Issue 50 Autumn/Fall 2019

PADDLER WW rafting in

ezine

The state of

Open canoe crossing of

The International magazine for recreational paddlers Issue 50 Autumn/Fall 2019

COSTA RICA PeterTranter

WW KAYAKING Corran Addison Sea kayaking in the

SCILLIES Sarah Webster

A circumnavigation of

IRELAND TomThorpe

RANNOCH Dave Rossetter

Open canoeing in

GLASKOGEN Mal Grey Crossing the

MINCH Richard Janes

Three soldiers SUPing the

YUKON QUEST Mike Procter The big

THREE Jenny Spencer

24-page autumn issue of

CANOE FOCUS

The healing power of paddling Welcome to PaddlePoints Olympic team announcement

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH BRITISH CANOEING

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The coach

By Dave Rossetter

The human factor

By Tom Parker #3 PaddleExpo

By Greg Spencer WWWR Summit

By Shannon Farley The Lofer Rodeo

By Tim Star

CONTENTS

A magical morning paddle, Glaskogen, Sweden Photo: Mal Grey Editor

Peter Tranter peter@thepaddlerezine.com Tel: (01480) 465081 Mob: 07411 005824 www.thepaddlerezine.com

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Cover:

The Rìo Pacuare, Costa Rica Photo: Kevin Saussaure, Canoë Kayak Magazine

Additional thanks to:

Adam Gill, Peter Knowles, Dimitri Vanderpoele, Phil Carr, Javier Gonzalez, Rafael Gallo, Rios Tropcales, Costa Rica Tourism Board, International Rafting Federation, Gethin Roberts, Florian Hartmann, Carolina Auer, Lisa Staudinger, Supjunkie, Kelli Surritte, @perfectnegatives and @paddleleague, Trevor Tunnington, Celine Meier, Alan Jary

Not all contributors are professional writers and photographers, so don’t be put off writing because you have no experience! The Paddler magazine is all about paddler to paddler dialogue: a paddler’s magazine written by paddlers. Next issue is Winter 2019/20, with a deadline of submissions on Nov 20th 2019. Technical Information: Contributions preferably as a Microsoft Word file with 1200-2000 words, emailed to submissions@thepaddler.ezine.com. Images should be hi-resolution and emailed with the Word file or if preferred, a Dropbox folder will be created for you. The Paddler ezine encourages contributions of any nature but reserves the right to edit to the space available. Opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publishing parent company, 2b Graphic Design Limited. The publishing of an advertisement in the Paddler ezine does not necessarily mean that the parent company, 2b Graphic Design Limited, endorse the company, item or service advertised. All material in the Paddler magazine is strictly copyright and all rights are reserved.

Reproduction without prior permission from the editor is forbidden.

006 The coach

Issue 50

Autumn/Fall 2019

010 The human factor

By Dave Rossetter

012 Testing, testing #3 by Tom Parker

028 WWWR Summit

New kit and PaddleExpo special by Greg Spencer

030 Costa Rica

By Shannon Farley

040 The state of WW kayaking

Rafting the roaring Rio Pacuare by Peter Tranter

048 Sweden

By Corran Addison

058 Ireland circumnavigation Glaskogen by Mal Grey

069 Canoe Focus

Part one by Tom Thorpe British Canoeing’s 24-page magazine

094 Crossing the Minch 102 Austria

By sea kayaker Richard Janes

104 Yukon, Canada

The Lofer Rodeo by Tim Star

114 Sea Kayaking the Scillie Islands Three soldiers SUP theYRQ by Mike Procter

122 The BIG three

By Sarah Webster

128 Rannoch, Scotland

By Jenny Spencer

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Crossing by open canoe by Dave Rossetter

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COACH

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t h e

WITH DAVE ROSSETTER HEAD OF PADDLESPORTS AT GLENMORE LODGE

Where the focus, is always on the paddler

Scotland’s National Outdoor Training Centre

This is the first of a series of articles looking at the traditional skills within open canoeing.

Covering ropes, poles and sails we will look at ways to keep our journey going in wind or flow either with or through the environment.

A skill that is often under the radar and poorly used is that of use of a rope to descend a rapid.

Paddling a canoe in white water uses plenty of varied skills to descend. By adding a rope into that skill set it opens up more options for the canoeist.This can allow ease of getting the canoe past a difficult section, avoiding lifting a heavy load, not putting yourself (and potentially the canoe) at risk and keeping the journey going. This article will cover a few key points to help you with lining as a strategy for…

‘LINING’ INTRODUCTION

While on expedition I am aiming to keep the journey going and looking to keep the canoe travelling. By utilising a rope another option for controlling the canoe comes into play. On expedition my canoe is loaded and heavy. If there is a way to keep it floating, the water can take the load and therefore the journey continues with minimum ease.

It is however, not just on expedition that this skill can come into use. There will be times when we want to move down through a harder section and stay in control. The rope gives this option.

This article will look at the use of a single rope for quick movement as either an individual or team lining.The option of putting a second line on the boat to control the canoe will be covered in a later edition when I will delve into more of the traditional canoe skills.

Safety note: Ensure that the rope is secure in the canoe when not in use. The rope could easily double as a swim line but would not be nice if it comes out and floats around potentially getting snagged on rocks or you!

Fig. 1: Outfitting

Lining: The use or a rope to move the canoe. Most often it is about the canoe going down rapids or being used to pull the canoe somewhere. Can be done with one or two ropes per canoe.Tracking is when you are going upwind of the river.

OUTFITTING

Getting the canoe outfitted for your needs is such a personal choice. The critical thing for ‘lining’ is that the canoe has a strong anchor point at the end of the canoe. For some this is the loop fitted at the very end for others (as in fig one) is inside attached to the lacing. Either way is fine as long it is strong.

HOW LONG IS YOUR ROPE?

This question comes up a lot and for me it is usually 15-20 metres of floating rope that is a different colour to my painters. That means it is easy to recognise and therefore easy to find when required. Having it longer allows the boat to stay on the water while I can then move around on the rocks, allow the canoe to get further downstream (if required) and ultimately give me more options/control. It is easy to make a long rope shorter!

‘CLEAN LINE’ PRINCIPLE?

Ropes and moving dynamic water can be a lethal mix.

Whatever we do we need to keep the system as clean as we possible can. No loops, no tying the rope to us, no wrapping round our hands! One hand one piece of rope. Ultimately that way if we need to it is easy to let the boat go. While we don’t want to let it go it is however, a piece of equipment. To help with control we will look at angles so that we have the water aiding us in holding onto the rope, we will look at how our team can help us and then where we can position ourselves when holding the rope so that we stay in the most amount of control and the safest we can be while lining.

Clean line Principle: This started as ensuring all throwbags had large loops removed from the bag end and all loops removed from the live/free end. However, it has extended much further into thinking about loops, snags and knots in the system and removing where possible. In the outfitting hence we are using ‘free’ ropes with no bags and one end tied into/onto the canoe at strong point.The rest of the rope is then kept free when in use and stowed in bags/pouches while not in use.

‘HOW TO’ INDIVIDUAL LINING:

Once you have made the decision to not paddle the rapid and the tactic of lining is on. Then the question is can you move easily in the terrain around you? If so, then individual lining (fig 2) is on.

In fig 2 we can see that the paddler is happy moving on his feet in the terrain. By sending the canoe down the ramp he can control the canoe by using a long line at angle to the flow.The canoe gets pushed down river and then starts to pendulum due to the angle of the rope.

You can also see the rest of the rope is loose and free, paddle in hand for extra stability and he is successful in lining the canoe down and past the rapid.

Team lining: Team lining is a great way to control the descent and use the team to move all canoes safely down. It allows prepositioned paddlers down the rapid ready to ‘collect’ the canoes and keep the system moving down river safely and effectively.

Fig. 2: Individual lining

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Fig 3: Stacking the canoes

Team lining is about using your team and spreading them down the rapid or at critical points. In fig 3 we can see the canoes all stacked in an eddy with one of the team holding the canoes while the others are getting in position. One paddler to hold while one gets ready to send and another to receive. Get this moving and then it can be a quick way to keep the journey going.

Fig 4 shows the team getting spread out. Two paddlers making their way down the bank to their next post ready to receive while others are moving a canoe down. This works well where the eddies are lacking.

Fig 4: All lined up

Fig 5: Getting ready to receive

No canoes should move until there is someone ready to receive. In fig 5 we can see the paddler clearly indicate that he is ready while the paddler at the top gets ready to push the canoe down. In figure 6 we see the paddler ready to catch.

