Patience, assistance, creativity, teamwork, these are the kinds of traits needed to start on an adventure. And all it took was a bus trip from Quebec City to Sept-Îles to generate chemistry among the 15 participants of the Magpie River expedition.
Fifteen strangers left Québec City this morning with one thing in common, the hope of breaking out of their comfort zone. “It is on tiptoe that one can see a little further,” says Mario Bilodeau, Founder of the Foundation, to explain its name.
The game plan: to descend the Magpie River, one of the 10 most beautiful white-water rivers in the world according to National Geographic, for seven days. First step of the adventure: going to Sept-Îles by bus.
As we barely leave Québec City, the magic is already beginning to operate. For participants, an atmosphere of sharing and inclusiveness quickly sets the tone. Just before dinner time, we take the ferry to get to Tadoussac and some whales take the opportunity to greet us on the way. And we enjoy the magnificent view of the fjord for a picnic before leaving. The road is still long to Sept-Îles!
We play cards and mimesto pass the time. Then, we get an earful from DJ Mario, a 22-year-old from Ottawa with his electronic music compositions. And Aurelie and Alexia take over playing the ukulele.
Even if the road is long, the view is impressive along the river that passes under our eyes. Around 7 pm, we finally arrived at Le Tangon hostel in Sept-Îles. Just as we arrived, everyone sets up to form a human chain to unload the bus. It is a sight to see, because that’s the exact aim of this kind of experience! And we are not even on the river yet.
Hungry, we go to dinner … but, we need to test our patience before receiving our plates. Another good excuse to socialize and get to know each other better.
That’s it, the adventure has begun. The ice is broken. And everyone seems to enjoy it!