Newfoundland National Parks, Canada

August 15-30, 2000

This page takes a few moments to load, but the access to large-scale images should be fast after that... Best viewed in a full-screen browser window. Click on images to enlarge them.

Photographic journal from Canada's easternmost province - the island of Newfoundland. We (Paulina Varchavskaia and Robert Zeithammer) have visited both of the local national parks - Gros Morne (also UNESCO World Heritage Site) and Terra Nova. In Gros Morne, famous for its landlocked fjords, we spent most of our time doing the backcountry North Rim traverse. In Terra Nova, we explored the wild Atlantic coast in a sea-kayak... For Paulina's account of the trip, including a detailed trip-report, please see her own webpage about this adventure.

Gros Morne NP: North Rim Traverse

The 3-day gruelling backcountry hike begins at the end of Western Brook Pond (landlocked fjord), 10 miles by boat from civilization. After climbing up the headwall of the 2500 ft. deep canyon, we used only a map and compass to find our way back to the ocean through the beautiful Long Range Mountains. There are no trails in the area, only caribou paths...

Day 1: Climbing out of the fjord


The mouth of the fjord is an easy 2-mile walk from the road


From the boat...


Terrain on the bottom of the canyon


Headwall of the fjord (photo by Paulina)


Looking back down
Confident mountaineer (photo by Paulina)


Looking back from the heart of the fjord


Where do we go next?


The Newfoundland weather is quite wet...


View from our camp
Day 2: Traverse of the Long Range mountains


Map and compass are essential in the Long Range


Squeezing water from socks
A small bog


Drying everything at Camp 2 next morning...
Day 3: Back to civilization!


The chasm from above


On top of cliff near fjord's mouth
The ocean! Finally!!


Back down at lake-level: Snug Harbor

Gros Morne NP:Sea-kayaking

We sea-kayaked both on the ocean and on a land-locked freshwater fjord called Trout River Pond. It was enjoyable, especially the fjord trip. Above picture shows a small sea-coast village...


Building our folding double-kayak (photo by Paulina)


No need to paddle... (photo by Paulina)


After landing


Posing with the vessel... (photo by Paulina)

Please see the second part of the journal for report on Terra Nova NP and the rest of Newfoundland

Photos by Robert Zeithammer unless noted otherwise. For photos from other trips, see my homepage