Fig 6: Ready to catch and ready to hold!

One thing that is common in all the pictures is that of the paddlers having their paddles with them. The paddle can be an amazing helpful tool while lining. From hooking the rope as the canoe is coming down, to pushing the canoe out and round a rock, to an extra support for the paddler while moving in the environment. Take it with you and help keep the system moving.

Summary An under-utilised skill that will help keep the canoe and the journey moving. From loaded canoes on expedition, to getting down past a rapid that you are not comfortable with ‘lining’ is an option. Here we are looking at single line use either as an individual or as a team. Get your canoe set up with a long line and you are set to go.

Dave has been involved in the development of the new awards and provides expert advice throughout the industry on all things to do with coaching, safety, leadership and personal paddling. He is passionate about all things paddling.

Next time ‘tracking’ – two ropes, one canoe and use of the bridle!

Happy paddling / coaching / leading!

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HOW FLAWEDTHINKING LEADSTO DANGER ONTHE RIVER Welcome, again, to The Human Factor, a series of articles exploring how flawed thinking and bias leads to issues on white water. So far, we have explored our analytical and intuitive approaches to decision making, their pros and cons and some of the biases that can creep insidiously into our thinking, affecting the plans we make and the decisions we make.

THE POWER OF PLANNING

All of this seems common sense but, unsurprisingly, there is a bias ready to catch us out: defaulting. This is possibly best summed up as ‘preferring what we know and knowing what we prefer’. In the example, we’ve chosen the initial section of river for a good reason.

Maybe it’s our favourite section of white water. Maybe we’ve never run it before and now we’ve managed to create an opportunity. The point is; we have a desire to run that section often exacerbated by referring to it as ‘Plan A’. Therefore, by inference, alternatives will be known as ‘Plan B and C’. We’ve already introduced a bias into our thinking there by using labels that we are used to viewing in a linear form. This subtly suggests to us that B and C simply aren’t as good with the result that we will be less likely to switch plans even if it makes good sense to do so.

The perceived scarcity of the environment also massively affects our willingness to default.The idea of scarcity of the resource is worth clarifying; by this, I mean how regularly the section has the appropriate water levels needed or how regularly we are able to create an opportunity in our busy lives to head to the section.

Crucially, it’s our perception of scarcity that counts here.

If we perceive that our opportunities to paddle a particular section are very limited, either through levels or time, we will be far more likely to default to our original plan, regardless of how sensible that is.

ADAPTABILITY – NOTHING IS SET IN STONE

The point I’m really trying to stress here is that a plan can be a valuable tool in structuring our thinking and managing risk, but only if the information it is based on is accurate and we continue to analyse our plan in action and change it if needed. The big problem with this is that it requires a lot of type two thinking, logically assessing new information as it arises.

Consequently, another example of defaulting is postponing decisions; kicking the can down the road if you will. Consider the following scenario:

Tom Parker is one of the UK’s more active and experienced white water coaches.

Tom is a Level 5 Coach, British Canoeing National Trainer and Rescue 3 International InstructorTrainer.To find out more about his courses head to

www.tomparkercoaching.co.uk

We know that by taking time to come up with a plan before we head out to the river, we can iron out a lot of potential issues. Done appropriately, it forces us to take an analytical approach to deciding on our actions, making us consider if they really are the right thing to do.

However, we have to appreciate that any plan is speculative. Whilst we can control certain elements of the plan, such as who is in the group, the equipment we take, the time we set off, etc., there are things we have no say over; the water level and the weather for example.

We can mitigate against these uncontrolled variables by having a number of alternative plans for different scenarios. An obvious example is having a high water option for the eventuality that we arrive at our intended section and find that it is too high for our tastes.

Familiarity with the various sections in our plans can also compound the tendency to default. If the section featured in Plan A is very familiar to us and those in Plans B and C less so, we will be less likely to change plans even when it is clearly a good decision to do so because it will require a lot of type two thinking. We’ll tend to shy away from this because we know it’s a lot more mental effort than the type one thinking we could use in a more familiar environment. Clearly, this isn’t a sound way of making a decision about going into a risky environment and yet it’s something we easily fall foul of.

By Tom Parker

#3

The human factor

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You and your friends have been keen to paddle a particular section of river for some time.You manage to get a free weekend and the weather looks favourable, with rain forecast.You arrive at the river to ideal levels but it is raining hard. Unfortunately, one of the drivers gets lost on the shuttle, which means that by the time the drivers return, the level has increased significantly.

The environment has changed but due to a feeling of limited opportunity, the group choose to carry on. The river is faster and more difficult than anticipated, with one of the group struggling to make the moves required. Whilst nothing serious has gone wrong yet, the signs are there and a reassessment of the plan is clearly required. At this point though, it is very easy to postpone reassessing the plan because that would require a lot of effort and we choose to believe that we can handle the situation. This highlights the human tendency to postpone decisions despite the clear need to consider our course of action.

What happens next? Who knows? Maybe a lengthy swim and a lost boat for one of the team, maybe not, maybe worse.My point is that we can massively reduce the chances of this sort of thing happening by taking time to think about what we are doing and by sharing the mental load.

SHARING THE LOAD – MANY HEADS MAKE LIGHT THINKING?

This simple strategy helps spread the effort on analysing action and coming up with solutions throughout the group. It simply requires people to be willing to ask the following questions of each other: l What are we actually doing? l Why are we doing it like that? l What else could we do?

It’s straightforward and can be remarkably effective, provided we create an atmosphere in which people feel they can ask questions without being judged negatively, regardless of their experience, as it spreads the load of analysis throughout the group. It does take practice however, as those with less experience tend to exhibit a reluctance to question decisions made by those with more experience because they feel they lack the expertise. Clearly, experience is not a reliable safeguard against poor decision making and the simple act of someone asking for a decision to be explained can highlight problems and force the more experienced to take note. Predictably, there are biases that can stop this tool working and we’ll have a look at them in the next issue...

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Testing, PaddleExpo special Nürnberg, Germany https://paddleexpo.com Greg Spencer

In pretty much any setting, a trio of Anna Bruno (Kayak Session Magazine), Caz Goodall (King of the Alps) and Sabrina Barm (Esquif) would stand out. Those in the know would highlight other key women at PaddleExpo, such as Lauren Mackereth (Pyranha), Jutta Kaiser (HF) and Martina (Lettmann) - but if one thing truly stood out at PaddleExpo it was an industry which was genuinely starting to cater for women and girls on a truly meaningful scale.

OK, women’s fit boats and kit may have been around in a small way for a long time - but at this year’s giant trade show we saw range, variety and choice. That was only partially true in kayaks and canoes, but it stood out in almost everything else! Yes, the most celebrated PFD launch of the show was unisex - but on some stalls, just about everything was both male and female fit, and some even had a meaningful range of women’s fit colour choices!

NRS

If the show had a second notable theme it was plastics. David Bain of NRS could have pointed to NRS and its decade-long switch away from petroleum based neoprene as evidence of a significant history of taking this sort of thing seriously - but what was striking was how the whole NRS team focused, instead, on how much further they (and the rest of the industry) were committed to going.

PEAKUK

Recently, British manufacturer PeakUK have been winning plaudits for their work to clean up the river Derwent and in Nuremberg won the much coveted Special Jury Prize for their ongoing attempts to reduce their environmental footprint and increase awareness of the environmental challenges facing our sport and industry. In receiving the award, Pete Astle’s team showcased fabric containing recycled yarn and highlighted the lengths they’d gone to in eliminating much traditional packaging.

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PALM EQUIPMENT

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At the centre of the hall, a huge British contingent at Palm showcased a Terek Jacket manufactured using post-industrial waste. Palm also had a stand highlighting their switch from petroleum based neoprene and their switch from PVA based glues and packaging. Across the aisle, they also had recreational Islander Kayaks made from material collected from beach cleans and salvaged marine industry waste.

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GRABNER

One striking new whitewater offering was Grabner’s Hype: an inflatable solo kayak made of ‘car tyre rubber’ and rated for Class IV rivers. Typically, this was marketed as ‘maximal environment friendly’ for everything from the materials and processes used in manufacturing through the durability and ease of repair (long service life) to the end of life recyclability. Is any of this new? Perhaps not, but the intensity around it certainly is.

