Duplo's blog

Hi All,

And welcome to a Duploworld update, about what for me has been a major experience, one of the better up here.
Our hike towards the peak of Sermitsiak.
I have been rewriting this post at least 10 times trying to figure out how best to convey the nature of this hike and the impact it had on both me and the other hikers.
I have come to the conclusion that this time around, there are no other way than to let the pictures speak for themselves. 11 hours of hiking is a lot, especialy as we hike our mountains from seal level to peak, there simply is no other way.
I have added a fwe other photos from the trip in the album, but the ones poster here are the ones that to me really spells out what this stunningly beautiful mountain really has to offer.

From the lower glacier edge


Peak view from the upper glacier wall


Spot the hikers


As said, I have a few more in the "Greenlandic Summer Photos 2009" album, but the 3 photos above really tells what it felt like hiking this mountain.
This Friday I am off to Ilulissat for a week and the weekend after I have a Sceduled visit to the peak of the Deer Prong Mountain, he peak in the center of this photo

Thanks for reading and do take care

Thomas

Hi All,

And guess what? Another Duploworld update already, seems I really am on my way back to a regular posting pattern

Just a summer sunset

Well sunsets like the ome above is a signature of summer in Nuuk. This particular one shot just after midnight Friday evening.
I spend the weekend along with a group of friends, deep into the fiords around Nuuk.
The real goal was in part to see what you see below.

Narsap Sermia

A tiny glacier hidden deep into the bottom of the fiord, but also just to enjoy the ice flakes swimming in the fiord this time a year and of course to do some hiking. Nothing like hiking the mountains here during summer, so different from the winter views and because the mosquitoes has not really caught on yet, it is a real pleasure to be outdoors

A random Ice flake


Now after having spend all Friday evning and Saturday morning watching ice flakes and all Saturday hiking, we decided to head toward a small closed down settlment that now serves as a summerhouse area called Qoornoq. Beautiful place and with a wounderful view to a muontain with a rather telling name

Bird Mountain at sunset


Now sunday was spend walking Qoornoq and the old fish factory. Wathing a lonely whale for a while, until it was time to head into the dense fog and try to find our way towards Nuuk.
Now the fog totally swallowed the mountains and barely a wind blowing made for a quite empty feeling.
a felling og sailing into nothingness.

Foggy waters

The photo above is a humble attempt to convey how it felt.
I will come back sharing a few more in a later post, but the above quick writeup will need to do for now, I still have some post processing I need to get done.

Have a great weekend all and do take care

Thomas

Hi All,

And welcome to what seems to be the second Duploworld update in a week and what is likely the first actual mark of my slow return to my blog and to the OC.
Now my watchlist is a total mess and soo many things has been posted that I cannot promise to read up on everything that has been going on, but I will do my best over the next few days...

Now the reason for my time away is personal and there is yet a long way to go, but as said I am nt sure this is the place to share it, thus I will try using this space to focus on the positive aspects of my life and share all the good stuff that happens around me

Life is good

Above is from a day trip this Sunday and marks the initiation of my "Greenlandic Spring Photos 2009" gallery.
Sunday was in many ways an Absolutely amazing day and included what was probably the most amazing snowboarding day in my life

A friend and I fired up his Snowmobile, strap my snowboard on the back and head into the mountains behind Nuuk.

The Kobbe fiord viewpoint

We had quite a few runs during the day and took turns riding the snowmobile down while the other had the full pleasure of hitting some pure and very deep arctic powder runs
Add to that the upsides of snowboarding with a view like the one above and I dare say that life do not get much better than that. a temperature of leasurely -13C and the low hanging spring sun blasting away on a clear blue sky definitely helped too
walk no further

Now as You can see I had the camera with me, not while boarding, but the one of us driving the snowmobile carried it at all times, but as driving a snowmobile downhill and shooting photos at the same time is a little more than I am capable of, then you will have to satisfy with photos from the breaks.
Showoff

My friend and snowmobile owner decided to show me how to drive one of these babies, quite a show off, but an upside was that it gave me a chance to shoot something different than my surroundings
No he really is a pretty tight driver and seeing him handling the snowmobile, was quite impressive.

Now as promised in my last post I an not entirely done with posting winter photos either and what better way to round up this post, by showing you all another winter shot.

Arctic winter nights


Thanks for reading all and do take care

Thomas

Hi All,

And welcome to a duploworld update about what you have missed out on during all the time where I have been posting my summer adventure stuff
As you can probably imagine I have not been sitting still much.

