 It's just like Scandinavia but the fjords are inland. Alun Davies goes trekking and iceberg hunting on this island off the East coast of Canada.
I wiped the cold spray from my eyes and looked out over the choppy grey seas towards the frozen, inhospitable shores of Western Greenland with one thought on my mind. 'Bastards'.
Since the advent of travel writing, an industrious bunch of huge Greenland glaciers had been churning out 35,000 icebergs annually into the cold Labrador Current allowing whimsical wordsmiths the opportunity to pen the inspirational and highly emotional line 'I saw an iceberg'.
Measuring up to 13kms in length, 400ft high and weighing anything up to a few billion tons these giant pop-sickles migrate (if birds can migrate so can icebergs) south on a leisurely three-year swan song down 'Iceberg Alley' off the eastern coast of Canada. They are an astounding, peaceful, beautiful and yet fearful sight.
Every year a couple of thousand of these giant bergs make it as far south as Newfoundland, and the town of St Lawrence, on the northern tip of the island, plays host with an 'Iceberg Festival'. It's a tourist thing, of course, a week long bout of frigid festivities where revellers drink chilled vodka made from floating bits of Greenland, take boat trips for Titanic-esque encounters and enter a prize draw to guess how many icebergs will be bobbing around in the local bay.
I scanned the horizon for one last time before trudging back to the car just as the official results were being announced over the radio by a bewildered organiser. But I already knew the score, we'd been up on the north coast over the past few days aiming to kayak amongst the bergs and throw ourselves overboard into one of the more playful packs of whales that feed in the caipen rich waters just off shore. And this feature was to have been an ice encrusted epic of frozen aquatic adventures littered with meaningful, insightful quotes such as 'I saw hundreds of Icebergs' and 'I surfed on the back of a Beluga'. But, the times they certainly are a changing.
We can argue the toss about global warming, climate change and the latest Japanese scientific theory that points to aliens kidnapping whales but the Newfoundlanders I spoke to have known nothing like the events of 2005. For as long as anyone could remember spotting bergs and whales were bankers but, this year the only ice to kayak around was in the local supermarket and as for swimming with whales...Pavarotti was performing on the mainland.
The score? Icebergs 0, Whales 0.
But there's a lot more to Newfoundland than big fish and frozen floaters; as the next two radio announcements confirmed. Over in the capital St John's the world cherry spitting record had just been broken and the west coast village of Cow's Head was a place of mass delirium with a lobster festival in full swing. So, with a doughnut in hand and a tank full of gas we fired up the motor and headed down the Viking Trail to crack some claws and party the night away.
Newfoundland's west coast road is know as the Viking Trail – it's another tourist thing – in honour of some folk who arrived on the island 1000 years ago with horns sticking out their heads. When Columbus's DNA was still in the development stage, Leif Ericson (who is memory serves me also starred as Big John in the 1970's western series High Chaperral) came a raping and a pillaging into L'Anse aux Meadows on the northern tip of the island. Unbeknownist to Leif (who allegedly didn't rape, pillage or stick horns on his bonnet) he'd just become the final link in the human chain encircling the globe. Step one was out of the streaming heat of Africa, spotting icebergs in Eastern Canada the last.
Anyway, the festivities at Cow's Head were rocking, sort of. A couple of grossly overweight travellers from the mainland slopped buckets of chips and gravy and the occasional local popped in for a Labbatts as we tucked into the famed crustaceans of the Grand Banks. And things looked as if they were hotting up nicely over the next few days with sessions of bingo, kite flying and Ron's Disco all kicking off in the local parish hall. Pretty racy stuff, so we decided to move on and hike into the Gros Morne National Park, a wilderness that had been declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1987.
Gros Morne gained its UNESCO status due to the geological make up of the hills and the way they illustrate plate tectonics. Basically, from big earth moving events which started around 1,200 million years ago the mountains of Western Newfoundland feature a sections of the upper mantle which had been ripped, pressed and thrust through the earth's crust, which is by all accounts a very rare geological happening. What you see on the ground is scenery very similar to that of Scandinavia and the Norwegian Fjords in particular, only the steep sided valleys are inland, stuffed full of black bear, moose and berries and there's not a glacier in sight.
Trekking in the 1805 sq km park is said to be a very popular pastime. However, we met very few people on trail, though the fellow hikers we did meet had an earth-shattering tale to tell. It now appears, in some minds at least, that the famous US long distance footpath, The Appalachian Trail, is going to be extended up through the Long Mountains of Newfoundland and will eventually cross the Atlantic into Scotland.
