The Mackenzie River is the longest river in Canada.  The distance between Hay River on the Great Slave Lake to Inuvik, near the mouth of the river is about 1,000 miles.  The last quarter of the river is inside the Arctic Circle.  I am Peter Camp and my challenge was to solo paddle a canadian canoe from Hay River to Inuvik.

 

Peter is back home having a rest.  You can contact him via peter.camp@hotmail.co.uk 

 

CHALLENGE COMPLETED

PLEASE CLICK ON THE DONATE BUTTON :-)

 

The journey took me 42 days, allowing for 5 Admin/Rest days, that was an average of 27 miles per day i.e. a marathon a day for well over a month.  Apart from in 3 small towns along the route, accommodation was a tent on the river shore.  I carried all the kit and stores needed in the canoe.  Before I started I knew that the river was long, I did not realise that it was over 3 miles wide in places.  Some days I had to deal with mosquitoes, rough water, blisters, strong head winds or a black bear.  I had not expected the heat to be a problem though.  Some days were cool with a pleasant breeze and smooth water, then it was a shame to come to the end of that days paddling.

 

Why did I take on this challenge?  Well I have worked for MSF, as a logistician for five years, mostly in Africa.  I have witnessed the way MSF provides health care in locations and situations where there is greatest need.  They are usually the only medical organisation working in these areas.  I have seen what MSF can achieve in some very difficult circumstances and what a real difference they make to both the patients they treat and their families.

MSF is an independent international medical humanitarian organisation that delivers emergency aid in more than 60 countries to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, natural or man-made disasters or exclusion from healthcare. 

In emergencies and their aftermath, MSF rehabilitates and runs hospitals and clinics, performs surgery, battles epidemics, carries out vaccination campaigns, operates feeding centres for malnourished children and offers mental healthcare.

For more information about MSF go to www.msf.org.uk or  www.msf.ca

 

My sponsorship target is £10,000, that is £10 per mile of paddling.  That would be enough to buy 15 Oxygen Concentrators.  These machines seem like magic, as they take normal air and concentrate the oxygen.  I have seen many new born or malnourished children have their lives saved by these machines.

 

All of the money donated will go to MSF, NONE will be used for any of the costs of the paddle.

 

Follow the paddle on facebook.com/mackenzieriverchallenge or twitter.com/mackenziechall1.

 

You can also follow my progress with this interactive Google map.

 

Remember that every little helps save lives!

 

SO PLEASE CLICK DONATE NOW :-)

 

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please dig deep and donate now.