Afterward, the buildings stood empty for what I estimate to be about a year, from the fall of 1972 to 1973, when another enterprising gentleman named Lars Rasmussen came by and immediately saw that the barn, which previously housed sheep and chickens, should, of course, become Greenland’s first mountain hotel.
He was not just anyone: as the grandson of the famous polar explorer Knud Rasmussen, there were, I dare say, quite a few doors that opened automatically for him, and plenty of funding sources as well.
However, he first got his wife Gitte on board with the idea, and together they managed to get the Business Support Committee, Bikuben, and the government on board with the project. They also convinced Uncle Poul to invest the necessary start-up capital.
All the buildings were transferred to them for 1 krone by the government. Purchased as seen.
A company was established, and the bank provided a line of credit. The Business Support Committee and Lars’s uncle contributed start-up capital, and loans were taken out for the remainder.
In the spring of 1974, they got started.
When the project was planned, oil prices were not very high, so they planned and implemented electric heating throughout the hotel. However, they did have an oil burner for heating the hot water.
Soon after, oil prices rose due to the crisis in Europe and the war in the Middle East, which caused the original budget to fall apart.
The power plant was using 150 liters of fuel a day and ran regardless of how many guests were at the hotel, which was obviously going to cause problems.
It wasn’t until 1978, four years later, that the hotel finally made a small profit. In fact, it was enough that Gitte Rasmussen, who had now divorced Lars, ran the hotel alone as the employed director (hired by the bank). She began planning an expansion of the hotel and a series of cabins along the river.
However, these plans never came to fruition, as the new Home Rule government scrapped all the planned training courses for the coming winter of 1979-1980.
Whether you're interested in hiking in the area, exploring the local botany or geology, fishing, hunting, or simply being surrounded by unforgettable and stunning nature, book your stay at the cottages now!
