[Closed] Yukon river paddle holiday or something else?

Get Slime's guide to the Massif Centrale.

And take a look on UKRGB
<Edit>

Here you go...
https://www.ukriversguidebook.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=128733

Ardeche is obviously top of the list.

Sweden? We've hired canoes from https://www.silverlake.se/ (recommended) and they have picked us from the finish. Big lakes rather than rivers, some portages with a trolley, but not proper wilderness like Yukon.

What about the Bloodvein or Porcupine?

Actually, have a look at the expeditions Paul Kirtley and Ray Goodwin do on the Frontier Bushcraft website for some inspiration.

I like the idea of a float plane drop off and paddling back, just somehow think this would make it feel even more remote.

Also google Kevin Callan for lots of books/videos in Algonquin.

I'm planning a big trip before I'm 50 in a few years time. Not sure where yet (Yukon one of the ideas) so please let us know where you end up heading!

Can't remember the name but there's a vid on YouTube where some Lads decend Sweden's longest river. There's definitely an outfitter at the top to hire boats. Think they were German, used sea kayaks but PC's would be better. Looked great
I kayaked the inside and outside passage 20 years ago. I think you would find a outfitter to hire from nowadays. We shipped out kayaks over

Has anyone done it and what did you think about it

I know nothing about it but the only thing that springs to mind from various tv stuff about that part of the world is "mosquitos the size of baby robins"

Have always fancied a river trip like that - esp the Franklin in Tassie. One day. For the Yukon, Adam Weymouth did it and wrote Kings of the Yukon, which is good. Not sure where you'd look for similar wilderness rivers in Europe, maybe Scandinavia or East.

Love the idea of the Yukon, proper wilderness, but three things put me off, one the proper remoteness and if we got in trouble (are we skilled enough), the cost of one-way hires and transport, and the mossies.

Have you seen Iohan's pack-rafting-biking travels? He has done several summers in Canada, e.g. Iohan see the world Mackenzie River In one tragic trip he came across 2 distressed backpackers whose friend was swept away in a river crossing and unfortunately was found drowned.

There must be hundreds of options, and I do like the USA / Canada for ease of organising a big trip. Sweden was also easy to organise canoe hire with an outfitter but the available routes / portaging were 'smaller' and had more waste (i.e. human waste). In the US we have done a long trip in Boundary Water Canoe Wilderness, which is good for ease of access and cost of transport, you only have to book an entry day and number of nights but you have to stay in designated campsites with facilities. There are wolves and black bears, though we never saw them, there are lots of beavers, loon and otters. There are also a lot of fishermen in peak season so not 'that' wild. If you don't want designated sites you can also look at Quetico on the Canadian side.

Less well known we liked 4 days in Maine, just off the Allagash Wilderness Waterway, which requires 6+ days to do the river and 10+ days to include the lakes. Again easy to arrange and moderate transport costs with outfitters and feels pretty quiet but do expect to see a few other groups, and you have to use designated sites (first come first served) but that is good because the northwoods are so dense finding a suitable site otherwise would be really hard. Lots of moose, bald eagles and other wildlife like otters.

Something completely different we loved was the Okefenokee blackwater swamp in Georgia. You can only do up to 2 nights in March/April when the weather and water level is best, but if you can cope with the cold in Feb or black fly in May you could have plenty of days just pootling through the swamps - it's really varied, you can sleep on platforms in the middle of the swamp or on deserted islands, loads of gators and birds and deer and fireflies. You go east to west because the outflow to the west gets pretty strong.

There are loads of other possibilities, google canoe trails and you'll find them all over the USA.

I fancy looking at river trips in east Poland (Białowieża Forest area) but not sure how easy self-guided is.

If you sea kayak and can use a marine radio you could also look at sea kayaking from Vancouver Island (i.e. inside passage), there are definitely choices of outfitter but they will want to know you can handle yourselves, or sea kayaking the Everglades and keys/caya in Florida.

There is of course also SongOfThePaddle.co.uk trip reports (bloggs) to have a browse through. Are you more interested in long trips (a few weeks!?) or in the remoteness? Longer trips generally need flatter rivers with portages around big rapids or lakes and portages. If you don't need remoteness (and that can be helpful if going for a long time for re-stocking) there are probably lots of choices within Europe. Or for wildness but guided trips in southern Africa would be / are amazing. You can do 6-10 days on the lower Zambezi from Kariba through Mana Pools National Park, or you can traverse the Okavango Delta (a colleague did this and I think life changing is an understatement!)

20 years ago 4 friends and I paddled the Mackenzie after our A levels. Trained on Ullswater then spent 6 weeks covering 1000 miles. It was amazing. Hired boats from a guy in Inuvik. Started in Hayriver. Didn't die, which looking back might have been more luck than anything.It's got limited white water but gets a bit lairy at times.

