Group 1,2,3 and 4 are fully booked.
We have added two more dates in April for group 5 and 6.
The dates are:
Group 5. 07.04 - 14.04
Group 6. 14.04 - 21.04
The price is the same - Euro 550.
1. Dates for this year
Group 1
24.02. 2010. Departure from Rkv. Airport.
03.03.2010. Departure from Kus. Airport.
Group 2
10.03 .2010. Departure from Rkv. Airport.
17.03.2010. Departure from Kus. Airport.
Group 3
17.03.2010 Departure from Rkv. Airport
24.03.2010 Departure from Kus. Airport
Group 4
24.03.2010 Departure from Rkv. Airport
31.03.2010 Departure from Kus Airport
2. Prices and other general information´s
The price for the trip is 550 Euro. That includes flight + airport tax, accommodation and luggage transport in Kulusuk.
For each date we have about 10 - 12 seats available from Air Iceland and we can only confirm a passenger list of those who have already paid for the trip or made a deposit of 200 Euro as they sign up for the trip.
Our destination is the Inuit village Kulusuk (about 300 inhabitants) in East Greenland. The group will stay together in one house (Sleeping bag accommodation) and do its own cooking together. We buy our food in Kulusuk and over the years the estimated cost for each person has been around Euro 33 for one week.
For those that have a special diet of some kind it is better to bring some extra food from Iceland since fresh vegetables and fruits are usually rare in Kulusuk during wintertime. The house is central heated, has electricity and running water.
3. Activities
As for activities there are many different things to do on your own with out any cost. There are many hiking routes and we have bobsleds for those who really like the snow.
The local Inuit people are friendly and the village daily life is an experience on its own. We will visit the school, a local household and a Sunday service at the church. In the “Service house” you will usually find some of the women skinning seals or even dressing polar bear hide. We always take some part in the village life by going to the dance on Friday. The local drum-dancer usually performs for us for a low cost (over the years it has been aprox. 75 DKK per person)but it includes a home visit and general discussions as well.
Optional activity is the one day dog sled trip to the glacier “Abusjaik” (DKK 400).
4. Practical things
It is not possible to exchange foreign currency into Danish kroner in Kulusuk but in the local food store you can use credit/debit cards (remember the PIN code).
Activity like the dog sledge trip should be paid in Dkk 400 to our person on location (Georg Utuaq, Jóhann or Guðrún) it is important that it is done so. On the other hand the drum dance performance should be paid directly to our drum dancer before performance. For the last years she/he has charged about 75 Dkk per person.
That means those who want to participate in the optional activities should exchange into some Dkk in Iceland befor departure. We will send you via email a confirmation of your flight with Air Iceland so you can get the money changed at the bank.
Most cell phones will work in Kulusuk without problems but one can make phone calls from the booth in the post office.
From the duty free (there is one in Reykjavik and another at arrival in Kulusuk) you are allowed to bring in one liter of strong alcohol, 3 bottles of vine, 6 beers and a carton of cigarettes. In a regular store in Greenland, alcohol is otherwise very expensive or even impossible to get at this time of the year.
5. How to get there
Departure is from the domestic terminal in Reykjavík and the flight to Kulusuk takes about 2 hours. Be there at least one hour before to check in, - submit your name and you will receive the boarding pass. Your name will be in their computer. Remember your passport or a valid ID.
6. How to pay for the trip
Kulusuk Art (the Greenlandic fur and gift store) on Laugavegur 27 is open weekdays from 10.00 to 18.00 for deposits and payments. Tel: 551 1080
The price for the trip is Euro 550 and to confirm your participation a deposit of 200 Euro when you sign up for the trip. The optional dog sled trip (DKK 400) can also be paid in advance but not required as you may decide later when in Kulusuk. All mature credit cards are accepted at the shop.
As this is a package trip it is not possible to get refund for those days that are missing if the trip will be delayed for one or more days due to weather. On the other hand we will not charge extra night for those who are grounded in Kulusuk due to the same reason.
Please notice that this is a trip to one of the remote places on earth, flight connections and communications do not function as we are used to in our Western society so please show some understanding.
7. Things to have with you to Greenland.
The weather in Kulusuk is colder than Reykjavik but not extreme as in the high arctic. You might experience temperatures form 0°C to – 20 °C sometimes with wind so it can feel a bit could some days.
Try to bring:
1. Warm under wear
2. Sock 4 pairs
3. Fleece jacket or a warm sweater
4. Fleeces trousers
5. Gloves
6. Boots or/and alpine walking shoes (boots are warmer if used with thicker sock)
7. Ski goggles if you have them and sun glasses
8. Wind and watertight outerwear.
9. Warm hat
10. Slippers or shoes you can wear inside.
You need to have a sleeping bag, - We have some extra if that fails. We also have some extra outdoor wear and things from the list for those who cannot find one in time so do not worry.
8. WARNING:
Kulusuk is an outpost on a wilderness frontier and there are something’s you must be aware of.
Do not wonder alone from the village at any time.
Hiking groups must make sure to be back before darkness.
Never go on the ice without a native person as a guide.
Never ride the bob-sleds down hill with another person (we have had some minor accidents)
Although generally not a threat we must be alert to the fact that there are polar bears in the region this time of the year.
9. At last
It is not a demand to be registered at the University of Iceland to join these trips and this is not a course at the University. Students interested should contact us for registration and further information’s if needed. For more information’s e-mail kulusuk@simnet.is
Best regards - Jóhann Brandsson and Guðrún Eyjólfsdóttir
