Itinerary

Day 1
Depart from Ottawa at 09:05 by First Air to Iqaluit. You will change planes in Iqaluit (and continue to Clyde River, located off the northeast coast of Baffin Island, north of the Arctic Circle. Upon landing in Clyde River, your guide will welcome you and provide transfer to the local guesthouse. You and your guide will layout the tentative plan for your visit to this strange and exciting part of the world that has been so seldom visited by outsiders other than true Arctic explorers. We refer to the plan as being "tentative" because your itinerary is not chiseled in granite; within limits set by your guide's experience, you are free to change as your mood dictates.

Day 2-7
After a gear check and procurement of a fishing license you will be off to the beach to load the boat and depart. Most likely, you will pick your way through chunks of ice left stranded by the dramatic tides common to the area, making your way out of the bay into the open sea, then along the coast.

Over the next 6 days, you may stop at any one of a number of traditional camps along the coast, where the Inuit return to the summering ground of their elders. En route, you can expect to see icebergs resembling ships of the Great White Fleet that have drifted over from Greenland. A stop may be made for hot tea and bannock and jam, the Inuit traveling food, and for your guide to visit with friends and relatives. Accommodations en route include tent camping on the beach or staying in one of your guide's outpost huts. Keep in mind that you will have 24-hours of daylight.

Activities will likely change from day to day to include stalking land mammals with your camera such as caribou, and other Arctic or sea mammals such as seals, narwhal, bowhead whales, and possibly Polar bear. Additionally, the majority of migratory birds are in abundance. You may also encounter a number of historic sites dating to the Thule culture, as well the whaling days.

Plenty of time will be provided for unhurried observation, photography, sketching or painting, hiking, fishing, or joining your guide while he hunts for the larder, demonstrating skills that have developed over the 3,000 years, during which his ancestors have inhabited the area. If this is offensive to you, he will not do so, but will show you how to stalk for viewing and photography.

Although guests may not hunt, they may fish (with a license) for Arctic char, one of the world's really great game fish. (Known as "rod breakers," Arctic char are not docile.) If this interests, bring your rod and reel. You may also join your guide and other Inuit as they fish for Char with nets. Some of the people in the camps are artists who may be found working on carvings in the traditional manner.

Day 8
You will return to Clyde River early afternoon and check in at the hotel. You will be free for the remainder of afternoon to explore the community, seek out local art, or simply relax. Dinner will be at the hotel.

Day 9
After breakfast, you will return to the airport for your flight to Iqaluit, departing at 09:40. Your flight arrives in Iqaluit at 10:35.

Since you will have about 3 hours before your flight to Ottawa, there is time to run into town for a quick explore. There are a number of interesting places in Iqualuit, such as the new Legislature Building and the Anglican Cathedral (where the alter vestments are finely sewn seal, caribou, and polar bear skins reflecting the Inuit culture). There is a museum, again reflecting the culture of the region, as well as several galleries offering Inuit crafts, including soapstone carvings and prints from throughout the Baffin Region.

You should return to the airport by 12:45, in preparation for your First Air flight to Ottawa (Flt. 861), departing at 13:45. The Odyssey ends at the scheduled arrival time in Ottawa (16:50).

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