'America Extrema': Across a continent by paddle, pedal and foot

Florian Gomet, a French adventurer now making his way across North America using no motorized transport, says it's probably a good thing he's a strict vegan.

"I would be a very bad hunterbecause during twomonths in the mountains, I didn't see any caribou or moose," he said.

Gomet, fuelled only by a diet of fruits,seeds and grains, recently finished what may have been the most challenging part of his 12,000 kilometre, cross-continent expedition ("America Extrema,"he's called it) an exhausting slog from Norman Wells, N.W.T. to Ross River, Yukon via the Canol Trail.

He did that on foot, setting off in March after a few months resting and "hibernating"in Norman Wells. It was tough and slow going as hehauledhis sled throughdeep snow, softened byunusually warm spring weather.

The early melt was a major headache and made him question the wisdom of his journey over Macmillan Pass.

"Everything was wet," he said. "it was really difficult to sleep in a wet sleeping bag. There was water everywhere.

"Sometimes I told to myself it was to escape Norman Wells after 6 months!"

Just body, no motors

Gometstarted a year ago at Pointe Saint-Charles, at the Quebec-Labrador border,and hopes to reach Nome, Alaska, on the Bering Sea, later this year. He's now somewhere on the Yukon River, kayaking towards Dawson City.

The first part of his journey, from Labrador into northern Ontario, was done on bike. The rest of the way has been by kayak or onfoot.

"Just with my body, without any motors. Just with the power of the life," he said.

"For meI don't whybut since I [was]a child, the snow, the mountains,it's a dream for me."