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The Algonquin Winter Crossing 2006 will attempt to cross this park from west to east.
This Crossing will be done on snowshoes at the height of the Canadian winter that of mid January. The official departure of the Canadian-Belgian expedition is foreseen on Sunday January 15, 2006. To date, this winter method of crossing the park has not been done.
By dogsled first day:
Walking and snowshoeing:
Total distance: |
15 km
155 km
170 km |
| Number of frozen lakes to cross: |
40 |
| Number of frozen rivers to travel: |
2 |
| Frozen marshlands to cross: |
2 |
| Number of over land trails to travel: |
42 |
| Total distance of over land trails: |
42 |
| Snow debt generally: |
60 to 120 cm. |
| Ice thickness: |
60 to 0 cm. |
| Temperature: |
minus 15 to 35 Celsius
(wind chill can drive temperature to below minus 40) |
| Day light hours per day: |
eight to nine hours |
| Wind speeds: |
0 to 80 km per hour |
| Time needed to complete crossing: |
Estimated 18 days. |
| Number of persons on team: |
6 team members |
The main challenges for this Canadian-Belgian expedition is the thin ice or open water where currents retard freezing, often accompanied with shoreline cliff sides that will require negotiation. Deep soft snow will require the breaking of trail ahead of the teams equipment toboggan.
Eight km a day will be considered a strong day under the snow conditions to be encountered. Constant cold at one level or another, severe head winds can slow travel dramatically, with frostbite a serious threat.
High hills on the over land trails (designed for summer travel) will require all hands to haul toboggans and gear to their summits a very time consuming and energy extracting ordeal. The team will encounter dozens of such hills. Snow blindness will be a constant threat
Method of travel or operation
Our six-man team will push and pull two expedition style toboggans, each one of about 60 kilos. They will contain the group stores for the trek. Each member will carry a personal backpack of about 15 kilos. An extra 30 meters of rope will be carried, to be assist on the high hill accents. It will also serve as a safety rope for the team when navigating around thin ice, with each team member snap linking to this main line.
The team members will live in one large tent with a white gas lantern and white gas stove to provide light, cooking ability and a certain amount of heat.
Snowshoes will be in almost constant use, a very traditional method of traveling the Algonquin high lands. A tradition pass on from the Algonquin Indian peoples the first humans to inhabit the region.
The Crossing team will cross the Algonquin region unsupported and in the traditional style. There is no recorded of the Native peoples ever doing this in the dead of winter but of course they may have at some point. There is certainly no record of such a crossing taking place since the arrival of European influence in the area.
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