WHETMAN EQUIPMENT

Of course, trade shows are also about showcasing more traditional innovation - and here, once more, a British Manufacturer led the way. If an award were to be given for the manufacturer whose product range showed the greatest commitment to product Development, Whetman Equipment would have

been this year's runaway winner - though HF deserve a special mention for having diverted product development effort into that age old challenge of managing our roof rack straps when they are not in use!

PYRANHA

On the whitewater kayak front, Pyranha rather stole the show with their prototype Ozone: a carbon beauty. Lots else also attracted attention, with Pyranha’s 9R2 taking the Whitewater Product of the Year Award ahead of the Dagger Rewind. On the Ocean going front, Pyranha’s sister company P&H edged out Sea Kayak UK’s Echo to grab the Product of the Year Award for their Valkyrie - which combines elements of SurfSki and sea kayak to give what is billed as a new style speed machine.

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On the open canoe front, the show was very much stolen by Bear Paulsen and Craig Hill with the Northstar Canoes (and paddles, and accessories) on the Marsport stand. They had (by some margin) the best presented display and most spectacular looking craft (in any category). Other key players from assorted leading open canoe manufacturers were also doing the rounds. These included Graham Mackereth of Venture, James Dennis and Steve Childs of Silverbirch, Justin Snell of Hou, Bill Kueper and Richard Bennett of Wenonah and Jacques Chassé of Esquif.

CORRAN ADDISON

Looking back, PaddleExpo 2019 showcased much that was far from inspiring, and much of the conversation reflected an industry facing very real challenges, but finding beacons of hope was not hard. Little things inspired. New paddles from Werner and Kober. New maps and guidebooks. A new junior ski called the ‘Baby Boom!’ oh - and Corran Addison, whose passion for pushing boundaries with kiddie whitewater kayaks continued to lay down the challenge to everyone else.

THE HISTORY OF PADDLEEXPO

Like so much else in Paddlesport, PaddleExpo started as a simple concept. In 2003 the offer was a free event Hotel Post in Rohrdorf with eight major exhibitors. In 2004, PaddleExpo had 47 major exhibitors and had to be moved to a sports centre with over four times the floorspace. By 2005, 95 exhibitors were involved, the event had been relocated to Nuremberg, the floorspace was 18 times what it had been two years earlier, and 1,000 visitors were being attracted from 33 different countries.

By 2010, the scale of PaddleExpo was gargantuan. Massive uptake led to 163 exhibitors occupying 6,240 square metres of floor in a hall which had to cater for over 1,300 visitors. The event had most certainly grown into the biggest paddlesportsexclusive trade fair on the planet – and that trend has continued!

This year, 293 brands were exhibited on 160 stalls as 1,737 visitors attended from 48 countries and the headline figures don’t do justice to the breadth and depth of the event because these days, PaddleExpo is about a lot more than just trade stands and manufacturers showcasing their wares.

The first day of PaddleExpo 2019 saw the trade in full ‘go’ mode – catering for visitors to their stands, holding pre-scheduled meetings, checking out rival offers and then having after show socials. The sense of being in an industry ‘together’ was quite palpable not least because most of the key players have known each other (and commonly worked together) for decades.

In short, PaddleExpo has become a truly international meetup and networking event where the production, distribution and service side of the trade connect with just about everyone else with a professional interest in paddlesport – so it’s now a pretty efficient way to catch up with the movers and shakers in every branch of paddlesport!

AS Watersports, Exeter, EX2 8DP

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Peak UK have once again took home the Special Jury Prize at this year's PaddleExpo. This time the Peak team won the award for their Peak Eco project which comprises of the companies on-going attempts to reduce their environmental footprint and increase awareness of the environmental challenges facing the paddlesports industry.

At the PaddleExpo industry dinner and awards ceremony each year the best new innovations, products and achievements are carefully chosen by an international panel of industry experts.

The Special Jury Prize is the final award handed out and competition is always fierce, with some fantastic entries being considered from companies all over the world. Having previously won the award for their unique custom printed range, this year Peak were announced as winners once again and owner Pete Astles led the team up on to the stage to accept the award.

A major factor in winning the award was that for 2020 all of Peak UK’s new kayaking jackets and leg wear will be manufactured from material containing recycled yarn.

Another major part of the Peak Eco mission has been to remove all plastic from their packaging. The team has been phasing out plastic packaging for years and have now removed it entirely. They now use recycled card hangtags on all products, attached with compostable hemp cord, and their shipping boxes all use paper tape instead of plastic parcel tape.

At their Darley Dale headquarters they have switched to LED lighting in the offices and have been reducing plastic and waste in the everyday work environment.

Last year Pete also set up the Paddle Peak local river user group which aims to promote paddlesports and responsible river use in the Derwent Valley.

Alongside other businesses and individuals in the area, the team have been organising regular river clean ups and trying to raise awareness of the importance of looking after our waterways, both on a local and global scale.

For more information on visit peakuk.com or drop in at their Darley Dale showroom.

Tel: 01732 886688 Email: info@kentcanoes.co.uk KAYAKS|CANOES|COURSES|TECHNICAL CLOTHING|SAFETY ACCESSORIES KAYAKS|CANOES|COURSES|TECHNICAL GEAR|ACCESSORIES CLOTHING|SAFETY GEAR|

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Testing, Typhoon PS440 dry suit http://www.typhoon-int.co.uk Dimitri Vandepoele www.youtube.com/northseakayak

Some time ago I received the first prototype of the new Typhoon PS440 dry suit with one request; what can be done to make this the best suit available for expedition use? Now, Typhoon is known for its excellent know how on dry suits, this company started back in the day making suits for diving purposes, so they know a thing or two about water tightness.

After testing the prototype extendedly, I sent it back and asked for some minor changes. The result was the brand new PS440 which I received some months ago. This time I got the fully update prototype, which is the one that is on the market now. For people who don’t know me and my NORTHSEAKAYAK team, we spend almost more time in the water than in our kayaks practicing various rescue techniques. So I can

honestly say that the suit was put to the test in a real environment, during realistic scenarios and with real sea kayakers.

WATERPROOF

There are a few things that I find important on a kayak dry suit. For starters, is it waterproof (yes, really)? I had some stories (and first hand experiences) with other brands where there was moisture seeping through the fabric, mostly the socks, as they are deepest under the surface during a swim (more pressure).This PS440 does what every Typhoon dry suit does, it keeps cold water out, period. No delamination, even after all the things we did with it. No tears, even after abusing the suit during our training.

The overall fabric is both light, firm and allows unrestricted movement of the paddler. The only thing that brings the weight a bit up is the Cordura inserts.

This doesn’t make a bulkier feeling, on the contrary, the suit feels as if it can take anything. Never did I fear tearing it, the suit is made for expedition use, it looks and feels like that.

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The seals are all in Glideskin neoprene… Years ago I wasn’t a huge fan of neoprene seals because in some suits they were leaky when spending plenty of time in the water. Now, I must say that I did everything possible to get water into the suit (rolling, diving head first, rough water rescues…) but Typhoon have managed to keep the seals bone dry and comfortable.

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The large pocket on the chest on the previous PS models is now removed. There is still a pocket with two zippers on the side, convenient when you’re not wearing your buoyancy aid on the shore during breaks, you can put your hands inside and it also contains the bungies to tighten up the waist around your spray deck. There are also two pockets on the upper legs. When seated in the cockpit of a sea kayak there is no use for them, but again, once on the shore you can put some small items inside the pocket. If the suit is worn by a sailor on a dinghy, then it’s even possible to put a (folded) sea chart inside and you will be able to read it on the fly by looking down.

Convenient and it sure makes this suit very versatile.

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ThePADDLER 20 I must say that I was pleasantly surprised by that and I would recommend this suit to people who are allergic to latex seals.

VELCRO CUFFS

Now the cuffs! The Velcro cuffs have been made a bit larger on my request. They’re great and makes the wear and use of the suit even more comfortable. They don’t come loose during our training. The pinnacle of this suit must be the removable collar with fleece lining and a hood.

Versatility, remember? If I want an unrestricted view

bright yellow for safety reasons, as is the suit provided with Solas reflecting taping on the shoulders. The suit comes both in red and yellow.

The hinge zip entry system has proven its use, so you can put the suit on without help or putting yourself in weird positions. It’s not in the way during paddling and the quality is good, no leakage and opens swiftly.

There are super comfy braces in the suit, where during breaks you can remove the upper part of the suit without dropping your pants and they are not in the way during paddling. There is also a small pocket, should you want to keep your car keys dry, attached to the braces.

