In 2008, Audun Igesund from Norway went to the Nuuk area to meet local climber Aili Lage Labansen. The two put up Sortebærstien (ca 10 pitches, 5.8), on a wall at the southeast end of Storø, and climbed a handful of pitches at the start of the west pillar of Qupik. Back in Norway, Audun told enthusiastic tales of good rock in a fabulous Arctic landscape with relatively easy access. Bernt Bye, Laura de Steur, Tore Røysheim, and I took the bait.

In August 2009, Aili’s parents took us by boat to our first target, Qupik (1,040m). This beautiful granite mountain is situated in the fjord northeast of Nuuk, on the way to Qooqqut. We landed with some difficulty on the shore southwest of the mountain. Next day we all started up the west pillar by three different lines. Finger cracks and thin dihedrals led in five pitches to a walk-off ledge. Tore and I continued up beautiful, steep hand and offwith cracks for several pitches. Then, easier but loose ground led us to the top (12 pitches, 5.10). I fell from a mossy offwidth during our ascent, but Laura and Bent managed to climb it clean the following day, while Tore and I climbed a new line from the walk-off ledge to the top (Flyfrisk, 4 pitches, 5.11 R). Later, Audun and Tore climbed the south wall in seven pitches on high-quality granite (5.10+)

After a week of fun on Qupik, including hosting a trad-climbing course with a group from Aapakaaq, the climbing club in Nuuk, we moved camp to the bay of Itissoq on Storø. Here, Tore and I climbed the northeast ridge of Nakaigajugtoq (1,180m). We roped up for five or six pitches (5.8 max) and soloed easy but sometimes exposed, loose, and mossy terrain for at least a kilometer. From the top we descended low-angle slabs and talus fields westward to a point where four rappels down a northwest-facing wall brought us to walking ground. We also climbed the short northeast ridge of Naajat Inersuat (610m).

Our last camp was on the shore of the bay east of Sermitsiaq (1,210m), a relatively popular trekking mountain on Sermitsiaq Island (Sadelø). Tore and I climbed the south wall (seven pitches, 5.9) on clean, solid, white granite.

Aili had information that during the 1990s two Danes had climbed the impressive, steep, and loose-looking 1,040m peak to the north of Itissoq bay. We didn’t find any traces of other climbers, but then again, except for some webbing, we didn’t leave any traces ourselves.

Joe Gjedrem, Norway