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From
Illorsuit to Uummannaq, from July 8th to 20th 2009
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Having remade the
full one with the small local mini-market, we leave
Illorsuit on July 9th, in middle of afternoon.
Impossible to carry out testimonys with the
buildings here, the majority of the men are with
fishing for several days. With the program of today,
the greatest crossing of our course; to knowing, 17
km in full water to join the opposite coast.
Direction, the village of Uvkusigssat, which we
think of reaching after three stages. On each great
crossing, we mark the point aimed, on our GPS. In
addition to knowing the exact distance, that enables
us to counter winds and currents which can make us
deviate our road. There, the 17 km, are swallowed
without encumbers, in a little more 3:00. And to say,
that when we prepare the route on the charts, a
crossing of 5 km appeared to us to be a maximum.
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The
sight of a hut, encourages us to stop us more
especially as time is covered and that a head wind
has just risen. After a short visit of the places,
this one resembles one secondary cottage more, than
with a hut of conventional trap door. Heaps of
personal objects decorate with way one cannot more
kitch, the interior. Blow, we a little further
assemble the tent, near a small brook. Once emptied
kayaks, and the whole of the gathered material, when
I withdraw my tight combination, a disaster slapping
resounded with my ears. The latex collar, from the
combination comes to tear. Unusable in the state, it
is necessary for us imperatively to repair it. To
have made the experiment of it over one day of
formation, there is nothing worse than a tight
combination which is not it. Once filled of water,
the legs like are leaded, it becomes impossible to
rise on the boat. On this, the very close hut and
its ambient heat, are transformed into providential
repair shop. 24 hours later, after a work in two
times, (recto, and back) Seangrip, and its hardener
made wonder. The neck, however torn on more than
fifteen centimetres is entirely reconstituted. In
the night, an important building of ice, approaches
our small beach dangerously. It is necessary for us
then to dismount and go up the camp more in height
for safety reasons. |
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After this day of
forced rest, we travel towards Uvkusigssat, distant
of forty kilometers. On a south-eastern axis,
imposing assembly lines intersected with broader
fjords the ones than the others, are the decoration
of one of the most interminable days of navigation.
The absence of reference mark, and a constant axis
of road, give us during ten hours the impression not
to advance. And like often in these cases there, it
is a good wind of face and light running contrary
which delay
our arrival on Uvkusigssat. |
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The village, a
such crib of Provence, is hung on the rock. Small
roads acting as port take shape, behind it, a green
band, we will not go further, and at midnight in the
middle of the drawn boats with ground, we assemble
the camp, greeted by cordial "a Welcome to
Uvkusigssat" which a fisherman launches us. As of
the first night, the tone is given, the 300 dogs of
the city are given in concert. It should be said,
that twice more than the inhabitants, it is them
which here reign as Masters. Guided by Eric, French,
accustomed places, we very quickly make knowledge
with the buildings, energy of invitations in
invitations. It should be said, that Eric who has a
command of the language with wonder. Meanwhile, the
dogs regularly visit the apse of our tent, forcing
us to return the maximum of things inside. They
will keep besides in
remembering, our comfortable seat of climbing. On
the way towards Saattut, we pass by an imposing
fjord going along cliffs in the shade of its
northern slope. The initial intention is to join
Saattut in two stages. Contrary to information
collected, the absence of beach to the places
indicated, obliges us to join the small town of only
one feature. The stage sees us passing the 500
kilometers of the semi-course. Saattut is located on
a rock small island, it is on its western end and
with same the rock that we assemble the Rikka camp,
a Greenlandic sympathetic nerve accommodates us, and
after the presentations, considering the late hour
appointment for a visit of the city, and a meeting
with his/her parents gives us. The morning with the
alarm clock, we are on a true spot of fishing.
Thousands "ammassak" were given go, and skirt the
rock coast to water flower, with a few centimetres
of the edge. Whole benches follow one another. There
is so much that it is possible to take them with the
hand. Not larger than a sardine, these fish are
snuffed buildings. They fish them with the scoop,
thus constituting concerning them as for their dogs.
The local fishermen follow one another quickly in
the sector, they arrive by boat, and in a few
minutes they take tens of kilos thus constituting
their reserves. Around a coffee, we meet in the
evening, the parents of Rikka. As a hunter, these
accounts interest us, and we do not fail to note
them. Following a question about the Greenlandic
traditional lifestyle, Nathalie finds herself
disguised as a true woman of snows. Vêtue of the
head to the feet of a jacket in skin of dogs and
pants in skin of bears, accompanied by traditional
the kamiks (Greenlandic traditional boots). |
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We leave Saattut,
and put the course on Uummannaq. The trajectory is
quasi direct. The 23 kilometers which separate the
two cities generate a surprising traffic.
On-motorized boats move at high speed threading
between the blocks of ice and this with length of
day. To our height, arms rise, greet us, but speed
remains constant. |
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We arrive on
Uummannaq in end of the afternoon, the quantity of
ice near the city is impressive. That as well in
quantity as by the dimension of the buildings. The
stage of Uummannaq is for us a technical stopover.
Forty kilos await us there. To carry out the loading,
it is necessary for us imperatively to be located
downtown. Here, the place misses, it has only rock
there. A small ground passage located close to the
local club of kayaks will make the deal. As of the
following day, we move on the Uummannaq hotel where,
well the shelter in a container, our loading awaits
us, in the form of a large parcel which we ourself
had constituted in April. In the tread, our kayaks
are entirely emptied, and lightened of all that does
not have us essential. In order to release from the
place, and to facilitate this loading mainly made up
of freeze-dried meal, secondary clothing and other
accessories, are turned over by ferry on Ilulissat,
our final destination. If the dogs of Ummannaq are
calm, it is differently of its population,
especially a Saturday evening after one evening
political good sprinkled. Our neighbors, nonglad to
return well éméchés at three o'clock in the morning,
invite most of the village, and to a true musical,
special night old men American blues offer to us.
The week end having passed, it is using a
wheelbarrow, that as of the opening of the offices
of the Royal Arctic Line, we deposit our parcel for
Ilulissat. In the tread, we meet Mr Pollas Lyberth
in his office of the commune of Ummannaq. It grants
a maintenance to us, we benefit from it to question
it on the local climatic situation, and let us give
to him a gift of the municipality of Monaco. In the
afternoon, we leave the small port of Ummannaq for
our last crossing, of small ten kilometers, in the
middle of the ices, before joining the peninsula,
which we will not leave any more and who us members,
until our arrival in the district of Ilulissat. The
evening, like a reception on this coast, a splendid
peat house will be for the night our residence. Its
interior is more authentic, peat, stones, seal
skins, and musk ox bed linen. Through single the
small window, whereas the sun ignites the horizon,
in the middle of the ices the gracious dance of the
whales starts. |
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