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Straddling the Arctic Circle in the northeast of Baffin Island, Auyuittuq National Park Reserve is one of the most spectacular destinations in the Canadian north. The heart of the park is the massive Penney Ice Cap , a remnant of the ice sheet that extended over most of Canada east of the Rockies about 18,000 years ago, and the major hiking route is the 110-kilometre Pangnirtung/Aksayuk Pass, which cuts through the mountains between Cumberland Sound and the Davis Strait. Auyuittuq is Inuit for "the land that never melts", but despite the unrelenting cold there is abundant life here: in summer the sparse tundra plants burst into green, the wild flowers are blooming and the amazing array of wildlife includes lemmings, polar bears, caribou, arctic hares and foxes, snow geese, peregrines, narwhals, walruses, bowhead and beluga whales, as well as harp, ringed and bearded seals. The only transport for the 25km from Pangnirtung to the south entrance of the park is by freighter canoe , which the Inuit also charter for fishing, whale-watching and sightseeing trips. The rates on these "canoes" - which are like small fishing boats with outboard motors - are set by the Inuit co-operative, and work out at around $125 for two people one-way, plus $35-60 for each additional person. The boats can only pass through the Pangnirtung Fjord after the ice break-up in July - at other times you have to walk. Arrangements for a canoe pick-up should be possible by radio from the few emergency shelters in the park, but be warned that one summer all the batteries were stolen, so you may have to arrange your pick-up before being dropped off. Services within the park are extremely limited and the weather is highly unpredictable. Snowstorms, high wind and rain occur frequently, and deaths from hypothermia have been known even in the height of summer. All-weather hiking gear is essential, and a walking stick or ski pole is necessary to assist you with the ice-cold stream crossings which occur every 200-300m and can still be waist-high in July. There is no wood for fuel, as the park is located kilometres north of the tree line, so a camping stove is also essential
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