All teams are on the same flights from Quebec to Montreal to Ottawa and their destination for this Leg, Iqaluit, Nunavut.
As teams arrive in Iqaluit, they must search the airport for their next clue written in Inuktitut, the official language of Nunavut.
They ask the locals to help translate and Vanessa & Celina are the first ones to be told the clue is pointing them to Sylvia Grinnell Territorial Park. Once there, teams must search the vast tundra for their next clue.
Jody & Cory manage to find the clue first and now must search by the Sylvia Grinnell River for two Inuk throat singers who will hand them their next clue.
The brothers find the singers, listen to their unique singing and get the next clue, the Detour.
In Harpoon Hunter, one team member will put on snowshoes and pull their partner in a sled one kilometer to a target both must hit with a traditional Inuit harpoon. Once they’ve hit the target, the team members will switch between pulling and getting pulled to head back to receive their next clue.
In Igloo Builder, teams will use tools provided and pre-cut 30-lb blocks of snow to build an igloo.
Both the brothers and the sisters choose Harpoon Hunter. But it seems pulling their partner across the snow isn’t as easy as it sounds.
Jet & Dave and Holly & Brett choose Igloo Hunter, while the Tims, in last place, choose Harpoon.
Tim Sr. and Tim Jr. manage to pass Vanessa & Celina on the way to the targets. Jody & Cory finish the Detour and pass the sisters on their way back. Celina digs deep and they finally get to the targets.
Jet & Dave and Holly & Brett are struggling with the igloos. Jet & Dave decide to quickly switch when they see Jody & Cory heading back already.
Holly & Brett’s frustrations begin to appear again when the igloo continues falling apart. Holly thinks they should switch.
Jody & Cory get their next clue telling them to hike up a hill to a waiting snowmobile which they will drive across Frobisher Bay to the Hudson’s Bay trading post building for their next clue.
As the Tims finish the Detour, Holly & Brett finally decide to switch.
Jet & Dave catch up to Vanessa & Celina just as they are heading back.
Jody & Cory open the next clue to find the Road Block.
In this Road Block, teams needed to consume an entire serving of Muktuk, made of whale skin and blubber. After eating the 10 pieces, they’ll receive their next clue.
Jody gets started with the Muktuk.
Tim Sr. and Tim Jr. arrive at the snowmobiles, but they first must complete their Speed Bump.
For this Speed Bump, the Tims must lead a dog sled team across Frobisher Bay to retrieve a food cache and deliver it back to the starting point before they can continue Racing.
At the Road Block, Jody eats his last Muktuk and he and Cory make their way on foot to the Pit Stop marked by an inuksuk, one kilometer northwest on the top of a mountain.
Jon officially checks them in as Team #1 and win two tickets to anywhere in the Caribbean.
The Tims finish their Speed Bump and jump on their snowmobiles just as Vanessa & Celina arrive and are close behind.
Back at the Detour, Holly breaks down, unable to hit the target. Brett tries comforting her until she finally gets it on Attempt #28.
Celina and Tim Sr. start on the Road Block, but Tim Sr. finishes quickly. Celina finishes just as Jet & Dave are running up.
Jet gets started on the Road Block while Tim Sr. and Tim Jr. officially step on the Mat as Team #2.
Jet & Dave head off to the Pit Stop and decide to try and catch up with Vanessa & Celina, which they do just before they step on the Mat. They finish 3rd and 4th, respectively.
That leaves Holly & Brett in last and eliminated.
Episode Thoughts
This had to be one of the most physically demanding Legs I’ve ever seen. It was crazy. You have these physical tasks coupled with the freezing cold weather and high altitudes and walking through the snow… Damn.
But it was fun to watch. I mean, you are definitely not going to see a Leg like this on TARUS. (Though I would love to.)
As much as Holly’s meltdowns are hilarious, it was good to see them push through the pain and frustration. Same for Vanessa & Celina. They have become very tough competitors.
And I can’t say I wouldn’t feel the same way the other teams do about the Tims being saved twice by non-elimination. If I were Racing, I sure wouldn’t want to get beaten by a team that should’ve been eliminated twice.
Nunavut looks incredible though. Vast frozen tundra as far as the eye can see. Must be a breathtaking sight, both for its beauty and freezing cold temperatures I suppose.
A challenging Leg, but definitely great to watch.