Now probably the nicest and cleverest feature! I have already said that the suit is reinforced with Cordura, both on the knees and the seat. However, have another look at the seat. You can only notice this from up close but the Typhoon development team have put a removable neoprene insert in the seat. Say goodbye to the ‘cold-buttocks’ days! The neoprene provides perfect insulation when seated (in your cockpit, or even on the beach when seated on cold rocks) and some extra comfort during the longer trips. Typhoon tried this out on the MS SK prototype that I received previously and I was immediately sold on the idea! I haven’t seen this on any other suit – it’s a really great feature!

around when surfing in the rough stuff, just simply remove the whole thing. You don’t need to undress the upper part of the suit to remove the collar, nor do you need anyone to help you. You can easily remove or put back on the collar yourself when wearing the suit, which is placed on the suit with handy zippers left and right. The collar itself is more snuggly than the one on the Typhoon Multisport Sea Kayak (MS SK) because of the height and fleece.

Like I said, it’s an expedition suit and it will keep you warm whatever the conditions. The hood itself is

For more details, have a look at the Typhoon website! We also have made a video where you can see the suit from up close. If you’re looking for an expedition dry suit, this must be on your list! Even if you don’t go out on expeditions, this is the suit for the committed sea kayaker or sailor! Always when I think that Typhoon have made something that is perfect, their development team succeeds in making perfect even better!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50lAUCpFt98

Have fun and take care of each other!

Dimitri Vandepoele NORTHSEAKAYAK team leader

OVER

YEARS OF

TECHNICAL EXCELLENCE

WATERTIGHT WARRANTY

UK MANUFACTURE 3 Y E A R WAT E RT I G H T WA R R A N T Y REPAIR AND SERVICING FACILITY BROAD SIZE RANGE

www.typhoon-int.co.uk | sales@typhoon-int.co.uk | +44(0) 1642 486 104 |

Typhoon_international |

TyphoonInt

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Shakespeare Marine inflatable antenna

http://shakespeare-ce.com/marine/

Shakespeare Marine introduces world’s first inflatable antenna to the kayak market.

Global leader in marine antenna design, Shakespeare Marine, introduced the first ever inflatable emergency VHF antenna last year with incredible success within the marine industry – including winning the highly-acclaimed DAME Award in the lifesaving and safety equipment category last year, and the Innovation Award at the inaugural Maritime UK Awards. It is now being introduced to the kayak sector – so we wanted to know more.

SEA KAYAKERS

Proving itself to be a popular piece of safety equipment with sea kayakers and kayak fisherman, the GALAXY INFL8 has received positive acclaim for its innovation and ease of use, as well as the benefit of working with VHF – which is becoming more engrained in leisure activities.

When out on the water, safety is of paramount importance and if an emergency occurs, individuals need to be as prepared as possible. With kayaking rising in popularity as a leisure activity, there is a clear requirement for better safety equipment to be more widely available on the market.

MARINE BAND (156-162MHZ)

The GALAXY-INFL8 revolutionises the market due to its compact and powerful design, and use of the latest technology. When deployed, the inflatable antenna automatically inflates to 1.6 metres via an imbedded canister or manual tube. Once activated, it is tuned into the Marine Band (156-162MHz) and matches the performance of any standard 3dB antenna, offering a range up to three times greater than any existing helical emergency antenna, ensuring there is no opportunity for error during an emergency at sea. In test, it is reported to have picked up traffic further than our kayakers have found before or with another product.

Thanks to its expert design capabilities and cuttingedge technology, the inflatable antenna is super lightweight at only 500g and can be stored in a small space of 250mm, extending to 1.6m 3dB antenna when in use. It can be stowed on the outside of the kayak or inside in a polybottle for example, ensuring it is always in easy reach. Its dedicated dry bag keeps the inflatable antenna nice and compact, and is openable with one hand – for multitasking or use in times of emergency.

REUSABLE

The innovative antenna has been designed with multiple features to enhance users’ safety whilst on the water, including contrasting colours to allow it to be seen day and night. The antenna is mounted with

hook and loop straps allowing for quick and easy installation in any weather, and thanks to its inflatable design and manual valve it is reusable, so it can be deflated and stowed away safely until it is needed.

SEARCH AND RESCUE

Particularly in the case of an emergency situation at sea, the aerial on the GALAXY-INFL8 is a fantastic aid when search and rescue teams are searching for kayakers. The added height of the aerial will be larger than most waves and therefore increase detection significantly. And whilst some emergency signally devices (pyrotechnic and electronic) can pinpoint locations in an emergency, a small kayaker that is low to the water – or even in the water – is much more difficult to find, so these benefits are tenfold.

This pioneering technology has been patented to Shakespeare Marine and to date, the GALAXYINFL8 has now been awarded seven prestigious awards for innovation, technology and safety within the industry. More than 1,000 units have been shipped around the world since its launch and even more are being processed.

Established in 1897, Shakespeare® Marine is a global antenna brand with a reputation for superior quality, performance and durability.

Find out more on the website, www.shakespeare-marine.com or contact the European offices on +44 (0) 1253 858 787.

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Rivières nature en Kayak Gonflable book review www.canotier.com/en

By Peter Knowles www.riverspublishing.co.uk

This is a brand new, exciting guide book to some of the best paddling trips on rivers in France – selected as those that are best for inflatable canoes. These are relatively easy rivers at grades 1-3, so I think this also makes it ideal for SUPs, open canoes and touring kayaks.

FEATURES

240 pages Full colour Published by Le Canotier 24.90 Euros

Rhone, where recent developments have made them accessible for paddling.

In summary, I think this is a great buy for any paddler who wants more information on French rivers than are covered in our own Rivers Publishing guidebooks.

I am told has been very well received in France and Canotier are going to have to reprint it!

Laurent Nicolet, the author, is a well known recreational paddler. He lives in the French Alps and has a lifetime’s experience of French rivers. Besides being a kayaker, canoeist and rafter, he has always been an enthusiastic inflatable paddler – so he writes with great personal knowledge and authority. (He was also a contributor to our best selling White Water South Alps guidebook).

This guidebook is high quality, full colour, with good maps and inspiring photographs. I showed the book to several friends and everyone was impressed and immediately wanted to browse it! Of course the book is in French, however the layout is clear and logical so even if you only have limited French you should find it easy to use.

The book covers 45 trips all over France, but understandably mainly in the south of the country. I was excited to see some trips on rivers that I have not seen featured in other guidebooks, in any language.

There are also a few new trips on rivers like the

The Liffey Descent

https://liffeydescent.ie/29285-2/

By Iain Maclean

60 Years of Ireland’s Toughest Canoeing Challenge.

Iain Maclean, a veteran of more that 50 Liffeys Descents has written a history of this world renowned river marathon. Here’s Iain’s own account…

FEATURES

247 pages Full colour Published Maclean Productions 20.00 Euros www.canoecentre.ie/products/ the-liffey-descent-iain-maclean

“I have written this not because I believe I am the most knowledgeable, or the best or even the most experienced person who has had any involvement with the Liffey Descent. I am doing it because I love the Liffey Descent and in the hope that my efforts might inspire others to share their experiences of this great event.

“I have written this entirely from memory from my current residence in Skopje, Macedonia where I am involved in a two year EU funded project with the Ministry of Environment. I do not have access to records, although I have some in Cork. Thus I apologise in advance for the inevitable errors that I have made with names and dates. The event is bigger than any of us.

“My involvement with the Liffey started in 1967 , thus I can claim no knowledge based on personal experience before that year. Anything I have set out about the years before this is to record what little I know and hopefully to stimulate others.

I am aware that this reads as a very personal account, but it is done entirely from memory. I have done it

because I love the race, even if each race morning nowadays, I seriously question my sanity, especially when I look around and see so many young, fit and enthusiastic people, but then I also see Mick Keating and Gerry Collins who are at least fit.

“What the future holds in store for the race I don’t know, but as long as there remain a dedicated team of organisers, there very fact that the Liffey is there will ensure a great and continuing event which will be attended by paddlers from all around the world.”

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YakTaurus PFD

https://crewsaver.com/uk/yak

By Phil Carr www.unsponsored.co.uk

A brand new Yak Taurus PFD landed at Unsponsored HQ at the end of August 2019.

Since then it has seen a hundred hours of use.

When it first landed I thought that it was one of the best looking PFDs I had seen in some time. It reminded me a great deal of some of the Lotus PFDs from the 1990s in both its shape and size.

