Communal living with 22 people in a cabin is an adventure! On the bright side, Isabelle and her family had prepared a hearty breakfast to whip us into shape. We’re aching all over and fatigue is settling in. Well, no matter, the open trails are calling…
Today’s run is a healthy one, 135 kilometres! After crossing Anse Saint-Jean, we end up in Saint-Siméon at Arthur Savard Camp. What a site!
As we travel, I realize that much of Québec’s beauty is hidden. The mountains, and the people are simply fabulous. It’s still winter, but each road, each trail, every human being is different and so enriching. We’re tired and we must exercise caution!
Once at the log cabin we were longing for a hot shower and a comfortable bed. Our prayers were answered!!! Gracias!
Marie-Claude and Martin treated us like royalty, nothing less! To cap off this wonderful evening, we were treated to a folksinger.
Oh! For a good night’s sleep! Tomorrow is the last day of our snowmobile adventure. Time flies!
I must tell you that relationships have sprouted at record speed. Nobody wants it to end; yet promises of reunions abound… To be continued!
See all our photos on Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/pointedespieds/
Go to Amélie Grenier’s web site: http://www.ameliegrenier.com
I am grateful for those beautiful and warm winter days. They seem to be there just for us. We’re in great shape for this third day on our iron horses. We are confident and strong, but J-C warns us that our confidence can be deceiving, we must be careful!
Today’s itinerary will takes 110 km around the Hautes Gorges of Malbaie River. The name alone is inspiring. Let’s proceed… Again, much of our trek was “off track”. Don’t tell me snowmobiling is not a sport. I now know otherwise. Our youths faced those great challenges with assurance. I am astonished to see how much they can push themselves.
The view is breathtaking. The higher we go, the snowier it gets. There is so much snow some trees look like animals! According to J-C, we’re in a secret place! The valley of the ghosts! Not the well-known Monts Valin valley of ghosts! Oh no! This one is totally unknown! A real secret valley, just for us lucky souls!
Our guides are the best in the world… Dave and Jean-Guy are like ballerinas on the snow! They seem to float with their snowmobiles as they run circles around us. What a show! Thanks, guys! We had lunch with the ghosts of the Valley and our mobile ballerinas before heading back.
I got the best teammate for this last challenge of the day! Thanks to Gabriel, I had the ride of my life! As his right hand lacks feeling, he found it difficult to maintain the right amount of pressure on the accelerator. I was treated to a thrill ride, as at La Ronde! I was laughing so much I couldn’t see the road! Thank God, he was driving!!! Thanks for the ride Gab, it was like riding a mechanical bull!!!
That night we were treated to a homemade meal at Isabelle’s Sugar Shack. Grandma’s soup and homemade meat pie and buns… Indeed, home-made buns… My! That was so good!
Some of our friends slept outdoors. No thanks for me, not comfy enough for this softie. It’s hard to realize you’re getting old. Good night all!
See all our photos on Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/pointedespieds/
Go to Amélie Grenier’s web site: http://www.ameliegrenier.com
The sun is rising on Lac des Neiges as we prepare to leave. Another fabulous image! I have the feeling this is just the appetizer! I learned from our guides, Jean-Guy and Dave, that today will be a “privileged” itinerary. We’re in luck; we got special authorizations for this escapade. Going North, we circled the Grands-Jardins Park en route to Zec des Martres; it’s a belvedere where we stop to take in the sites. A 360-degree look at snowy mountains as far as the eye can see. This is our first strong point of our trip. I was personally overcome with emotion. On this belvedere, I shed tears. Surrounded by such beauty, only tears could express my inner feeling! Would you believe it, the spokeswoman is shedding tears of happiness! Don’t forget, this is just the beginning!!! If I cried on top, I laughed all the way down. The road was filled with moguls; it was like mogul skiing on a snowmobile. Just like at the Olympic games! I was sharing the snowmobile with Stephanie, she was shouting, I was laughing. We were like two five-year-olds having a great time but showing it in different ways. I just love it! What a team we are!
