Nfld & Labrador - Ramah & Nachvach Fjord

 Continuing our exploration of the Torngat Mountains National Park, we stopped at Ramah before heading north to yet another breathtaking landscape - the Nachvach Fjord.  Ramah was once a Moravian mission from 1871 to 1908, situated in Ramah Bay.  There is nothing left other than some bricks on the ground.  But at Ramah, there is a beautiful waterfall and a cave with some dramatic rock formations.  We are able to see an uncommon semi-translucent light-grey stone with dark banding called "Ramah chert".  Ramah chert crops out in a narrow geological bed stretching from Saglek Fjord to Nachvach.  A fine-grained stone composed mostly of silica, it is used for tool making.

It was quite a steep climb up the hill but the Inukshuk made it a destination.  There was no trail so it was a continuing challenge to find a way up and even harder, find the way down as we don't want to miss a step and fall.  The ground cover is sometimes thick enough that you don't know what you're stepping into.  Such is the challenge of hiking in remote areas but it also makes it more fun.

Ramah

The waterfall and the cave beside it

The cave wall

A human face!




Dramatic rockscapes

Dr. Lynn Moorman, Geographer, holding a piece of "Ramah chert" in her hand, behind her, a wall of the stuff.

More dramatic rocks

Ramah Bay

Mountain Avens mostly found in Arctic tundra

Full view of Ramah Bay from the Inukshuk

what is left of the Moravian church

As we headed up the coast again, we were treated to more of the dramatic landscape at Torngat Mountains National Park.  As you can see below, it is stunning view after stunning view.  We could not afford not to be on deck!  So while the morning was spent hiking on Ramah, the afternoon was spent hiking fore and aft on deck

Banded rock strata

As the ship approached Nachvach Fjord, everyone gathered up on deck with anticipation

Voilà!  Nachvach Fjord!  The symmetry of the slopes is astounding, as is nature itself. I first saw Nachvach Fjord on a painting by Laura Adams, the artist on board.  Laura was showing us in a workshop how she had interpreted the Nachvach and so I was prepped for the stunning view.  What a treat to be able to gawk at this creation of nature, undisturbed - we were all quite subdued, stunned into silence, contemplating the scene in front of us and quietly thinking how lucky we were to be there!