Quttinirpaaq: Ellesmere Island Expedition

Quttinirpaaq National Park, Ellesmere Island, Nunavut · Canada

Expedition Grade12 daysNorth America~£22,000 est.

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Overview

Quttinirpaaq means "top of the world", and the name is literal: Canada's second-largest national park sits at 82 degrees north, closer to the Pole than to any city. Your Twin Otter drops onto the gravel strip at Tanquary Fiord and leaves, and for twelve days the only humans in an area the size of Switzerland are your team. You trek beneath Gull Glacier, ford braided meltwater rivers, and walk valleys where muskox and Peary caribou never learned to fear people — Arctic wolves sometimes trot into camp out of sheer curiosity. The thermal oasis around Lake Hazen, the largest lake entirely north of the Arctic Circle, is the surprise: microclimate warmth, wildflowers, 24-hour daylight. The variable that catches people out is the fly-in logistics — everything hinges on charter weather from Resolute, and a two-day delay either side is normal, so build slack into your plans. This is expedition travel at expedition prices: Kenn Borek charters from Resolute Bay dominate the roughly £22,000 land cost, and guided departures run a handful of times each July. Register with Parks Canada and train with a loaded pack — you carry your safety with you.