East Greenland 2015 The heliski area is on the East Coast in a region named Angmagssalik. The mountain ranges are between large fiords coming off the Greenland ice cap. The highest peaks in the region top 2000 meters but generally most of the mountains are around 1000 meters that rise directly from the ocean. The fiords are mostly ice filled and the surrounding ocean is pack ice making the region only accessible by boat in the summer months after the ice breaks up. The skiing is on the satellite islands formed as the Icecap has retreated leaving an archipelago of granite islands. The ski runs usually start from the peaks and are between 800 meters and 1100 meters long. The terrain is spectacular, skiing down towards large icebergs and picking up from each run on the water s edge is what makes this region unique. Every day we try and explore somewhere different as we work our way back up the fiords or explore different islands and sometimes check out small Inuit Villages in the region. Spring is the best time to visit this region as there is more snow on the glaciers and the snow pack is usually well settled resulting in less avalanche danger. The weather is also more settled and with longer days even during storms there are more possibilities to get out! This is one of the most spectacular places on earth and in spring the when the ice breaks up the contrast with the blue ocean, snow, icebergs, and mountains is simply amazing! Coming to Greenland it is all about the experience of the Arctic!
Access: Access is via Reykjavik either by a regular Air Iceland service or by private charter company "Eagle Air" in their Jet Stream 32 aircraft. The plane for Greenland departs from Reykjavik domestic terminal on a Saturday morning so you will need to arrive the previous day in Iceland. We will return to Iceland on the following Saturday, arriving back late afternoon in Reykjavik. The international airport (Keflavik) is approx 1 hrs drive from the city of Reykjavik and the Domestic Terminal where you depart for Greenland is 15 minutes from the city center. Hotels: In Iceland there are a plenty of hotels in downtown Reykjavik although my favorite is the Iceland Marina Hotel. It is good to stay in central Reykjavik as this is where all the good restaurants are and it is close to the domestic airport. Hotel costs in Iceland are not included in the package. In Greenland we stay in the hotel Kulusuk which has good facilities and is close to the Kulusuk Airport. The dining room has an amazing outlook over the sea ice toward the mountains. It is a little like living in a lodge! It is 30 minutes walk into the small Kulusuk fishing village. Kulusuk is one of the last hunter gatherer communities left in Greenland and the village is an interesting place to visit.
Helicopters: We use two different charter companies although they both work together on many jobs throughout the year. Air Greenland and Greenland Copter supply B3 helicopters with full emergency equipment. The B3 Helicopter is a very safe helicopter and also the best machine for helicopter skiing in the world! Heli-ski History: I first went to Greenland in 2003 to the West Coast spending 3 weeks exploring both the Mannistoq and Kaangamuit regions. We decided to go exploring on the east coast to see some different scenery and were so impressed we never went back to the West Coast! I spent the first 2 weeks in May 2005 in the region and we had a very good trip. The snow conditions were a mix of powder and corn and the weather was reasonable allowing 9.5 flying days out of a possible 14 days. The snow conditions were perfect for exploring which was the nature of the trip. In 2006 I spent 3 weeks in the region arriving the last week in April. We had good powder skiing and some spring skiing the first week, a mix again the 2 nd week and perfect spring skiing on the 3 rd week. As we were leaving the snow was powder again. The spring skiing was by far the highlight although it was nice to have a mix of conditions. In 2006 we flew 17 out of 21 days. In 2007 we had a bad week where we only got out on 3 days however the weather then cleared and stayed fine for 13 days allowing us 16 days Heliskiing out of 21.
In 2006 &2007 we did overnight trips to a small Inuit village approx 100 Km to the North and stayed in the local school house. This was quite an adventure but involved arranging sleeping bags and catering to be supplied as well as a lot of logistics but it did make for a fantastic cultural experience and a chance to explore some amazing terrain. In 2008 we had a delayed start due to our helicopter being stuck by weather in Southern Greenland. It had left a week earlier from the base in Nuuk but a persistent storm prevented its arrival until mid week. On arrival the weather was settled and over a 4 week period we had 20 flying days out of 28. On bad weather days we got out ski touring almost every day and on occasion combined ski touring with dog sledding to access different terrain. In 2009 we had amazing powder and cold weather in late April and early May. We only operated for 2 weeks and flew on 9 out of 14 days. During this period we had some of the best skiing and riding experienced to date in Greenland and got great shots of a polar bear near Kulusuk. In 2010 we operated for 3 weeks and had a mix of powder and fantastic spring skiing conditions. We had a 3 day storm during the middle week ( lst week in May). The last week volcanic ash from the Iceland Volcano prevented guests from arriving while in Greenland the weather was perfect. In 2012 we operated for 2 weeks only. The first flight was delayed due to weather but we were able to get skiing by Monday and skied the next 5 days with excellent conditions. Saturday the Air Iceland flight was delayed and the groups shared a charter flight on the Sunday. The 2nd week we had good weather and snow conditions and had 5 great days skiing.