The reasoning goes; the Long Mountains (which contain Gros Morne) and the Scottish Highlands are all part of the same ancient mountain range through which the Appalachian Trail trundles. The fact that they were split apart by tectonic forces a few million years ago holds no sway to these life long Appalachian Trail groupies who require a bigger hit than the current 2160 mile hike provides.
The most popular long distance trek in the park is a 62 kilometre traverse of the 'Long Range' that kicks off on the northern rim of the spectacular 'fjord' Western Brook Pond, and finished with an ascent (and descent) of Gros Morne peak, which at 806m is the second highest summit in Newfoundland.
With little time to spare we decided to hike the James Callaghan trail taking in the summit of Gros Morne. Whatever the trail, a visit to the park headquarters is a must. Indeed, it's a mandatory stop for multi-day back country hikers as there are no marked trails to follow, making a map and compass essential, and packing a back country permit and VHF transmitter (loaned from the park wardens) are compulsory. The transmitters are to reduce detection time for lost hikers and to recover at least one piece of those who get mauled by marauding bears for grieving relatives.
Speaking of which...before setting off on the trail we were informed that Newfoundland has the highest concentration of bears in Canada and that the black bear found in the park are larger than those on the mainland weighing up to 687lb. Although bears are naturally wary of humans the park authorities hand out leaflets with warnings that they are unpredictable, and detail how to reduce the likelihood of an 'unpleasant' encounter – though in all honesty the chances of being picked on by a bear are slim to nothing. And with that in mind we togged up with AK47's and set off on the well worn trail close by the park visitor centre.
The first stages were through thick woodland, with plenty of boardwalks to protect fragile, wet areas and to prevent hikers sinking up to their necks in wet bog lands. There are also beautifully crafted wooden stairways to help on steep carpentry bent. After a mile or so the boardwalks and stairs are left behind along with the majority of visitors who no doubt reckon any event that takes place 100m from a car is way too 'out there'.
 As we walked higher the trees got shorter until they were low enough to view the mountains up ahead and the bears stalking us to the left an right. What we could see was terrain that looked like North Wales, The Lakes or Scotland.
Gros Morne is a gently rounded dome with very steep sides and the way to the summit is via a loose scree gully cut into the south face. It's not a difficult hike in good conditions, though everything you step on tens to wobble, move and crash down the slope towards those climbing below. But the weather in Newfoundland is fickle, and sometimes furious, after all, this is the land of 'the perfect storm'.
Nearing the summit the wind kicked in with huge force; it was strong enough to support a 45% forward lean with not fear of flattering a nose on the ancient rocks underfoot. And then came the fast moving clouds and expresso bongo rain; horizontal, liquid rockets with the odd hard sheet of hail the exploded with fury on any exposed skin.
The summit plateau of Gros Morne is, in the main, rocky, flat and featureless, what you'd call a barren, Arctic wilderness, I guess. And when the weather turns ugly, there's nowhere to run too, nowhere to hide. So on we walked, bent into the wind, resisting the rain, to the precipitous edge of Ten Mile Pond, a huge fjord depression with vertical sides. From up high, we could view the surrounding land, a vista filled with hills, lakes, woods and streams. A perfect setting for loading up the backpack with a week's worth of supplies and heading off to who knows where. But that's for another time, right now; with the conditions deteriorating it was time to get off the hill.
We travelled to Newfoundland to check out the wildlife, the icebergs and sweat a bit in the outdoors. As it happened, we perspired a lot, the fauna was shy.
Meanwhile, back at the rented lodge in Humber Valley, I busied myself with the washing up as a moose rubbed his nose up against the kitchen window; honest.
Stuff to do in Newfy
Mountain Biking
Newfoundland is a mountain biking heaven where you could lose yourself for weeks in the backcountry on the overgrown and disused logging roads. We checked out the hills around Corner Brook and found a great mix of manmade cross country trails and a whole maze of off road dirt and technical singletrack.
Caving
If you've a coalminer fetish, the cave system overlooking Corner Brook is a great place to test your metal for enclosed underground passages. Guided tours will take you as deep and as narrow as you can handle and the guys up here know every mile of these labyrinths like the back of their hands.
 Kayaking
Open sea expeditions with the icebergs and whales up on the northern coasts or an adventurous paddle down the Humber River (with a couple of grade two rapids) are all great fun – assuming the bergs and big fish make an appearance. The Humber is the perfect river for first timers to check out their ability in white water and there are loads of sand banks and beaches to pull for a leisurely lunch.