We were “off track”, so no wonder we got our share of spills. It’s easy to get buried in powdered snow. But, we’re fast learners! Pride is a strong motivator! A full day of digging ourselves out of the snow, of helping each other and using all our might.
Jean-Charles, our guide, even congratulated us. He said he was impressed by how fast we were leaning. Jean-Charles is proud of us and because of this, we found the strength and assurance to complete our day, thank you, J-C! To top it all, a grand site to spend the night! Thanks to Pourvoirie du Lac Moreau!
See all our photos on Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/pointedespieds/
Go to Amélie Grenier’s web site: http://www.ameliegrenier.com
Today, we’ll take it easy, a mere 25 km! We got to our destination before lunch. Thank God! The three shelters at Camp Giroux are under tonnes of snow! Watch your step! Oops! We’re waist-deep in snow! No lack of snow here. Our braves, the men and male teenagers, shared the four shovels to clear the entryway. To top it all, what better than a good old fashioned snowball fight!!! Hey! The guys even fashioned a stairway in the snow! Now, that’s class!
We can use all three shelters, one of which is our meeting place. There, we have lunch, dinner and play games in front of the fireplace. But, as luck will have it, the lavatories are in the other building. So, it’s “dress-undress” time! After lunch, we take to the lake. It’s easy to speed in a straight line on a lake. All had great fun! Nature healing starts with this sunny afternoon on this huge frozen surface. The site is heavenly. Like in a movie. But little did we know the best was yet to come.
See all our pictures on Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/pointedespieds/
Visit Amélie Grenier’s site at http://www.ameliegrenier.com
Our first problem: the luggage!!!
I was surprised when I saw the luggage. Two suitcases for a few days!?! Impossible! Possible, indeed! We had rendez-voused in the hotel lobby. Boarding for Forêt Montmorency; bus, highway, lunch on board. Ever tried to make sandwiches in a moving bus? Quite the adventure, but lots of fun! On the way, heated discussions and laughter were the order of the day. Wow! A meeting of human beings. I just love this kind of magic.
At our destination, tummies well fed, we gathered to meet the other participants and members of the team. More beautiful human beings!
Time for the distribution of winter gear to all, overcoats, pants, gloves, mittens, tuques, the “whole kit”! But how will we carry all this stuff? Not to forget the suitcases! This is a five-day trek by snowmobile! This is when “the bag” was distributed to all. “O, my God!” This if where the word “Adventure” took its full meaning! To travel light is not easy to start with, imagine doing it in winter. We’re all confronted with difficult choices: how to remain warm and keep it light? Our “non choices” will be waiting for us on our return.
The rest of the afternoon was spent getting acquainted with the snowmobile. The Safety Key (very important), the various manoeuvres (not easy, but we managed), the turns (shift your weight to the right, shift to the left), the brakes (pump them or skid off). In summary, we’re now graduates of Snowmobile 101, and ready to jump on our iron horses and scoot away in the woods!
And thus ended our first day. Good night, see you tomorrow!
See all the photos on Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/pointedespieds/
From February 28 to March 7, twelve youths living with cancer will travel more than 700 kms on snowmobiles in Quebec’s most snowy area, the Laurentians Wildlife Reserve. Their wonderful adventure will give the youths the opportunity to admire the backcountry sites as they travel the snowmobile trails between the Capitale Nationale, Charlevoix and the Saguenay.
As they travel through areas devoid of traces, they will experiment the feeling of being the first ones there. Living in harmony with nature, experiencing camp life for a full week, the youths will have a wonderful opportuniity to rebuild their self-confidence and rekindle their love for life.
Nord Expé is the local partner helping the On the Tip of the Toes Foundation organize this therapeutic adventure.
The young participants have been referred by various Canadian oncology centers such as the CHU Sainte-Justine, le Pavillon CHUL du CHUQ, le Centre universitaire de santé de l’Estrie (Québec), the IWK Health Center (Maritimes), the CHEO (Ontario), the Calgary HealthRegion (Alberta).
