Last week, we reported that British adventurer Camilla Hempleman-Adams claimed a questionable Arctic record for her solo ski between the Inuit communities of Qikiqtarjuaq and Pangnirtung on Baffin Island. Hempleman-Adams claimed to be the first woman to solo traverse the Island.
Since then, some Canadian Inuit have pushed back, stating that she did not fully traverse the island and calling her claim and approach disrespectful to the generations of Inuit who have long inhabited Baffin Island and traveled that route.
Gayle Uyagaqi Kabloona, an Ottawa-based Inuit artist and former tourism worker in Qikiqtarjuaq, told ExplorersWeb: “Inuit are tired of white people coming to our lands, calling it desolate and unforgiving and continuing the narrative of ‘triumph over the elements.’ We all have history here. A generation ago, people were born in tents and spent their lives traversing the Arctic. We have respect for the land for supporting us and the generations who came before us.
“I was aghast that this person was calling a trip from Qikiqtarjuaq to Pangnirtung a traverse of Baffin Island,” she added.
Following a news article in Canadian media and scrutiny on social media, Hempleman-Adams has deleted her Instagram account and removed her expedition journal from Substack. Her website now refers to the trip as “a winter attempt to become the first British woman to traverse across Baffin Island.”
Image: https://baffinsolo.com
A well-traveled route
As we previously noted, this route is commonly traveled by both locals and tourists. Uyagaqi Kabloona has hiked the Akshayuk Pass twice, which is the main stretch of Hempleman-Adams’ journey.
“Auyuittuq is Nunavut’s most visited national park, and the pass is the reason why. The pass is mostly flat…has emergency shelters every 10-15km with radios, a logbook, bed platforms, and outhouses,” says Uyagaqi Kabloona.
Akshayuk Pass has cabins every 10-15km. Photo: Shutterstock
ExplorersWeb also spoke with a French family currently living in Qikiqtarjuaq. The five-strong group, ranging in age from 11 to 65, met Hempleman-Adams at the first shelter on her route while they themselves were skiing Akshayuk Pass. They highlighted the route’s relative ease and accessibility.
Gayle Uyagaqi Kabloona has completed the trek from Qikiqtarjuaq to Pangnirtung multiple times. Photo: Gayle Uyagaqi Kabloona
Hempleman-Adams has not publicly responded to or commented on the criticism regarding her claims.
