Arctic Team Challenge

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The Arctic Team Challenge (ATC) is a race in Adventure Racing taking place annually in East Greenland (Ammassalik). It includes different competitive disciplines such as orienteering, glacier trekking, mountainbiking, sea kayaking/canoeing, mountain running and some mountainclimbing. The official website is www.atc.gl and information on entering the race as well as overviews of previous races and the ATC history can be found here.

The first Arctic Team Challenge was held in 2001 and races have been held annually since then. Team from countries such as South Africa, the UK, Greenland, Canada, Iceland and Denmark, amongst others, have taken part in this race. Team entries are limited due to the complications of the logistics, as the race organisers have very specific challenges in this race compared to other adventure races.

The environment in East Greenland can be very extreme, and the race is normally held in summer to make optimal use of the warmer weather. This extreme environment also has its rewards, and kayaking in the ocean in the midst of smaller pieces broken off from icebergs and glacier trekking in an organized race can be a truly magnificent experience.