The adventure was made possible by Mr. Fernand Courchesne, who brought together a team of ten people to successfully complete this ascent he called “The Acropolis of the Inclusive.” We used a single-wheel joëlette as adapted equipment.
The event took place on the Acropole-des-Draveurs trail in the Parc national des Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie. This trail is one of the most beautiful to hike in the SEPAQ network. On that day, 1,250 people passed through the entrance barrier to make the ascent. But it is also one of the most difficult trails. The fall colors made the hike even more interesting. At the end of that long Thanksgiving weekend, the trail was closed for the winter.
The day started very early. We met at 5:00 a.m. at the park entrance to go together to the foot of the mountain, prepare the equipment, and learn the plan of the day. At 6:00 a.m., an enthusiastic team of guys and girls ready to take on this challenge began the ascent. Our headlamps were on, while a few snowflakes gently fell.
And it started steeply with 400 meters of elevation in the first 5 kilometers that lead us to the summit. You really have to not be afraid because several times we had to move along a very narrow trail that winds in an “S” shape so that it could be done without climbing. I was very impressed by the team spirit that developed quickly, which was very reassuring for me.
The ascent took 5 hours 30 minutes. Upon reaching the summit, the sky was perfectly blue, and since everyone present on the site had passed us on the trail while going up, we received a joyful ovation from them when we finally reached our goal. I still get goosebumps just writing these words. But reaching the summit isn’t the end of the delight… Being not very nervous by nature, I felt something stronger than ever when the team carried me, using a folding seat, to the edge of the cliff, where we were offered one of the most wonderful views of the Malbaie River. A big WOW!
It was time to take out the champagne that Fernand had taken care to bring to celebrate this achievement — one bottle for the whole crew, just enough not to be too tipsy for the return! But it wasn’t over… We now had to go back down. For most hikers, the descent is often much more difficult than the ascent. So we planned to use our headlamps again for an arrival around 6:00 p.m. However, the experience gained on the climb allowed us to make the descent in a record time of 2 hours 45 minutes, even overtaking other hikers. Thrill-seekers, I was fully served!
I will never have words big or strong enough to thank my dream team, starting with Fernand and all his joyful partners: Aurélien, Béatrice, Dany, Danny, Dominique, Lios, Mathieu, Patrice and Sandra. Thank you, life, for making the inaccessible… accessible!
Getting Ready
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