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ARCTIC
EXPLORATIONS
IN THE YEARS 1978, 1980, 1981 and 1982
Volume 1
By
Stephen Trafton and Allan Errington
Map of the high Arctic showing the locations of the 1978, 1980, 1981 and 1982 American Expeditions
Table of Contents
Volume 1
1978 American Baffin Island Expedition
1980 American Ellesmere Island Expedition
In April the 1978 American Baffin Island Expedition traveled to the small Inuit village of Clyde River on the north coast of Baffin Island. After meeting with the local Inuit Council, we traveled with local hunters by snowmobile and komatik (sled) for two days to Swiss Bay on Sam Ford Fjord. From Swiss Bay, we man hauled a sledge with a month’s supplies to the foot of the glacier flowing from the Broad Peak area. After two days of plodding through deep, soft snow we camped below the 2200-foot west face of Broad Peak. From this camp on April 20th, Al Errington, Lynn Buchanan, and I made the first ascent of Broad Peak via the south ridge. The climb was repeated by the rest of the team on the 21st. After our Broad Peak success, we were pinned down by an intense three-day storm. Once the storm subsided, we attempted the ascent of an unclimbed peak south of Broad Peak. This climb was cut short when a major avalanche struck us and swept us down the mountainside. This great slide had a shear line more than 1000 feet across and flowed at a depth of up to 15 feet. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured in the avalanche. We spent the next two days retreating back down the glacier to the fjord and then down Walker Arm to Castle Bay where we set up a camp and explored the surrounding area.
Rest stop on the way to an overnight stop at an Inuit hunting camp on Eglington Fjord. Baffin Island, 1978
Inuit hunter David harnessing his dog team. Eglington Fjord, Baffin Island, 1978
Al tending the seal oil lamp during our stay at David’s camp on Eglington Fjord. Baffin Island, 1978
Rest stop on Eglington Fjord on the way to Base Camp. Baffin Island, 1978
David’s home away from home on Eglington Fjord. Baffin Island, 1978
Base Camp in Swiss Bay. Sam Ford Fjord, Baffin Island, 1978
Pulling our sledge across Sam Ford Fjord. Broad Peak on the left, The Turret on the right. Baffin Island, 1978
Cutting butter at a rest stop on the ice. Sam Ford Fjord, Baffin Island, 1978
Carrying a load up the glacier to High Camp on Broad Peak. Baffin Island, 1978
Skiing on the Broad Glacier around the base of Broad Peak. Sam Ford Fjord, Baffin Island, 1978
Arriving at High Camp. Broad Peak, Sam Ford Fjord, Baffin Island, 1978
Rest stop at the high col during the first ascent of Broad Peak. Baffin Island, 1978
The last steps on the first ascent of Broad Peak. Sam Ford Fjord, Baffin Island, 1978
The Turret from the summit of Broad Peak, Sam Ford Fjord below. Baffin Island, 1978
A gathering storm at High Camp. Broad Peak, Sam Ford Fjord, Baffin Island, 1978
A close call. After the avalanche. Baffin Island, 1978
Returning from High Camp to Sam Ford Fjord after making first ascent of Broad Peak. Baffin Island, 1978
The Turret and Broad Peak in the morning clouds. Sam Ford Fjord, Baffin Island, 1978
Pulling our sledge down Walker Arm. Polar Sun Spire on left. Sam Ford Fjord, Baffin Island, 1978
Pulling the sledge past a hanging glacier on Polar Sun Spire. Walker Arm, Sam Ford Fjord, Baffin Island 1978
Lunch on the ice on Walker Arm. Sam Ford Fjord, Baffin Island, 1978
Our final camp in Castle Bay. Sam Ford Fjord, Baffin Island, 1978
1980 American Ellesmere Island Expedition
Team: Steve Trafton, Al Errington, Brad Albro,
Martin Waller, Don Goodman, Dave Adams, Bill Davis
In late May and early June, the 1980 American Ellesmere Island Expedition climbed and toured in the Victoria and Albert Mountain Range in central Ellesmere Island. We flew by ski quipped Twin Otter to the Mere de Glace Agassiz Glacier and established Camp 1 at 80° N. From this camp and ten others we traversed the Victoria and Albert Range and then descended the D’Iberville Glacier to Greely Fjord. We then flew south to Beechey Island and explored around the historic site of Sir John Franklin’s winter encampment of 1845/46. The team members skied and each pulled a sledge weighing 175 pounds filled with food and climbing gear. We made 17 first ascents as we made our way from camp to camp on the glacier. We named these peaks after famous Arctic explorers. From Camp 1 we climbed Kellet Peak, Lockwood Peak, Greely Peak, Ingefield Peak and Austin Peak. Camp 2; Penny Peak, Nares Peak and Hensen Peak. Camp 3; Pullen Peak, Isachsen Peak, Hendrick Peak and Sverdrup Peak. Camp 4; Dehaven Peak. Camp 5; MacMillan Peak, Hall Peak, Kane Peak and Belcher Peak. Finally, on May 30th, we began our descent of the D’Iberville Glacier. The five-day descent proved, at times to be very difficult due to severe, insidious crevassing. We reach Greely Fjord on June 3rd and were picked up by Twin Otter for the flight to Beechey Island before returning home.
