Nicolas Roulx and Catherine Chagnon have set off on their monster six-month, 6,500km west-to-east journey through Canada. The duo’s entire trip will take place north of the 60th parallel.
Chagnon and Roulx had planned to set off by bicycle from near Beaver Creek on the Alaska-Yukon border on April 18 but left a few days later on April 21. By May 1, they had covered 900km along the Alaska Highway. As the pair transition to the dirt Nahanni Range Road, their 120km per day pace may slow. Camping as they go, they’ve had good weather and encountered some wildlife, but no grizzlies.
The full 6,500km route. The section in red highlights the cycling segment. Photo: Expedition AKOR
They will ride the dirt road for around a week before reaching the village of Tungsten. Here, they will meet friends Mathieu Beland and Guillaume Moreau. The foursome will then begin the meaty 2,800km canoe section of their expedition on the Nahanni River.
Will it be warm enough to paddle?
It will be interesting to see how much paddling they manage on the lakes and rivers of the Northwest Territories. Much of the route could still be frozen, though Roulx told ExplorersWeb they did not expect it to be a major problem before setting off.
“It’s an El Nino year, so it should be a little warmer,” Roulx explained.
These opening few weeks are a vital warm-up for Roulx. He suffered a nasty accident not long after his 2021 Canada north-to-south expedition. He broke his leg while bouldering and has endured a long road to recovery. So far Roulx’s knee is holding up well, though he does report “suffering from some knee pain, but nothing serious or abnormal.”
