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Presentation:
750 Km by canoe on the trail of the Nahanni discoverers.
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The Nahanni river is a mythical place, wild, isolated and accessible only by floating plane during the short period of summer. It curves on 750 km in a spectacular landscape, between the Rocky Mountains close to the Arctic circle. The faunistic, floristic and geomorphological characteristics of the valley of Nahanni are unique in Canada: tundra, taïga, water fall of 90 m high and karstic canyons. |
"Denes", first Amerindian people wich were settled next to the river, wrote the history of the valley. At the same time feared and respected, the river inspired by many legends and Amerindian myths. Dreams of tropical forest and hidden river poked the covetousness of man. However, Nahanni is a difficult river which isn't let tame easily.
More than 40 people, between 1930 and 1970, found death drown by the tumultuous flows of the river or embanked by the wild beasts. |
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Charismatic characters like Albert Faille, Mary and Gus Kraus, succeeded in persuading the river and devoted their life to excavate the valley in search of richnesses.
In 1964, Jean Poirel, a french-canadian adventurer, jumped in parachute over the sources of the river. He overcame the river with the help of inflatable boat from the Canadian army; the rafting had been born.
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© Jean Poirel
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A few times after this exploit, Roger Frison-Roche, a famous adventurous and French writer author of the novel "Premier de cordée" and the photographer Pierre Tairraz, decided to go up in motorboat throught the first canyons of the river until the Virginia falls. On its return he published an travel biography and a novel inspired of his travel, " Nahanni, the valley without men". |
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