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We flew to Ottowa from the UK with
just about everything needed to complete the crossing, including heavy
sleds, kit bags and skis. Checking in was fun with overweight sledges that
needed re-packing - particularly amusing with the traditional hangover
from the previous night's pre-trip celebrations. Still, we soon
recovered when we found "The Keg", the best steak house in all
Ottowa. None of us felt brave enough to tackle the steak that was so
large the most they could cook it was medium rare, but we did enjoy a few
beers and then (when we'd tried all the beers worth trying) we moved on to
some interesting cocktails made with clam juice, celery and milk.
Hmm.
The following day we flew on to Iqaluit. This
place used to be called Frobisher Bay and is now the capital of Inuit
governed territory of Nunavut. There we went shopping, and re-packed the
sledges. Having worked up a serious appetite, we enjoyed Artic Char
(a fish) and Caribou steaks for dinner - I'd live in Inqaluit just for
those steaks - fantastic! As we ate, we watched the skies looking
forward to our first glimpse of the midnight sun, as our friends back home
had absolutely guaranteed beyond any shadow of doubt we would see.
What a relief when we learned we wouldn't have to take head torches with
us. We became a little suspicious when the sun disappeared at 8 and
decided that more shopping for torches was on the cards when it was pitch
black at 9. TOP TIP - do your own research before you
go.
Next morning, after we bought torches, we headed for the airport
(next door to the hotel ... as indeed is everything else in town ... it's
not a big place) for the final outward journey. This flight took us over the
Hall Peninsula and the frozen Cumberland Sound before landing at the in Pangnirtung,
a small Inuit community situated at the sea edge.
How could anyone live there - it looked so isolated and
damn cold.
   
[ Why? ] [ Preliminaries ] [ Getting There ] [ Days 1 and 2 ] [ Day 3 ] [ Days 4 and 5 ] [ Days 6, 7 and 8 ]
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