FOR A BACKSTAGE PASS TO THE EXPEDITION,
LOG ON TO THE FOUNDATION’S BLOG
Amélie Grenier, the spokesperson for the On the Tip of the Toes Foundation” />
Always on the lookout for new challenges, the spokesperson for the On the Tip of the Toes Foundation, Amélie Grenier, graciously accepted the Foundation’s invitation to take part in the Foundation’s next expedition, from February 28 to March 7. Amélie’s unique perspective will allow you to follow our 12 young adventurers on the Foundation’s blog at www.pointedespieds.com/blog
Passionate and determined, she wholeheartedly and lovingling appropriated the Foundations objectives for the love of youth and life.
“As a human adventurer, I invite you with all my heart to learn about this organization and get involved, as I did, in these extraordinary expeditions to allow more teens to find the strength to continue, to change the image of this illness, and to discover a new life.”
ScheduleSnowmobile Raid Expedition in the Laurentians Wildlife Reserve
February 28 Arrival Montmorency Forest
March 1 - 5 Snomobile Days (100 - 200 km/ day)
From the Montmorency shelter, via Giroux Camp, Auberge du Ravage, Cabane à Marcelin, Arthur Savard Camp, the Foundation’s adventurers will conclude their voyage at Mont Sainte-Anne. Their snowmobiles will take them on the trails between the National Capital, Charlevoix and the Saguenay through the backcountry.
6 mars Activities
7 mars Last Day, Leave for Home
These twelve young explorers will leave THEIR trail in the powdered snow of Gros Morne National Park. Twelve adventurers from all over Canada!!!
Meet Our Female Adventurers:
Marie-Pierre Lecours-Dubois, Saguenay, Quebec, 18 years old
Stéphanie Poirier, Montreal, Quebec, 17
Jenna Lavery, Calgary, Alberta, 20
Katlyn Kent, Oakhaven, New Brunswick, 18
And Their Male Colleagues:
Maxime Tardif, Sherbrooke, Quebec, 17
Julien Mc Nicoll, Sherbrooke, Quebec, 17
Gabriel Guay, St-Henri, Quebec, 16
Steven Ouellet, Brossard, Quebec, 14
Joël Lemay-Forcier, Oka, Quebec, 14
Taylor Barkley, Chesterville, Ontario, 19
Mark-Marshall Beaudin, Wyevale, Ontario, 14
Kevin Coombs, St-Basile-le-Grand, Quebec, 16
Tomorrow, we will introduce the accompanying team!
Saguenay, February 17, 2010 – From February 28 to March 7, our group of 12 young adventurers and 8 guides will travel more than 700 kilometres by snowmobile in one of Canada’s wildest territories: the Island of Newfoundland. This fantastic adventure, mostly within the Gros Morne National Park, will take us through the 600-metre towering frozen cliffs of Western Brook Pond Fjord, and the wild life of the valleys of Tableland Mountains, a UNESCO World Heritage site. There lives one of Canada’s largest moose herds. High on these summits, on snowshoes, we will discover the subarctic tundra, a feature of Northern Canada.
Our path will sometimes lead us to virgin territory and the impression of being the first ones to travel there. For you, our young adventurer friends, this will be the occasion to experience camp life for a whole week and winter camping for one night, a wonderful opportunity to live life at its fullest!!!.
Together, we will share unique moments, a great breath of fresh air, filled with happiness.
In ten days, we will be leaving on an expedition that will take us on the snowy trails of this wonderful island. We’re just about ready. Following a highly successful prep meeting, the future adventurers, and their guides, are dreaming about the sites and the fauna they are about to see, about this extraordinary experience that we will all share.
Please note that from this day until the end of our trip, we will take you backstage at regular intervals to follow our expedition on the Foundation’s Blog, our very own homing pigeon!!!
On your marks… Ready… Go!!!
Today is our last day on the Saguenay. As the kayakers say “We’re getting out”. Thank God! It rained all night and the tents are soaking wet. Not to mention our clothes we forgot on the clothesline! A mere 10 kilometres to get to the beach at Tadoussac. But beware of the so ‘western wind, still to our backs but at more than 25 knots.