My wife Rafted the Franklyn, it sounded amazing. They had a flood so spent 2 days in a leach filled cave ! I think you need experience on that one? She was a kayaker which helped. It's pretty full on, not Disney land.

Ardeche is popular with PGA type adventures. Is the Dordogne long enough?

The coast to coast on the Caledonian canal is a nice friendly introduction. Can be done unguided and has wild camping.

Is the Wye long enough.

There must be loads of rivers in Canada and the US. The problem with most is that they contain some pretty serious white water at various points.

Seakayaking opens up some good opportunities. Loads more options. Different risks but there are safe options.

Did a trip down the west coast of Canada over 6 weeks with my now wife. Loads around that part of the world, go play with the Whales on the North shore of Vancouver Island.

Done some good stuff in the Med around Croatia. Advantage being clear water, nice weather and no biting insects!!!

Whatever you decide to do, watch deliverance before you set off 😂

Hi Joe,

My wife and I paddled down the Yukon from Whitehorse to Carmacks a couple of years ago - it was spectacular. Lots of eagles and bears, some really interesting historical (First Nations as well as gold-rush) sites to see en-route and a proper wilderness feeling (the river was super quiet when we went in September). I think the trip is about 300km to Carmacks, and another 150 or so to Dawson.

Not sure of your paddling experience, but although there is no whitewater on that section (there are some rapids on the next stretch from Carmacks on the way to Dawson City), Lake Laberge is famous for some pretty wild weather and big waves and can get really hairy if you get caught in it. We were warned several times by the canoe shop, and ended up waiting out a bit of a storm from the safety of the shore.

Happy to send you details of the outfitter we used and any other info. We used a great supplier who rented the kit, and picked us up at the road-crossing at Carmacks and brought us back to Whitehorse.

[url= https://i.postimg.cc/VS0Wjx40/bear.jp g" target="_blank">https://i.postimg.cc/VS0Wjx40/bear.jp g"/> [/img][/url]

[url= https://i.postimg.cc/XGMcxsDH/eagle.jp g" target="_blank">https://i.postimg.cc/XGMcxsDH/eagle.jp g"/> [/img][/url]

[url= https://i.postimg.cc/LYzkWjcH/yukon1.jp g" target="_blank">https://i.postimg.cc/LYzkWjcH/yukon1.jp g"/> [/img][/url]

Such great information on this forum as always. Thanks do you all - it really is incredible stuff.

also... our experience is fairly limited, but guided trips are a no from me. Always feel it really ruins the vibe, and i've done plenty of trips involving guides.

Interested in wilderness and 2-3 week trips. I've done bits of the Wye before - great but ... yeh it's the wye.

Some more 'local' inspiration. We are thinking 2022 may be a canoe and mountains in Scandinavia, somewhere...

https://www.songofthepaddle.co.uk/paddling-places-in-finland-f106/

https://www.songofthepaddle.co.uk/viewtopic.php?p=676211#p676211

https://www.songofthepaddle.co.uk/viewtopic.php?p=673146#p673146

https://www.songofthepaddle.co.uk/rogen-to-r-ros-a-canoe-journey-from-sweden-to-norw-t54049.html

https://www.songofthepaddle.co.uk/viewtopic.php?p=644260#p644260

Thanks for the detailed answers @konagirl and @chrisbucko

...and @jonba (edit function not working today for me...) and all the others who have contributed!

Get Slime’s guide to the Massif Centrale.

This. This is ace. Heartily recommend it.
Wilderness it is not though.

This is our fortnight there - I still think the best family holiday we have ever had. Great white water, blazing sun, ice cream, lovely mountains, wine, France, more ice cream, more river

[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/348/19329512419_2df0428651_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/348/19329512419_2df0428651_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/vs5NBv ]Allier Canoe[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/matt_outandabout/ ]Matt Robinson[/url], on Flickr

https://flickr.com/photos/matt_outandabout/albums/72157655197686658/with/19329512419/

I did the 5 /6 day canoe trip on the dordogne - very touristy but really great

I really fancy the Yukon simply because of the length

Hi @Joe. No worries - happy to help with links if you decide on the Yukon. We did it without a guide and just used a local outfitter for the boat and any gear we didn't fly over with (but I had been paddling for twenty years).

Technical difficulty (apart from Lake Laberge weather) is largely around the fast flowing nature of the river in places, so stopping where you want for lunch / camping / sight-seeing takes a bit of skill and forward-thinking. No idea of your paddling background so I won't attempt to patronise further on a forum! 🙂 There are loads of blogs we found, and an excellent waterproof map / guide to the river which we used for navigation and historical notes.

It's one of the best trips we've ever had, and now features on our wall in the form of an amazing art print by @Binners.

Let me know if you want more details and have a great trip wherever you decide to go.

Cheerio.