Akshayuk Pass, Auyuittuq National Park
Majestic towers sculpted from the rock by glaciers shooting up into a brilliant sky—this is what awaits you in Auyuittuq National Park. This park is without doubt one of the most impressive locations on earth.
Auyuittuq National Park encompasses 21,000 km2 (8,108 mi2) some 350 km (218 mi) north east of Iqaluit, on the Cumberland Peninsula. A good portion of Auyuittuq National Park is covered by the Penny Ice Cap, which is the remains of continental glaciers from the last Ice Age, stretching some 5,200 km2 (2,007 mi2) with a depth of up to 300 metres (328 yd). The Akshayuk Pass is an immense valley that cuts through the Ice Cap, linking the Northern and Southern sections of the park. It is through this opening that you are invited to cross the park.
After a 4-hour snowmobile ride takes us from Qikiqtarjuaq to the park’s northern entrance, 11 days of backcountry skiing and 100 kilometres (62 mi) of breathtaking scenery lie in wait. As you travel on skis, or with crampons over the river’s ice cascades, you will have an opportunity to see impressive rock formations dating back to the last ice age, moraines, boulder fields, with spectacular views of Mount Thor and Mount Asgard. Throughout the trek, the glaciers, the scenery and the mountains will mesmerize you, every new landscape more impressive than the last. 11 days of winter camping in the most awe-inspiring place in the North, the challenge of a lifetime !
