It is very exciting to announce my first expedition since I was in Antarctica just before the pandemic shut everything down for 2 years. Baffin Island is a land of great adventure and stunning beauty, home to towering mountains, glaciers and pristine valleys. I will be leading an expedition through the challenging Akshayuk Pass in Baffin Island’s remote highlands.
On March 19 we will begin our adventure to one of the most beautiful polar landscapes in the world. The team consists of myself, fellow guide Angus and Anne, Dan, Paul and Frank. All of whom are very excited to explore Baffin Island together.
Our Route along the Akshayuk Pass
=> We will begin our journey flying from Ottawa to Iqaluit.
=> From here we will fly to Qikiqtarjuaq which is a remote hamlet on the East shore of Baffin Island.
=> We will travel by snowmobile to our start location at North Pangnirtung Fjord in Auyuittuq National Park.
=> From here we will make our way over 9 days to the hamlet of Pangnirtung.
=> We will travel through the famous Akshayuk Pass following the frozen Owl River
=>This will take us to Glacier Lake and Summit Lake and then across the Weasel River to the Pangnirtung Fjord that flows into the Cumberland Sound
=> We will travel past the massive Penny Ice Cap and walk in the shadow of truly giant mountains including Mount Thor, Asgard, and Odin.
How We Trek and Expected Conditions
We will travel on foot pulling all our gear in heavily loaded sleds. We will look to cover about 20km each day. Daily temperatures will be between -15 and -20 and at night it could dip to -30 and feel even colder if there is a wind (which there always is).
We will find a new camp each night and set up our tents. We will eat lots of oatmeal, trail mix, salami, cheese and freeze dried meals to keep us going.
We could see some Polar Bears and cubs emerging from their winter dens. They will ignore us as they head for the waters edge there they will find their favourite meal of seal. We may see a white or red Fox and a few birds, but mostly it will just be the silence, beauty and expanse of the tundra underfoot.
Follow Our Journey!
This is my first blog post about my March 2022 Baffin Island Expedition. I will be sending updates as we make our way through the Akshayuk Pass to the hamlet of Pangnirtung. So please check back for more pictures and stories from this amazing journey.
I will be sending daily updates via satellite phone so you can follow along and see how we are doing.