Lotus Flower, Nahanni National Park - Canada

“Within the very first hours of our journey, we found exactly what we came for: the vast wilderness.”

In August, Bastien Fleury, Fabien Dugit, Julien Martin, and Jacques Champagne set out to climb the legendary Lotus Flower Tower. Rather than opting for a helicopter drop-off, they chose a more adventurous route—canoeing and hiking. It was a 22-day expedition deep into Nahanni National Park in the Northwest Territories of Canada.

Expedition to the Lotus Flower Tower, August 1–22, 2018, by Bastien Fleury

“The Lotus Flower Tower—a myth, a fantasy for many climbers. I had never even heard of it until my friend and colleague, Fabien Dugit, told me about his plan to journey into the remote wilderness of the Northwest Territories in Canada. The real challenge of this mountain lies not in its technical difficulty, but in how hard it is to reach, and in the unpredictable weather that reigns there. In Fabien’s mind, the summit was just a pretext, a secondary goal. His real ambition was something else: to lose himself in untouched nature, far from everything, to paddle down a wild river and live self-sufficiently like early pioneers. That’s what immediately drew me in—and how I found myself part of this incredible adventure.”

The Lotus Flower Tower (center left), seen from the Feary Meadows

The four of us left Chamonix on July 26, 2018: Fabien Dugit and Julien Martin, both mountain rescue officers (PGHM) like myself, and Jacques Champagne, a doctor at the Mont-Blanc hospitals, with whom we often work. Our destination: Canada’s Northwest Territories and the Nahanni National Park Reserve.

The four adventurers at Glacier Lake, halfway through the expedition — in the background, the Cirque of the Unclimbables

Photo credit: Gérald R. Lacelle

We were dropped off by floatplane on August 1, 2018, at Divide Lake in the Naats’ihch’oh National Park Reserve, at 63° north latitude. With us: two canoes, two tents, two fishing rods, a huge food bag, and all our gear. Our pilot would return 22 days later to pick us up at the Virginia Falls, about 200 km southeast as the crow flies.

First bivouac on the shores of Divide Lake

The trip was broken down into three stages:

Part 1 – About 7 days to paddle the Broken Skull River, reach the South Nahanni River, and arrive at the confluence with Brintnell Creek (130 km, class II and III rapids).

Part 2 – From there, we leave the canoes and have around 7 days to hike to the Cirque of the Unclimbables and, if weather allows, climb the Lotus Flower Tower.

Part 3 – Finally, we’ll have around 7 days to retrieve our canoes and descend the South Nahanni River all the way to Virginia Falls (130 km).

Our schedule wasn't tight, giving us flexibility to adjust our route, explore, and experience areas rarely touched by human presence.

Typical landscape overlooking the South Nahanni River

Within the first hours, we found what we came for: untamed wilderness. The scenery was breathtaking. After just a few hundred meters paddling, we startled a wolf along the riverbank. That night, unforgettable—howling echoed around us non-stop. The descent of the Broken Skull River was a joy. Each campsite more beautiful than the last. Elk and caribou antlers lay scattered, grizzly scat reminded us to stay alert. A postcard river flowing gently, with fish practically leaping onto our spoons. We lived to nature’s rhythm—campfires by night, paddling and exploring untouched terrain by day.

One of our first campsites by the Broken Skull River

Fabien tackling the Broken Skull rapids with ease

We reached the South Nahanni River on August 6. The river was wider, murkier. Beavers were busy shaping the landscape. On August 7, we arrived at Brintnell Creek. There, we left the canoes and hiked toward Glacier Lake. We crossed the 5-km lake packed into a small canoe left for adventurers heading to the Cirque. We had no paddles—just boards and a pot lid on a stick. Slow going! We camped at the lake’s end. Stage two of our journey had begun: the climb of the Lotus Flower Tower.

Crossing Glacier Lake with improvised paddles—an expedition in itself. In the background: Cirque of the Unclimbables

The weather had been mixed so far. But in the cirque, 800 meters above us, the rain barely stopped—locked in by a persistent microclimate. We found our climbing gear and supplies, pre-dropped by our pilot. On August 8, we hiked up to cache gear and pitch a tent. It was cold and gloomy. We descended back to Glacier Lake that same day.

