Mountain Life
  • Daily Content
    • Trips & Expeditions
    • Climbing
    • Mountain Biking
    • Mountain Lifer
    • Multiplicity
    • On The Trail
    • Paddling
    • Photography
    • Skiing
    • Snowboarding
    • Stay & Play
    • Surfing
    • The Great Outdoors
    • The ML Interview
    • Travel
  • GEAR
  • VIDEOS
  • STORE
  • Magazines
    • ML Coast Mountains
    • ML Rocky Mountains
    • Vie En Montagne
    • ML Blue Mountains
    • ML Annual
    • ML Subscriptions
  • ABOUT
    • What is ML?
    • Our Team
    • Newsletter
    • Adventure Grant
    • Distribution
  • Podcast
  • Contests
  • CONTACT
    • ML Agency
    • Advertising
    • Contribute
Subscription Form

Get notified of the best News

Social Links
Instagram 22K Followers
Facebook 25K Likes
Twitter 5K Followers
Pinterest 1K Followers
Vimeo 34 Followers
LinkedIn 0
22K Followers
25K Likes
5K Followers
1K Followers
Mountain Life
Mountain Life
  • Daily Content
    • Trips & Expeditions
    • Climbing
    • Mountain Biking
    • Mountain Lifer
    • Multiplicity
    • On The Trail
    • Paddling
    • Photography
    • Skiing
    • Snowboarding
    • Stay & Play
    • Surfing
    • The Great Outdoors
    • The ML Interview
    • Travel
  • GEAR
  • VIDEOS
  • STORE
  • Magazines
    • ML Coast Mountains
    • ML Rocky Mountains
    • Vie En Montagne
    • ML Blue Mountains
    • ML Annual
    • ML Subscriptions
  • ABOUT
    • What is ML?
    • Our Team
    • Newsletter
    • Adventure Grant
    • Distribution
  • Podcast
  • Contests
  • CONTACT
    • ML Agency
    • Advertising
    • Contribute
  • Features
  • Annual
  • Paddling

An Historic Kayak Mission Through the Subarctic Heart of Torngat Mountain National Park

  • March 31, 2016
  • Ben Osborne
Total
21
Shares
11
0
10
0
0
0
Total
21
Shares
Share 11
Tweet 0
Pin it 10
Share 0
Share 0
Share 0

With over 52 Class V and VI whitewater first descents together in 32 countries, American kayakers Ben Stookesberry and Chris Korbulic don’t toss words like ‘epic’ or ‘remote’ around lightly. But a 6-week, 1,120-kilometre mission with various teammates through remote northeastern Quebec and Labrador last summer clearly merits both.

 

Tgat5b
Pedro Oliva on the upper Torngat approaching the main section.

Bookended by a 770-kilometre paddle down the historic George River and a 160-kilometre return out the Koroc, “Destination Torngat” ticked off a mid-trip, no-portage, Class V first-descent of the Nachvak River in one of Canada’s most unknown wilderness reserves—Torngat Mountains National Park. The voyage also ranged through Quebec’s Kuururjuaq National Park and the margins of George River and Pyramid Mountains interim protected areas; together with Torngat park these create a welcome industryfree area on a resource-rich subarctic peninsula that’s also home to threatened caribou. Formerly one of the world’s largest seasonal mammal migrations, the George River herd has seen stunning decline—from 750,000 animals in 1993 to an estimated 27,000 today. The vulnerability of caribou habitat to mining development has seen the indigenous Inuit self-government pushing strongly for more protection.

 

TGAT!
Ben Stookesbury on the first descent of Nutililik Falls. On their way down the George River, the crew made an exploratory hike up this tributary.

“The trip was epic for its remoteness—the opposite of roadside. By the time we arrived at our objective we’d paddled more than 800 kilometres into the roadless peninsula,” explains Stookesberry, a National Geographic Adventurer of the Year and Banff Mountain Film Festival winner. “From satellite images we imagined the Nachvak could be one of the most spectacular kayaking descents on Earth, but the real challenge was getting to it.”

 

Tgat4
Ben Stookesbury charges a perfect canyon.

“By the time we arrived at our objective we’d paddled more than 800 kilometres into the roadless peninsula.” – Ben Stookesberry

The team arrived at Shefferville via iron-ore train, then linked-up chain lakes to the traditional George River put-in. Paddling north for 18 days through brutal insect swarms to Ungava Bay, they traversed rich Atlantic salmon grounds and bucked 12-metre tides to reach the coastal town of Kangiqsualujjuaq in Quebec’s Nunavik region. En route, some of the team managed a first-descent of the Nutillilik River and a second of the spectacular Ford River, the required route-finding and portaging delivering an appreciation for the region’s sweeping vistas and 1,500-metre peaks. But it was nothing compared to what they’d see in Torngat park.

