Greenland’s Arctic Team Challenge

Sometimes a vacation can be a real adventure, the kind of adventure that pushes you and tests your limits.  For those that have an affinity toward long and punishing trips across the frozen wastes, there’s a competition known as the Arctic Team Challenge.  It takes place in East Greenland, on AmmassalikIsland in July of each year.  And though you’d have to be properly skilled in order to join one of the competing teams, the chance to see Greenland’s amazing scenery might be well worth the struggle.

First organized in 2001, it has since been held every year.  It takes place over the course of five days, covers more than 150 miles of rugged landscape and traverses around 25,000 feet of elevation changes.  Since it takes place during the height of Greenland’s summer months, the days are long and sunny, with only a brief few hours of twilight each evening.  But the ever-present sun doesn’t mean that it’s warm by any means, and the high temperature in the region is just under 60 degrees.

The race pits numerous teams against each other, all made up of skilled athletes.  They do the challenge in different stages, each taking place on its own day or across the span of two days.  In order to make the distance, team members will have to mountain bike across pathless terrain, hike up and down the rugged landscape and across the glaciers and canoe or kayak through the icy waters of the fjords.

Unfortunately, team entries are extremely limited, so while you can go to Greenland and enjoy one of the many sights they have to see for more standard tourists, you’d have to be pretty devoted and get lucky in order to be able to take part in the Arctic Team Challenge.  Still, there is just as much to see in the country that is just as breathtaking (and perhaps a little less grueling).

Summer on AmmassalikIsland photo courtesy of Chrissy via Wikicommons