Greenland climbing Plaisir 2009

After exploring Baffin Island in 2006 with a sailing boat, this summer Mountain Guides Michele Maggioni and Daniele Bernasconi travelled to Greenland to discover the relatively uncharted area around Disko Island, Qioqe Peninsula, Greenland.

The desire for adventure obviously wasn't linked only to water, whales and icebergs, and the team also returned home with two pleasant new routes climbed on the fantastic granite of the largest island in the world.


Greenland 2009, by Michele Maggioni
In 2006 Billy Budd took us to Baffin. This year Cristina Rapisardi and Giovanni Cristofori decided to spend some time on the west coast of Greenland, and so Billy Bud (an Oyster 72 sailing boat) welcomed us at the port, if it can be described as such, of Aasiaat.

We got there in mid July and we spent two weeks exploring the fiords between Umanak and Upernivik, like the Italian expedition at the end of the 1960's which Kurt Diemberger took part in. The crew members were Cristina and Giovanni, Enrico Sala and his daughter Olivia, Daniele Bernasconi, myself and three other members of the crew. Like on Baffin, the idea was to explore the area, make some first ascents and, above all, have fun.

The weather was on our side: without the bothersome cold and humid fog, which meant we could navigate without heavy clothing and see (and avoid!) the numerous iceberg. On land we could even climb in T-shirts.

Pavlova (in honour of the excellent cake eaten the night before)
Adgap Island, 520m, 11 pitches, 6a.
N 70° 52.122’ – W 051° 40.104’
White Seagulls (the rock face was filled to the brim with seagulls).
Qingussaq Island, 400m, 10 pitches, 5c.
N 71° 23.569’ – W 053° 04.219’

Whilst roaming around Upernivik Island, Qioqe and Wegener peninsula we climbed a 1831m high peak (N 71° 11.726’ – W 052° 27.317’) which was climbed by Diemberger in 1967. From the summit we managed to see the incredible number of mountains in this area and we noticed how different the rock faces are compared to those in SE Greenland which are becoming increasingly popular with some of the strongest climbers in the world. It seemed as if the Alps had been transplanted into the sea!