We spent four nights at the lake waiting for a break in the weather. Snow had fallen up high, and hopes of a summit were low. Jeanne, our weather router, messaged a window via our Argos beacon: clear skies forecast for August 11–12. In the meantime, we savored life on the lake’s edge. One day, a grizzly and her cub ambled across the far shore—a stunning sight.

Rest days at Glacier Lake—gloomy skies, but magnificent setting

August 11 brought perfect weather. We returned to the cirque. This time, we could fully take in the place—an alpine meadow ringed with towering granite walls. A true paradise, if only the weather were more forgiving. We hiked to the base of the Lotus Flower Tower with our gear and fixed the first three pitches: damp, steep, uninviting cracks.

Final preparations at Feary Meadows in the Cirque of the Unclimbables

We weren't the only ones to spot the weather window—climbers dropped in by helicopter. Another group of four Americans had also paddled in, like us. Despite our remote location, six teams were now on the route. That’s the game with famous climbs—no matter how wild the approach, you may still bump into others. Still, we were lucky to get our shot.

Sunday, August 12. The big day. We woke at 2:45 a.m., ate freeze-dried meals under the northern lights, and set off. At the base, the Americans were slow, and didn’t use our fixed ropes. After 90 minutes of waiting, we began. Fabien and Jacques led; Julien and I followed. We jugged the soaked first three pitches, passed one American team, then tackled five more: a steep, physical chimney. No hauling—we had to climb with our packs. We reached a roomy ledge to rest. Above lay a beautiful corner system leading to the headwall.

Lower pitches in the chimney

Now came four amazing pitches on the headwall—smooth granite dimpled with knobs. Just like a climbing gym, except you have to place your own gear. Protection was often sparse. Pitch 15 brought a tough roof. Pitch 16, a 50-meter double crack, was a fight—thankfully with a few knobs to rest on.

Climbing on knobs—just like indoors, but with granite and gear

Jacques in the pitch 16 double crack—the summit is near

One final 17th pitch and we topped out. It was 8 p.m. Windy, cold—but the views were unreal. One side, the Cirque and our camp in the meadows. Below, Glacier Lake and Brintnell Creek flowing into the South Nahanni. On the other, glaciated peaks we never expected.

At the summit—an alpine view from the top of the Lotus Flower Tower

Just enough time for a photo. The descent? 16 rappels—cold, exposed, sometimes four of us hanging from one anchor. Halfway down, a ledge offered a break. Night fell. We continued cautiously, dreading a stuck rope. Teams below could free it, but hanging on a slab waiting? No thanks.

We finally reached the ground, then hiked an hour back to camp—exhausted but thrilled. We ate, hydrated, and crashed around 2 a.m.

The next morning, euphoria. The pressure gone. Rain returned—our perfect window had just closed. We hiked back to Glacier Lake, re-packed our gear, and paddled out. This time with proper paddles! At the lake’s edge, a moose and calf. We’d seen everything we came for.

Encounters like these were what we hoped for

Week one: we immersed in wilderness. Week two: we summited the Lotus. All goals met. Now, we just had to enjoy the final 130 km and meet our plane on time. We stopped for two days at Rabbitkettle Lake, then again at Oxbow Lake. Days off meant exploring and hiking.

Hiking high above the South Nahanni River—spectacular views

The river became a slow-moving giant. We lashed the canoes together with logs into a catamaran. Easier to steer, and more fun. The current faded, paddling became constant. We rigged a tarp sail. It caught the wind—sometimes. Mostly, it was back to the paddles.

Our DIY sail system—fun if not efficient!

We reached Virginia Falls two days early. We hiked below the 96-meter cascade—one last trek. We even managed to catch a grouse for our final meal. Our food bag was empty. Perfect timing.

On August 22, 2018, the floatplane came as planned. The end of an extraordinary journey. All objectives achieved. Eyes and hearts full. We disconnected completely, lived by nature’s pace, and came home with only one wish: to go back out there again.

Freshly picked up by the floatplane, flying over Virginia Falls

CiLAO gear used by Bastien Fleury: backpack TAPCAL 2D & harness OZ 37 PRO.

The Lotus Flower Tower is an 800-meter granite wall in the “Cirque of the Unclimbables.” First ascended in 1968 by Harthon “Sandy” Bill, Tom Frost, and Jim McCarthy. The second ascent was made in 1972 by French climbers Bernard Amy, Joël Coquegniot, and Patrick Cordier.

Photo credits: Bastien Fleury, Fabien Dugit, and Julien Martin