The Taurus is a slab based over the head PFD with full CE/ISO approval.The slab has been shaped to contour with your torso.The range of movement is allowed is superb. Adjustment to all of the straps is simple and straight forward and the addition of the little tabs makes the straps easy to release by hand.

The Yak Taurus is a rescue vest and as such can accept a rescue belt. The Taurus is also setup to work both left and right handed. Unfortunately it doesn't come supplied with the belt. However, all of the standard belts are available after market and Yak do their own at just a little over £22. So the entire setup with the £90 PFD will come in at just over £110. This is almost half the price of the Astral Greenjacket.

Split D-rings are provided on both the left and right hand side of the PFD to clip your cow-tail into. A small press studded pocket located on the front of the PFD

is designed to store a folding river knife. I’ve tried a couple of different knives including my favourite Spyderco Salt, which isn’t the smallest but fits easily. I found getting into the pocket very easy with the plastic press stud fastening simple to use.

The front pocket is huge and is easily accessed via a large zip. But not being a clam shell design means that it doesn’t have such a wide opening as the Astral Greenjacket.The zip is easy to spot as it has a tag on the zip pull in bright green.The pocket and the foam slab sits low on your body, which again gives great levels of movement for paddling and dare I say it, makes swimming pretty easy.

The shoulder straps are well padded and are covered in anti-slip silicon to help make carrying your boat a little easier. Mesh panels on the inner part of the PFD allow for quick drainage and drying.

The waist strap and adjustment sits within the PFD and doesn’t sit below the buoyancy slabs. It seems such a simple thing but really does help the PFD sit well against my deck when paddling. Although I have been wearing the PFD with a few layers, I suspect that this feature will also help the PFD to be pretty comfortable in the summer months when I may only be wearing a rash vest on my top half with the PFD.

After plenty of use and plenty of time to think I reckon that Yak have struck gold with this design – it’s not radical in anyway but does it’s job really well. I like the look, fit and performance. If you haven’t looked at Yak gear for some time, I’d recommend checking out the Taurus.

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The speakers

Costa Rica 8-11th October 2019

T H E

WWWR

Words: Shannon Farley Photos: PeterTranter, Adventure Photography, Costa Rica http://raftingpictures.com/indexesp.html

Below: Costa Rica’s Minister of Environment and Energy Carlos Manuel Rodríguez (right) and Roberto de la Ossa, director of the Costa Rica National Alliance of Rivers & Watersheds (left)

Below right: L to R: Eugene Buchanan of Paddling Life; Javier Gonzalez of Oxigeno magazine; Peter Tranter of Paddler magazine and Kevin Suassure of France’s Canoe Kayak magazine

In a bold move to unite the rafting industry in Costa Rica and worldwide in stronger safety measures and environmental protection, more than 200 people from over 20 nations joined together at the first-ever World White Water Rafting Summit of the International Rafting Federation (IRF) in Costa Rica.

Focusing on the theme ‘Risk management for a prosperous future’, the World White Water Rafting Summit convened at the Costa Rica Convention Center and the Pacuare River.

Rafting leaders from around the world and more than 200 national and international participants attended the summit with the objective of exchanging knowledge about risks and safety and how to manage them to guarantee a successful future of rafting; about environmental risks that threaten rivers, like dams and climate change; rafting guide and commercial operator accreditation; the importance of wilderness emergency and first aid training; difficult topics like drugs and alcohol among guides and clients, and overcoming language barriers with international tourists; the role of river guides in being changemakers; and how to be good river stewards.

“This Summit is important for the international rafting industry because we are discussing and sharing information on issues such as risk management, safety, environmental conservation for rivers, the importance of clean water, reforestation, as well as

training, education and certification of guides,” said Rafael Gallo, IRF Honorary President and event organizer.

The summit, which was held under the auspices of the Costa Rica Tourism Board (ICT), presented Costa Rica as a pioneer destination in rafting and at the forefront of adventure tourism.“Rafting in Costa Rica enjoys international prestige as a sport and adventure tourism attraction. Costa Rica has been participating in world events since 1989 and has been the host of IRF World Rafting Championships three times. But it is not a risk-free activity, so ICT is pleased that this World White Water Rafting Summit focused on risk management in our country. We strongly support it as a symbol of our institutional commitment for a safe tourism destination,” said María Amalia Revelo, Minister of Tourism in Costa Rica.

Presenters from 10 nations, including New Zealand, Finland, Mexico, United States, Colombia, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Costa Rica and the United Kingdom, led engaging and interactive sessions during two days of the Summit.

Notable experts included Joe Willis Jones, President of the

Rafael Gallo, IRF Honorary President and event organizer

SUMMIT IRF; Costa Rica’s Minister of Environment and Energy Carlos Manuel Rodríguez; Ian Ponce, representative of the UN Climate Change Commission; Rafael Gallo, IRF Honorary President; and Monti Aguirre, Latin America Program Coordinator for International Rivers.

Given this first event’s huge success, the IRF plans to now hold World White Water Rafting Summits every two years in different locations around the world. Since Costa Rica is leading the way on the initiative, the next Summit in 2021 will again be held in Costa Rica, said Gallo.

Gallo added, “We must shorten the distance between each encounter. Between 1995 and 2015 there have been no worldwide rafting exchanges, and now we achieved it. At the close of this first Summit, we feel very satisfied because we met our goals; and we see the necessity to meet every two years going forward.”

The World White Water Rafting Summit closed in a huge finale on Oct. 11 with a massive symbolic rafting trip, entitled ‘One River, One World, One Family’, of more than 200 people on the renowned Pacuare River.The historic rafting trip united for the first time 16 rafting companies from Costa Rica, with 57 guides and 150 paddlers in 37 rafts and 12 kayaks, to send a message in favour of river conservation.

“The message we want to send with this first massive river navigation is that rafting can be done with passion, safety, and at the same time show that we can take care of the environment and have clean and free-flowing rivers,” said Rafael Gallo.

“Rivers are the world’s arteries, and with this event we exemplify the symbolism that to move forward – to navigate – you have to work as a team.”

At the end of the big day, the Costa Rica National Alliance of Rivers and Watersheds presented the first edition of the ‘Rafael Gallo Palomo, Safeguarding the Future of our Rivers’ award to the environmental organization Río Urbano (Urban Rivers) that is working to clean and protect rivers in the country’s capital region.The award pays homage to Rafael Gallo, pioneer in rafting and river conservation in Costa Rica, and is intended to recognize and stimulate environmental improvement for rivers and water sources

Rafting the Rio Pacuare

around the country.

Within the framework of the World White Water Rafting Summit, the International Rafting Federation (IRF) announced that Costa Rica will be the country with which it starts its pilot program to accredit commercial rafting operators.Thus far, the IRF has focused on the accreditation and certification of guides; however, it has a pilot plan ready so that rafting operators can undertake an evaluation that allows them to be accredited.

The pilot scheme will be trialled with assistance from the Costa Rica Sports Association for Adventure and Paddling (ADAR) over the coming 12 to 18 months with a full report at the next White Water Rafting Summit.

During the close of the conference portion of the IRF’s Summit on Oct. 10, leading global rivers campaign organization International Rivers and the IRF signed an historic Memorandum Of Understanding to bring together the common goals of both organizations to work together for the benefit of all rivers and waterways across the globe.

“Since the founding of both the International Rafting Federation and International Rivers, we have both been committed to the responsible stewardship and protection of the planet’s rivers.

Today, we formally declare our commitment to working together in all ways possible toward this common goal.”

Left: Monti Aguirre of International Rivers and Joe Willis Jones of the IRF sign an agreement for river conservation

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RIO PACUARE

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T H E

R O A R

O F

T H E

Rated one of the top rivers in the world, it didn’t disappoint

The Dos Montañas Canyon

Words: Peter Tranter Photos: Kevin Saussure,Adventure Photography, Costa Rica http://raftingpictures.com/indexesp.html and Peter Tranter As mentioned on the previous pages, I was invited to the World White Water Rafting Summit in San Jose, Costa Rica, not only to cover the two days of talks, speeches and safety demonstrations at the conference centre but to report on the ecological measures being taken by Costa Rica to protect its environment and to enjoy one of their jewels in the crown: the Rio Pacuare.

It didn’t take long to realise that Costa Rica has a familiar weather pattern for the beginning of October, which is sunny mornings and early afternoons followed by a tropical storm and I do mean a heavy downpour in the mid-afternoon, followed again by dry conditions. These conditions meant that Rio Pacuare is flowing hard at orange level.

