🥶// ICY SOLO NIGHT // -32° CELSIUS // HOT TENT // SNOWSHOES //🥶

I needed to get out of my comfort zone and forget everything that’s going on right now, and I did! No network, solo.

The adventure begins with a 3 km snowshoeing trip with a WONDERFUL sled behind me, on snowmobile trails not accessible by truck. I was already exhausted before setting up camp. The bitter cold is draining my energy fast!

When I finally arrived at the spot I had in mind, I was surprised to find nearly 3 feet of loose snow on the river bank! Installing my hot tent and stove took a lot longer than expected. As a result, I still have my collection of wood, enough to get me through the night. I’ve heard it before, when you think you’ve got enough wood for the night, add 5x more! Unfortunately I didn’t have that luxury, as darkness comes early on February 5.

The night was short, so it seemed very long at -32° Celsius ;-). Wake up on time to fill the stove. A constant battle between heat and cold. Condensation was my worst enemy when it came to staying dry.

A magnificent morning that begins with the evaporation of the river water, thanks to the great temperature contrasts.

That’s all well and good, but I’ve got a lot of work ahead of me to get back to my vehicle on snowshoes, with this sled that’s always less well packed on the way back.

A successful adventure!

I end my video with summer images of the same spot, taken during one of my bivouacs last August.

I’ll have to wait a while for my next adventure, because when I got back, my boy was waiting for me with a “surprise” he’d brought back from school, and which requires isolation for a while… It’s all right, just breathe!

A+!
Mike