Alone Across the Arctic

Explorer Adam Shoalts sets out to cross the northern mainland

SSome people will celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday with barbeques and fireworks. Adam Shoalts, explorer and Fellow of The Royal Canadian Geographical Society, has chosen to fete the sesquicentennial by spending five months alone in the Arctic. Starting in May on the Canada-alaska border, Shoalts will embark on a solo journey eastward, loosely following the Arctic Circle, arriving at Hudson Bay in September. In the 4,000 kilometres between point A and point B, he’ll encounter a surprising diversity of natural beauty, from mountains and rivers to tundra and forest. Many Arctic time capsules also lie in his path, from the overgrown ruins of Fort Confidence to John Hornby’s cabin, where the Englishman starved to death in 1927 after missing the caribou migration. The Arctic Circle (66°33’) is the most northerly of the five major latitudes commonly shown on global maps — the line that defines true Arctic from the amorphous “North.” It is a place where, depending on the season, the sun is either always or never visible. To reach his goal (christened the Trans-canadian Arctic Expedition or, informally, “Alone Across the Arctic”), Shoalts will move by foot, pack raft and canoe. The clock will be ticking: unlike some of his previous expeditions, the young explorer will be focused on relentless and continual travel to ensure he reaches Hudson Bay before the region’s harsh winter arrives. Shoalts hopes to inspire the next generation to join him outside and explore what Canada has to offer. “Our wilderness is unlike anything else in the world,” he says. “I think every Canadian should try to experience it at least once.” Here are 11 of the many geographic and historical highlights that Shoalts will encounter on his epic journey.