Each and every morning of my week-long stay in Costa Rica started early and the drive to the Rios Tropicales’ Operation Centre, 20 minutes away from the river, was no different, an 05.00 start.

What strikes you straight away is just how early Costa Ricans start work as 05.00 hours was rush hour, with the streets of San Jose bristling and so many people all heading to the daily grind. After leaving San Jose we settled down on the coach for the two-hour drive from San Jose.

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The Pacuare River is sourced high in the Talamanca Mountains, site of Costa Rica’s highest peak, and La Amistad International Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As the river flows from these mountains, Class III-IV rapids create tumbling white water. Rapids like ‘Cimarron’ and ‘Dos Montanas’ will challenge both first-timers looking for adventure and experienced rafters. Our paddle was to take place on the main Pacuare section on class III/IV white water and cover something like 26km.The overnight stay at Rios Tropicales Lodge, tucked away in the Costa Rican jungle, isolated from civilisation was going to be something to remember.

Our guide Luis, had been working on the Pacuare for 15 years on and off, so he knew the river like the back of his hand. With a twinkle in his eye he advised us that the river was at orange level (high level but still safe to run) due to the overnight rain and it was going to be fun – he wasn’t wrong.

SAFETY

A lot of emphasis is placed on safety with the guides giving the paddlers a few thorough demonstrations on how and what to do in order to prevent falling out of the raft and if you do find yourself in the water, then the procedure to make sure you either get back to the raft or dry land as safely and quickly as possible.The fact that safety is of the highest importance gives you and others the reassurance that they are looking for.

Personally I don’t think I’ve ever eaten as much as I did for the week I was in Costa Rica and the morning before the put-in was no different as we arrived at the operations centre. A huge breakfast of fruit, eggs and toast was polished off with lashings of fresh coffee and juices.The operations centre is large with spacious changing areas and it’s where you get yourself prepared and changed for the river with the put-in a 20-minute drive away.

The Dos Montanas Canyon

If you’re looking for the quintessential Costa Rican experience, this is where you should head for.The Pacuare River and the surrounding rainforest gives you the best of what Costa Rica has to offer, experiencing the diverse wildlife that lives all around you on the river and deep within the jungle.

At the put-in you first notice the swift-moving current is the colour of mocha coffee, except in those places where it becomes dangerous and turns white.

Opposite a wall of thick jungle vegetation climbs straight up to the crest of the valley where turkey vultures glided overhead, keeping a beady eye out for their next meal!

Myself, Javier and Kevin at the put-in

“Pura vida” after the Huacas waterfall

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Paddling through the Upper Huacas Stunning scenery in the dense rain forest

That day the put-in was busy and a hive of activity as most of the 200 participants of the summit were taking part in the paddle, plus the US ambassador to Costa Rica and her significant security detail were also there for the trip. My raft was the last to leave because we were the only visitors staying overnight at the eco lodge.

WILDLIFE

Luis, the guide, knew exactly where to go on the river and picked the lines perfectly. His experience on the Pacuare meant we received commentary on what to look out for on the calm parts of the river. He pointed out the birds such as the Toucans, Kingfishers and herons amidst the lush green background of the dense rainforest. We also drifted through part of a butterfly reserve with many of the very large and eye-catching swooping Blue Morpho butterflies, some of the most beautiful creatures I’ve ever seen with bright laser blue wings and surrounded by so many other coloured varieties – it was simply heaven. With the spectacular scenery, steep jungle rising from the river, shimmering cascading waterfalls, calm pools and natural waterslides, all in all it gives rafters the chance to experience the Pacuare’s beauty first-hand.

Eco lodge accommodation

The banks of the river also teem with wildlife.Though many of the animals are very shy of human contact such as the panthers, jaguars, howler monkeys, etc, you do hear them all around you and if that’s not enough, the noise is amplified many times at night when the jungle truly comes alive but more of that later.

CLASS III/IV SECTIONS

It’s definitely not all sight seeing though as this is a white water river and we had some tremendous fun on the first day through the class III/IV sections with Luis shouting out the instructions on when, how and where to paddle, when to tuck in and get down. At one rapid our raft pitches forward at a menacing angle, then slams down hard onto a white water hole. Luis shouts at the top of his voice above the crashing sound of white water, to quickly dive to the opposite side of the raft to prevent a flip.

We have to paddle hard to escape the hole and when we finally do break free, we breath a collective sigh of relief, touch paddles in the centre of the raft and shout, “Pura vida!”

Despite his experience, Luis, whilst at a waterfall swim stop, stepped on a fire ant nest and as a result had to dive into the river as the stinging ants swarmed over his leg and took their revenge – ouch!

RIOS TROPICALES ECO LODGE

After three tumultuous hours on the river, we landed at the eco lodge where we would spend the night.The lodge, powered by 100% renewable energy, was constructed by Rios Tropicales from reclaimed lumber by local Cabecar Indians; everything is recycled and composted with a diligently practiced ‘Leave No Trace’ principle.The whole area covers nearly 2,500 acres, with all the rain forest within protected.

Here was the chance to stretch my legs, eat, drink, mingle and sleep.Those in our two rafts, and the kayakers, were the only paddlers there for that night and whilst some others headed for the hammocks for a spot of book reading, I was off on my travels, as time is short with darkness closing in around 17.30.

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Above: The rope bridge leading to the Rios Tropicales Lodge

I crossed back across the river via a rope bridge and climbed the trail on the opposite side for the next few hours only being stopped by what seemed to be a very aggressive howling noise in front of me. I was completely on my own, in the middle of this dense rainforest and a mixture of excitement and fear crossed my mind as the heart began to thump. I really had no idea and couldn’t see what was making the noise but whatever, it wasn’t happy with my being there.

Reluctantly and with the time passing fast anyway, I decided that discretion was the better part of valour and turned to gingerly head back down the valley. I kept my head down as the same aggressive noise were also coming from the side and below me – I was surrounded! It really was unnerving and so I got a move on and eventually reached the relative safety of the rope bridge with no further alarm.

Upon my return thankfully in one piece, I took to a hammock, laid out under cover by the river, for a relaxing read along with Joe, Soco and Sean. Within the hour we were indulging once again into the delicious food laid on by the mother and daughter who live on the site with the help of the guides.

Luis leading us down the Rio Pacuare

PADDLING PARTNERS

The mother and daughter also operate a type of offlicence within the grounds and so a bottle of red wine later, with delicious food, I got to know my paddling partners much better.There was Joe Willis Jones, President of the International Rafting Federation, Sean Clarke, head of media and marketing for the International Rafting Federation, Soco, Joe’s Chilean wife, Ecuadorian Alfredo, Frenchman Kevin, American Eugene and Peruvian Pepe – quite a mix of nationalities.

They also informed me that the aggressive noises surrounding me in the rain forest were made by Howler Monkeys. They’re very territorial and when one feels threatened, in this case by my presence, others come to edge of their territories to warn anything else away!

At 21.00 we called it a night as breakfast was at 06.30 with a few spare hours for a trail walk before resuming on the river at 10.00.

The night though is when the jungle seems to come alive. Our Deluxe King Room accommodation was quite luxurious considering where we were, with king “Pura vida”

Alfredo in the safety kayak

spectacular

the Huacas Waterfall pours into the river from at least 100 feet up, looks and not out of place in a Jurassic Park sized beds, en-suite shower, etc. However, the windows have mesh without glass and you have that unique feeling of being so close to the jungle with just a single wooden wall and floor between you and the outside world of the rain forest.

It was a world full of the strangest noises I had ever heard with a mixture of growls, whooping, buzzing, rustling and screeches in the pitch black! The wild animals that had seemed so hard to view during the daylight, had come out in force.

That Saturday morning my rafting partners were Joe, Soco, Sean with Luis once again the guide.The support raft was paddled by Pepe with Kevin, Eugene and Alfredo as the kayakers.

Pepe paddling the support raft

As we set off we were joined by another raft from another company, who proved to be good entertainment for the entire paddle as we took turns to lead and watch each other through the many rapids.

There was much teasing going on between the rafts and every now and then when the rafts came together on the calm stretches there was much pushing and pulling of paddlers between the rafts trying in vain to see the first swim of the day.

However, we didn’t have to wait long as one of the women off the other raft took a swim in one of the rapids but she was back in the raft within seconds and on we went. Joe and Sean were good company as they endlessly teased and pushed each other around on the raft - much laughing ensued.

