Exploratory climbing in Canada’s North: A trip supported by the Jen Higgins Grant
A human-powered expedition to the Coronation Glacier
A trip report by Jen Higgins Grant for Young Women recipients: Amanda Bischke and Shira Biner
Shira Biner, Amanda Bischke, Noah Besen and James Klemmensen spent five weeks in the summer of 2023 on a paddling and climbing expedition on the east coast of Baffin Island on a trip partially funded by the Jen Higgins Grant for Young Women. They were able to navigate an unusually late sea ice break-up, kayak 120 kilometres, slog heavy loads for days along a glacier and put up four first ascent climbs, including an all-women first ascent in the Arctic. Read their trip report below.
Our team would like to acknowledge that climbing can be viewed as colonial in nature. We are very grateful to the Qikiqtani Inuit for not only allowing us to travel on their ancestral lands, but for providing us with guidance to safely travel in the Arctic. This has not only been an incredible climbing- paddling adventure, but also a meaningful cultural experience for us.
Shira climbing up to the belay as Shira and Amanda lead up to the summit on Raise the Drawbridge.
A journey from sea ice to paddling with icebergs to glaciers and first ascents.
Our team arrived in the remote Inuit community Qikiqtarjuaq on Baffin Island on July 7, 2023 facing an unexpected crux: the sea ice break-up was delayed several weeks due to an unusually cold spring. We were planning to start paddling from Qikiqtarjuaq but it was locked in by sea ice for about 20 kilometres before the open water began. After discussions with the local outfitter and polar guides in Nunavut, we decided to have our thousand pounds of food as well as paddling, climbing and camping gear dropped by snowmobile close to the open water, and that we would walk from Qikiqtarjuaq along the sea ice to the cache. Walking on the sea ice with occasional seals poking up through seal holes was an incredible experience. We made it to our gear cache where we then had to figure out the next challenge: how to safely cross the final few kilometres from the solid sea ice to the thin sea ice and finally reach the open water.
The team scoping the sea ice break up from the summit of our mini island.
The team as they near the end of the transition from traveling on frozen sea ice to paddling open water.
We made it across and camped on a mini island. Shira took the lead in figuring out how to navigate the sea ice terrain. The ice-to-water transition day was exhilarating and lots of hard work, but positive attitudes prevailed. After many hours of shuttling loads of gear across the thicker ice, then navigating a path along the thinner ice while avoiding the pools of open water, we finally reached the transition point. Here the ice was so thin that we had to be incredibly careful where we stood or it would collapse under our weight and we would plunge into the icy Arctic water! At the ice edge we straddled our boats and shimmied forwards as the ice underneath us broke away leaving us floating on the water. It was a truly breathtaking moment and one we will remember for the rest of our lives. We paddled away under the midnight sun, in awe of what we had just experienced and reflecting on how initially we thought it was a misfortune that our paddling route was blocked by ice, but turned out to be such a beautiful and fascinating part of our adventure and something we are grateful for.
Shira leading while Noah belays on the sea ice next to a seal hole during a rest day on the mini island while we figured out how to navigate the sea ice breakup.
We paddled past icebergs for the remaining 50 kilometres to Coronation Fiord and arrived at the toe of the Coronation Glacier. We left a cache of our paddling gear there and hiked 10 kilometres along the glacier to our basecamp where we were surrounded by rocky peaks and the massive Penny Ice Cap in the distance.
Shira paddling past an iceberg in Coronation Fiord.
Amanda paddling past an iceberg in Coronation Fiord on a wet and foggy day.
We, Shira and Amanda, were able to put up an all-women first ascent in the Arctic with our route The Big G (5.8 350m). It was an incredibly meaningful experience climbing a new route in such a remote location as a team of only women. The freedom of climbing a first ascent versus trying to follow a previously established line was incredible. Viewing these rocky peaks as a blank canvas where we could draw our line based on our vision and the adventure we wanted to create while navigating the terrain we encountered was so powerful. Later, all four of us teamed up together for another first ascent: Raise the Drawbridge (5.10- 400m). It was a 24-hour-long adventure involving a Tyrolean approach, some wonderful climbing along a ridge, and breathtaking views of the Penny Ice Cap from the summit (route descriptions are below.) Additionally, Noah and James completed two other first ascents.