The Must Do
Quirpon Lighthouse Inn is right up on the northernmost tip of Newfoundland, situated on the island of Quirpon (pronounced 'Karpoon'). You reach the island on a small ferry boat and are met at the harbour by your hosts Doris Hubert and Madonna. It's one of those magical places, where the atmosphere and setting will make you feel as if you're in a film set. And it's a top site for spotting whales and bergs.
Check out http://www.explorenewfoundland.com/
 Let's go
Newfoundland (originally, Terra Nova) is an island off the Eastern Coast of Canada separated from Labrador by the Strait of Belle Isle and from Cape Breton by the Cabot Strait. It sits in the mouth of the Saint Lawrence River, creating the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, the world's largest estuary. Technically, it also shares a border with France, as the nearby islands of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon are French owned territory.
It is 111,390 km2 in area, making it the world's 16th largest island. The capital, St John's, is on the south-eastern tip of the island. Cape Spear, just south of the capital, is the easternmost point of North America and the point where Alcock and Brown took off for the first non-stop air crossing of the Atlantic. The island of Newfoundland has an approximate population of 485,000.
The airbase at Gander, a small town near St. John's, hit the headlines following the events on 9/11. All airplanes on transatlantic flight paths were ordered to re-route and land at Gander. The day has been logged in the book 'The Day the World Came to Gander'. Other notable points of interest include Signal Hill where Marconi received the first transatlantic radio signal and L'Anse aux Meadows the site of the first European settlement in North America which was founded by the Vikings almost 500 years prior to Columbus.
When to go
Winters can be reasonably mild and fun for outdoor activity. The island has an average 300cm snowfall and skidooing seems to be the number one winter activity. Cross country skiing is popular and downhill skiers head for Marble Mountain on the western coast near Corner Brook which is the site of the largest ski resort in Atlantic Canada, with an average of 16.5 feet of snow each year. The best months for most other outdoor activities would be June to September.
Getting there
UK airline Astraeus fly direct from Gatwick to Deer Lake in the west of Newfoundland, serving the Humber Valley resort. Prices start from £299; the flight time is 5h 30m, check out http://www.barwell.co.uk/ Other carriers, such as Air Canada, fly into St John's and Deer Lake from major mainland airports though flight times are longer and when we checked they were more expensive starting from £699.
Travelling Around
Without doubt you best option is to hire a car. It's a big island and there is lots to see, some of which is off the regular public transport routes. We hired a Ford Explorer 4x4 in Corner Brook which cost a stinging £300 for a week though deals from about £200 can be had on the net.
Health Hazards
There are a few great local bears in Newfoundland and experience tells me they can be a health hazard if you get to know them better. Other than that, it's the usual outdoor precautions with the added attraction of bears and moose. You're unlikely to have an unfortunate encounter with a bear if you follow the guidelines and you're more likely to bump into a moose on the road rather than in the wilds. Moose can be a bit of a handful in the rutting season, so I'm told, and it's best to avoid close contact. The weather in Newfoundland is fickle and can turn ugly at any time of year. Be prepared; take the kitchen sink.
Food and Drink
If you're going to be spending any time hiking in the backcountry then you'll need to carry supplies – it's not the Alps or the Himalaya, there are no refuges or tea houses. There's no shortage of stores on the main roads so finding suppliers will not be a problem. Also, Newfoundland is one of the few places in the world, other than the UK, where they have roadside fish and chip vans, though the speciality is a tray of chips covered with mince and gravy – and very nice it is to.
Accommodation
It's camping only in the backcountry. Loads of hotels, motels and guesthouses on the main roads and the prices are reasonable. B&B's start from around $ (Canadian) 40 for a room.
A good option is to set up a base camp at the Humber Valley Resort at Deer Lake. You can hire luxury lodges in the woods – and they are very, very comfortable – and take advantage of all the outdoor activities available in the resort, the nearby hills and town of Corner Brook. Just about any activity you can do on water or on the saddle of a bike is available and the Gros Morne National Park is a two hour drive.
Equipment
Back country hiking means carrying all the sort of stuff you would for a winter hike in the UK. Newfoundland has its fair share of rain, go prepared and expect the worst. When we travelled through in late June/early July we had two overcast days with rain and high winds and the rest of the time it was nudging the high 70's low 80's.
Maps and Guides
Maps and guidebooks are widely available in most stores and tourist offices. For hiking in the Gros Morne National Park you'll need to call in the visitor office for OS style maps and the mandatory hiking permit and radio transmitter.
Contacts
http://www.humbervalley.com/
http://www.barwell.co.uk/
www.gov.nl.ca/tourism
http://www.cabox.ca/ (mountain biking)
http://www.explorenewfoundland.com/ (Kayaking, caving and Quirpon Lighthouse)
http://www.aircanada.com/
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