UPPER HUACAS

Upper Huacas is the first class IV and halfway has a waterfall coming down into the middle of the river usually requiring rafts to go underneath it and Luis does an excellent job of steering straight into middle of it and getting me drenched by the water. After the rapid

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of votes reflected the desire to prevent dams from being constructed and with Carlos Manuel Rodriguez, Minister of the Environment and Energy for Costa Rica, promising that no new dans would be constructed, the threat has rescinded even more.

The scars still remain though with a bridge crossing the canyon plus holes in the rocks where the damming company conducted tests. Here the river is at its deepest and almost still and the perfect time for wrestling each other into the warm waters. Of the 12 of us in the rafts, only Joe and the two guides stayed dry as the rest of us went swimming.

Above: Sean and myself taking a swim in the Dos Montañas Canyon

the high Huacas Waterfall pours into the river from at least 100 feet up, which looks quite spectacular and not out of place on a Jurassic Park film set.

The next rapid is Lower Huacas and may be the most difficult rapid (class IV) on the section with a tight move against an undercut cliff face for which we really had to paddle hard to miss. The Upper and Lower Pinball came next before the gorge starts to mellow out. The next class IV rapid is Cimarrones and is marked by a series of big rocks and big pour overs all the way through the rapid. Dos Montañas is the final class IV and can be run two different ways depending on water levels, we take the left channel. Both take you into the steep, narrow canyon by the same name.

Here we came to the deepest gorge on the Pacuare, named Dos Montañas Canyon where it was planned to build a dam 15 years ago. For decades the Cabecar Indians that live in the Río Pacuare basin have worried about whether their lands will one day be submerged under a series of dams and reservoirs, changing their way of life forever.

From L to R: Myself, Pepe, Soco, Joe Alfredo, Kevin, Sean and Eugene

However, that threat has since disappeared with the organized resistance, led by Amigos del Río Pacuare (Friends of the Pacuare River) culminating in a plebiscite-referendum in 2005. An overwhelming 97%

For 10 minutes it was floating in a watery heaven through this deep gorge in the warm water. However, soon enough we were back and underway for the last section of the paddle, which was comparatively mild with what had gone before.

The take-out was close to a small town named Siquirres and within 30 minutes we were back underway to the operations centre in the minibuses as we all reflected on the great time we’d had on this most spectacular of rivers.

SHOUT OUTS

Huge thanks to Luis, our guide and to the rest of the team for making the day so enjoyable and full of laughter. Also to Rios Tropicales for all their hospitality during my stay in Costa Rica, Shannon Farley for her true professionalism and organisation and to Rios Tropicales owner, Rafa Gallo for his outright generosity.

Last but certainly not least, the Costa Rica Tourism Board (ICT) and Enrique Martin for his organisation on this side of the pond.

CONTACTS

Rios Tropicales: www.riostropicales.com Costa Rica Tourism Board: www.visitcostarica.com/en International Rafting Federation: www.internationalrafting.com

INFORMATION

COSTA RICA HOW TO GET THERE

Most major airlines have a direct flight into the main airport of Juan Santamaria International, located in Alajuela. This airport is only twenty minutes away from San José. Other important airports are: the Daniel Oduber Quiros International Airport, located in Liberia, Guanacaste and the Tobias Bolaños Airport located in Pavas, San José, for local as well as international flights.

CURRENCY: Costa Rican Colón (plural colones) (¢) though dollars and Euros are widely accepted in San Jose.

TIME ZONE: GMT -8 hours.

LANGUAGE: Spanish though English is also widely spoken in San Jose, the capital city.

https://goo.gl/maps/JDh5iV1hoXAZMaFn9

LOCATION

Costa Rica is located in Central America, connecting North and South America. It borders Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the south.

The country has a relatively long coastline in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, as well as a number of rivers and streams that attract specialist kayakers and rafters from all over the world.

Costa Rica is a tropical destination. Its look and landscape changes throughout the year, and the country is in a constant state of renewal. As such, every time of the year is a great time to visit. Tailor your trip to your interests, and your experience in Costa Rica will be fulfilling beyond imagination. The Costa Rican landscape is one of great variety, filled with lush vegetation and stunning displays of flora.

With jungles, beaches, and a wide array of terrain and climate zones, Costa Rica is a playground for the adventurous. Whether it’s paddling, hiking, wildlife viewing or just relaxing on the beach, everything under the sun is available to you.

ECO SUSTAINABILITY

With a goal to be the first carbon neutral country in the world by 2021, sustainable practices are observed in every region of the country, across all industries, adopted by all citizens and embraced by visitors. From local Costa Rican cuisine to artisan crafts to traditional customs and celebrations, sustainability is embedded deeply in the culture and traditions of Costa Rica.

The territory is divided into 29 national parks, 19 wildlife refuges, eight biological reserves, and a series of protected areas that captivate lovers of ecotourism activities. Excursion offerings and tours are varied, including: horseback riding, hiking mountain trails, guided tours for bird watching, forests, landscapes and natural heritage sites, as well as aerial trams, lakes and rivers full of flora and fauna.

This tourism product not only aims to provide beautiful natural experiences for tourists, but also to educate visitors about the importance of protecting natural resources. Although Costa Rica is a small territory, it makes up about 5% of the earth's biodiversity.

Fortunately, this natural treasure is protected by the National System of Conservation Areas, preserving a total of 25% of the national territory.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Visitors must have a valid passport as well as proof of their intent to exit the country before their visa or entry stamp expires, usually within 90 days.

The Irazu Volcano

www.visitcostarica.com/en

CLIMATE

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Twenty years ago manufacturers were making enough money to send their athletes to exotic places to test dozens of design prototypes.Today, barely any prototyping is done.

W W KAYAKING T H E

S T A T E

O F

Words: Corran Addison By 1999, when you’d go to buy a kayak, you had the choice of about 15 models, in three sizes, in eight colours, from each of the 10 brands, available in three shops, all within an hours drive. Now, 20 years later, Confluence, the once proud owner of Dagger, Perception and WaveSport, shut down two of the three whitewater brands – after all you don’t need three brands losing money, when you can have just the one.

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ThePADDLER 42 Forgive me if I get a bit wonky here, and if this deviates a bit from my usual tack of giving specific instruction on some paddling related topic, but I feel that the state of the whitewater kayaking industry is in jeopardy, and this needs to be addressed.

The simple fact is that whitewater kayaking as an industry is not healthy. It is constantly on the verge of financial collapse. Little more than a cursory glance at the last 20 years is all it takes to see the dire straits that it’s in, and if you love kayaking, especially white water kayaking, this is cause for concern, to you, the end user.

Let me back track here a little and give this context.

My first point is that the information and details are going to be somewhat slanted to North America, as this is the market with which I am most familiar, and have the most details. In broad strokes, all this applies equally to Europe, but I will be using the North American market to make my point.

In 1999, the retail price of a kayak was $1,000. In today’s money with inflation, that’s $1,480. Let’s just call that $1,500 to keep things simple. If nothing had been changed in the way kayaks were built (cost of goods) and there was no other change influencing cost of goods beyond simple monetary devaluation, a kayak today should sell for $1500, just to be the same as it was in 1999.

But this is inaccurate. In 1999, the cost of a kayak’s outfitting was about 10-15% of the total manufacture cost, which was little more than a plastic seat, plastic thigh brace, basic footrest and a basic backband.

Today’s kayaks, with advanced ‘turn-key' outfitting, are often as much as 50% or more of the cost of the kayak. This alone should add 30% more cost to that $1,500 price tag I mentioned.

Plastic has improved significantly in 20 years, and the cost has gone up too. In 1999 a Superlinear was about $0.99/lb. Today it’s close to $3/lb for the best plastics.

That’s three times the cost. And we put more plastic in the kayaks because they take a lot more abuse.

Shipping a kayak used to cost $80. Now you’re lucky if you can ship one for $300. The list goes on and on.

If you total up all the manufacturing costs, overheads and everything else, and make the same margins (manufacturer and dealer) that we were in 1999, the ‘natural’ price for a kayak today would be somewhere between $2,300 and $2,500!

I’m imaging your blank stare of disbelief.

A COMPARABLE INDUSTRY

But let’s have a look at a comparable industry. One of my suppliers happens to make mountain bikes. One of these bikes costs about $150 more to make than my kayak does. It retails for $4,000. My kayak retails for $1,500. That on its own should tell the story.

To expand the mountain bike model a little, consider this. From 2018-2019, full suspension bikes that retail for under $1,000 grew in sales by about $5 million. Bikes in the $3,000-$3,500 range grew by about $38 million, and bikes over $5,000 grew in sales by over $55 million.

