You have 10 weeks to traverse 2,600 miles of rivers, mountains, and wilderness using only muscle, wits, and the support of nine strangers.
Do you enjoy hardship, physical stress, and wandering in the middle of nowhere? If yes, then you might be cut out for a piece of The Outdoor Channel’s $1 million adventure race.
The Brigade: Race to the Hudson will pit 10 strangers against a 2,600-mile fur trade route from Portland, Ore., to Hudson Bay in Canada. Casting is open now for what The Outdoor Channel dubs “a paddling odyssey unlike any other.” According to the application page, contestants will work together for a share of the $1 million purse if they can reach Hudson Bay in the 10-week limit.
To be clear, that means that $1 million will be split among whoever finishes within 10 weeks.
To do it, they’ll have to navigate five river systems and cross two mountain ranges without GPS or fueled transportation.
The Brigade $1 Million Adventure Race
Contestants will embark on the race from July 1 to September 30, 2018. Applicants must be American or Canadian residents 21 years old or older.
There are no physical or experience requirements, but The Outdoor Channel strongly recommends an ability to collaborate.
The contest announcement reads, “This is a journey that can’t be tackled alone. To win the race, The Brigade must work together to survive. They’ll battle fierce whitewater, portaging over mountains, and hunting and fishing for sustenance. Every team member is crucial to success.”
The company also encourages individuals with strong expedition paddling experience and a multitude of outdoor skills to apply. The race follows the 19th-century paddling route “York Factory Express.”
Once the primary transport for furs and supplies for the Hudson Bay Company, the route has been defunct for the last 150 years, according to race organizers. Contestants will set off from Portland and travel up the Columbia River to Fort Nez Percés in Wallula, Wash.
From there, the race pushes into Canada and across four provinces before reaching the western shores of the Hudson Bay.
No doubt, The Brigade offers an audacious challenge – and the reward reflects it. But if you have the skill and fortitude, make a one- to two-minute introduction video and fill out the online application. Remember, the deadline to apply is May 15, so get on it!
