Russell Glacier
A glacier tongue extending from the ice sheet. A 60-meter-high ice cliff rises above the tundra, and ice calving can often be heard and seen.
Russell Glacier is an outlet glacier on the western edge of the Greenland Ice Sheet. Its front lies about 25 km east of Kangerlussuaq. A blue-and-white ice wall 50 to 60 m high rises directly between the river valley and the tundra. In summer, when temperatures rise, ice breaks off frequently, and the rumbling echoes through the valley. Visitors can ride an off-road vehicle to a viewing area in front of the glacier and take short walks along the moraine and riverbank. Keep at least several hundred meters from the ice face, since calving can cause surging waves and flying ice. It is often combined with Point 660 on the same day, and musk oxen and reindeer can be seen along the way.
Opening hours
Year-round (group tours easiest in summer)
Nearby sights
- Point 660 (Greenland Ice Sheet)
- Musk Ox Safari
- Sugarloaf Mountain
- Garnet Rock Trail
- Lake Ferguson
- Black Ridge (Ravneklippen)
- Kangerlussuaq Museum
- Mount Hassell