Quassussuaq: Fun in the snow 450 m above Nuuk

Ever since I arrived in Nuuk on September 1st, I had been wanting to climb Quassussuaq, also known as Lille Malene. Actually, I’d been wanting to hike more often in general, but everyday life got in the way of that quite often. School, work and weekend plans take up much of my time here, and although I’m absolutely loving everything about it, I do wish I had more time to get out in nature. So when Charlotte suggested that we spend our Sunday climbing the mountain instead of reading, I couldn’t resist.

Regine decided to join us, so off the three of us went in our warmest clothes as November was proving to be a cold month here in Nuuk. We caught the bus to Qinngorput, where we got off at the first bus station and then just started walking up. Qinngorput is located by the foot of both Quassussuaq and Ukkusissat, a higher mountain that we had attempted to climb back in early September. We weren’t about to try that one again, especially with even more ice, but Quassussuaq didn’t look too much of a challenge.

It turned out to be quite an easy hike, well at least for Regine and I, since Charlotte managed to fall on her butt after just ten seconds, hehe. It was icy out, so we had to be careful, but since the mountain is not very steep, it’s relatively easy to climb despite the ice.

The ascent took us about 1,5 hours, but we really took our time. We took many photo breaks and also enjoyed a slide down an icy stream! That was so much fun. It wasn’t a strenuous hike at any point, just enjoyable with plenty of energy to talk and talk and talk (girls will be girls).

After a while, we noticed an antenna and then knew that we were close to the top of the mountain. The temperature at the summit was really cold compared to down in Nuuk, so we were freezing while taking photos of each other. The view over Nuuk was incredible though, so it was well worth it.

But the summit wasn’t quite enough for us, so we headed north towards another lower peak, where we found the most amazing view that Nuuk has to offer, overlooking the Paradise Valley and the iconic Sermitsiaq. I’m serious – it was so much better than Ukkusissat! The mountains were bathed in the most beautiful pink light from the sunset that was hidden behind the clouds. It was the perfect day to do that hike, as the light could not have been any better.

We were all freezing by this time, so we decided to head back down the mountain. We chose a different route this time and followed the ski lifts down to the airport. This route was full of snow, which meant it was time for some fun! Instead of simply climbing down, we decided to slide down the entire way – and that was sooo much fun! I felt like a little child again! I’m so looking forward to going back up there, just so I can slide back down again.

So on our butts we slid, all the way from the top of the mountain at 450 meters and down to the airport!

Once at the airport, we wanted to catch a bus back to the center, but because it was Sunday there were no flights and thus no busses, so instead we had a 25-minute walk to the university and another 15-minute wait, before we were finally on our way to the warmth of our apartment. An amazing day was over, and I’d found a new favourite spot in my city!