In 2013 we operated for 4 weeks from mid-april to mid-may. The first week we had good powder snow conditions and 5 out of 7 operational day. We were delayed a day getting out but when the next group arrived there was 6 fines day during which time conditions varied from powder to spring snow. The 3rd week had unsettled weather but we skied 4 days and found some good conditions. The final week the weather remained unsettled and we only managed 3 days skiing. Over the past 10 seasons in Greenland the last 2 weeks have been consistently the best in terms of good spring snow and settled weather however this past season the last two weeks were the most challenging we have had to date in Greenland. 2014 started with amazing powder skiing but was followed by a rain event which kept us down for 2 days. Following this we conditions improved and despite having many overcast days and lots of easterly winds we got good skiing and were able to fly most days. Out of 22 days we operated 18 days with a mix of powder and mainly spring conditions. This Season: Kulusuk Hotel is now well set up and to cater for our needs. We have a substantial amount of gear in Greenland including a supply of ski s, poles and snowboards if guests do not want to bring their own equipment or in the case of lost luggage. We have some ski touring equipment for weather days but if you like touring and have your own gear it is a good idea to bring this. We also have a snowmobile! Depending on what the group wants to do there is the possibility of an overnight in a small Inuit village although this needs to be organized well in advance.
I will try and put together 3 to 4 groups of 4 pax and use two helicopters. I have had delays in the past due to mechanical issues so have decided to run with a 2 nd helicopter. This also allows an opportunity for groups to explore terrain that is further away and also for us to do overnight trips to the small village of Sermiligag and explore terrain further north. For the repeat guests this trip will be all new terrain! With a 2 nd helicopter we can also work with one group and travel a long distance. We had a group this year that wanted to ski where no one had been before and to explore the sea ice in search of polar bears. This was possible as we had a 2 nd helicopter so could cater for everyone. Another region that has never been explored is Schweizerland at the top of the Sermilik Fiord so for the group that wants to explore just that little bit further this is now possible. Having a larger group gives us more negotiating power for charter flights in the case of delays due to weather. The group: I always try and put together compatible groups that fit in socially as well as can handle the skiing. I have enough connections to find guests every year and don t advertise randomly via the web. It is important to get the group right and I have had no problems achieving this to date. Backup facilities: While Kulusuk has an airport it is basically a small Island with a hotel 5 minutes for the airport and the village 20 minutes walk away. The airport services a much larger village (2000 people) 10 minutes flight to the south called Tasiilaq. In Tasiilaq there is a hospital with English speaking doctors and modern facilities. Air Greenland operates a helicopter that services this region as well as some of the outlying villages. If we have a problem this machine is available as a backup however it is not an additional helicopter for Heliskiing. Some weeks another guided group will also be operating in the region but based from Tasiilaq. The guides are friends of mine and we work together to offer support and are in regular contact in case of emergency. There are good communications via helicopter plus I carry a satellite phone.
Cost for 2015 The cost per person is Euro $9950.00. This includes the following: Accommodation, meals, lunches. Guides & Pilots plus expenses. Safety equipment, 12.0hrs helicopter time divided between the two groups. Re-location costs of heli from West Greenland. Extra hrs will cost Euro $2450.00 per hr. Payment schedule: On signing of the Greenland Air Contract on Dec 14 th I need to make a deposit to guarantee a helicopter. To cover everything I will need a 50% deposit before Dec 14th and the remaining 50% to be paid by March 1 st. Refunds: Air Greenland require payment for a minimum amount of hours and this is non refundable. The other big cost in the package is the Greenland Airport Authority which charges us on a weekly basis for flight recording and basically to be able to operate commercially within the country. This cost is also non refundable. If however we have problems with the weather and we do not fly the minimum hours then I can usually sell them as extra hours to another group in which case if I have extra hours paid at the end of my contract I can refund groups that did not achieve their hours. Flights to Greenland: Air Iceland operates a regular flight service from Reykjavik to Kulusuk with two scheduled flights a week. If there are delays due to weather there is an option to use a charter flight which is about double the cost!
Equipment: As per normal heliski, temperatures range from -10 to + 5 although it can get colder. I will supply avalanche transceivers and harnesses (for skiing on glaciers) unless you have your own. I will take care of any other safety equipment and have a range of guest packs with shovels and probes although if you own a shovel and probe please bring these. I have a selection of ski's and poles in Greenland however you may prefer to ski on your own. My gear is all in good condition so see if there is anything that you like you are most welcome to use it. We have wax and tuning gear in Greenland and try and keep the gear in good condition. I can send you a list of ski's available. Insurance: It is best to get full trip cancellation insurance as Air Greenland has a no cancellation policy once a payment is made. In the past I have had people waitlisted for the trips but this is not a guarantee. In Summary: Greenland is the most spectacular place I have skied, the week offers a fantastic opportunity to experience somewhere completely different (more spectacular than Antarctica). It is not CMH and things in Greenland don t operate with the same efficiency. The weather, snow quality or flying hours are not guaranteed and there is no refund policy. In saying this the runs are close and I manage the operation to give you the best variety of terrain, skiing quality and maximum number of runs possible for the number of hours flown. I believe it is a very high quality product and from experience feel that the weather is stable enough that you will get to have a great trip although you can expect a day or two doing alternative activities. The days are long and we make the most of every flying opportunity. Some members of my group are now coming back for their 9th trip so this does speak for the region. You do need to have a sense of adventure and a desire to check out an amazing place. Coming to the Arctic is the adventure and skiing is the means by which we explore the region! Want to see great images from Greenland please visit: www.shinsetsuphoto.com This information is all on www.greenlandheli.com Kevin Boekholt Shinsetsu International Limited May 2015