"Baffin Island is an Arctic
wilderness of jagged mountain peaks, deep valleys, steep walled fjords and
eternal glacial ice. Located inside the Arctic Circle, this powerful
landscape reflects the Inuit belief that time is infinite and unending’’
This year's adventure was chilly - 10 days in temperatures
significantly colder than your average domestic freezer! We crossed
Baffin Island on foot, towing our own sledges (pulks) which contained all
the food and equipment we would need to survive for 10 days,
including tents. The journey, 140 miles long, took 7½ days.
We walked from Pangnirtung to Broughton Island inside the Arctic Circle in
the Inuit terrority, Nunavut, Northern Canada. Our route took us
across the Auyuittuq National Park, through the Akshayuk Pass, to
Qikiqtarjuaq, Broughton Island.
- Warmest temperature -15°C;
- Coldest ambient temperature -30°C;
- Coldest with wind-chill -47°C.
- The average domestic freezer operates at -15°C.
It amuses me to think that the lowest temperature was as much below
freezing as the Atacama desert was above freezing last year!
Anyway, here is the story - not as detailed as the others because I
didn't take notes, and, curiously, didn't send any emails home. But
the pics speak for themselves.
TOP TIP: If you ever do anything like this, put everything you wanna
take into your freezer first - if it freezes solid, breaks or stops
working, don't take it!
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