Our basecamp on Coronation Glacier.
Our team then hiked back along the glacier to the fiord and paddled the 70-kilometre return journey to Qikiqtarjuaq. The return paddle went very smoothly, however we did have a polar bear pass by our final camp before reaching the community. We were aware that polar bears travel inland off the ice as the sea ice melts away and so this would be the time when we were most likely to experience an encounter with a bear. We were prepared with a polar bear fence surrounding our tent and always had bear bangers and a firearm within reach. We feel incredibly fortunate to have had a safe adventure in the Arctic, not just in terms of polar bears, but with respect to traveling all the terrain we encountered on a remote paddling and climbing Arctic expedition.
Our team departed Qikiqtarjuaq on August 19, 2023 and returned home to Squamish, BC. Air travel in the Arctic is similar to expeditions: you need to be prepared for things to not go as planned, and try to make the most of it. Most of the team experienced a total of six canceled flights and four days of delays. It was seven days of delayed travel due to weather for Shira.
This expedition has been a very empowering experience. We have been challenged immensely, learned skills we never expected and discovered how strong and capable we are. It has been life-changing for the both of us. We are incredibly grateful for the support from the Jen Higgins Grant for Young Women which helped make this wild dream a reality. This is an adventure we will cherish for the rest of our lives and we are excited to share it to help inspire other women to get after it climbing and adventuring in remote, breathtaking parts of the world.
Route description
The Big G — 5.8, 350m, FA: Shira Biner and Amanda Bischke
A mellow-yet-fun rock climb in an epic setting, this climb was an all-women first ascent in the Arctic! We chose a line meandering up terrain with mid-fifth climbing until the route steepened. From here we followed a feature for several pitches up to 5.8. Seven pitches total, almost full 60m pitches, creating a 350m route (measured as rope length climbed, 300m of vertical height) of fun climbing with wild views of the Coronation Glacier and Penny Ice Cap! We rappelled the route. Note: the G stands for Gnarwhal! The local Inuit hunt the narwhals in Coronation Fiord and the neighbouring Maktak Fiord each fall. We came across many large narwhal skulls and vertebrae at some of our paddling camps. Narwhal meat is shared amongst the community and the horns are sold. Shira’s team name was the Sunburnt Gnarwhal and she wore a silly Gnarwhal horn flower headpiece which is in some of the photos.
Amanda leading pitch 6 on The Big G 350m 5.8
Route description
Raise the Drawbridge — 5.10-, 400m, FA: Shira Biner, Amanda Bischke, Noah Besen, James Klemmensen
With an approach unique to a paddling and climbing expedition, this was a first ascent our team of four put up all together. A ridge with 400m of climbing was blocked by a pool with cold glacial water. Noah brought his dry suit up to glacier camp so he swam across the pool and we set up a Tyrolean from a rock anchor on one side to an ice anchor on the other. The remaining three of us Tyroleaned across making for quite the adventure before any climbing had even begun. Noah led the first pitch, James the second and then we (Amanda and Shira) swapped leads as a rope team, leading as the first team picking a line along the ridge with the most solid rock to the summit of the ridge. From the summit we were level with the Penny Ice Cap which, from this vantage point, looked seemingly endless. With eight or nine pitches total, most of which were close to full 60m pitches, this made for an awesome ridge route with 400m of pitched climbing (350m of vertical height)! The route was rappelled and a new Tyrolean set up (Noah rode an ice chunk across the pool this time) to return back to the glacier.
The whole team of four (left to right Noah, James, Amanda and Shira) on the summit of Raise the Drawbridge 400m 5.10-
Shira (left) and Amanda (right) with the massive Penny Ice Cap in the distance.
The Jen Higgins Grant for Young Women
The ACC is dedicated to helping young women pursue their adventure dreams with annual cash grants from the Jen Higgins Fund. Teams must include a young woman who is central to conceiving, developing and leading the trip.
The Jen Higgins Fund was established by friends and family to honour Jen Higgins after her death in 1997. Jen’s enthusiasm and generous spirit continue to live on by supporting young women in creative, self-propelled mountain adventures with this grant.
Deadline to apply: Jan 31st, 2024