Yukon Survival expedition
Presented by Extremely Insain and Turn to Tides
9 Day Paddle board expedition, with survivalist and ultra racer Alex de Sain
9 Day paddle board expedition in the Yukon, Canada
Key features
9 day expedition on paddle board: 2 days prep, 6 day trip
in the wilderness, 1 day recovery
Summer 2026 (jun-sep), max 8 participants per group
Guided by survivalist athlete Alex de Sain
Includes trajectory, guidance, training, insurance, safety
measures, hotel stays (3 nights), SUP, local transportation
and survival meals. Excluding flights to White horse.
Meet your guide, Alex
My name is Alex de Sain, I am an extreme athlete, survivalist, wilderness expert and founder of Extremely Insain. I was born in Africa and grew up with animals. Later, I moved to The Netherlands and participated in big wave surfing. I am a 3 time participant of the toughest wilderness race in the world: the Yukon Arctic Ultra, a 1600km winter paddle board race.
I would like to invite you to join me and my team on a 9 day expedition through my beloved Yukon. It won’t be as hard as the Yukon in winter, but to most of us, it will be more than tough enough. Join me on this unique offer to experience the Yukon, the wilderness and to experience yourself in that wilderness. This is not a holiday. This is an experience of a life time.
The Yukon, Canada
Untamed and Unforgiving
The Yukon is one of the last true wilderness areas on Earth — vast, raw, and almost untouched. Its rivers cut through endless forests, framed by rugged mountains and skies that never end. Wildlife still roams freely here: moose, bears, eagles, and wolves. This land demands respect.
It humbles those who enter — and rewards them with silence, clarity, and a sense of awe few will ever experience.
Yukon Facts
Wilder than anywhere you’ve been.
The Yukon covers 482,000 km2 — larger than Germany, with only 44,000 people. That’s one person for every 11 square kilometers.
More bears than people.
Around 50,000 black bears and 7,000 grizzlies roam freely. You’re a guest in their world.
The great river.
The Yukon River stretches over 3,000 km, one of North America’s longest. It once carried Indigenous travelers and gold rush explorers — now, it carries you.
Light that never ends.
In summer, the sun barely sets — up to 20 hours of daylight in June. Nights are cool, skies endless.
Wildlife everywhere.
Moose, eagles, wolves, lynx, and beavers call this land home.
If you’re quiet, nature reveals itself.
The human footprint.
Most people live in Whitehorse or Dawson City.
Beyond them: silence, forest, and freedom.
Who is this expedition for?
This expedition is for those who seek more than comfort.
It’s for people who want to test their limits, reconnect with nature, and rediscover themselves through challenge. You don’t need to be an elite athlete — but you must be willing to learn, push, and adapt.
If you feel a spark when you hear “This is not a holiday”, then this journey was designed for you.
We will assess your skill level and based on that, we will fit you in a matching group and recommend you a matching preparation program. So, we can serve almost all levels. Let's talk!
The Trip Program
This is a paddle board trip, fully packed to camp in the wild. Why over water? Because it is saver on the water, with all the land animals.
Day 1 and 2: 2 days training and preparation
Arrival at Whitehorse and chill to recover from a jetlag. We will start preparing and training in the water with shorter tours. You will get familiarized with your vessel and we will do some water safety training in calms and rapids. We will make sure you know how to operate the gear and we will create a team from the participants. You will stay in a hotel for 2 nights.
Day 3-8: Main Expedition
The main expedition starts. We will bring you to the starting point at Carmacks. There, we will start the actual journey with approximately traveling 80- 100 km per day on the paddle board. Every night, the group will set camp on a safe spot in the wild, to have a good rest and to take off the next day. The complete expedition goes from Carmacks to Dawson City. We will be there with you.
Day 8: Return and last night in hotel
Arriving at Dawson city. Unpack, debrief, decompress and spend the night in a hotel.
Day 9: Completion
This is the advanced route. We may adjust the route due to weather circumstances and levels of the participants.
The preparation
Months before
Every adventure begins long before you set foot in the wilderness. Our months preparation program ensures that you’ll be physically mentally, and technically ready.
You’ll train your endurance and strength, learn essential survival skills, and prepare your mindset for isolation and unpredictability. By the time you arrive in Whitehorse, you’ll already have started the transformation that this expedition brings.
Learn to Survive, Not Just to Travel
You’ll learn how to navigate, build shelter, make fire, purify water, and manage risk in remote terrain.
More importantly, you’ll learn to stay calm, think clearly, and work with your environment instead of against it. These skills will stay with you for life — not just as tools for the wild, but as lessons in resilience and presence.
If you are new to survival you will need to do a 3-day course with Alex.
What it takes
This expedition demands more than physical strength.
It asks for determination, teamwork, and the ability to stay positive in tough conditions.
You’ll need to embrace discomfort, accept the unknown, and trust your-self and your group.
In return, you’ll gain something rare: the quiet confidence that comes from truly earning your experience.
The price for this expedition is 8000 euro, without flights
to Whitehorse, Canada.
This price includes:
Local transportation
3 hotel nights
Expedition meals
Paddle board rental and paddle
Tents
Safety equipment like Sat phone
Insurance
The extra 3-day survival course costs and extra 500 euro
If you need an extra training program, we will prepare it
Your flights to arrive in White Horse, Canada, are not included
A Good Conversation
Every great adventure starts with a conversation.
We want to know who you are, what drives you, and what you seek from this experience.
We also will define your level of skill and expertise in paddle boarding, survival and fitness.
This isn’t a commercial trip — it’s a shared journey.
Before you sign up, let’s talk.
If you have any questions, you can talk to our Ai representative in the right corner.
Login with Google and ask some basic questions. Our Ai will try to answer and can also provide our detailed contact information. Looking forward to your enquiry!
Together we’ll see if the Yukon is calling your name.
Your Team
Alex, Extremely Insain
Koosje, Extremely Insain
Trieu, Turn to Tides