Today, no water fights, as we are quite attentive to the advice of Virginie and Denis. Don’t panic and stay together. We’re headed at full speed towards the St.Lawrence estuary and twice we see small rorquals. Not really that small as they are at least twice as long as our kayaks. The manoeuvres are difficult because of the intense maritime traffic, which generates huge waves. As we get to the estuary, we must duck back into the last small bay to let the ferries go by bringing cars from one shore to the other. At the signal, we rush around the port a little fearful because of the raging sea. Our efforts pay off and we are happy to reach the beach at Tadoussac. As luck would have it, the wind dies and the sun chases the clouds away.
We are filled with an extraordinary feeling of satisfaction, of success. There is shouting, laughter, tears of joy and hugs all around. It’s only 11 a.m. We travelled the last 10 kilometres in one hour and 20 minutes. WOW!
We eat lunch on the beach and the trailer comes in to pick up the kayaks and take us to the Cap-Bon-Désir camping. Back to civilization, we feel a little awkward, not to mention the strange sensation of riding a bus on a road! Once at the camping ground, we dry the tents, we set up and guess what? A HOT SHOWER FOR ALL OF US!
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Follow this link to the expedition photographs and all the Foundation photos : http://www.flickr.com/photos/pointedespieds/
With his usual good humour, JF woke us up at 6 a.m. we’re quite excited, as we will go by Sainte-Marguerite bay, the feeding ground of the belugas. We don’t mind having gotten up so early, as we have the pleasure to see a whole herd of them, including mothers with their calves. A truly magic moment!
The sun is shining and soon I feel tension in the air, as a naval battle is about to break out. Virginie and Breeann are conspiring back there and open the hostilities with an attack on Francisco. All hell breaks loose as we all go at it. Instead of his usual whistle blowing, our head guide, Denis, joins the battle. An ill-advised decision as we all gang up on him. No matter we’re dripping wet, we had a ball.
Unbeknownst to us, we’re halfway there, and we stop for lunch at the L’Anse-de-Roche Marina. We even have time for a short siesta in the sun before leaving again. The rest of the trip goes smoothly and we finally arrive at the most beautiful of all camping sites in the Saguenay Marine Park, l’Anse-à-Passe-pierre. The view of the fjord is superb, but… we must carry our stuff up one hundred steps. We are rewarded by a huge spaghetti dinner.
After dinner, Héléna, Virginie and JF show us how far we’re come on the map: 100 KILOMETRES! We’re proud and filled with emotion at bedtime.
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Follow this link to the expedition photographs and all the Foundation photos : http://www.flickr.com/photos/pointedespieds/
It rained all night and, this morning, the weather can’t seem to make up its mind. No matter, it seems Mother Nature is looking down favourably on us as the rain has stopped when we got up. We take advantage of the dry weather to have breakfast and fold the tents after shaking the water off. Then, as we leave, the skies open. We jump into our raingear, those with the rubber sleeves, super hard to put on, and we push the kayaks in the water. Ten minutes later, the sun is back, and we have to take the raingear off.
A 25-knot back wind is welcome. We’re all in a good mood and there is lots of laughter. We splash each other with our paddles as we race along. We go at it a little too much for Denis who whistles us back to order. The sun and the wind inspire our songs. We rush full speed ahead to Anse-à-Gagnon for lunch. Francesca has prepared ham and cheese rolls (this is too plain, tastes like home!) As we’re getting ready to leave, a new shower rains on us. Re-rain-gear in a hurry. As we get to our campsite at l’Anse aux Islets Rouges, the sun is back. Good! We can set up the tents in the dry. Thanks again, Mother Nature.
We spend the rest of the afternoon lazily around the camp. The girls wash up at the river (that’s been our shower since the start) and bring back water to prepare the meal. Some go fishing; others talk in the tents or chop up the vegetables for the couscous. Just another day at camp. Early to bed tonight, as tomorrow’s a big day: 18 kilometres.
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Hard to believe a whole week has gone by. Anyone missing the parents? No, not at all. On the contrary, morale is high and we are closer together than ever before. This morning, we got up at 6 a.m. and we take the camp down as usual. We have French toast for breakfast and then we get the kayaks ready. As it is more than 24 hours since we paddled last, stretching exercises are recommended. 8:30 a.m. and we’re waiting for the Zodiac. While we wait, Paméla demonstrates the cadet drill for our guides. We have a good laugh.
