Blog
Planning an expedition menu that is tasty, nutritious, affordable, and sustainable is an art. Here are some basic systems to get you started. Fresh food livens up your meals Carrying fresh food can add a lot of excitement to trip...
Photos and article by Stef McArdle, Boreal River Rescue instructor Many are comfortable paddling class III whitewater, but a river's number classification alone doesn't differentiate between steep, narrow creeks and high volume rivers. Understanding the characteristics, challenges and hazards of...
By Jamie Orfald-Clarke, Boreal River Rescue instructor Imagine this: while running a 4 foot ledge, you miss your boof stroke, and the bow of your kayak drops straight down, getting wedged in a crack at the bottom of the drop....
Canoe Rescues for Northern Rivers
By Jamie Orfald-Clarke, Boreal River Rescue instructor For people who, like me, grew up paddling the rivers of Ontario and Québec, the rivers of Northwestern Canada introduce new and sometimes daunting challenges. Continuous currents of northern rivers Compared to the...
8 Useful Knots for Whitewater and Swiftwater Rescue
Any knot will reduce a rope's strength by one third to one half. So while these knots aren't 'stronger' than many others, our students learn how to tie them because they are easy to identify and untie. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kQnUc3wjjs&t=1s&ab_channel=BorealRiver https://www.youtube.com/shorts/bt4eHzwnCr4 Being able to...
Wilderness First Aid Kit Packing Lists
By Danny Peled - Wilderness Medical Associates Instructor, Boreal River Director, Wilderness-EMT My first aid kit changes all the time. If I’m on a hike with friends it fits into a small waterproof bag. If I’m teaching a river rescue...
5 Soft Skills to Make you a Better Adventure Guide
By Jennifer Kingsley, a writer and guide based in Ottawa, Ontario. Jennifer is the founder of Meet the North and the author of Paddlenorth: Adventure, Resilience, and Renewal in the Arctic Wild. In the guiding world, there is a lot of emphasis on...
By Jamie Orfald-Clarke, Boreal River Rescue instructor Many parents who enjoy spending time canoeing want to share that enthusiasm with their children. While having children along on an expedition can add new challenges and potential risks, you can plan a...
Repair Kit & Canoe Repair Basics
By Jamie Orfald-Clarke, Boreal River Rescue instructor A good canoe repair kit can prevent everything from sleepless, mosquito-infested nights to risky and expensive evacuations. But even the most well-stocked repair kit won’t do any good if it’s too heavy or...
5 Elements of a Wilderness Safety Plan
Are you planning a remote wilderness expedition? If so, you should have a safety plan. These 5 steps are crucial to building a good safety plan for the backcountry and getting it into the right hands. When it comes to...
Adding Science into Your Expedition
By Dalal Hanna, National Geographic Explorer, Freshwater Ecologist, PhD Student at McGill University When you’re out in the woods, opportunities to learn about science are all around you. From the types of trees and plants you find in the forest, to...
By Jamie Orfald-Clarke, Boreal River Rescue instructor If you paddle whitewater, sooner or later, you are likely to end up in a situation with a pinned canoe (yours or someone else’s). Shaped like a giant scoop, and prone to floating...
When to use mechanical advantage Rope and pulley systems are rarely needed in everyday paddling, let alone river rescues. However, when you do need mechanical advantage, it is important to be able to set it up quickly, safely, and with...
Tying onto trees, rocks, and other objects In whitewater and swiftwater rescue, ropes are sometimes used to haul on pinned boats or for transportation systems. Strong anchors are important. Introduction to anchors & load-sharing Why tie a load-sharing (aka...
Cold Water Paddling - Know the Risks and Stay Safe
By Jamie Orfald-Clarke, Boreal River Rescue instructor In most of Canada, even the most adventurous paddlers put away their boats for part of the year. But with the right gear, and an understanding of the added risks presented by cold...
By Jamie Orfald-Clarke, Boreal River Rescue Instructor While the back ferry is an important maneuver in tandem canoeing, especially with loaded boats, it is often underused. Understanding how and when to use back ferries and back paddling can build your...
Whitewater Rescue Student Profiles
We interviewed some past students from our whitewater rescue courses. You'll learn more about what to expect and which course is right for you. Get in touch with us if you have questions. [accordion clicktoclose="true"] [accordion-item title="Stephanie Hewson, Articling law student"]...
Osprey Lodge Fishing Guides Train With Boreal River
Training for medical emergencies in remote locations The feedback was so positive that she hired Boreal again to train the staff at Camp 510, a remote hotel, cafeteria and office built to house people working in mines along a barren...
Wilderness First Aid Participant Profiles
Our 4,5 and 8-day Wilderness First Responder and Wilderness Advanced First Aid courses are open to individuals as well as groups. These short interviews with some of our past participants will give you a good idea if they are right...
Magpie River Therapeutic Retreat
Outdoor adventure for 15 youth living with cancer “Forward hard!” Jean-François Bourdon, a Boreal River guide, shouted, his raft plunging toward a boulder. Close behind 2 other rafts were approaching the rapid. The paddlers dug in and the raft skirted...
Experiential Education, Grit and Protecting What You Love
School trusts Boreal River for staff training and student expeditions What is hard work? That’s an important question these days when many young people are addicted to immediate, often positive, feedback via technology. High performance sport coaches lament the lack...