Werner J . Becker | Article and Photos

One of the greatest of our northern rivers is the South Nahanni in the Northwest Territories , and I have experienced it twice . Both my trips were wonderful , but the second was also a rude awakening .

We crossed a scree slope and ascended the steep trail toward the summit of Sunblood Mountain . We were in the Nahanni National Park Reserve , but the trail was rough . Spectacular views rewarded us , however , as we toiled upwards . Finally , we reached the summit , far above the Nahanni which snaked out of sight through blue-green mountain ranges . Sunblood Mountain seemed much higher than nine years ago when I made the same trek . The elevation gain was formidable at about 1,000 metres , but why had it seemed so much higher this time ? I concluded the answer was aging . Most body functions diminish after age 30 , and my strength was no exception . The steep trail down was also demanding . I was the oldest of our group and the last to arrive at the riverbank where a canoe took me back across the river only a few hundred metres upstream from thundering Virginia Falls .

The next day we rafted through colourful Fourth Canyon in the sunshine but then were challenged by cold rainy weather . I had not packed enough clothes in my day bag , and the north is not kind to those who are unprepared . I was grateful when the guides opened our main packs so those who had underestimated the weather could put on more clothes .

We camped at The Gate and made the spectacular ascent to the top of the cliffs above the river . The climb had been steep , and it became obvious that I had sprained my right calf on

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