Then, we leave for a short 12 km ride. Easy! Contrary to the forecast, it’s a great day. So we paddle at a good pace as we return to the opposite shore of the Saguenay. Our destination: Portage Bay, across from L’Anse-Saint-Jean. Eyes at the ready, we navigate close to the shore, as there are some herds of seals nearby. As we enter a small bay, we see a baby seal taking in the sun on a rock. Breeann’s eyes pop up and a huge smile illuminates her face. In silence, we glide by slowly so as not to disturb the animal. A little later, we see a herd of seals playing in the water and another one on a rock. We jump for joy… in silence!
We arrive at our destination just in time for lunch. During the afternoon, JF gives us a fishing lesson and Émilie catches the first fish, the only one of the day. Good thing we were not in charge of the food supply for the coming meal! Sometimes, things fall right in. The camp is set up, we have done our chores, and the rain comes. Tonight on the menu, hot lentil soup. Surely, Julia will love it… If not, Cass will volunteer to finish her plate!
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Today is special, no kayaking. As there is no need to take down the camp, we can choose our activities. In other words: vacation time! At breakfast, Cass takes two servings of everything, as usual and empties every remaining plate. Then we break up in two groups. Cass, Émilie, Hugo, Julia and Paméla go on a hike, and Breeann, Francisco, Jessie and Jordan stay in camp for a rest.
At 11, the Zodiac picks us up to go across the bay. There, we start the climb up the Trinity bay summit to see the famous Madonna. This is a 7 kilometre round-trip, a 280 metre climb followed by a 100 metre descent. Who said this would be an easy day? One step at a time, we start our trek. We want to go a maximum distance before lunch, and we give it our all, as this is a major energy drain. Once we get at the statue, we take out our wishes and those of our colleagues who have remained in camp and we proudly drop them in the box. It feels like Notre-Dame-du-Saguenay is looking down favourably at us and will grant our wishes.
The return trip is much easier and as we arrive at the dock, we dive in the water. The swim is invigorating and well deserved. Back at camp, our friends tell us about their day. There were discussions, necklace weaving and card games. Jordan summarizes her day in a single word: relaxing. Julia replies: intense to describe her day.
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Another early wake-up call. On the plus side, Denis and Francisca, our guides, have concocted some homemade porridge with fresh blueberries. Hugo, well coached by Manitou JF, got the fire going all by himself. Paméla and Cass fetched the water from the river and filtered it before filling our water bottles. Talk about adventure! Then, as Jessie, Paméla and Breeann were gathering stones and some clay, the rest of the team goes off in the Zodiac to pick up the kayaks, which we had left on the small beach the day before.
On our return to the campsite, a clay imp and an inuksuk welcome us. Now, we can’t get lost. We pack up the kayaks and we’re on our way. First destination: Sainte-Rose-du-Nord for lunch. The wind has died down and the sun is shining high. The group is raring to go, and we have 6 kilometres to paddle before the SURPRISE Héléna has promised us. As we arrive in Sainte-Rose and park the kayaks on the dock, we see a SUPER ICE CREAM STAND! After lunch, we each get out treat! Cool!
Those calories will be welcome as we have another 15 kilometres to go before the next campsite. The weather is nice and it is with broad smiles on our faces that we paddle along at a fair clip. Émilie tells me: “Life is beautiful. Look at those enormous cliffs. We’re so small among all this beauty!”
After 8 kilometres, we stop at Saint-Basile-de-Tableau. It is a small bay with a nice beach where we can rest. The owner, Mr. Pilote, greets us. Given the time of day, he suggests we stay here overnight. That proposition is greeted with a resounding HURRAH! We are getting quite tired. Francisco’s arms are aching, but he is proud to have paddled for so long. Julia and Jessie agree: the last two kilometres were quite difficult and they are happy to have persevered. Tonight’s menu: shrimps and rice. Cass would like to have the whole casserole to himself, but he finally agrees to share with us. We are exhausted, tired and happy. Jordan and Breeann are already asleep. The rest of the group does not feel like turning in as the night is beautiful and we all wish to watch the stars come out in the sky.
