The Wild North - Akshayuk Pass
About My Trip
Akshayuk Pass is the most popular hiking destination in Auyuittuq. A traditional Inuit travel corridor through spectacular mountain scenery, the 97 km pass connects Pangnirtung Fiord in Cumberland Sound (closest community is Pangnirtung), with North Pangnirtung Fiord off Davis Strait (closest community is Qikiqtarjuaq). We arranged boat transportation to drop us off and pick us up at the trail heads.
Most visitors hike the southern portion of the trail, from Overlord to Summit Lake and back. This route takes five to six days. A small but growing number of people hike the entire trail from North Pangnirtung Fiord to Overlord, South Pangnirtung Fiord. This route requires about eight days (one-way). We however, decided to be different and hike it South to North. To give ourselves extra time in case we ran into trouble with the numerous river crossings or had bad weather, we allotted 11 days. The most rugged section of trail was between Mount Thor and Glacier Lake, traversing several glacier moraines and forcing us to fiord many rivers.
The year prior to our hike people were evacuated off of the trail as a result of torrential rain and massive flooding. Bridges were wiped out rerouting the trail. Prior to starting the trip park wardens spoke of chest deep river crossings. Luckily, we only experienced thigh deep water.
July and August are the most popular months for hiking in the park. While warm summer temperatures are common in July and August, hikers should be prepared at all times for inclement weather such as sudden drops in temperature, strong winds, and rain or snow.
Although area closures are possible at any time, high water levels have been most problematic between the last week of July and the first week of August. Therefore it is recommend that people refrain from hiking the trail during this time.
Emergency shelters with radios are found at:
Information was modified from http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/nu/auyuittuq/activ/activ1.aspx
Akshayuk Pass is the most popular hiking destination in Auyuittuq. A traditional Inuit travel corridor through spectacular mountain scenery, the 97 km pass connects Pangnirtung Fiord in Cumberland Sound (closest community is Pangnirtung), with North Pangnirtung Fiord off Davis Strait (closest community is Qikiqtarjuaq). We arranged boat transportation to drop us off and pick us up at the trail heads.
Most visitors hike the southern portion of the trail, from Overlord to Summit Lake and back. This route takes five to six days. A small but growing number of people hike the entire trail from North Pangnirtung Fiord to Overlord, South Pangnirtung Fiord. This route requires about eight days (one-way). We however, decided to be different and hike it South to North. To give ourselves extra time in case we ran into trouble with the numerous river crossings or had bad weather, we allotted 11 days. The most rugged section of trail was between Mount Thor and Glacier Lake, traversing several glacier moraines and forcing us to fiord many rivers.
The year prior to our hike people were evacuated off of the trail as a result of torrential rain and massive flooding. Bridges were wiped out rerouting the trail. Prior to starting the trip park wardens spoke of chest deep river crossings. Luckily, we only experienced thigh deep water.
July and August are the most popular months for hiking in the park. While warm summer temperatures are common in July and August, hikers should be prepared at all times for inclement weather such as sudden drops in temperature, strong winds, and rain or snow.
Although area closures are possible at any time, high water levels have been most problematic between the last week of July and the first week of August. Therefore it is recommend that people refrain from hiking the trail during this time.
Emergency shelters with radios are found at:
- Overlord (No longer assessable)
- Ulu Peak (No longer assessable)
- Windy Lake
- Thor Peak
- Summit Lake
- Glacier Lake
- June Valley
- Owl River
- North Pangnirtung (head of North Pangnirtung Fiord)
Information was modified from http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/nu/auyuittuq/activ/activ1.aspx
