Childhood Adventures in Uummannaq
It was the fall of the mid-70s - after a relentless summer of 24-hour daylight - when four friends and I decided to climb the little mountain on the east side of Uummannaq. Back then, there were no houses up there, just the rugged Greenland landscape and the promise of a breathtaking view as dusk finally crept in.
First Glimpse Above the Mountains
As the sky darkened, one of us pointed toward the east-southeast, above the towering silhouette of Salliaruseq. At first, it seemed like a trick of the fading light—until we saw them clearly: four lid-shaped objects, resembling oversized tic-tac pastilles, hovering just above the mountain’s peak.
The Enigmatic Hover
We watched in awe for nearly twenty minutes as the objects bobbed up and down over the summit. Later, I learned there’s an almost inaccessible lake hidden atop Salliaruseq, less than 20 km from our vantage point. Yet these crafts were so large that when they dipped, they vanished briefly behind the ridge, confirming their immense size and precise control.
Calculating Insanity-Speed
Without a sound—not even the faintest boom—they suddenly accelerated toward us. They passed high overhead and streaked out toward Canada, disappearing over the distant horizon in mere seconds. By my rough calculation, they covered at least 200 km in a blink, reaching speeds of 130,000–150,000 km/h – an almost inconceivable velocity.
Legends of the Ice Cap Visitors
This wasn’t an isolated incident. Locals have whispered tales of similar sightings for over 250 years, ever since the first Danish explorers charted these fjords. One witness reported seeing them emerge from the Greenland ice cap itself, only to pause above that 1,000 m peak less than 20 km away.
Geological Mysteries and Speculations
Our home rests on some of Earth’s oldest rocks – nearly three billion years old. I’ve asked geologists what might lure such craft to that remote mountain, but they have no answers. Were they collecting data from the ancient bedrock - or something more elusive?
Chasing Answers Beyond Uummannaq
Years later, I encountered a similar formation aboard a helicopter near Kangerlussuaq (Sdr. Strømfjord) some 500 km to the south. The memory of those silent, high-speed visitors remains as thrilling today as it was when four kids first dared to look skyward above Salliaruseq.