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After five days, breaking camp before breakfast is now routine. Jessie, who at first was a late riser, is up already, her sleeping bag and sleeping mat all rolled up. In a flash, the tents are taken down and folded, we’re “pros” at this now. While Francesca prepares a fresh fruit salad, we carry our dry bags to the shore. Hugo coordinates our efforts to carry the kayaks to the beach in groups of six. Wilderness camping has no secrets for us, so much so that the kayaks are ready to go long before the Zodiac comes in. The Zodiac is our guardian angel. Each morning, it picks up the material we can’t carry and sticks around us all day for our safety.
The sky is deep blue and the sun is already quite warm. Looks like we’re headed for a super hot day with the wind at our backs. After a session of sunscreen application and stretching exercises, we salute the sun with the three OM’s and we’re off! Our group is quite together and we paddle heartily. Denis teaches us to “surf the wave”. When the kayak dips from the front, all you need to do is paddle vigorously two or three times and UP you go to the top of the wave. WE’RE TRUCKING!
First step: crossing to the other side of the Fjord, where we will set up camp this evening. That takes about an hour and a half. We then follow the shore and marvel at the rock faces. The site is breath taking. After a quick lunch break, we cruise along. The kayaks ride softly on the water. Many of us see seals. Émilie and Caroline (your blogger) have an unexpected meeting with a seal who comes within three feet of the kayak. He looks at us with his soft eyes and, SPLASH, he dives, his tail beating the air. Émilie is stunned. We continue along the rock face and as we turn into a small bay, we see a small fall dropping into the Saguenay. Many of us manage to paddle under the fall’s cool water! Wow! That was good!
In the distance, we see the statue of the Virgin Mary on top of the peak. That’s our signal to turn into the bay where we’ll be camping. The rest of the afternoon is spent setting up camp, talking, laughing, and helping with the evening meal: huge spaghetti. We all pitch in to chop the veggies. Our group is now a real family. During the evening, we set up a campfire on the beach and roast marshmallows. Breanne hums “Brown eyed girl” with JF. The highlight of the evening. We stay up late signing. No matter, tomorrow we can sleep in, as we will spend two nights here.
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We’re leaving for real.
So real, we slept in our travelling clothes and took our luggage down to the beach with our eyes barely open before breakfast. We wake up while eating, then we pack our gear in the kayaks like old pros. Virginie, the Foundation’s kayak guide, teaches us the ABC’s of paddling and we do some stretching exercises. Then comes the Fashion show. Here’s Julia resplendent in her rainwear and her spray deck worn like a skirt under her life vest before settling in the cockpit (a small space we must slide in to sit in the kayak). We all look like super star adventurers.
It 8:30 a.m., let the fifes and drums announce to the world that we’re in the water. Our friend, the wind, is still there but not as insistent as yesterday. We’re 14 kilometres away from our campsite. The first ten coming out of the cape are quite arduous. The waves grow bigger by the minute, ignoring the fact that we’re only beginners. As we round the cape, the wind hits us full face. Denis blows his whistle and we head for the safety of a small beach. We devour our lunch and wait for the weatherman’s instructions. We’re a little disappointed yet proud to have paddled those 10 kilometres. After a game of “mime that film title”, Pamela does a wonderful imitation of Sleeping Beauty. As we start feeling stranded on a desert island, a decision is made: we’ll break down in two teams and get to the camp in the Zodiac. COOL. With each wave breaking on our dinghy, we howler with joy (with fear in the case of your blogger). After setting up the tents, we’re treated to homemade Burritos. Later, after the campfire, we go to bed proud of our victory over the elements and of our first day kayaking.
