Arctic Circle Trail Challenge: Friday 16th August, Day 2: Strip wash

The day started with a strip wash.

Farewell to the caravan.

Caravan viewed from the lake edge.

The day started with a strip wash in the lake at about 7am. The water was no where near as cold as I imagined it would be. This must have been the impact of all the warm weather Greenland had been experiencing. The water wasn't warm enough for a relaxing soak, but it was warm enough for a refreshing dip without stealing one's breath. Following our morning ablutions, we surveyed the map. The entire route is covered by three maps and there was a certain psychological boost to be had from crossing from one map to the next. Route finding was pretty straight forward. We skirted around the lake, climbed a small hill, dropped down and followed another lake. Whilst the navigation was straight forward, the route was undulating and, at times, exhausting. At one point the path becomes very narrow with plenty of ups and downs traversing the edge of a steep sided lake. A stumble would definitely lead to a swim. Three reindeer were sighted today which was nice, but unfortunately, the weather was beginning to deteriorate. It rained for most of the day. At about the half way point for the day, the route dropped down to a boggy area of land between two distinctly shaped but not particularly high hills. the boggy ground is all that separates two lakes. This flat area of bog between two hills is dissected by a narrow channel which is wide enough and deep enough to make the removal of boots and the donning of crocks a necessity.

The flat boggy ground between the two hills. First (small) river crossing.

The second of the two hills is actually a promontory jutting out from the bank on the opposite side of the lake. Once crossed we paused for a few minuted to take on some calories. Once the ford had been crossed and we had eaten, we set off once again with the path climbing again providing fantastic views of where we had come from and of the more rugged mountains to the north.

Cairn decorated with a scull.

A distinct cairn

One of the many cairns marking the route.

After about four kilometres the path began to descend again to the southern shoreline of another lake. The rising landscape to the left of us obscured the view of the next hut for some time. As the route turned slightly to the right around the base of a small headland, the next hut, Katiffik came into view. I for one was hoping to see a canoe parked up at Katiffik hut. The hut is located at the eastern end of Amitsorsuaq lake.

Just one of the views.

At the far western end of the lake is the next hut referred to as the 'canoe centre'. If one is lucky, hikers doing the Sisimiut to Kangelussuaq route will take advantage of one of the battered aluminium canoes and paddle the length of the lake leaving the boat for other hikers to use from Katiffik. Sadly, if a canoe had been left at Katiffik, then who ever had reached the hut before us had used it to paddled back to the "Canoe Centre". Katiffik hut is rather dark and small. There is just the one little window so natural light is at a premium. There is a small cooking area and a sleeping platform with enough room for three people on top and three below. Small and dark it might have been, but it was dry. We hung up our damp things, made some supper and started to read our books.

The remains of reindeer

About to set off from Katiffik

After about an hour, the silence was disturbed by a group of university students consisting of four Czechs and a German (two boys and three girls). All, apart for one, were PhD students and the exception was studying for a masters degree. They were clearly bright and their command of the English language put our command of any foreign language to shame. The weather had deteriorated further and they had got caught out and one of the girls had slipped up to her waist in to one of the lakes. They were all cold, tiered and wet. We made as much room for them as possible and with typical English reserve, tried to stay out of their way as much as we could so they could sort themselves out. As night fell, a couple of the students had retired to sleep in their tent. Little did they know how lucky they were. The floor of the hut became a mass of sleeping bags, packs and bodies. The night was not a quiet one. Richard's snoring was of earthquake inducing proportions. I was beginning to get use to it... sort of. Those in the tent had the best nights sleep out of all of us.