Every year, I try to choose a couple of activities that offer new experiences which push me out of my comfort zone. Hopefully not to a point where I’m terrified. Just far enough to make me uncomfortable and a bit concerned about my ability to pull it off.
This is one of those experiences. I had never been backpacking for a week – setting up camp at a new spot each night, eating and sleeping in the wilderness. Yet, here I was opting to do that in the far-north Canadian territory of Nunavut, in a remote national park that offers virtually no facilities or support.
In fact, all potential visitors are required to attend a 90-minute meeting with park staff in a nearby village to ensure a full understanding of the risks – polar bears, river crossings, hypothermia…
What was I thinking? Well, I lived to tell the tale!
Why the Arctic? “Because it’s there.”
Living in Canada during COVID, while cross-border travel was restricted. I decided to add a new goal: to visit at least one Canadian national park in each of the provinces and territories. To date, I’d managed to visit national parks in 7 of Canada’s 10 provinces – even venturing as far north as Churchill, Manitoba on Hudson Bay — but none of its 3 territories. So, it was high time to venture way north to Nunavut, the easternmost and northernmost of the territories. Auyuittuq National Park looked to be the most accessible. It’s on Baffin Island and offers the opportunity to hike across the Arctic Circle border. I liked the idea of that.
Final reason to go: to quote George Mallory on Everest, “Because it was there.”
The Preparation
Due to my limited backpacking experience, I consulted with the experts from Black Feather, a guiding company with decades of experience in northern Canada. They offer an 8-day adventure into Auyuittuq National Park focused on hiking up Akshayuk Pass, a U-shaped valley along the Weasel River. We’d fly into a small village which houses the Park’s HQ, take a motorboat up the Pangnirtung Fiord to where the Weasel dumps into Cumberland Sound, disembark and hike northward for a few days across the Arctic Circle border to Windy Lake and Mount Thor. We’d do a u-turn and retrace our steps back. Simple, right?
Along the way, we’d cross glacial streams/rivers, revel in nature’s beauty, and avoid polar bears. The latter, fortunately, are mostly on the coast, not inland, since our primary deterrent would be bear spray. I would have preferred a bazooka but the guiding company wouldn’t rent me one.
I got super lucky, too, as my good friend and hiking buddy, Sandy, came along for the ride! Plus, 9 other Canadian adventurers ranging in age from 14 to 72!
Getting There
The flight path to the rendezvous village on Baffin Island is by jet to Iqaluit, capital of Nunavut, and then by 18-seater further north to the village of Pangnirtung, where we met our guides. After gear check, we packed our backpacks, including tent and food, and headed off the next morning on the boat up the fiord. My pack weighed about 50 pounds. What’s not to love?
Fun Fact: Mount Thor has the world’s greatest vertical drop – a 4,101 feet (1,250 meters) face of sheer granite. By comparison, El Capitan is about 3,000 feet.
Fun Fact: Nunavut is the largest and least-densely populated major country sub-division in the world (other than Antarctica). Nearly the size of Mexico and with a population of app. 37,000, it is less densely populated than Greenland.
Backpacking Highlights
I won’t recite the entire adventure, play-by-play, but will share some highlights.
Landscape Beauty
The scenery was unforgettable. Barren. Harsh. Dramatic. Beautiful. I don’t think these photos fully capture it, but hopefully you get a sense. It’s quite a feeling being out there in the middle of nowhere. We were told that if disaster befell and we needed support, we should be prepared to wait a day or two, at least, before it arrives. (Our guides carried a satellite phone.) One afternoon, we did find the river so swollen that we had to wait until the next morning to cross it. Run-off from the melting glacier (Penny Ice Cap) peaks in the late afternoon and dips in the chillier early morning.
Limited Flora and Fauna
We saw arctic geese, an arctic hare and tracks of arctic fox. That’s it. No polar bears! Note, there is very little vegetation other than tundra grass – no trees or shrubs. The rivers are glacial runoff so no fish. In short, nothing much to support animal life.
Changeable Weather
We got lucky with sunshine at the outset and reasonable temps, given the location, ranging from 40-55°F (4- 12 °C). By mid-week, things had turned. First clouds, then rain, then winds – we got it all – and finally a return to sunny. I was able to remain dry and not too cold, but by end of week, I was pretty gnarly – stinky from no showering and “tufty”, as I hadn’t brought a comb. Next time. Thankfully for all, I didn’t forget my toothbrush.
Great Group of Fellow Adventurers
Our group’s dynamics were great, and the guides helped us make smart decisions. Everyone was supportive of one another and had a sense of humor. That’s my polite way of saying everyone gave me a lot of useful advice. I did assist one of my fellow adventurers, placing boulders on her tent’s pegs after erecting mine, only to see my tent collapse. Fortunately, a couple of others came to my rescue.
Goals Achieved!
Thankfully, I survived to tell the tale! Mostly due to the exceptional guides from Black Feather – they were invaluable in their knowledge and experience, and incredibly fun and patient with us all.
Here’s what I achieved:
- Learned how to properly erect a tent (with nightly feedback).
- Picked up cooking skills using a Whisperlite stove.
- Learned techniques for crossing glacial rivers (approx. 40–45°F).
- In 50+ mph winds, learned to secure tent lines and use boulders on pegs to withstand gusts.
Besides surviving with reasonable comfort, I had three goals:
- hike in the Arctic Circle
- get to Windy Lake
- see Mount Thor.
Our group accomplished all three. Star Champions!
Reflections
Many of us shared how wonderful it was to completely unplug. No cell. No WiFi. Just us in nature. This joy was the most unexpected benefit for me.
In retrospect, I have this wonderful feeling of accomplishment. I did that! I hiked in the Arctic Circle!
Get out there and Carpe diem!
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.