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D Day! This calls for the Lumberjack Special Breakfast: omelette, bacon and toast. Then, we each carry our three “stay dry” bags: one for the sleeping bag, our warm down jacket and our sleeping pad; one for our dry evening clothes to change into once we get to camp each day, and one for our day stuff (solar cream, toilet paper, toque, etc) to be tied to our kayak. We take the kayaks down to the beach and we start loading. Not an easy task as the waterproof cargo compartments are so small we’d need Houdini to fit everything in there. Notwithstanding, after much effort, everything is stowed away. Ready to go? Not so fast, all this work has made us hungry and it’s lunch time. Our kayak guides and cooks, Jessica and Denis, have concocted VEGEPATE sandwiches. ‘What’s that?’ cries Jordan. It’s a mixture of all sorts of veggies with sunflower seeds and soya. ‘Sure tastes good’, he says after the first bite. Even Julia goes for it as she eats her sandwich with a strange smirk. The sun is out but the wind come in and increases in intensity to storm level. Héléna and Denis keep contacting the weather station. After long and arduous discussions with the Coast Guard comes the verdict:
SORRY GANG, WE’RE NOT LEAVING TODAY.
We are disappointed but we understand as the waves remind us of Virginia Beach. So be it! Hugo, Francisco, Cass and Julia decide to go swimming. Strangely, the water is warm and we all romp happily in the waves. The rest of the team goes on a tour of the tree houses. Hey! That’s quite high and… swaying! Back on the beach at Cap Jaseux, we call a caucus. JF suggests we do a camping dry run. We’ll set up the tents and sleep on the beach. Wait! Where are the tents? In the Zodiac waiting for us at the campsite where we should be. TOO BAD! We’ll sleep in the log cabins, again.
After a wonderful dinner of sausage and vegetable couscous (no complaints here!), JF builds a nice campfire and we share the reasons why we embarked on this voyage and what we expect to achieve. It was a highly touching moment filled with self-reflection. Breanne tells us she needed to do something by herself, away from her family and that she hopes to overcome her shyness. Émilie says she wanted to share with friends who have survived similar difficulties in an adventure where everyone would be on the same footing. Jessie says her objective is to leave this beach, which has us all laughing. Cass says he has a bet with his parents who keep telling him that he spends all his time in front of his computer. After that, we all go to bed, hoping to leave tomorrow. Wake up call is 6 a.m.
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This morning, we woke up with the impression we had to learn how to sleep with a mummy (sorry, I meant a mummy-shaped sleeping bag). Happily for us, JF gave us a rather artistic demonstration during the afternoon.
We can’t wait to get into our kayaks, but first, a little aerial travel. After breakfast, we go tree hopping. With harnesses and snap hooks, we try our hand on the test run. After the test, they decide there will be a ground crew made up of myself, your blogger, and Jessie, TERRIBLY afraid of heights, and Jordan. We simply walk in the forest on terra firma! The rest of the group goes at it and six of them will successfully complete the run!
Near the end of the run, Émilie, in a long speech, tells us that should she die, we are to tell her family and her boyfriend that she loved them. Hugo and Paméla are such pros they could be instructors and Cass is smiling so much that her jaw is more sore than her arms. Francesco, ever concentrated, never gave up and despite being a litte tired, he completes the run as a true champion. Says he: “It was hard but fun and I’m proud I did it!”. Breeann also completed the run and he tells us: ‘It feels good when you accomplish something and I saw a bunny in the woods.” The run ends with a 27-second Tyrolean traverse and Julia was ready to do it all over again right there and then!
Each gave it it’s all, and from my point of view on the ground, the whole thing seemed quite extreme! After all that effort, lunchtime is welcome. So is a little respite. During the afternoon, it’s class time: “HOW TO PREPARE YOUR LUGGAGE FOR A KAYAK EXPEDITION”. Our teachers, JF, Virginie and Héléna are really funny mimes! After a good laugh at their expense, we head back to our cabin to pack our stuff in waterproof bags. Serious stuff, that! It’s nearly worse than my own room, Mylène tells me. It was an uphill battle, but we managed to stuff our clothing in those precious waterproof bags that should keep us dry during the next eight days. Tomorrow is the big day, so, good night all!
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Thank you for being there and to follow our expeditions. See you soon on departure day!
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