On April 21, 2024, the AKOR team undertook a crossing of Canada’s three territories, from the western Yukon to the east coast of Baffin, Nunavut.
Never before attempted, this daring 6,500 km journey will last around 6 months without interruption, and will take place entirely north of the 60th parallel. A refreshing and creative journey, by bike, canoe, sailboat and hike, far from the known and documented routes.
In April 2024, we’ll cycle across the Yukon, from the Alaskan border to the Northwest Territories. This leg should take us 2 weeks. Crossing the Nahanni mountain range, we’ll pedal along gravel roads, getting deeper and deeper into the heart of a majestic wilderness.
Then we’ll paddle the entire Northwest Territories and mainland Nunavut by canoe, all the way to Baker Lake, near Hudson Bay. This 2800 km leg should take us 3 months. When we launch our canoes, flooding on the Little and South Nahanni rivers will make the experience very intense, and force us to meticulously calculate all the risks. We’ll then paddle up part of the Mackenzie River, across Great Slave Lake, across the tundra and down the mythical Thelon River to Baker Lake, in the geographic center of Canada.
While we’re paddling, a sailboat will leave Quebec City to meet us. This is a second, parallel expedition, which will join us to cross to Hudson Bay and take us to Baffin Island. The sailboat journey totals 10,000 km and will be operated by 3 separate crews: one to take the boat up to Baker Lake, a second to cross Hudson Bay with us, and a third to bring the boat back to Quebec City. This section of the trip involves high-level logistics and an in-depth knowledge of the challenges of sailing in Arctic waters.
Baker Lake is where land and sea crews meet. The Anorak, a 45-foot steel-hulled sailboat, is ideal for crossing Hudson Bay and Hudson Strait to Pangnirtung on Baffin Island. This leg should take us 3 weeks.
Finally, we’ll set off on foot to cross the Baffin Peninsula through one of the most grandiose valleys on Earth. This final stage should take us around ten days, and will enable us to reach the east coast of Baffin, at Qikiqtarjuaq, thus completing our crossing of the three Canadian northern territories, after 6 months of expedition.
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