Glenn arrives in Canadian Arctic to begin Winter Journey
It’s the 13th of February and in a short while I will be leaving for Iqaluit near the southern end of Baffin Island. From there I will be heading on north to Iglulik where I shall begin Phase 3 of the Arctic Voice Expedition.I am looking forward to meeting Simon who will be my travelling partner for the next two months.
It is interesting to reflect on the fact that a few days of snow and low temperatures almost brought the uk to a standstill, whereas up north hunting and indeed existence itself relies on snow and ice. Without it travel accross the land would be virtually impossible, hunters and trappers could not find their prey and in past years even houses were made from it.
As the snow fell in the UK, yes, it stopped buses, trains and flights; schools and shops closed but in the open spaces all over the country strangers collected in groups to build snowmen… city bankers,single mums, plumbers and shopkeepers laughed and played in the snow, the day to day stresses of ‘normal’ life gone for a brief period as if freed from prison.
Perhaps we need some more snow to help us realize that there is more to life than what has recently been labelled ‘aggressive selfishness’ and the ‘I want’ culture. We just need to stop for a bit, take a breath and reflect on where we are going.
The photo below shows husky dogs eating their dinner
