Welcome to Canada’s most remote river program. These exclusive departures coincide with the migration of the Porcupine caribou herd and prime Arctic char and grayling runs. To fully enjoy this adventure, please take the time to familiarize yourself with the information provided. We want to be with you every step of the way in your expedition preparations so please do not hesitate to call if you have any questions or concerns.
Firth River Arctic Expedition Photo Gallery
Find out what past participants have said about this trip on the ROAM blog.
Firth River Expedition Travel Planner
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Notes from the River - A letter from Brian McCutcheon
It was 9 PM on a hazy July evening, yet the sun was still high in the Arctic sky. We had just finished a fantastic Greek feast complete with grappa and ouzo when two guests from Chicago, broke into an impromptu dry-land synchronized swimming routine, in honor of another guest’s 50th birthday. One never knows what to expect on Canada’s oldest and most remote river corridor, but this was truly a first. Robert Service came to mind, “There are strange things done in the midnight sun ….”
We followed the impromptu performance with a freshly baked chocolate pecan birthday cake and a rowdy chorus of Happy Birthday. The highlight of the evening was even more unpredictable. As the song reached it climax, more than a 100 caribou came to the lip of the incised canyon where we were camping below, to watch I suppose. Full of wonder, we saw the caribou antlers form an artistic tribute to our birthday girl. An experience like this is difficult to put to words—the evening was intimate, the locale was remote, and the connection to the land and her inhabitants was compelling.
The following morning we hiked to a 10,000-year old aboriginal hunting ground before we floated gently to the Beaufort coast. Upon packing our gear for the flight back to civilization, we reflected on this remote and desolate river journey. We all agreed never before have we, or a place, been more alive.
Brian McCutcheon founded Rivers & Oceans in 1985 and has been operating rafting and kayaking trips in western Canada since the late eighties. In 2000, we changed to Rivers Oceans And Mountains as the addition of “mountains” better reflects the topography of the regions we visit. Brian first ran the Firth in 1990 and has proclaimed this trip as his all time favorite ever since. When not out on the water, Brian is the Managing Director of R.O.A.M. from our offices in British Columbia.
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