7 Week SL - Natla-Keele

The Natla-keele aka the Túoch’ee Deé Begaadée (pronouced Too-ho-chay-day and Bay-gah-day) is located in the Mackenzie Mountains in the North-West Territories, on the lands of the Sahtu-Dene. After spending a week at camp preparing for their trip, the group will fly to Norman Wells, NWT to finish organizing their food and gear. From here, they will take a bush plane to Túoch'ee Tué (O’Grady Lake) and begin their epic 33-day journey. Participants will enjoy 110km of chilly whitewater and thrilling canyons on the beautiful Túoch’ee Deé, before its confluence with the Begaadée River. From here they will continue paddling 300km until the confluence with the Deh Cho (Mackenzie River). The group will continue paddling, stopping in Tulita to enjoy hiking the Bear Rock. They will continue to Norman Wells, spending a few days in town before flying back to camp. Participants can hope to encounter caribou and Dall sheep. Participants’ time at camp will be spent reflecting on their magical arctic journey, sharing photos, and taking part in leadership opportunities around camp. Please note this trip is an all-gendered program, accommodations both on trip and at camp will be all-gender.

Skill Level: Difficult, whitewater paddling experience and strong swimming abilities are required. Participants should be able to understand scouting, follow paddling lines, complete eddy turns, and feel confident swimming in moving water.

What to expect: 7-8 hours of paddling each day, Class I-III whitewater, glacial rivers, cold weather, 24 hour daylight, and possibly some intense bugs