http://travelingrockhopper.com/northern-lights_norway_16/ .

When is the best time to visit Greenland?
-Well, the answer is not so obvious. Summer gives lots of possibilities for tourists. However, visiting Greenland in winter is a unique experience; and in winter you have almost 100% chances to see northern lights!

I was in Greenland in winter, and I loved it. I have to admit, I still would love to visit Greenland in summer, hopefully one day.

5 species of seals can be find in Greenland, i.e., the ringed seal, the harp seal, the hooded seal, and two less common – the bearded seal and the common seal.

Seals are quite safe in Greenland, they just should stay away from polar bear and arctic fox. 😉

There are about 60 species of birds living all year in Greenland.
Many more species visit Greenland only during warmer months.

I’ve seen a few cute tiny birds in Greenland, in winter.

In waters all over Greenland (in summer), it’s possible to spot a few species of whales.

The musk ox (musk-ox or muskox) is the largest land mammal living in Greenland.
From far, musk ox looks like a brown stone (at least some people say it); from close – it’s kind of bison (from my point of view).

On today’s picture, you cannot see any musk ox; or maybe one is hiding in a “house of the lords”. 😉
However, it’s quite easy to spot musk ox or reindeer in Greenland; I’ve seen many of them just didn’t manage to take a good close up photo of musk ox.

Reindeer is one of the most popular animal (mammal) in Greenland.
It’s the only species of deer in Greenland.

Greenland is basically the land of ice and snow, but still you can find there interesting animals, and probably more animals than one can expect (e.g., whales, seals, walruses, musk oxen, reindeer, polar bears, etc.).

Greenlandic (Kalaallisut) is the official language in Greenland; it’s also spoken in Alaska and Canada.
Greenlandic is considered as a very difficult language for foreigners to learn, but don’t worry basically all Greenlanders speak also Danish (if it helps 😉 ) and very often know basics of English.