Extreme Greenland (Kapitan Khlebnikov) 2016

Day 1 Arrive Longyearbyen

Your adventure begins in Longyearbyen, the Svalbard’s largest settlement. Relax before your journey, or take in the frontier-style atmosphere of the city. Embarkation will take place at about 4pm, so be sure to arrive in time. A representative will meet all flights arriving into Longyearbyen starting from noon (12:00) on the day prior to embarkation. Travellers who arrive before noon on the day prior to embarkation will have to make their own airport transfer arrangements.

Day 2-3 At Sea

Enjoy our educational program with lectures and workshops to prepare you for your time in Greenland. Your expedition staff will be on deck and on the bridge to maximize the opportunities for you to see whales and birdlife while at sea. This is a great opportunity to mingle with your fellow guests or simply take in the natural beauty around you.

Day 4 Cape Morris Jesup, Greenland

We will attempt a landing at Cape Morris Jesup, one of the least-visited areas in the Arctic, and the most northerly point in Greenland. NB: Your Captain will send helicopters with ice specialists to scout the Lincoln Sea and Kennedy Channel, the body of water separating Greenland and Ellesmere Island. Should ice and weather conditions allow, we will use the ice-breaking power of the Kapitan Khlebnikov to navigate over the northern coast of Greenland. In this scenario, you will become part of polar history, as the Kapitan Khlebnikov will be the only passenger vessel to have ever achieved this feat. If we do so, the rest of the itinerary below will be forgone in favor of this historic alternative journey. If conditions do not allow passage, we will continue our exploration of Greenland’s eastern coast as described. A true expedition sense of adventure is required, as we will make an exciting journey whichever direciton we’re able to take.ahead over

Day 5 Station Nord

A truly unique site – Station Nord is a military and scientific station, and the base of the Northeast Greenland National Park. As the second northernmost permanent settlement in Greenland, for years, the post office has delivered mail here, addressed to Santa Claus at the North Pole!

Day 6 Expedition Stop

We’ll let the weather be our guide in choosing our landings, as we explore the breathtaking landscapes of the region.

Day 7 Danmarks Havn

This small weather station, operated by eight hardy souls, is located about halfway along the coast of northeast Greenland National Park. You will cruise in Zodiacs through Dove Bugt (Greenlandic for “bay”), alert for polar bear and walrus.

Day 8 Shannon and Sabine Islands

Through many years of service with Quark Expeditions®, Kapitan Khlebnikov has earned an international reputation as an expedition vessel. So it is fitting that a landing will be made on Shannon Island, named for a Royal Navy frigate that sailed valiantly during the Napoleonic and American Wars. No less significant is a visit to a hut built by arctic explorers from the timbers of the expedition vessel Alabama. The vessel, at anchor off shore, was holed by ice and sank. The two crew members left in charge of the vessel constructed the hut to shelter the exploration party on its return.

Day 9 Daneborg and Eskimonaes

There are four permanent bases in the park. Daneborg is the largest, with a population of 12 during the summer months. The hamlet is the headquarters of the Slaedepatruljen Sirius (Sirius Patrol), responsible for maintaining Danish sovereignty and policing Northern and Eastern Greenland. The unit, comprised of drivers and sled dogs, is a division of the Danish Navy. Each team of two men and 11 to 15 dogs carries between 350 to 500 kg of supplies for depot huts along their patrol routes.

Day 10 Blomsterbugten and Ela Oya (Ella Island)

Blomsterbugten, the “Bay of Flowers,” is home to beautiful purple and gold colored rocks we’ll explore in the distance, or on a hike for those who wish. The halfway mark of the voyage will occur on Ella Island. Pack a knapsack and binoculars, because you can climb to the summit of the islands for an outstanding view of five fjords and grazing musk oxen. Ella Oya is a hiker’s dream. The area is surrounded by ice-choked waters, rugged cliff s and sky-blue icebergs.

Day 11 Ittoqqortoormiit and Hall Bredning

At the mouth of the fjord complex, Ittoqqortoormiit is East Greenland’s most northerly community and boasts a blend of traditional and modern lifestyles. With clear skies, you’ll have a great opportunity to see the Northern Lights. You can also support local Inuit artisans by purchasing unique handicrafts. Our time here is spent exploring the community and gaining an appreciation of the local way of life. The icebergs crossing Hall Bredning in the inner reaches of Scoresbysund are some of the most magnificent in the world. The geology and topography of the area will fascinate you.

Day 12 Rypefjord and Rodefjord

Pushing onward, your expedition will come to Rypefjord. With binoculars in hand, birders should keep watch for wheatears, snow buntings and ravens. At Rodefjord, you’ll encounter a shallow area trapping hundreds of icebergs, known as the Iceberg Graveyard. You’ll drift leisurely by these floes, a photographer’s paradise.

Day 13 Frederiksdal and Sydkap

Sailing deeper into Scoresbysund, you’ll encounter massive icebergs and an ancient Thule settlement as we approach Sydkap. The scenery here is something you can’t even imagine, with towering mountain sides and hundreds of apartment-sized icebergs playing tricks with your sense of perception.

Day 14 Danmark Island

A visit to Danmark Island marks the circumnavigation of Milne Land, which is west of the entrance to Scoresbysund Fiord. Enjoy wild, rugged views and great hiking with the impressive backdrop of nunatuks in the background – mountain peaks poking above the Greenland ice sheet.

Day 15 Denmark Strait

Your expedition parka will come in handy during the transit of Denmark Strait, the body of water that separates Iceland from Greenland. Weather in the Strait is variable, but we recommend being out on deck to watch for whales in this area of rich biomass.

Day 16 Tasiilaq

Further down the coast of Greenland, we dip beneath the Arctic Circle and attempt a shore landing on the island of Ammassalik in its principal community, Tasiilaq. With about 1,800 inhabitants, it is the largest community in East Greenland. Enjoy a community visit, an ice cruise, or a hike.

Day 17 Bernstorfs Isfjord

South of Ammassalik are many fjords – deep, steep-walled valleys along coastlines flooded with seawater. We will explore one with a name that translates to “ice-fjord”. In Greenland that indicates the excellent possibility that there is a glacier that calves icebergs at the head of the fjord. We will sail the fjord in search of newly minted glaciers and seek a place to go ashore for an optional hike. Those who would prefer to sit quietly and contemplate the beauty that surrounds, please do.

Day 18 Nanortalik Hot Springs and Herjolfsnes

This morning, we anticipate the ship will round the southern tip of Greenland, one of the first regions to be inhabited by European settlers. We’ll go ashore at Narsaq Kujalliq, just west of Cape Farewell, to explore an excavated farm from the Viking period known as Herjolfsnes. Here, you can also hike, or sit back and soak in a natural hot spring while watching icebergs floating by.

Day 19 Cruise the coast of Greenland

Today you’ll cruise north along the dramatic west coast of Greenland. Enjoy the final presentations, lectures and recap of the voyage, which will sum up everything we’ve seen and done over the last 20 days.

Day 20 Disembark in Kangerlussuaq

Just 37 miles (60 km) north of the Arctic Circle, Kangerlussuaq sits at the head of one of the longest fjords in Greenland. Musk oxen and arctic fox inhabit the tundra-covered plain that surrounds the town. We’ll later make our way to the airport where we board our charter flight to Ottawa. Upon arrival, we will be transferred to our hotel.

Day 21 Depart Ottawa

Today you can make your way home at your leisure or spend time in Ottawa, Canada’s capital city. No departure transfer is included in Ottawa.