2019.6.30
Walking through the town of Qeqertarsuaq and continuing along the coastline, we reached the Kuannit trail. Since we had a boat to catch back to Ilulissat at noon, we started early and had the entire trail to ourselves. On one side of the town, there was a school with a soccer field. Looks like the soccer fields by the sea aren’t unique to Lofoten, Norway.
Crossing a small wooden bridge marked the edge of town. The trail was well-marked with yellow signs, some painted on large rocks, others made of stacked stones, making it easy to stay on track.
The hike to Kuannit is less than 4 km one way. The initial part of the trail was quite flat, surrounded by patches of wildflowers and occasional exposed volcanic rocks. Along the coast, waterfalls cascaded into the sea, and icebergs floated offshore.
As we neared our destination, the terrain became rugged and steep. Looking ahead, jagged rocks and ridges extended into the sea. The vegetation also changed dramatically — what had been mostly tundra plants suddenly became lush greenery, with shrubs growing taller than a person. In Greenlandic, “Kuannit” refers to a plant called Angelica, which grows abundantly here with its small white umbrella-shaped flowers. I later looked up its Chinese name and realized it was Bai Zhi (白芷).
By the coast, there was a massive rock formation composed of columnar basalt, some neatly parallel and others radiating outward — clearly the result of cooling volcanic lava. Unlike the rest of Greenland, Disko Island was formed by volcanic activity, and the nutrient-rich volcanic soil allows plants to thrive.
I attempted to climb up the hill to get around the large rock, but the dense shrubs made it impossible. On the way back, we encountered a guided tour group. Their guide mentioned an alternate route higher up the hill, which offered more to explore.
On the way back, near the wooden bridge, we had a panoramic view of Qeqertarsuaq. If one doesn’t want to hike all the way to Kuannit, there’s a smaller waterfall called Qorlortorsuaq nearby. Given more time, one could even hike up to the glacier at the mountain’s peak, where dog sledding is available in summer.
Back at the hotel, we still had time before departure. We wandered into a local supermarket and saw locals dressed in traditional attire. Greenland is vast, and clothing styles vary by region. Ilulissat and Disko Island belong to West Greenland, where the outfits are particularly colorful — vibrant jackets and shawls, seal-skin pants, and knee-high white boots adorned with intricate designs.
Just before departure, we were informed that our boat was delayed due to weather. After about 20 minutes, the hotel staff suddenly told us to hurry — it was time to board.
It was on a smaller speedboat that taking us back to Ilulissat. It cut the travel time from over four hours to just two. When we set off, near the coastline, we could see the Kuannit trail from the water. The scenery had changed completely — yesterday was clear and sunny, but now thick clouds loomed low over the sea.
Approaching Ilulissat, the boat slowed. Unlike yesterday, where only large icebergs dotted the sea, the water was now covered in small floating ice chunks — likely the weather issue we had been warned about. The captain navigated carefully, weaving through the ice until we finally reached Ilulissat’s harbor.