Refueling the Twin Otter at 80°N. Eureka weather station, Ellesmere Island, 1980
Twin Otter at Camp 1. Victoria and Albert Mountains, Ellesmere Island, 1980
View from high on Greely Peak. Kellet Peak left and Inglefield Peak right. Victoria and Albert Mountains, Ellesmere Island, 1980
Climbing up the couloir on the northeast ridge of Austin Peak. Victoria and Albert Mountains, Ellesmere Island, 1980
Al and I on the northeast ridge of Austin Peak. Victoria and Albert Mountains, Ellesmere Island, 1980
Approaching the summit of Austin Peak. Victoria and Albert Mountains, Ellesmere Island, 1980
Al on the summit of Austin Peak. Penny Peak in the background. Camp 1 on the far right below. Ellesmere Island, 1980
Al and I climbing the knife-edge ridge high on Hensen Peak. Victoria and Albert Mountains, Ellesmere Island, 1980
Al on the last icy pitch to the summit of Hensen Peak. Victoria and Albert Mountains, Ellesmere Island, 1980
The cairn Al and I built marking the first ascent of Hensen Peak. Victoria and Albert Mountains, Ellesmere Island, 1980
The view from Pullen Peak toward Sverdrup Peak on the right. Victoria and Albert Mountains, Ellesmere, Island 1980
Climbing in the mist toward the summit of Sverdrup Peak. Victoria and Albert Mountains. Ellesmere Island, 1980
Quiet thought after a busy day at 80° N. Victoria and Albert Range, Ellesmere Island, 1980
Climbing in the Victoria and Albert Mountains. 80°N. Ellesmere Island, 1980
A delicate crossing on DeHaven Peak. Victoria and Albert Mountains, Ellesmere Island, 1980
Navigating in the fog on the D’Iberville Glacier. Victoria and Albert Mountains, Ellesmere Island, 1980
Route finding through the giant hidden crevasses on the D’Iberville Glacier, Ellesmere Island, 1980
One last dangerous crossing of a snow-covered crevasse. D’Iberville Glacier, Ellesmere Island, 1980
Ancient giant. Massive crevasse on the D’Iberville Glacier. Victoria and Albert Mountains, Ellesmere Island, 1980
The only way off the D’Iberville Glacier. Ellesmere Island, 1980
Skiing on Greely Fjord. The D’Iberville Glacier in the background. Ellesmere Island, 1980
Al next to a grounded iceberg in Greely Fjord, Ellesmere Island, 1980
One last cup of tea while waiting for the Twin Otter. Greely Fjord, Ellesmere Island, 1980
Signaling the Twin Otter from on top of a grounded iceberg in Greely Fjord. Ellesmere Island, 1980
Twin Otter landing at our camp on Greely Fjord. Victoria and Albert Mountains, Ellesmere Island, 1980
Remnants left by search parties sent out in the mid-1800s to find the fate of Sir John Franklin. Beechey Island, 1980
The grave of Franklin Expedition member John Hartnell, Able Seaman, who served aboard the H.M.S. Erebus. Beechey Island, 1980
Beacon erected in the mid-1800s by search expeditions sent to learn the fate of Sir John Franklin. Beechey Island, 1980
Cold wind blowing. Beechey Island, 1980
Lonely graves of those who went before us into the arctic. Beechey Island, 1980
Polar bear tracks. Beechey Island, 1980
Polar bear close to camp. Beechey Island, 1980