Sydkap

360°-Panoramas

The name Sydkap (South Cape) is pretty self-explanatory, isn’t it, as it is on the northern side of Scoresbysund … well, this is not self-explanatory. But it is the southernmost part of Scoresby Land, north of Scoresbysund. So that’s the reason for the name. By the way, the Greenlandic name for this lovely place is Kangertertivarmit, which is easy to remember.

But anyway, Sydkap is a beautiful piece of land. It is on the boundary between the mighty channels Øfjord and Nordvestfjord and Hall Bredning, the wide-open, central part of Scoresbysund. Many big icebergs come drifting out of both Øfjord and Nordvestfjord, but it is especially the latter one that is of huge productivity, with countless icebergs drifting through it, some of it being more than a kilometer long or even two. There is usually a strong breeze blowing west-east through Øfjord and Nordvestfjord, but at Sydkap, it is calm more often than it isn’t. So it is usually not a problem to go ashore on the rocky shore just under an old hut. Or actually two, but the older one is just a ruin these days, whereas the younger one is in good shape and still being used by local hunters from Ittoqqortoormiit, the one and only town anywhere „near“. East of Sydkap, there is sometimes a real tent village of local hunters, who may be on their way to their hunting grounds for moskuxen in the inner reaches of the fjord or who want to go fishing for Arctic char in the river mouths around.

There are traces from earlier settlers at Sydkap, especially on the island southeast of it, Ingmikêrtikajik. The archaeology there will go back many hundreds of years.

The area invites for shorter and longer hikes. It is not too difficult to reach some great views from smaller elevations after 1-2 hours walking, and if you are lucky to have more time, then you can enjoy beautiful hiking for as long as you can carry your equipment.