Six Quebec Paddlers Embark on 1,500-kilometre Canoe Trip

The trip is two years in the making and the six Quebec paddlers who’ve been planning it are currently well into their trip.

Called Expedition Akor, the team includes Philippe Poulin, Pier-Luc Morissette, Sarah-Jeanne Giroux, Guillaume Moreau, Nicolas Roulx and Charles Fortin.

On June 6, the left from the starting point in Schefferville, Quebec and will end on the Labrador Coast in a few months.

Their most recent update after their fourth and fifth week, reads, “After a few days of rest and supplies in kangiqsualujjuaq, the team resumed. At the end of last week, they were at mile 57 of their journey back to the powerful river river. Last night they reached the mile 123, and only nine miles left before taking their long portage to a new watershed.

“Indeed, in order to join the Atlantic, our friends will undertake a 22-mile port tomorrow, which will lead them to the Palmer River, which is flowing to the nachvak fjord.

“As the adventure is in raw, they have to portager all the rapids, because it is impossible to braided on submerged banks. The Portage on the banks where the ice is piling up has its lot of difficulties!

“Fortunately, no trace of polar bears! However, the team continues to install its “Alarm System” every night as a precaution.”

Their trip has taken them down the De Pas and George Rivers, where spring melt water meant they could skip time-consuming portages.

Next up will be a trip down the Koroc River to the amazing Torngat Mountains along a 130-kilometre route.

The team will then hike to the top of Mount d’Iberville, the highest point in Quebec and Labrador at 1,652 metres.

They will then paddle 500 kilometres to the small village of Nain.