At sunrise, volunteers were already busy with final preparations before leaving for Pointe-Taillon National Park. The sun had barely left the horizon when, all smiles and armed with coffee and bagels, they took out the participants' equipment, prepared the snowmobiles, sleighs and other equipment.
Although the thermometer read -25 C, the participants of the first cohort of the Double Challenge of the Two Marios were smiling and optimistic. After preparation of bags, sleds and multi-layer clothing, the 55 participants and volunteers lined up under the starting arch around 9:45 am. With the sun’s help, the temperature rose to around -9C and the snow shone like diamonds.Let the march begin!
Their coats full of snacks, the walkers never ceased to exclaim about the beauty of the landscape and the perfect temperature. After a short break at the 4th kilometer, they resumed walking slowly towards Roberval. A slush zone forced participants to make a slight detour to the south in single file to avoid the formation of ice under snowshoes and skis.
The camp was reached shortly after sunset. Welcomed by volunteers, the herd of athletes received hot chocolate, truffles and nothing less than a 3-course dinner to warm them up. And when the sun went down, the mercury returned to -25 C! This was followed by a briefing on winter camping and the basic methods for sleeping comfortably in these conditions. Fortunately, Mario and the volunteers were there to share their expertise!
Tucked away with a hot water bottle in their winter sleeping bags, the participants one by one turned off their headlamps and lanterns to rest for the next day’s exercise.
Photos: Laurence Girard
In pictures
