Rainbow camp is in place
Sisimiut is showing it self from its finest side today. The white snow is reflecting brightly in the sunshine and the temperature is a couple of degrees below zero. Everybody connected to the race have been working around the clock for the last 14 days and now all is set to welcome the racers.
The camp which was blown to bits last year by a violent storm is resurrected and hopefully it again will be the centre of good times out in the wilderness. This year the main quarters of the camp is placed on a frozen lake and the sleeping tents on land and all are protected by snow walls in case of a storm coming in. The 50 sleeping tents are placed in a shape resembling an arc and are therefore named “Neriusaaq” – Rainbow camp.



Three hard stages
The tracks for the three racing days are prepared and the last mapping is taking place. This year’s race is all in all going to be the hilliest race of all eight races so far thereby increasing the hardness of the stages. On the bright side this also gives the racers the chance to get close to the Amerdloq fjord on two occasions. Especially on the third day there will be a magnificent view of the open sea by the inlet “Lille Nassaq” which means little plain. Everybody is now crossing their fingers in hope for the unpredictable Greenlandic weather to behave nicely for the next five days. 

Racers start to arrive





This afternoon the airport was busy as this is the first day of arrivals. Racers from 10 countries was greeted by the ACR welcoming team and received a bag with information about the race program, a map over Sisimiut and their name tag for the race.



It is a bit of a puzzle to get all racers and their luggage to the right sleeping destinations but the waiting time is spend leisurely outside in the sunny weather and everybody enjoys the warm sunrays and clear sky. Even though it has taken days for some to reach Greenland the spirit is high and the breathtaking view of the beautiful wild landscape is soothing for the soul.





First timers
“This is the first time for me in Greenland”, says Jan Eull from Norway. His friend Jan Georg Knutsen also from Norway has been to Qanaaq once before but this is the first time they join the ACR.



Another first timer is Stefan Auke and his wife Hannah von Frommannshausen from Germany. Nevertheless, he is fit for fight as his has just been participating in Vasaloppet a month ago for the fifth time.



“35 years ago I was here in Sisimiut and had my first dogsledge ride. I was on my way to Maniitsoq to work in a kindergarten for a year”, says Lene Nielsen and smiles at her daughter Sara whom stands next to her, “We live in Yukon, Canada and for a couple of years we have talked about coming here and participate in ACR. This year we finally succeeded and are looking forward to experience this event together. I will turn 60 in a couple of weeks and I hope to do well”. She waves goodbye to her daughter that has chosen to stay with a local family during the race while she is staying at Hotel Sisimiut. Many local families welcome a participant to stay in their home during the race.

Brilliant snow conditions
Two of this year’s favourites Øystein and Uiloq Slettemark arrived early this morning from Nuuk and has already sampled the snow. “The snow is perfect”, says Uiloq and makes a thumbs-up sign. She and her husband had been out skiing on the training tracks this afternoon.



Øystein Slettemark won last year’s race and the race in 2002 among the men and his wife has won the last 6 years in a row between the women. This fierce duo could take it all like last year but especially for Øystein there will be impressive competition from another double act.

The Swedish duo
The two Swedes Oskar Svärd and Anders Södergren arrived late this afternoon and asked what their expatiations towards the ACR were they both answered “ to win”. That they have something to show for it is evident in their track record. Anders Södergren came second in world championship in cross country skiing two years ago and this year he won the Swedish championship at 50 km and 15 km and came second at 30 km. The blond Oskar Svärd won Vasaloppet in 2003 and repeated the success this year in a close race with 10 contestants.
ACR thereby bring two “competitors” from Vasaloppet together for a second time around this year though Stefan Auke admits that his final time was more than twice as long as Oskar Svärd’s!




Welcome to Sisimiut
Hotel Sisimiut housed the informal presentation of Sisimiut and the race. On behalf of the Race Office Laust Løgstrup welcomed everybody and told a bit about the condition of the stages and the location of the Rainbow camp. Furthermore the programme for the next days was explained. After that leisure time options were presented such as a dogsledge ride, city walk in Sisimiut and snow scooter ride. The evening ended with a show of the 2003 video and common get-to-know-each-other.

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