 

Tgat7

The geologically and archeologically-rich park covers 9,700 km2 above 55˚ latitude, from Saglek Fjord in the south to Labrador’s northernmost tip, bounded by Quebec on the west and the Labrador Sea elsewhere. The process to create this remote reserve that sees only 600 visitors a year was long and litigious, beginning with a Labrador Inuit Association land claim in 1977 and ending three decades later with official designation as Canada’s 42nd national park—the first managed by an all-Inuit cooperative. “The [park] is the Inuit gift to the people of Canada,” said Toby Andersen, chief Inuit negotiator at the time.

 

Tgat6

The land that Inuit ancestors named Torngait—“Place of Spirits”—and white traders christened “Ghost Coast” proved an ideal paddling venue. After trading out some members in Kangiqsualujjuaq, the team reversed course east, traversing into Labrador by longboat and a taxing 65-kilometre portage to the Nachvak, a steep whitewater river they’d first envisioned exploring a decade ago. Here they collected a food cache, and with Inuit guides guarding against polar bears on the camp-to-camp descent, successfully ran each of the Nachvak’s 18 waterfalls.
After celebrating in Nachvak Fjord with a feast of Arctic char, they began the trying and technical return trip to the top of the drainage, and a final food cache on the approach route to 1,652-metre Mt. Caubvick, Eastern Canada’s highest peak. A whitewater descent of the Koroc River to Short Lakes Fjord, and a final battle through the world’s largest tidal rapids put them back in Kangiqsualujjuaq.

 

Tgat3

While the achievements were historic and the journey photogenic enough to be shaped into a film, it was the Inuit’s gift that made the most lasting impression on the crew. So much so, they donated their kayaks to the community in gratitude. “Ultimately, it’s a humbling experience to paddle here, where the Inuit literally invented the kayak thousands of years ago,” summarizes Stookesberry. “Floating through this magnificent wilderness, our boats were more time machines than sporting equipment.”

 

Tgat2
Ben Stookesbury takes down a final falls before the river eases into a fjord.

 

Total
21
Shares
Share 11
Tweet 0
Pin it 10
Share 0
Share 0
Share 0
Related Topics
  • Arctic
  • Ben Stookesbury
  • kayaking
  • Paddling
  • Pedro Oliva
  • Torngat Mountain National Park
Ben Osborne

Previous Article
  • Skiing

Man of the Mountain: A Hot Chocolate with Konrad Kuhn

  • March 30, 2016
  • Ben Osborne
View Post
Next Article
  • Snowboarding
  • The Great Outdoors

Soul Stories with Jesse Fulton

  • April 1, 2016
  • Ben Osborne
View Post
You May Also Like
alpacka_archives
View Post
  • Paddling
  • Videos
  • Women

Friday Flick: Sheri

  • Ned Morgan
  • November 18, 2022
Action-Takers-Mountain-Life-Ontario
View Post
  • On The Trail
  • Ontario
  • Paddling
  • Skiing
  • Snowboarding

The Action-Takers

  • Mountain Life Media
  • October 20, 2022
Mountain-Life-Blue-Mountains-cover-Jenna-Kitchings-Collingwood-surf-crop
View Post
  • In This Issue
  • On The Trail
  • Ontario
  • Paddling

ML Blue Mountains Fall ’22 Issue Out Now

  • Mountain Life Media
  • October 6, 2022
Canoe-Alta-Lake_Whistler-Les-Anthony
View Post
  • Paddling

Travels with Neegik: Humanity’s Default Watercraft

  • Mountain Life Media
  • September 27, 2022
Phillip-Edward-Island-sunset-Georgian-Bay
View Post
  • CAMPING GEAR
  • Ontario
  • Paddling
  • THE GEAR SHED
  • Trips & Expeditions

Paddling Georgian Bay’s Stormy Northwest Corner

  • Ned Morgan
  • September 12, 2022
Spanish-River-red-canoe-rapids-Colin-Field
View Post
  • Paddling

‘Full Reset’ on the Spanish River

  • Mountain Life Media
  • August 30, 2022
Three-Waters-Pilgrimage-A-Father-Daughter-Tandem-SUP-Mission-Paddleboard-On-Spit
View Post
  • Ontario
  • Paddling

Three Waters Doc Screening

  • Ned Morgan
  • August 15, 2022
tribal-waters-landscape-Patagonia-films
View Post
  • Paddling
  • Videos

