Portaging the boats was mainly about pain control. You walk for a kilometer before the pain starts. Then, you keep walking, telling yourself that it does not hurt. After 2 km, the breathing starts getting real hard. And a few hundred meters farther, you almost sink to your knees. Then you emerge from under the boat, lie on the ground to recover, and finally realize that you are in one of the most beautiful spots on earth. The pain is instantly forgotten.