The best walks and hikes in Nunavut

Gjoa Haven's Inuit Name is Uqsuqtuuk which translates to something like „place with a lot of blubber“ – referring to seal that were hunted by the Inuit. The hamlet is surrounded by plenty of history. It was Roald Amundsen, the Norwegian explorer, who stayed at this place for quite some time to escape the harsh winter weather. It is said that he took the advice of the local Inuit people and was therefor successful in completing the Northwest Passage as the first human ever. Today, you can find some relics of this past and also the Franklin Expedition in Gjoa Haven, which was used as a trading post for the Hudson's Bay company as well. Visit the information center and the Nattilik Heritage Center and take a walk to the Amundsen monument.

The Old Stone Church is one of the landmarks worth to visit when you are around Cambridge Bay. The Roman Catholic church was built in 1954 using local material like seal oil and sand as mortar. It was Cambridge Bay's first church and used until 1960. In 2006, a fire destroyed most of the church leaving only the stone structure behind. Fortunately, in 2014, it came back to life by getting a new roof and the church is now in service again.

For over 86 years, this was the wrecksite of the Maud, Roald Amundsen's ship that he undertook two expeditions with in 1918 and 1925. After that, the ship was used by the Hudson's Bay Company as a supply ship. In 1930, it capsized near Cambridge Bay. In 2016, after several unsuccessful attempts, the wreck of the Maud was finally raised and transferred to Oslo (since Roald Amundsen and his ship were Norwegian).

The southernmost section of the Akshayuk Pass Route follows a trail that disappears further north, making route finding a necessity. Once you leave the Pangnirtung Fjord behind, you head towards Windy Lake. You are surrounded by majestic peaks like the Overlord Peak, Aegir Peak and Ulu Peak. The rushing Schwartzenbach Falls are visible in the distance.

The trailhead to climb Ovayok (also known as Mount Pelly or Uvayuk) is located about 16 kilometers from Cambridge Bay. There is room for several cars next to the prominent sign. You can get here by taking a gravel road. The summit of Ovayok is about three kilometers from here.

The Ovayok, also referred to as Uvayuk or Mount Pelly, is a formation known as an esker that was shaped by the latest ice age. An esker is a long, sometimes winding ridge composed of stratified sand and gravel, formed by meltwater streams flowing beneath or within glaciers, which leave behind these deposits as the ice retreats. From its top you enjoy a stunning view of the surrounding, mostly flat, landscape dotted with hundreds of lakes. The area was inhabited by the Inuit for centuries for hunting. Over 120 archaeological sites have been found around Uvayuk.

With its proximity to Nunavut's capital Iqaluit, the Sylvia Grinnell (also known as Iqaluit Kuunga) Territorial Park is the most visited park in the territory. The smooth rock you see today was shaped by a glacier that was more than 400 meters thick. Okay, this was also more than 7,000 years ago. Today, you walk through a landscape dotted with boulders and low-growing plants. The Sylvia Grinnell River flows through the park and empties into Frobisher Bay. Still a very popular place to fish, it has been used for fishing Arctic char for centuries, especially by the Inuit during the summer months. If you want to learn more about the area's history, you can take part in a geocache puzzle located within the park. By the way, the park was named after Henry Grinnells daughter. Henry was a businessman who funded the expedition of the American explorer Charles Francis Hall. To commemorate his patron, Hall named several places in the area after Henry Grinnell's family members.

From the outskirts of Iqaluit, the Apex Trail leads along the shore of the Arctic Ocean to the neighbourhood named Apex. The 5-kilometer journey takes into the tundra landscape with low-growing plants and the chance to sea whales and other sea mammals as well as arctic foxes. More highlights are sights of Frobisher Bay and the old Hudson's Bay Trading Post.