This is a wild and active expedition. You'll be on the move for the majority of each day; rafting, hiking, paddle boarding and helping to set up and take down camp. On top of a reasonable level of fitness, perhaps more importantly you'll need to have a head for serious adventure and feel comfortable being on a remote expedition for 6 full days. You'll be as out in the elements as its possible to be - this is what you came here for! You'll be camping on river banks, small islands, and on top of gorges. This is a participatory expedition, and while your guides will do the majority of the legwork, you'll need to muck in every now and then. Camp is put up and taken down by everybody each evening and morning. On trips with more than one raft (5 or more adventurers), an additional guide will be on the expedition purely to cook each meal, giving your raft guides free time to keep the adventure ticking along nicely. You'll be rafting in groups of 4 or 5 depending on numbers on the trip, and there is a safety kayak manned by the guides at all times. Inflatable paddleboards are provided by your host to be used on the calm stretches, you can also learn to kayak using the safety kayak when it is not needed for the rapid descents. You are in the hands of expert wilderness kayak guides who know the area intimately (they even have their own TV show in Quebec where they showcase their adventures kayaking down some of Canada's most extreme rivers).

Days on the expedition are long and action-packed and you'll be exposed to the elements on a week in true wilderness, so a love for adventure and the great outdoors is a must on this trip. The rafting and hikes are easily manageable by anyone with decent fitness levels. Day 6 is the toughest day with a big portage for the group to muck in and achieve together, however there are plenty of moments to rest and swim in the lake, so it's easily doable for everyone with a good team spirit!

A portage is a process of moving a watercraft - such a raft, canoe or kayak - overland to traverse an obstacle or a section of the river which is not safe to paddle down. On this expedition, there's a big portage section when we reach three consecutive class VI rapids - about as big and dangerous as a rapid can get! So part of the adventure is helping the guides portage the rafts and expedition gear around these rapids on day 6 ready for the final camp at Magpie Falls and the final section of paddling on day 7 to reach the end of the expedition. The portage does involve some hard graft, however, it's a real team effort and there are plenty of scenic rest and swim stops throughout the day, plus some paddling and swimming when you reach the lake beneath Magpie Falls. The guides will ensure you have plenty of fun and soak up more of the wilderness during the portage. You're experiencing a time-honored Canadian river tradition, as explorers through the ages carried their canoes around river obstacles and from lake to lake, covering incredible distances and pioneering river travel as an iconic Canadian wilderness tradition.

The trip runs in Canada's summer months, so on the July and August dates you can expect temperature ranging between lows of 15°C / 59°F and as high as 30°C / 86°F. Things are a little cooler in September 5°C / 41°F and highs of 25°C / 77°F. September trips benefit from the beautiful autumn/fall colours in Canada that time of year.

You can experience rain on the trip, so it's important to come prepared with good waterproofs and a waterproof cover for your expedition backpack. Your host does not run trips from mid-August to mid-September as this is the peak rainstorm season.

Your host knows the river and the surrounding area better than anyone and has carefully planned the departure dates to ensure the best chance of good conditions on and off the river, avoiding the stormy season that rolls in for a few weeks during mid-August. The one element of this trip which can be affected by extreme weather is the float plane into the wilderness on day 2. Simply put, if the conditions are not suitable, the flight won't go ahead. This is relatively rare within the dates that the expedition has been planned around, however nature can and does throw even the best made plans off-course. Your host has made contingency plans for this outcome, so in the rare and unfortunate event that the flight can't take place, day 2 will involve an alternate day trip to an island or national park within range of Sept-Îles. In this instance, the float plane will take place on day 3 and the expedition condensed into 5 days instead of 6 (this is easily manageable with a bit of extra time on the river each day).

Sure can! Over 50% of our travellers travel solo, it’s a great way to meet like-minded people.

Tips are not included in the cost of your adventure, and tipping in Canada is customary. You should budget 10-15% of the price of the tour per person as a suggestion for your guides on the adventure, with the upper end suggested if your guides did an amazing job. We also suggest you budget extra spending money to cover tips while dining out in Sept-Îles, as tipping in restaurants is mandatory in Canada.

Your guides will bring along filtering equipment and water purification tablets. However, you are in a pristine wilderness environment so a lot of the water from the streams and rivers on the expedition can be drunk with no purification required.

Yes, your host can store your luggage at their base in Sept-Îles at the start of the trip, to be collected on return ready for much needed fresh clothes.

We’ve teamed up with the guys at World Nomads to offer insurance designed for adventurous travellers across 140 countries that includes overseas medical, evacuation, baggage and a range of adventure sports and activities. To get yours sorted, click here.

We suggest that you book travel insurance as soon as you book the trip, just to cover you for any last minute life changes. We know you’re an active lot and injuries do happen!

All of our group adventures are especially designed for adults to enjoy (18+) as we want these adventures to bring together outdoorsy people who are truly like-minded.

"I cannot recommend this highly enough! The people on the trip were amazing. Easily the best trip I've ever been on!" Charlotte, 2019, Trustpilot.

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