About Us
A close-knit team of professional mountain guides and local experts specialising in East Greenland – our home and passion.
A FAMILY BUSINESS IN THE NORTH
A way of life entwined with the fjords, mountains, glaciers and seasons.
Pirhuk is made up of a close-knit group of friends & family who encompass many years of experience in Greenland, the highest levels of certification in mountain guiding and a passion for the way of life we've found on the mountainous coastline that surrounds our home and lodge here in Kulusuk. We've dedicated ourselves to this pristine and wild land, watching and slowly learning from the complex interplay between ocean currents, snowpack, ice, migratory animals and weather. Over many years of exciting trips, we’ve had the privilege of making some great friends from around the world, many of whom join us each season to continue our exploration of this region.
The beginnings of Pirhuk took root over 20 years ago when IFMGA guide Matt Spenceley, then in his teens, began spending a lot of time climbing and skiing in Greenland. Taken under the wing of Georg and the Utuaq family, their deep roots and intimacy with the land, water and ice have informed everything we do. Things have gradually, organically grown since then. Helen joined Matt a decade ago, guiding, skiing, fishing and building a lodge in amongst all of that. Rich, an old friend, followed on, contributing much to what Pirhuk has become. We've striven hard, committed all we have, learnt all we could - and feel very lucky - to live this way.
After many years of skiing beautiful peaks, climbing remote alpine summits, backpacking into some seriously wild areas and kayaking over the same fjords that we travel by dog sled in winter, our passion for what we do only gets stronger.
OUR ETHOS
The central tenet of Pirhuk is simple: our trips & expeditions are an expression of our huge passion for Greenland and a deep love of being in the mountains combined with the expertise of over 20 years up north. Every trip you find here is a trip we actively want to do; our primary motivation is the trip itself, not its potential for profitability.
Even after travels all over the World, we’ve not found a place that inspires so much, whether because of the quality and ‘wildness’ of the skiing, climbing and trekking or because of the raw beauty of this magical land and the special people that live here. Pirhuk is a small guide-owned and -run outfit, meaning that from the outset, you deal with folk who have spent many consecutive seasons in the mountains of Greenland – our advice is based on what works for us and our trips on the current-most information and expertise.
You’re not paying for the structure of a big company. Our aim is to be professional but friendly; to be the very best we can be in our own special field as opposed to offering ever more trips or being the biggest operator. Our vision is to return to a purer form of adventure in Greenland, engaging more fully with what we’re here to do; objectives chosen for the passion they instil, rather than because it’s the highest peak, or the simplest place to get to. Logistics that are suited to, and pay respect, to the place and people: dog sleds and snowmobiles over the winter ice of the fjords; a boat to the base of a tidewater glacier, followed by a sledge journey instead of a charter plane direct to base camp. These choices aren’t always the easiest, but we believe they provide a deeper insight into Greenland and make for a rich, unique experience of this special land.
A partnership of local experts and guides, we launch our trips from our lodge and home in the tiny Inuit community of Kulusuk. This keeps money in Greenland, provides folk visiting us with an experience of a proud culture and ensures that our plans have the invaluable input of the hunters, surely the best people to advise on travelling conditions, summer or winter. Whilst our guides uphold the highest professional standards on all our trips and expeditions, we hope that each team member will play a full part, bringing whatever skills they have to each trip. For those interested, we’re always keen to help you develop technical skills and pass on the knowledge we use to work in the unique and challenging environment Greenland presents.
GUIDE BIOGRAPHIES
OUR GUIDING QUALIFICATIONS
The mountains are in our blood. We are proud to bring the highest levels of international certification together with our passion and many years of dedication to this wild place.
In Greenland, mountains as wild, remote and serious as anywhere on earth, we have striven to set the standards for arctic mountain guiding. We bring the highest world-wide levels of qualification to everything that we do: as IFMGA high mountain guides for climbing, mountaineering and backcountry skiing, and UIMLA international mountain leaders for wilderness trekking. To this, we add decades of local experience and safety systems developed to meet the unique challenges of this isolated arctic, alpine, maritime area. Whilst this is our profession, it goes much further than that, a way of life deeply entwined with the mountains and fjords through the seasons. We love skiing, mountaineering and trekking and are happy to share our expertise in developing and refining your own skills. With trips that can last weeks and many guests we see every year, the friendships we’ve gained and the way in which we watch folk grow as mountaineers means a great deal to us.
FROM OUR GUESTBOOK
Sigridur // Iceland
East Greenland Mountaineering Expedition
"I've had two most amazing trips with the Pirhuk team. Everything from communications prior to the trip to the goodbyes in the airport was just perfect. They really know what they are doing and show full respect to the harsh nature in Greenland, the local people and of course their visitors. Now it's just a..." (more)
Sigridur // Iceland
East Greenland Mountaineering Expedition
"I've had two most amazing trips with the Pirhuk team. Everything from communications prior to the trip to the goodbyes in the airport was just perfect. They really know what they are doing and show full respect to the harsh nature in Greenland, the local people and of course their visitors. Now it's just a question what I will think of for my next visit :) Thanks Matt, Helen and Rich, you are the best!"
