Frequently Asked Questions……

How hard are the Dempster and Canol “Highways”.

These roads will definitely test your skills. Unless you were born lucky, you’ll almost certainly encounter a mixed bag of weather. From beautiful sunny days to rain. When the roads get wet, it can be challenging. But that’s part of the allure! You will also encounter loose, narrow, rough sections in addition to some summer truck traffic. You will have to stay on your toes and be on your game for sure.

What else will we do besides ride the motorcycles?

Along the way, you’ll visit some iconic northern towns with rich history, culture, and traditions like Dawson City, Inuvik, and Tuktoyaktuk. We will visit with the amazing locals every chance we get. We’ll also stop at points-of-interest along the way and learn about the natural and cultural history of the Yukon and NWT. We have the opportunity for fly-fishing, hiking, photography, short paddling trips, flight-seeing or anything else you want to try during your trip to the Yukon. We have been putting custom Yukon adventures together for years so just let us know what you are interested in.

I see we’ll be camping some nights. What’s the deal with that? I really don’t like bugs or having wet gear in the morning. Also….bears?

Yes, some of the nights will be spent at our base camp. But we’d describe this more as “glamping”. There will be large, heated tents to stand up in and hang out in if it rains. We can get your gear dry with our portable wood stoves and heaters. We got this. As far as bear safety goes, we take this seriously. It is pretty rare for a bear to mess with a camp with lots of noisy humans present but we keep a clean camp, don’t allow any food in the sleeping tents, and always have bear spray on hand.

Do I need to share a tent and accommodation with someone?

Yes, our large sleep tents have 2 cots and hotel rooms will be double occupancy. If you require your own sleep situation, please let us know in advance and we’ll do our best. There will be an extra cost for single occupancy.

Do I have to follow behind a guide the whole time?

That depends, some days yes - like when we want to stop at certain places or see certain things. Some days no. We’ll brief you on certain sections of the route and let you get out a head. Your guide will follow. Just make sure to stop and wait for us every once in a while! If you see a grizzly bear, don’t stop and try to feed it!

Are there any rest days?

We’ve designed our trips to be demanding but not so demanding that you will require a rest day. There will be enough down time after the days’ riding to recharge your batteries. That being said, if you’d like to add days to your trip to allow time other activities, we can do that too!

Do you just rent motorcycles?

Get in touch and we can discuss this.

Am I responsible for damage to the motorcycle?

Yes, you are. Unless you are not at fault. The motorcycles are covered with basic liability insurance but you are responsible for damage to our equipment. We take a pre-authorized $3000CAD charge at the beginning of your trip as security against damage to our bikes. That being said, these are big adventures so we understand there will be wear and tear on the bikes and we accept that.

Do I need an International Driver’s Permit to ride?

Your license has to meet Canadian standards. This typically means that it indicates you are endorsed to operate a motorcycle and the license is translated into both English and French. You can obtain an IDP fairly easily in your home country. Guests from the USA do not need an IDP but your license does have to indicate you are endorsed for motorcycle operation.

I’m not sure if I’m into a “guided” trip. Why do I need a guide?

Riding with a local Guide gives many benefits. Besides the fact that we’re usually pretty fun to hang out with, your guide will have up-to-date knowledge of the state of the route, will be able to simplify “go/no go” decision based on their knowledge of the route and the weather, will be able to come up with alternatives and solutions to routing problems on the spot, will have connections with and knowledge of local resources that would otherwise be very difficult to know about, will be able to expedite help in case of a medical emergency or mechanical failure through “back-channels”, will be able to take care of flats and other maintenance issues. All of our guides are fully certified Wilderness First Responders. In addition, if you’re newer to off-highway riding, your guide will be able to help you with riding technique. There might even be an entertaining story or two or maybe a musical performance….our guides are very capable, well rounded humans.

Ok, I’m almost sold but is this just a “guided tour”?

Basically, this trip can be whatever you want it to be. Riding to the Arctic is not easy but we can make it easier. Our aim is to take care of the big picture but it’s up to you to make the trip north and back. We can’t ride the bike for you but we can help one another dig deep if/when the going gets tough. Because it probably will from time to time.