With good reason, in 2004 Outside Magazine voted our Auyuittuq Backpacking Traverse one of the top trips of a lifetime. Auyuittuq National Park on the Cumberland Peninsula of Baffin Island offers nearly untapped wilderness. Here is a unique arctic land of jagged mountain peaks, deep valleys and spectacular fjords, where the sun circles endlessly all night long. The 'exotic Arctic,' we call it, where exquisite wildflowers bloom defiantly beside broad glaciers, the Penny Ice Cap rises above dramatic peaks, and icy fjords teem with seals, walruses, polar bears, narwhals, and beluga whales. Auyuittuq lies on the Arctic Circle, about 2400 km north of Montreal.

From Qikitarjuaq, the "Iceberg capital of the North." we travel by boat to steep-sided North Pangnirtung Fiord, traveling past huge icebergs, and enter Auyuittuq, "the land that never melts." On the boat trip, we may see seals and other northern marine mammals, such as beluga whales or narwhals.

We backpack up a broad, glacier-rimmed valley. This will be the height of summer; wildflowers bloom and birds find refuge in lush grasslands. We are likely to see snowy owls, eider ducks, Canada geese, peregrine falcons, and gyrfalcons, along with arctic foxes, hares and lemmings. Vertical granite walls rise above the valleys; finely sculpted cirques reveal the artwork of glaciers.

Auyuittuq National Park is a geological wonder. Glaciers drape over dark granite peaks; loud explosions rattle through Akshayuk Pass as blocks of Precambrian granite fall into the valley. Glacial debris and erratics (large boulders) perch in unusual positions. Wind and water create large deposits of sand and glacial moraines, carving patterns in the landscape.

The scoured surface of Mount Thor is one of the tallest uninterrupted cliff faces on Earth, and is considered one of the world's premier wilderness climbing areas. The truncated twin peaks of Mount Asgard are spectacular from our route. An optional side trip on a layover day gets us even closer to the peaks.

This is a challenging trip, suitable for experienced backpackers. The hiking is across rugged, uneven terrain, and moist, spongy tundra, wi th many glacier stream crossings. Participants must carry 13 days of food, but we?ll have layover days, free of our big packs for exploring side valleys and glaciers, always in view of spectacular peaks, like Mts. Thor, Asgard, and Beidablik. We end our trip with a boat trip to Pangnirtung, a small Inuit community known for its colorful prints and woven tapestries.