After visiting Tiniteqilaaq we at last found ice-free waters. We rounded the most northerly point of Angmagssalik Island and began to paddle through a passage called Ikasagtivaq.
It is about 20 miles long, 2 miles wide, and bound on each side by jagged mountains that tower 1,000 metres over the water. Ikasagtivaq is relatively straight so the view does not change all that quickly giving this particular leg of the journey a monotonous feel.
If I ever felt like I was getting bored, I would remind myself of how spectacular this huge scenery really is and of the fact that I was living in its picture.
We stopped for lunch at a place where a stream meets a rocky foreshore. The falling tide revealed some beds of substantial mussels. I put away my rye bread, tube cheese and cup-a-soup and grabbed a few handfuls and dropped them into some boiling water. This was the most delicious lunch break ever!
Upon reaching the eastern end of Ikasagtivaq we found more ice had drifted in from Angmagssalik Fjord. Possibilities for camping along the main channel were non-existent so we explored a small inlet called Sarpaq. As we entered, it became obvious that this place was far bigger than the map had depicted. It was a small sheltered inland sea. The gently shelving shores and grassy ledges made it perfect fro camping.
That evening we had a shooting contest. We lined up some (empty) beer cans on some nearby rocks. The idea was simple. We each had three rounds. The one with the lowest score would buy the first round of drinks when we got back to Tasiilaq. I was the only one with no hits out of three. That night, I thought anxiously about my credit card bill...
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