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Open Kernel Labs Blog
August 01, 2008
Intrepid Iggy made it back without injury from the Arctic Circle
Iggy and the team set out on a trek crossing the Akshayuk Pass. It's situated within the Auyuittuq National Park on Baffin Island in the Nunavut of Canada's arctic. The meaning of Auyuittuq in Inuktitut is "the land that never melts" (this was before the glaciers started receding).This was a very ambitious trek not only due to its inhospitable terrain but also the pressing schedule of completing 70+ miles in 6 days with heavy packs.
Since the glaciers receding what was once desert-like terrain is now in fact very wet. The moss was 6 to 18 inches deep and acted like a big sponge forcing us to march with a military like step for days on end. Another effect was the excessive run off made the rivers run about 12 ft higher than normal. This meant that what were once little streams had become raging rivers and those that were larger rivers were now dangerous.
The rivers became so big that they washed out a bridge, undercut the permafrost and eroded the foundation of Crater Lake risking severe flash flooding. Check these links for more info. You can even see it written in Inuktitut – kind cool writing if you have never seen it: http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/nu/auyuittuq/ne/ne2_e.asp
In fact, we were extracted by the Canadian Royal Coast Guard as they closed the park for the first time ever due to the high danger of flooding. Lucky for us, we had actually completed our trek.
Here are the stats:
70+ miles
2-5 river crossings a day
10-15hrs of trekking a day
3500 calories consumed a day, per person
5 other groups encountered
2 rangers met
5 Royal Coast Guards men extracted us
3 days of rain
3 days of sun
1 swim in glacial lake
We were lucky to see some of the most amazing terrain including ice bergs, glaciers, moraines, and towering mountains. Some of the notable mountains include Mount Thor which features the world's tallest uninterrupted rock face and Mount Asgard which was featured in James Bond The Spy Who Loved Me (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Asgard).
Iggy is now back on terra firma and happily warming in his humid Chicago environs, yet soon off to experience chilly San Francisco to hang out with some Open Source techies at LinuxWorld.
Tim Heath
Posted by Ram Sarabu on August 01 at 12:31 PM
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About Ram Sarabu:
As a senior product manager, Ram Sarabu talks to customers and partners to identify market opportunities and develops a cohesive strategy for OK Labs products. Prior to OK Labs, he worked 10+ years in product development and product management roles in the mobile industry. He holds a masters in business administration from the University of Chicago and a masters in electrical engineering from Michigan Technological University. In his spare time, Ram enjoys watching sports and playing board games with his two boys.
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