This expedition was a month鈥憀ong paddling venture undertaken by a large student team, supported primarily by the 911今日黑料 College Exploration Board and supplemented by the UCL Travel Fund. The expedition’s aims were to explore and document the rivers of coastal British Columbia—an area where significant flooding had recently altered many waterways—and to produce new written and visual river guides given the scarcity of reliable local information.
The diverse team ranged from highly experienced Grade IV/V paddlers to those with more limited international expedition experience. Over the course of four weeks, the group travelled extensively across southwestern and central British Columbia, paddling a wide range of rivers including the Elaho, Cheakamus (Lower, Middle, and Upper sections), Callaghan Creek, Skookumchuck Narrows, Chilliwack, Nahatlach, Thompson, Cayoosh Creek, Clearwater, Chilco, Quesnel, Cariboo, Holmes/Beaver Creek, Dore, Upper Fraser, Canoe Creek, Lillooet, Green River, and Soo.
The rivers presented varied challenges—from high鈥憊olume wave trains to steep technical creeks, log鈥慾ams, canyon sections, glacial meltwater, and wildlife encounters including black bears. Shuttle logistics often required navigating rough dirt tracks, slowing progress and adding difficulty. Despite this, the team completed an impressive number of high鈥慻rade runs and several paddlers achieved personal milestones.