SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Vincent Cochin, who paddled 1,800 km from Yellowknife to Kugaaruk, Nunavut in 59 days last summer, is picking up where he left off - but he's trading his canoe for eight dogs and a sled.

Vincent Cochin, a 27-year-old Yellowknife resident from France, will embark on a five-month solo dog sled expedition the first week of January, taking him from Nunavut to Cape Columbia, Canada's most northern point. - Nicole Veerman/NNSL

During the first week of January, the 27 year old will meet a team of dogs who will accompany him on a five-month dog sled journey from Kugaaruk to Cape Columbia, Canada's most northern point.

Cochin, a French citizen living in Yellowknife, will visit eight Inuit communities during his 3,800 km trip.

"I want to live the Inuit life this winter," he said. "I hope I will learn more about their culture."

While in Kugaaruk this summer, Cochin said he joined a whale hunt, ate muktuk and grew to understand the fragility of the Inuit culture, which he feels is being lost.

"I want to spend time in each (community), sharing the life of the natives, learning and discovering their ancestral lifestyle," he said.

This will be the most extreme of Cochin's journeys, as it will be his first time travelling to the Arctic during the winter.

But he said he's prepared for the climate, the wildlife and the wilderness.

"The cold is not a big deal," he said. "Even if I've never been in the Arctic in the winter, I have a pretty good idea what I will find."

With him in the sled, he will bring two months worth of food, a camp stove, a tent, two sleeping bags, a rifle and warm clothes made for harsh winter weather.

His training for the journey was a winter in Finland a few years ago where he worked with explorer Gilles Elkaim.

During that time, Elkaim taught Cochin expedition-style dog sledding, what gear to use and what clothes to wear in a polar environment.

Cochin said after that season, he was ready to start his own expedition.

And in 2007, his Canadian adventure began.

Starting in Mackenzie, B.C., he paddled 2,300 km in three months, bringing him to Yellowknife, a city he has called home ever since.

The following summer Cochin had to leave Canada to renew his visa.

That didn't stop him though. He took the break as an opportunity to sea-kayak solo around the Kodiak Archipelago.

He said each trip has given him a new level of mental strength, giving him the courage to think bigger.

This is the final stretch of his Canadian expedition, which he calls 'Exploring the Polar Bear's Kingdom.'

When he returns to Yellowknife in June, he hopes to turn his journey into a film with footage he shoots along the way. He said that way he can share his experience with the world.

Although he's enthusiastic about his Arctic adventure, Cochin said his family and friends at home in France think he's irresponsible and a bit crazy.

He has had a lot of support from the people and businesses in Yellowknife, though.

Commercial NDS, Fuego International Cuisine, Twist Resto-Lounge, Weaver and Devore, Dixon Trucking and Overlander Sports are all sponsoring his trip.

Cochin said without the help of Yellowknifers, he couldn't afford to go, so he's eternally grateful for the support.

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