top of page

Churchill River #3 Big Water Expedition

2024 Dates
# of Days
Cost
Skill Level
Available for private booking
11
$4495
Intermediate

Get Signed Up For This Activity

Available for private booking

Start Date

11

Duration (days)

$4495

Cost

Intermediate

Skill Level

Day 1 - Travel to Missinipe, SK


  • Make your way to La Ronge on Rise Air flight 502 from Saskatoon (Not Included), where our shuttle van will pick you up and drive you 80 km to Missinipe

  • Alternatively drive yourself directly to Missinipe Arriving by 6:00pm

  • Pre trip meeting, gear check, dinner, overnight at CRCO in Missinipe


Day 2  -  Shuttle to Stanley Mission


  • Breakfast

  • Van Shuttle 80km to Stanley Mission SK

  • Canoe skills review

  • Visit Holy Trinity Church Historic Site (Oldest Standing Building in Saskatchewan)


Day 3 to Day 10 - Paddle the Churchill River


  • The unspoiled clear waters of the Churchill flow over a number of lakes and through rapids. There are many fun runnable rapids, and a few falls that we will have to portage. Each night, we will camp at a new site, surrounded by ruggedly beautiful scenery.


Day 11 -  End of the Adventure


  • Arrive at Slim's Camp where you will board our shuttle van back to La Ronge Airport for the 3:55pm 502 flight to Saskatoon

  • (optional) Group Dinner and overnight in Missinipe (at your Expense) for those travelling by other means.

Itinerary

Guides

  • 5:1 ratio

Meals

  • trail meals & snacks from Day 2 lunch to Day 8 lunch

  • Dinner & breakfast in Missinipe on Day 1 & 2

Canoeing Equipment:

  • Prospector expedition canoes

  • Paddles, PFD, helmets (you may bring your own)

  • Throw lines and other safety accessories

  • ‘Kitchen’ - tarp, fire box, cooking stoves, utensils, dishes, etc

Safety Equipment:

  • First aid and repair kits, communications equipment (satellite phone)

  • Canoe rescue gear

Local Transportation:

  • Shuttle from La Ronge Airport at start of trip to Missinipe

  • Shuttle from Missinipe to Stanley Mission

  • Shuttle from Slims Camp to La Ronge Airport or Missinipe

  • Transportation of guides, group gear, canoe etc to and from trip

Accommodations

  • 1 night in Missinipe on Day 1

What's Included

  • Saskatchewan tax: GST 5%, PST 6% of the trip fee

  • Personal clothing and gear - recommended clothing & equipment list will be provided

  • Travel between your home and the trip rendezvous - La Ronge, Saskatchewan

  • Accommodation in Missinipe SK after the trip

  • Any meals in Missinipe after the trip

  • Any additional expenses or costs incurred as a result of delays to the trip caused by factors beyond our control - i.e. wind, waves, unsafe paddling conditions, forest fire, pandemic, etc

  • Any costs associated with your emergency evacuation from the trip - please contact us at CRCO for more information

  • Gratuities - we recommend $20 per day per guide that went out of their way to create an extraordinary experience

  • Tents (Available upon request) standing custom expedition dome tents - 2 per tent

What Is Not Included

Let the aroma of a fresh-brewed coffee draw you from your tent to a buffet of fresh fruit and granola while bacon and eggs sizzle on the grill!

Shore lunches include a great selection of bread, meat, cheese, bruschetta or hummus, fresh veggies and of course, good old peanut butter and jam.  

After a great day of paddling, enjoy a nutritious, hearty meal with a tasty dessert while you sit around the fire to tell tales of your adventures.

Our focus is on fresh local produce where we can combined with freeze dried and dehydrated food.  Our fresh meats are sourced and prepared locally and you will taste the flavors of the boreal in our locally sourced wild berries, teas and mushrooms.

What is to eat?

Fly to Saskatoon SK (YXE), From Saskatoon Fly to La Ronge SK via Rise Air flight 502 on the fist day of the itinerary. You will be then greeted by CRCO staff and shuttled by Van to Missinipe which is our home base and the launch point the expedition.

How To Get To This Trip

So you have paddled the Upper Churchill and are ready for your next challenge?  Join us on this expedition of the lower Churchill and experience spectacular waterfalls, incredible rapids and exceptional camping.


The section of the Churchill we will be paddling during this  expedition is from Stanley Mission to Slim's Camp near the town of Sandy Bay. The trip is  a total of 190 kilometers, paddling an average of 17 km a day, with 8  to 10 portages averaging 200 m. On this section of the Churchill we  watch the river grow from a moderate sized river to a high volume river  as 2 major tributaries, the Rapid River and the Reindeer River, flow in.


The route passes through some of the  Churchill's most beautiful country.  Photographic opportunities abound  along the entire length of the trip.  We will hike to the viewpoint at  spectacular Nistowiak falls, lunch beside Potter Rapids, and wind our  way through the channels of island-strewn Keg Lake to the powerful Keg  Falls.  You will see bald eagles and white pelicans fishing below  rapids and if lucky, moose wading in the shallows, black bears wandering along the  shore, and enjoy evening concerts by common loons at sunset.


As  we trace the path of the Voyageurs east,  you will see ancient rock paintings of the first inhabitants of the Churchill  area, and learn about the flora and fauna that live in this unique  boreal wilderness.


This portion of the  Churchill River still flows free and clean. Surprisingly, by July the Churchill River's water  temperature reaches 18 degrees Celsius, so swimming and bathing are a  pleasure!


On our route we will see some outfitting camps  and native homes, but once past Nistowiak Falls we may not meet another  group of canoeists.  In fact, the Voyageurs didn't have it that lonely!   Yes, the Churchill River is still very much as it  was 150 years ago when the voyageurs paddled it.  For more information  on this period of history before you paddle the Churchill, we recommend  Sigard Olson's The Lonely Land.

bottom of page