Clive & Hilary // UK
Inuit Dog Sled Expedition
"Thank you for an incredible trip. Amazing scenery and fabulous food. The dog sledding was an unforgettable experience. Thanks to Rich for pushing us through the slush. So many highlights - the Northern Lights, being stranded in the hut, the katabatic winds and learning how to make a latrine! Thank you so..." (more)
Clive & Hilary // UK
Inuit Dog Sled Expedition
"Thank you for an incredible trip. Amazing scenery and fabulous food. The dog sledding was an unforgettable experience. Thanks to Rich for pushing us through the slush. So many highlights - the Northern Lights, being stranded in the hut, the katabatic winds and learning how to make a latrine! Thank you so much for looking after us so well. Thank you, Rich to sharing your knowledge with us. We’ve learned so much."
Lisa & Stephen // Germany
First Descents Ski Expedition
"To Matt – thank you for your lessons in how to function within an expedition and your skilled guiding, for pushing hard so we could have some good days out despite the weather… Your love of this place and its knowledge, history, is evident in every way you run the lodge. It’s clear you do what you do from..." (more)
Lisa & Stephen // Germany
First Descents Ski Expedition
"To Matt – thank you for your lessons in how to function within an expedition and your skilled guiding, for pushing hard so we could have some good days out despite the weather… Your love of this place and its knowledge, history, is evident in every way you run the lodge. It’s clear you do what you do from the heart. There is a saying in German that one always meets twice in life; I hope that’s at least the case."
Jo // UK
Inuit Dog Sled Expedition
"Wow! What an amazing place Greenland is. Thank you so much for looking after us so well on our six-day dogsled. The weather threw everything at us, but we always felt completely prepared and incredibly well supported. Spending time with L Bianco, Mikael and Nuka was very special. Rich deserves a medal for..." (more)
Jo // UK
Inuit Dog Sled Expedition
"Wow! What an amazing place Greenland is. Thank you so much for looking after us so well on our six-day dogsled. The weather threw everything at us, but we always felt completely prepared and incredibly well supported. Spending time with L Bianco, Mikael and Nuka was very special. Rich deserves a medal for being such a calm, positive, cheery chap - you made us feel we could do anything… thank you, thank you, thank you."
Harry // UK
Boat-Supported Trek
"Helen and Matt - thanks for an amazing trip! It was a pleasure to spend time with you both. Everything was very professionally run, from the initial arrangements through to the safety and logistics on the trip itself, and the variety of landscapes and experiences that we enjoyed, made for a hugely..." (more)
Harry // UK
Boat-Supported Trek
"Helen and Matt - thanks for an amazing trip! It was a pleasure to spend time with you both. Everything was very professionally run, from the initial arrangements through to the safety and logistics on the trip itself, and the variety of landscapes and experiences that we enjoyed, made for a hugely memorable and enjoyable trip. Now I have the problem of wondering what I can do next that will rival Greenland with Pirhuk!"
Alana // Australia
Caledonian Alps Glacier Traverse
"What an amazing and unforgettable two weeks trekking in South East Greenland. A challenging trip but made so enjoyable by our enthusiastic and knowledgeable guide Rich who led the small group ensuring our safety all the way. The hospitality before and after the trek shown by the entire team at Pirhuk also..." (more)
Alana // Australia
Caledonian Alps Glacier Traverse
"What an amazing and unforgettable two weeks trekking in South East Greenland. A challenging trip but made so enjoyable by our enthusiastic and knowledgeable guide Rich who led the small group ensuring our safety all the way. The hospitality before and after the trek shown by the entire team at Pirhuk also made our group feel right at home! Thank you for such a great trip, it has honestly been one of, if not the best trip I've been on."
Dave // Scotland
First Descents Ski Expedition
"Thanks for a truly unforgettable experience. I am in awe of the whole place, as well as your dedication and love of the area. You have created a fantastic base, and hope it continues to provide you with many more happy memories. I’ve learnt a huge amount about the local area and ski expedition techniques..." (more)
Dave // Scotland
First Descents Ski Expedition
"Thanks for a truly unforgettable experience. I am in awe of the whole place, as well as your dedication and love of the area. You have created a fantastic base, and hope it continues to provide you with many more happy memories. I’ve learnt a huge amount about the local area and ski expedition techniques thanks to your thoughtful approach. Despite the challenging weather we maximised on what was achievable and had a great time. Thanks again!"
Matt // France
Backcountry Ski Expedition
"I wanted to thank you all very much for two unforgettable weeks in Greenland. I have never seen such a beautiful, dramatic and pristine place and discovering it like we did was an amazing learning experience! Christian is a very experienced and easy-going guide, I could not have hoped for a better one...." (more)
Matt // France
Backcountry Ski Expedition
"I wanted to thank you all very much for two unforgettable weeks in Greenland. I have never seen such a beautiful, dramatic and pristine place and discovering it like we did was an amazing learning experience! Christian is a very experienced and easy-going guide, I could not have hoped for a better one. Spending time with Rich also was really good, his positive attitude and kindness was very much appreciated and made the whole trip even better!"
Susie // Germany
Boat-Supported Trek
"That has been one wonderful trek - with amazing views, beautiful campsites, gorgeous weather, delicious food (the freshest fish and mussels you ever get!), a great group and of course a dedicated and knowledgeable guide! Thank you, Rich, for the awesome hike through this big wilderness; and of course..." (more)
Susie // Germany
Boat-Supported Trek
"That has been one wonderful trek - with amazing views, beautiful campsites, gorgeous weather, delicious food (the freshest fish and mussels you ever get!), a great group and of course a dedicated and knowledgeable guide! Thank you, Rich, for the awesome hike through this big wilderness; and of course thanks to Helen and Matt for the wonderful hospitality in the lodge. I’ll remember this trip forever and I’m sure I’ll be back in dreamland for more!"