London

Has been one fo my stops during this autumn.
Above is from a lazer show at the old blackfriar railway bridge, seems that I was lucky enough to catchLondon while they had like 7 virtual exebitions along the river thames. It was actually quite interesting.
Aside from the pubs, soho and all the other stuff i absolutely adore about London, a late evening/night walk along the river thames is one of the things that never really stops to amaze me. If you go to london that is one of the things that really should be done.
Salt Lake City, Utah

Has been another stop this autumn, my second visit.
Now this time it was for a conference thus my time to acutally enjoy this absolutely stunning place has been minimal, I did however manage to grab a couple of hours for a drive along the nearby Alpine Loop and cascading springs.
I managed to hit Utah just the right time of year I thing, autumn was just comming around bathing every thing in lush autumn colours and the peaks in bright white snow. now what more can one ask for.
Alpine Loop

The rest of the photos in this post by the way, will be from this stop in Salt Lake City.
Well actually Park City was the place where the conference was held, at a Place called "The Canyons", now that place looks like a really nice place for a week or two worth of boarding during winter
One thing is for sure, I am comming back to Utah first chance I get and it will be with 2-3 weeks worth of time on my hands. this place may house some of the most visited National Parks in the US, but from what I have seen so far it is absolutely justified.
Cascading springs

Now aside from these trips and various trips to Copenhagen, It has been all about getting things wrapped up here in Nuuk.
My stay in Greenland is slowly and sadly comming to an end and Duploworld will during winter or early spring be relocated to somewhere else, the exact location is not set in stone yet and knowing this 3 year adventure is getting close to an end is something that actually fills my heart with sadness.
I have truly come to love the Greenlandic Nature and culture, so while I may be moving elsewhere, I am quite certain that it will not be my last time visiting this magic part of the world.
A mountain view

Autumn up here has been a mixed bag, lots of snow has fallen, but we have also had some really rough weather.
Actually the last couple of days we have been plagued by another Fohn storm. I think we have had more of them this autumn than all of last winter. however a few photo opportunities has been presenting themselves, not as many as I would like, but a few.
However due to my extensive travels, this years "Greenlandic Autumn Photos" Gallery will be a rather limited one in terms of photos :-( However the winter season looks rather promising :-)
Greenlandic Autumn


With that I think I am going to hold off for now and get back to catching up on all of you, something I have not been doing often enough this autumn.

Thanks for reading all and do take care

Thomas

Hi All,

And welcome to another Duploworld update:)

Yes the theme for a change is another Hike, the hike we did last saturday in fact. and as the tittle states we reached another one of the nearby peaks:
3 at the peak

Well but that is actually not how things started. HH (my trusted fellow Hiker, camera assistant and close friend) and I were joind by young Ms. J in spite of her young age she proved a very competent and fairly adventurous hiker.
The Lowlands

The first long part of this hike, is along the northern shoreline of Nuuk and one of the few hikes that actually has a trail leading the way. An easy and pleasurable walk. from there the route takes a steep rise up the ravine seen in the upper right part of the photo above, it is still trail and though steep and very narrow quite easy to walk.
The ravine

As one hikes up the ravine one is revarded with the most beautiful melting water falls. above is an unusual view as I amactually on top of one of the waterfalls and safe to say it was quite a challenge getting the equipment out there and awoid tumbling over the edge while shooting the 15 exposures that makes out for the photo above, but I bet I was good fun watching (at least judging by the laughs from my fellow hikers)
melting water lake

As we cleared the ravine we also cleared the fog and had the first fresh rays of sun. Clearing the ravine also marked our arrived at the rather large melting water lake and the place we had planned to have lunch.
From here we made a sharp left and charged the steep mountainside for the last hour of hiking/climbing towards the peak.
Melting water lake from above

About half way up we turned around and enjoyed the the amazing view of the melting water lake from above and the banks of fog rolling over the lower mountain ridges, it was simply amazing to watch the fog float over the ridge and down towards the lake.
Well as it rolled our way turn our backs to the fog and set out on the final stage towards the peak.
The rocky, foggy peak

As we reached the peak we were just above the fog and the view was spectacular.
It was quite amazing to just stand there and watch the fog roll towards us, with the sun high above our heads.
During a break in the fog we swiftly took off down the mountain again and once by the lake we filled our water bottles and set back towards the ravine.
Entering the ravine

The hike down the ravine was completed in record time. On the suggestion from the adventurous Ms. J we simply charged downhill at full speed, now that was both fun and a little more than exciting at times but it sure was fast
As we reached the melting water river in the lowlands it was time to cool down.
Melting water fun

And wat better to cool down than to slip out of our boots and sock and plunge our bare feets in the insanely chilly water. that was both very chilly and very fun:D
From there it was just just the relatively flat hike across the lowlands.
When we arrive at our house, Ms. Duplo had dinner ready and a huge amount of pancakes ready for dessert.
Really not a bad day at all

Tomorrow is the day where my brother arrives here and for 2 adventurous weeks we will be both hiking the Nuuk area and above all spend a week full of adventure a lot further North in Greenland.
Sunday is the day where we will do an atempt to reach the peak of Sermitsiak, something that without a doubt will be quite a challenge
To end this very picture rich post is a somewhat disturbing sign discovered on a very wet walk home from work today
Summer comming to an end already?

And we all know what that means, we are getting close to the season of all that white fluffy stuff again

Thanks for reading and do take care you all

Thomas