For mountain travelers, nothing signifies legitimacy and belonging moreso than a good puffy jacket. Puffers are as stylish among those in the outdoors community as they are functional, but buying the right puffer is tricky. Lightly filled puffers often fall into the dreaded “athleisure” category, and therefore aren’t functional for much beyond trips to the grocery store and happy hour at the local pub. On the other hand, heavily-filled options often leave the wearer waddling down the trail like a displaced penguin, swishing their arms T-Rex style even as the lower half of their body struggles to maintain its composure. The key to the perfect everyday puffer is finding an ideal balance between the two. That balance lies in the Cotopaxi Fuego down jacket.
This is one of the last places on Earth to explore an ancient Arctic life
15.12.2023 - 00:41 / nationalgeographic.com
An armada of towering icebergs has arrived along the coastline of Qaanaaq, Greenland.
They seem to have appeared in the blink of an eye as if summoned from the depths of Inglefield Bay. The floating sentinels—some the size of a city block—sit scattered casually across the coast.
With an average drift speed of .4 miles per hour (and higher speeds of two miles per hour), icebergs can appear quite quickly, rendering vital shipping lanes into impenetrable blockades in just a matter of hours. Both icebergs and floating ice sheets have been known to halt maritime traffic in towns like Qaanaaq for days (and occasionally weeks) at a time. I know I won’t be leaving Qaanaaq by boat anytime soon.
The area above the Arctic Circle known collectively as the High Arctic is one of the few places on the planet where the traditional rhythms of wind, tide, and animal movements still direct one’s schedule.
With a current population of 646, Qaanaaq is the central town in northwestern Greenland’s Avanersuaq district, one of the world’s least densely populated administrative zones. It is home to a community of Inughuit, historically known as Smith Sound Inuit or Arctic Highlanders.
Until the last century, Inughuit peoples survived primarily by utilizing every part of their sea mammal prey. In this land without trees, everything—clothing, sleds, tools, weapons, fuel, kayaks, and even parts of structural dwellings—came from sea mammals. The villages of northwestern Greenland are one of the last remaining places to experience the remnants of ancient Arctic life.
Despite modernization and imported goods, elements of the traditional diet still hold firm. I’m here to learn more about these fascinating old foodways—and taste some of the delicacies myself, from fermented seabird to fresh narwhal.
(Learn about the art of chasing icebergs in Newfoundland.)
“Would you like to try some kiviak? It has a strong smell, so we have to eat it outside,” says Birthe Jenson, one of the chefs at Hotel Qaanaaq. The hotel has long been one of the few places in town where travelers can rent a room. [It is currently closed as it changes management.] It’s the last comfort stop for many travelers venturing farther north into the vast Arctic wilderness. And while there are no conventional restaurants in town, some local families are more than happy to accommodate travelers with home-cooked local fare.
Kiviak is an Arctic delicacy made by stuffing hundreds of birds, most commonly little auks (Alle alle), also known as dovekies, a small black-and-white seabird, inside of a fresh seal skin. Once full, the carcass is stitched closed and placed under a mound of heavy rocks to ensure the sunlight does not hit the package. Months later, the fermented birds
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