AN EAST Linton man has completed a gruelling 1,000-mile canoe trip through the Canadian wilderness.

Dave Crosbie, 55, is owner and head instructor at East Linton’s Tree-ditions Woodcraft and Nature Company, where he teaches survival and bushcraft skills.

Along with five friends, Dave set off at the end of June in the mountains of the Yukon, travelling through grizzly bear territory, completing a 5km portage (carrying the canoes overland) through swamp and thick bush, and ascending the 140km Rat River to the continental divide between the Atlantic and Pacific.

Dave said: “It was a fantastic experience – the scenery was beautiful up there, it was unforgettable.

“We travelled up an old river known as the Rat River, which was originally used by the natives and hasn’t been used that much since.”

The expedition was organised by 53-year-old Cory Jones, from the Highlands, and took two years of planning and six weeks to complete.

An experienced animal tracker, Dave spent time studying the tracks of some of the animals on the trip to get a better understanding of what wildlife was nearby.

He said: “We saw several bears and other wildlife.

“We got very close to a wolf by the river, which was amazing to see.”

Despite being so close to dangerous animals, Dave said that he never felt intimidated by them.

He said: “It’s all about being respectful when you’re close to animals like that. When you show them respect, usually they won’t bother you.

“It was actually the mosquitos that were the worst up the river. I had hundreds of bites from them!

“It was hard graft dragging our canoes and equipment around Aberdeen Canyon, but my greatest memory will be the ferocious mosquitoes that attacked us all the way.”

The group spent a couple of days in the small settlement of Fort McPherson, staying with a local community team who are teaching indigenous skills to local children.

Dave said: “It has been a privilege meeting the first nations Gwich’in people and enjoying their hospitality.

“I have learned lots about their traditional hunting techniques and been overwhelmed by their generosity.

“They were very welcoming – they showed us a lot about how they live and survive and how it’s a more economical way of living.

“It was fascinating to hear from them and the reception we got was excellent.”

Dave added that getting home to his bed was an amazing feeling.

He said: “My bed felt like a marshmallow when I got home after sleeping in a tent for six weeks.

“The trip was amazing, I’d recommend it to anyone, but it was very hard.”

Dave and Cory split from the rest of the group after Fort McPherson to complete the final hurdle of the trip, a 140km upstream canoe to the continental divide on the Rat River.

Dave said: “That part was very tough.

“It was 14 days of hauling our canoes up the river, but it was worth it in the end and the feeling you get when you’ve finally done it is unbelievable.”

Dave will be putting together a slideshow of the trip and presenting it at East Linton Community Hall next month.

He said: “Hopefully people find it interesting, and any money made from it will be donated back to the village hall.”