23-year-old Mathieu Jean prepares to paddle and portage 10,000 kilometres around Quebec and Labrador.

How did you get into kayaking?
I’ve kayaked since I was 15 years old and I bought my first kayak at 16. Since then I’ve been paddling all the time, all year long. I'm Level 3 sea kayaker with the FQCK (La Fédération québécoise du canot et du kayak). I’ve been a guide for four years and have paddled in Nova Scotia and in Quebec—the Gaspe, North Shore and Saugenay Fjord—on trips from eight days to two weeks.

What’s your expedition?
The project is the circumnavigation of the provinces of Quebec and Labrador. The goal is to navigate all the coasts of these provinces. In total, the circumnavigation will take two years, because the water is frozen in the winter. So for now the plan is to go as far as I can this year.

You call this trip "My Everest." Why?
Many people have a childhood dream of climbing Everest. My childhood dream was to do something around my province. I thought about walking and cycling, and a few years ago I decided to do it in a kayak. This is my first long solo expedition. I know the step is high, but I'm ready. After the expedition, I want to do some presentations for school kids and the public to demonstrate to kids than you can conquer your personal Everest.

How far do you plan to go this year?
Every time I look at my route, I think, “it’s really far!” It’s approximately 6,000 kilometres. I plan to do this distance in seven months or less – depending on weather conditions. I can't take more than seven months because the ice will stop me and cause a lot of problems.

Has anyone done this before?
Some people do the first part of the route, the first 6,000 kilometres, but I’ve never found anyone who did the entire circumnavigation of these two provinces. Two guys did the 6,000 kilometres, partly by kayak and the rest by skiing in the winter, a few years ago. Maybe the Inuit have done it 1,000 years ago, but we’ll never know. It doesn't matter for me if I’m the first. I'll do it and it's my first time to me.

How do you “circumnavigate” Quebec when it’s not an island?
I'll be on water all the time but not only on salty water. It’s easy for the first 10,000 kilometres, because you’re on the sea, but for 900 kilometres you’re on inland waters. This is the hardest part because I'll have to do some portages and portage with the kayak—it’s every kayaker’s nightmare. So the goal to circumnavigate is realistic.

What conditions and challenges do you expect?
I have already navigated the first 1,000 kilometres in the past five years by doing some guided trips. For the other 5,000, I don't know what it will look like. I know by maps and Google Earth. The prevailing wind of Labrador's coast is from east and that’s good for me, but the current is in the opposite direction. The Labrador Current is all the cold water from Greenland going through the Labrador Sea into the Atlantic. I don't know if will have a strong effect close to the coast. I’ll let you know!

What will be the hardest part?
The Labrador Sea, because I’ve never paddled it before, and there’s the current – this part is uncertain. I expect psychological and physical challenges over seven months. I’ll have to think long-term constantly. I have no way out after Nain, Labrador, so if the water freezes after this point, like at Killiniq Island, the extreme tip of Labrador, I will have to wait for thicker ice to walk to the end point at Kuujjuaq.

Are you going solo the whole time?
For now, yes. Some friends and people I’ve met have told me that they want to do a stretch with me, but nothing is confirmed. For sure, I want to meet some people on my route, notably Inuit and other native people.

What are the logistics?
I must be as independent as I can. For example, I have a solar panel for charging all my electronics, a fishing kit for trolling during the day, a 12-gauge shotgun for hunting. I’ll need a resupply point for food. I'm now dehydrating all my food, and later I’ll send it to communities that I’ve made contact with. It's one of the hardest parts of the logistics - preparing and packing 600 meals.

What are you paddling?
I paddle an amazing Current Designs Nomad GTS. It’s 18' 10'' long, 21.25'' wide, with a shallow-V hull and it’s built specifically for me! This kayak can carry 425 pounds. It’s fast, extremely efficient and maneuvers beautifully. It's a perfect kayak for this kind of expedition.

How are you preparing?
I’m kayaking all the time in every possible condition. I practice in big conditions, and when the weather is too calm, I go surf on rivers and roll the kayak again and again on big waves. I'm also constantly planning: packing food, packing and re-packing the kayak, testing the gear in winter conditions.

Where and when do you start?
I start at Trois-Rivières,  between Quebec and Montreal, on April 1, 2010. It's possible to shift the departure time, depending on when the ice melts. The sooner I start, the sooner I’ll finish and the sooner I’ll get back to see my fiancée!

Mathieu Jean's website is circumquebec2010.webs.com.