10-Day Tatshenshini Expedition

Overview

Visit one of the most remote and pristine wilderness areas remaining in the world. Over ten days you will separate completely from your daily lives and focus your energy on the sights, sounds and people around you. This is a world-class rafting trip, but it is more than that; it is a journey that reconnects us with nature and adjusts our perspectives in life. What more can you ask for from a vacation?

Travelling through remote sections of the Yukon, British Columbia and Alaska, you will encounter glaciers sitting on the water's edge and calving into icebergs in front of your eyes, all worth the journey in itself. You will also view grizzlies, eagles and several other animals and birdlife as you become one with your natural surroundings on the Tatshenshini and Alsek rivers.

The journey is not solely focused on the time spent on the river. The shorter river days and long hours of sunlight allow for excursions from camp each afternoon before settling in for a campfire dinner under a star-filled sky. Two layover days also allow those who choose to attempt more vigorous hikes to take in the surrounding tundra and glaciers.

On DAYS ONE & TWO, begin your journey by heading out on the Alaska Highway to enter the Kluane National Park. Take in the scenery and bountiful wildlife before continuing to Dalton Post to settle in for the first of many sumptuous dinners at camp. The next morning, awake to a delicious breakfast and coffee, then set off on your first river day deep into the canyons of the St. Elias Mountains and raft through the most continuous white-water section of the trip before camping for the night.

On DAYS THREE & FOUR, relax as you meander through Quiet Canyon, the Oxbows and Bear Bite Creek. Take in panoramic mountain vistas and a variety of wildlife before setting camp at Sediments Creek. Spend your first layover day relaxing, or join a group hike to an open ridge and an alpine meadow bursting with flowers, and maybe continue to Goat Ridge to view glaciers.

On DAYS FIVE & SIX, raft through the Monkey Wrench before passing the O'Connor River, and take in the spectacular scenery as the valley broadens. As the river expands, lose track of its flow and take in its colour caused by the presence of glacial sediment. After meeting the confluence with the Alsek River, set camp at Melt Creek and recover from SOS (Scenic Overdose Syndrome).

On DAYS SEVEN & EIGHT, slowly travel down the Alsek to reach Walker Glacier where you will settle for lunch before hiking near the glacier to marvel at its seracs and crevasses. Come morning, cut through the Barbazon Range, pass by the massive Novatak Glacier, and take in views of Mount Fairweather.

On DAYS NINE & TEN, enter the ice age on the breathtaking Alsek Lake filled with floating icebergs. Row through the lake in a once-in-a-lifetime experience before camping a final time. Float down to Dry Bay, Alaska on the shores of the Pacific Ocean, then hop on a scenic flight back to Whitehorse, Yukon where the group will gather a final time for a dinner among friends, old and new.

Highlights

• Three to four hours per day on the Tatshenshini and Alsek rivers with Class I–III rapids
• The river valley is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site showcasing glaciers, icebergs, tundra, alpine meadows and a variety of fish and wildlife
• Instruction and leadership from expert guides
• Complete state-of-the-art rafting and camping gear
• Multi-course gourmet meals and beverages