THE COLDEST JOURNEY
ELLESMERE ISLAND TRAVERSE
Check out the post-expedition stories on:
APRIL 11, 2025 - We made it to Grise Fiord, fulfilling our dream of traversing Ellesmere Island by ski—a dream years in the making!
Our first attempt in 2022 was cut short after 10 humbling days due to unforeseen challenges. That setback taught us valuable lessons and fueled our resolve to return, though the road back would prove far tougher than anticipated.
In 2023, Ray faced a cancer diagnosis, undergoing six brutal rounds of chemo and monoclonal therapy. True to his spirit, this health battle only strengthened his determination.
We postponed our return for another year. Then, in 2024, just as everything seemed ready, a key partner withdrew at the eleventh hour, forcing yet another delay. The expedition seemed doomed—but we refused to give up.
On March 8, 2025, it finally came together. We departed Grise Fiord by @skidoo with Terry Noah and the team (Nolan, Silas, and Howie) joined us on a grueling 500km journey to Eureka, NU. From there, Ray and I strapped on our skis and began the long trek back southward. The expedition was as breathtaking as it was punishing: enduring weeks of extreme cold while marveling at the untouched beauty of Ellesmere Island. The highlight? Encountering 31 Arctic wolves—majestic ghosts of the Arctic that are unafraid of humans. Wildlife authorities instruct if you encounter a wolf stay at least 100 meters back, but, evidently, no one has told the wolves. The wolves we encountered loped right up to us, curious and unafraid. The intensity of the encounters are etched in our souls forever.
Skiing the last few kilometers into Grise Fiord this afternoon after overcoming all the challenges we’ve faced, with cliffs towering to our left, sea ice stretching endlessly to our right, and Canada’s northernmost community awaiting ahead, we feel deeply satisfied. It’s a fitting end to an extraordinary adventure—a testament to perseverance and the unparalleled wonder of this land we call home.
We live in an incredible country—a place where dreams are forged in resilience and where the vast beauty of the Arctic reminds us why being Canadian fills us with pride.
THE ROUTE
THE COLDEST JOURNEY
ELLESMERE ISLAND TRAVERSE
In March 2025, Canadians Ray Zahab, Kevin Vallely, and Terry Noah will lead a unique expedition across Ellesmere Island. The team will set out to traverse the Canadian High Arctic, from Grise Fiord (Aujuittuq ) to Eureka and back, on an overland journey across Ellesmere Island, during the coldest time of year.
The first part of the expedition starts in Grise Fiord and travels northward overland by ski-doo to Eureka. The team will use this part of the expedition to learn from Terry Noah and his team about life in the Arctic, to create content to be shared with schools around the world..
The second part of the expedition will see Ray and Kevin ski from Eureka to Grise Fiord, traveling self-contained and overland as much as possible. This is one of the most challenging expeditions either has ever attempted and is a journey that will test their combined abilities to navigate the frigid landscape, film the expedition, and connect with schools through a live website. The expedition promises to test them to a breaking point.
THREE OBJECTIVES:
1. A Unique Journey
The route the team will follow will take them through one of the most remote and challenging terrains in the Canadian Arctic. Their journey will showcase extreme athletic endurance and navigation skills in an environment where temperatures can drop dramatically and the landscape is unforgivingly stark.
“More people have been to the moon than have crossed Ellesmere Island on foot.”
2. Increased Understanding
The team will be traveling through the hunting grounds of a unique breed of Arctic wolf that has no fear of man. The team will record the position and number of wolves and their prey as they make their traverse.
3. Education
During the expedition, the team will connect to 26,000+ teachers on Can Geo Education’s educational network through live educational broadcasts using broadband satellite. The expedition will unfold live on a satellite fed website, where students will be immersed in every step of the journey. The expedition will be the thread that ties together themes of Inuit history and knowledge, ecology, the environment, Arctic ecosystems, wildlife, climate change, and Arctic sovereignty. Students will be issued learning challenges and will be able to ask the explorers questions through the live website.
Upon completion of the expedition the team will create a dedicated educational website aimed at the same 26,000+ teachers in the Can Geo Education network. Additional insight into the film as well as extended unseen footage and interviews will be featured to advance the storytelling even further.
OUR TEAM
Ray Zahab
Explorer-in-Residence at RCGS
Ray is a Canadian explorer, an ultra distance runner and the founder of the educational nonprofit impossible2Possible. He has run over 17,000 kilometres across the world’s deserts and has also completed unsupported expeditions in some of the coldest places on the planet. His adventures have been documented in feature-length films and for a variety of TV programs.
Kevin Vallely
RCGS Fellow, Explorer's Club
Kevin is an explorer, writer, architect and a happily-married father of two. Among Kevin’s many expeditions, he has skied the length of Alaska’s 1180 mile Iditarod Trail in winter, retraced the infamous Sandakan Death March through the jungles of Borneo for the first time since WWII and rowed a boat across the stormy waters of the Northwest Passage to bring awareness to climate change.
Terry Noah
Arctic Outfitter and hunter
Terry Noah, is Inuk from Aujuittuq (Grise Fiord), Nunavut. He is a successful and resourceful entrepreneur, hunter, guide, wildlife photographer, adventurer, writer, and research guide. He is passionate about addressing food security and food sovereignty within his small community of Aujuittuq, Nunavut.
FEATURE DOCUMENTARY
The expedition will be filmed throughout, and will be made into a documentary. The extreme cold promises this to be one of the most challenging film assignments the team has ever undertaken.
EDUCATION
We are connected directly with the RCGS and through Canadian Geographic Education and i2P we will be connecting with over 25,000+ educators live during the expedition and afterwards with resource material and lesson plans. Our mission is to share the Canadian north, geographically and culturally, with educators from around the world.
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Impossible2Possible is a 501 (c)(3) public charity, IRS Tax ID 80-0222800.