Quassussuaq (Lille Malene) and Ukkusissat (Store Malene) Hikes

Two ancient Archaean gneiss peaks rise directly behind Nuuk's eastern residential districts, offering waymarked tundra and ridge hikes that begin within walking distance of a Nuup Bussii city bus stop: Quassussuaq (Danish: Lille Malene, 420 metres / 1,380 feet) and Ukkusissat (Danish: Store Malene, 790 metres / 2,590 feet). Between the two mountains stretches the glacially carved valley of Paradisdalen ("Paradise Valley"), dotted with clear alpine tarns, summer Arctic cotton grass, and autumn crowberry heath.

Quassussuaq (Lille Malene, 420 m): Summit Trail and Valley Loop

Standing immediately northeast of Nuuk Airport and the Ilimmarfik university campus, Quassussuaq is the best half-day mountain hike in the capital. Ride Nuup Bussii Line 3 toward the airport or the base of the Sisorarfiit ski lift (located 200 metres from the airport road) and pick up the orange-painted rock markers:

• Summit ridge route (2.5 to 3 hours return): Follows rounded granite ledges up the western shoulder to the 420-metre summit cairn, where the view takes in the entire Nuuk peninsula, the 2,200-metre airport runway, and the 1,210-metre saddle ridge of Sermitsiaq across the water.
• Full Quassussuaq and Paradisdalen circuit (3.5 to 4.5 hours, ~10 km): Continues around the mountain's eastern flank along the lakes of Paradisdalen before emerging near the road tunnel in Nuussuaq. In winter and spring (February to April), the western face operates a ski lift with a vertical drop of roughly 300 metres alongside groomed cross-country loops.

Ukkusissat (Store Malene, 790 m): The Steep Granite Ascent

Rising abruptly above the modern fjord-side suburb of Qinngorput, 790-metre Ukkusissat is a strenuous four-to-five-hour return climb with roughly 750 metres of continuous elevation gain. Take Nuup Bussii Line 1 or 2 to the Qinngorput roundabout just east of the road tunnel and follow the orange trail dots up a series of steep rocky gullies and stepped gneiss ledges. Several upper pitches require steady footing and using your hands for balance over bare granite slabs; only attempt the ascent on a dry, clear day between late June and September, and carry the windproof layers and boots recommended in our packing guide. From the 790-metre summit ridge, the 360-degree panorama reaches from the outer skerries of the Labrador Sea across all three arms of Nuup Kangerlua to the white horizon of the Greenland ice sheet.