British explorer Camilla Hempleman-Adams finished what she called the first Baffin Island solo expedition by a woman early in 2025. Beginning at the town of Qikiqtarjuaq and concluding in Pangnirtung, all on Canada’s largest island, her path wound across 150 miles of hostile Arctic terrain. She went alone, dragging a supply-filled sledge and sporting skis. Along with strong gusts surpassing 45 miles per hour, she saw harsh temperatures ranging from minus 40 degrees Celsius during the two-week expedition.
The daughter of eminent adventurer Sir David Hempleman-Adams and already known as the youngest British woman to ski to the North Pole at age 15, Camilla said the experience was a personal challenge and a turning point in her adventure career. Though her physical accomplishment was commendable, her assertion of being the “first woman” to finish this winter path alone caused forth controversy—particularly among Inuit people.
Indigenous voices from throughout Canada started challenging the validity and veracity of the “first” claim almost immediately following her declaration and the attendant media coverage. For many Inuit, this was not a novel journey but rather a repeat of paths they had long used for survival.
Oversaw generations of Inuit history, did the Expedition Overlook.
Hempleman-Adams’s path wound through Auyuittuq National Park, a large and isolated area of towering mountains and glaciers intimately linked to the life and tales of the Inuit people. Although Camilla and her group verified with Parks Canada that no recorded evidence of a past female solo passage of this path in winter exists, the reality, according to Inuit people, is significantly more complicated.
Particularly for those kept under government or colonial institutions, indigenous customs can go missing from official archives. That does not mean these events did not occur. Inuit women often followed similar paths for decades. Moving between seasonal hunting sites, fishing areas, and family villages, these trips were driven by need rather than headlines or discovery. Generation after generation passed on their toughness, survival skills, and understanding of the land.
Based in Ottawa, Inuit artist Gayle Uyagaqi Kabloona grew to be among the most prominent opponents of the claim. She publicly denounced the way the mission was framed, claiming it disregarded the history and actual experiences of Inuit women. “There is no way in hell a British coloniser is coming to Inuit Nunaat in 2025 and claiming any firsts,” she said on social media. She underlined that, as with many others, her grandmother walked hundreds of km annually—often while pregnant—because that was just how Arctic life was.
This response transcended one adventurer or one trip. For many, it was a heartbreaking reminder of how often Indigenous presence is left unseen in the narrative of discovery and history.
How did the adventurer answer the criticism?
Camilla Hempleman-Adams apologised publically in response to the criticism. She said she never meant to distort history or discredit Indigenous experiences. She said she had done a lot of study and spoke with Parks Canada and local outfitters in both Qikiqtarjuaq and Pangnirtung before starting the journey. They verified that a lone winter journey by a woman along that path was not recorded elsewhere.
She admitted, though, that depending just on official records might have been naive. Should her allegation be false, she sincerely apologised and expressed regret for any inconvenience caused to Inuit people. Hempleman-Adams said she was “truly saddened” to find her trip—which was meant to be a personal challenge—had unintentionally touched on more serious cultural scars.
She underlined her will to learn from the experience and promised to approach the next projects with more cultural awareness and compassion. Her words sought to reconcile honouring the long-standing knowledge and presence of the Indigenous people who have made Baffin Island home for thousands of years with recognising her own experience.
Why Does This Conflict Matter Outside of One Trip?
The criticism directed on the Baffin Island solo voyage clarifies a more general problem: how colonial histories still drive current ideas of exploration and discovery. In this setting, words like “first” or “uncharted” sometimes overlook or wipe off Indigenous histories. The belief that a place remains undiscovered just because Western systems failed to record feeds the negative belief that Indigenous knowledge is less legitimate or invisible.
Many Inuit have terrible memories of colonialism when they perceive their territory presented as a far-off frontier to be invaded by strangers. Families on foot, in all seasons, without regard or record, navigated the ground that explorers now visit with sophisticated gear and media backing. While acknowledging this past does not lessen the challenges of trips like Hempleman-Adams’s, it does provide vital background that is too often omitted.
This episode also emphasises the need of posing proper questions before starting a road trip. Rather than wondering whether something has been done before, researchers might take into account who has done it earlier and why their narratives might not be preserved in the archives. Pushing the adventurous world towards more diversity and cultural respect, the Baffin Island solo trek can become a teaching opportunity.
What Should Media and Future Explorers Do Differently?
Those engaged in exploration—as adventurers, reporters, or historians—must pay more attention going ahead in how they record and distribute stories. One important first step is realising oral histories and traditional knowledge as credible sources. Another is asking Indigenous people ahead of trips.
Language is also important. Phrases like “first woman” or “never before attempted” should only be used following careful consultation with individuals whose territory is being crossed. Many times, these kinds of words can unwittingly destroy a rich fabric of history and culture.
The Baffin Island solo expedition debate is an opportunity for introspection and transformation. It helps us to realise how strong stories are. Telling great stories requires honouring all the people who have trodden those pathways before, thereby influencing attitudes, defining legacy, and—most importantly—can either include or exclude.
Thoughts at Last on the Solo Expedition on Baffin Island
Fundamentally, the Baffin Island solo voyage was an endurance personal challenge. Camilla Hempleman-Adams negotiated a difficult terrain on her own and lived in terrible conditions. That by itself is rather remarkable. But the larger discussion that followed her demonstrates how exploration is about the narrative created around it as much as about the trip.
Here the lesson is not to belittle what Hempleman-Adams accomplished but rather to widen the perspective on such travels. We can create a more realistic and respectful narrative about our world’s landscapes—and the people who have known them longest—by listening to Indigenous perspectives, honouring neglected histories, and rereading the vocabulary of “discovery.”
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