Tribal Waters

  • Mountain Life Media
  • July 22, 2022
Featured Posts
  • Fjallraven-Nuuk-Parka-daniel-blom-photo_jacket 1
    Gear Shed: Multisport Winter Roundup
    • January 26, 2023
  • Brian-Hockenstein-surfing-Iceland-water-and-ice-ML 2
    In the Land of Water & Ice
    • January 24, 2023
  • Marie-Pier-Desharnais-A-Womans-Experience-on-K2-flag-crop 3
    Marie-Pier Desharnais: A Woman’s Experience on K2
    • January 23, 2023
  • Paul-Manning-Hunter-Kananaskis-River-surf 4
    Behind the Photo: Rockies Edition
    • January 19, 2023
  • knorthphotography.Beverly-Glenn Copeland-crop 5
    Beverly Glenn-Copeland: Finding the Universal Broadcast
    • January 17, 2023
RECENT POSTS
  • Wachs_Fairly-Mellow
    Friday Flick: “Fairly Mellow” at Fairy Meadow Hut
    • January 20, 2023
  • Season-Pass-Skis-and-Splitboard-both
    Gear Shed: New Season Pass Skis + Splitboard Exclusive to evo
    • January 15, 2023
  • Vincent-Colliart-Caroline-Cote-antarctica-sunset
    Canadian Explorer Caroline Côté Reaches South Pole in Record 34 Days
    • January 13, 2023
Social Links
Instagram 22K Followers
Facebook 25K Likes
Twitter 5K Followers
Pinterest 1K Followers
Vimeo 34 Followers
LinkedIn 0
INSTAGRAM
mountainlifemedia
22K Followers
ML staff and gear partners highlight the latest jackets, boards, crampons, hoodies, insoles and bindings in alpha order. #Linkinbio to learn more!
Adventures like this one require an inspiring team. @timemmett is a longtime friend, adventure partner and extraordinary human; an explorer, pro climber, surfer, freediver—you name it. @luca.freediver is an incredibly talented freediver, fresh off breaking the Canadian national freediving record (85 metres). The fourth man on the team, @brianhockenstein, is a filmmaker and multi-talented snowboarder always ready to jump into the fray and capture the magic. - words Jimmy Martinello. #Linkinbio to learn more!
We came in search of the connection of the human spirit to both art and adventure, whether climbing from the depths of moulins and ice caves, breaking through ice while paddleboarding fjords, climbing icebergs, freediving between tectonic plates or surfing cold waves.
A thousand and one things could have gone wrong, but she made it to the top:  @mariepier.desharnais is the first Quebecois woman to climb K2.
Mountain Life is a proud member of the @printreleaf_ community. So far we've offset our print by having 1,737 trees reforested since joining in 2019! 🌲
GUESS WHAT! It's FRIDAY! Here's a flick to kick off the weekend for all you warriors.
Behind the scenes of three action photos from ML’s Rocky Mountains edition.
The @banffmountainfestival 2023 Signature Image Search is on🚨
In 1986 @beverlyglenncopeland recorded Keyboard Fantasies using an Atari computer, a keyboard and a drum machine. After releasing it on cassette and selling maybe 50 copies, he went back to writing for Sesame Street and making the odd guest appearance on Mr. Dressup. In 2015, a cassette made its way to Japanese collector Ryota Masuko, a record store owner with a big online presence, who quickly bought, and then sold, all the Keyboard Fantasies cassettes he could find. Record labels worldwide lined up to reissue the hidden gem on vinyl.
MUSIC SERIES TICKET SALE IS NOW LIVE 🗣️
Follow

Subscribe

Subscribe now to our newsletter

ML staff and gear partners highlight the latest jackets, boards, crampons, hoodies, insoles and bindings in alpha order. #Linkinbio to learn more!
Adventures like this one require an inspiring team. @timemmett is a longtime friend, adventure partner and extraordinary human; an explorer, pro climber, surfer, freediver—you name it. @luca.freediver is an incredibly talented freediver, fresh off breaking the Canadian national freediving record (85 metres). The fourth man on the team, @brianhockenstein, is a filmmaker and multi-talented snowboarder always ready to jump into the fray and capture the magic. - words Jimmy Martinello. #Linkinbio to learn more!
We came in search of the connection of the human spirit to both art and adventure, whether climbing from the depths of moulins and ice caves, breaking through ice while paddleboarding fjords, climbing icebergs, freediving between tectonic plates or surfing cold waves.
A thousand and one things could have gone wrong, but she made it to the top:  @mariepier.desharnais is the first Quebecois woman to climb K2.
Mountain Life is a proud member of the @printreleaf_ community. So far we've offset our print by having 1,737 trees reforested since joining in 2019! 🌲
GUESS WHAT! It's FRIDAY! Here's a flick to kick off the weekend for all you warriors.
Mountain Life
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
  • Advertising

Input your search keywords and press Enter.