UK Adventurer Apologizes After Inuit Challenge Her 'First' Trek Claim

Camilla Hempleman-Adams acknowledges her expedition's framing overlooked indigenous histories, sparking wider discussions on colonial narratives in exploration.

Camilla Hempleman-Adams claimed to be the first woman to solo traverse Baffin Island, completing a 150-mile winter trek in late March 2025.
Inuit community members criticized the claim, highlighting their generations-long history of traversing the same routes as part of their way of life.
Hempleman-Adams apologized publicly, stating she never intended to misrepresent historical achievements or diminish indigenous contributions.
The controversy has drawn attention to broader issues of colonial framing in exploration and the erasure of indigenous histories in such narratives.
Hempleman-Adams endured extreme conditions, including -40°C temperatures and high winds, during her 13-day journey through Auyuittuq National Park.