Back when kayaks cost $1,000, there was barely any outfitting cost.

Today, it’s as much as 60% of the cost of production

Of course the mountain biking market is far larger than white water kayaking, and it’s a pipe dream that will never come to fruition to even imagine that we could have those sorts of numbers, but what the above does tell us is that when people love a sport, they’re normally willing to pay what’s necessary to get the very best. In kayaking, the end consumer nickelled and dimed the entire industry, from manufacturer to dealer, into submission… and near bankruptcy.

No one, even the longest standing or largest selling brand owners, are getting rich. They live modest lives and do it because they love kayaking.

This ‘profitable’ mountain biking industry is able to continually reinvest in itself, improve bikes, dealer networks, and even have money to lobby state legislature to open up trails (and maintain them).They have millions of dollars in demo fleets out in the marketplace at any moment in time, allowing bikers to test.

You know, like kayaking used to have.

Imagine if the kayaking industry had that sort of clout in the UK, and could get some of the access issues that are fought with fishermen revisited and resolved.

Probably very few people reading this article were paddling in the late 1960s and 1970s, but let me paint a picture for you.

If you wanted to kayak, you could not go to a shop and buy one. Kayak shops didn’t exist. While there were some early ‘boat builders’ popping up in Europe, there were non-existent in the USA. If you wanted to kayak, first you had to build a kayak. You needed to borrow or rent a mould from the local club, rent a book from a library on boat building, find somewhere to make the boat, buy the materials, and over several weeks, painstakingly build yourself a kayak. You probably didn’t get much choice as to design – you just got the mould that the club had.

the access issues

Imagine if the kayaking industry had that sort of clout in the UK and could get some of that are fought with fishermen resolved

Events have become few and far between due to lack of financial support

Thirty five years ago, when you went to buy a kayak, you pretty much had only one model to choose from, available in four colours. Is this the direction we’re going in?

Whitewater kayaking grew by 32% in 2019 from 2018%, and yet saw dozens of retail shops close due to lack of profits

There is no reason we can’t see once more the sort of explosive growth we saw in the 1990s, but this will require a change of attitude.

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Then along came an entrepreneur

called Bill Masters, who decided to take his fledgling kayak company that was producing fibre-glass kayaks and make plastic ones. He was not the first – Tom Johnson and Pierre Arquette both were making a plastic kayak a few years before Perception, but like all kayaks at the time, you bought the kayak directly from the guy who made it.

Bill had this idea that rather than selling direct, he’d sell to a shop, and have a network of these shops all across the country (and world). This would mean that paddlers everywhere would be able to try and buy his boats, rather than sales always being regional to where X or Y boat builder was situated.

His idea caught on, and by 1999 there were over 800 speciality dealers across North America who sold white water kayaks. Larger towns would have 3-4 dealers in the same town, all carrying the full lines of two to three brands of kayak, in all sizes and all colours. All in inventory, all ready for you to buy on the spot, and go kayaking that day.

Dealers were making 40% profit margin on their cost (understand that this is gross, not net profit - average operational costs are about 30%, so in reality after paying rent, employees and so on, the dealer was making 10%). Manufacturers were making about 40% margins on cost of goods (also gross, not net).

A HEALTHY, GROWING INDUSTRY

The result was a healthy, growing industry. In 1984, if you lived in the USA and you wanted to buy a kayak, your choices were red, yellow, blue or neutral. Of one model. By one brand.The Perception Dancer.Your decision-making was all about which colour, since there was only one boat model you’d seriously consider.

The Disco went through 13 prototypes over two years.There is a reason it was such a ground breaking design.Today’s problem is not ideas, it’s money to develop those ideas

By 1999, when you’d go to buy a kayak, you had the choice of about 15 models, in three sizes, in eight colours, from each of the 10 brands, available in three shops, all within a one-hour drive. Manufacturers sent sales reps, and pro teams to events all over the country.They put on events, and supported the clubs and stores.They would do mass demo days, and sunk hundreds of thousands of dollars into R&D. Every year the sport reinvented itself. Anyone who lived through those golden years from about 1995 to 2003 will remember how exciting it was.

Festivals with mass attendance happened almost every weekend, all across north America and Europe. Now, there are but a handful each year

So, what happened? How did we end up here, what are the effects, how do we fix it, and why should you care?

Exactly why the industry or dealers (it’s both hard and misleading to point fingers) worked so hard to suppress the retail price of kayaks well under inflation and the mounting cost of goods is not clear, but it happened. In 2017 there were brands still selling kayaks for $1,000 (let me refer back to the ‘natural’ price they should be of $2,300 for context). This is a retail price that’s barely over the cost of goods plus overheads. It leaves no room for the dealer and in fact, many brands were left with no choice but to cut the dealer out of the loop.

Suddenly, brands that had global distribution went back to being a regional thing. Like in 1970. It was very hard to get their boats outside of their region, and almost impossible to try before you buy.

A LOSS MAKER

Those that have attempted to keep a dealer network had to cut their margins down so significantly, that white water became a loss maker. Other products the company made were subsidizing white water kayaks, effectively creating a situation where every kayak sold results in a deficit to the company. Confluence, the

proud owner of Dagger, Perception and WaveSport, shut down two of the three whitewater brands – after all you don’t need three brands losing money for you when you can have just one.

Even the number one whitewater brand in the world, Jackson, relies on redneck fishermen to buy $800 coolers to pay for their white water kayak habit.

And dealers, once a massive network sprawling across the country, hosting events, carrying every model in every size from every manufacturer, have all but disappeared. We are left today with little more than 100 dealers in North America, compared to the 800 twenty years ago. The gross margin they’re making is 30% at best, on a product that costs three times the price to ship as it did when overheads were 30% of cost of goods. Every time a dealer sells you a white water kayak, they lose money. Literally lose money.

ONLINE DIRECT

Even the traditional argument of making this deficit up by selling you a helmet and dry top has changed. Now people buy these things online direct from the manufacturer, cutting the dealer out of the loop, or forcing the dealer to lower the price significantly, thereby making even soft goods a money losing proposition.

So how do they make money? They don’t. They closed their doors. And now, most people need to drive hours and hours just to get to the closest dealer, who maybe carries one or two brands, and only the bestselling models, in a few colours. They can of course order you what you want – if you don’t mind waiting two weeks.

Starting to sound like 1970? Well this is where we’re going – rapidly!

How would this image look in 1982 when there was just one (viable) plastic kayak on the market. Choice is good, and we want to keep this a reality

We’re heading into a new world that harks back to the old one, where you buy your kayak from the closest local manufacturer, with a choice of models that only changes every few years. And if you want a kayak that comes from another region, you’re ordering it online, waiting weeks to get it, and hope you like it, because you can’t send it back if you don’t.This isn’t a shoe.

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A comment I’ve heard before is that consumers could justify spending $1,000 on a kayak in 1999 (again $2,300 today if all things went up equally to final price) because designs were evolving so fast. You wanted the latest exciting design, and would pay a hefty price to get it. Those that couldn’t, were forced to buy used boats six months old.

SO MANY IDEAS

Do you think that one day we just suddenly ran out of ideas? An entire industry, collectively, just had nothing more to give? This is simply not realistic. Designers today have just as many ideas on how to make boats better, from shape, to outfitting and materials. The problem is not ideas – it’s the money to develop those ideas.

When you’re selling at kayak at a net 10% loss, you simply cannot justify throwing $100,000 at its development: a dozen prototypes, tested over a year, all over the world, by a half dozen paid team paddlers, all travelling on your dime.

We’ve been surfing along for 20 years on the efforts and innovations that came out of the 1990s, but if we want to see new progression, we all have to chip in

The reason why designs are not evolving, is because consumers have not been willing to pay what a kayak is worth.

This cannot be fixed overnight. It’s a process, and I don’t have all the answers, even if I have over the last few years identified much of the problem. If you, the consumer, wants to have access to quality boats, of all kinds, from shops that let you demo boats, close to where you live or paddle, and want to see improvements in materials, and designs, then you’re also going to have to come to grips that you’ve been paying far too little for your kayaks, and that this has almost destroyed the industry that provides the toys that we all need to do what we love so much.

A QUANTUM SHIFT

There has to be a quantum shift in how paddlers think about their kayak, and the value that they ascribe to it.

It is simply not sustainable, or logical, to think that a kayak today should be less than half the price it was 20 years ago.

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wood, stone & fire

Words and photos: Mal Grey

It was the end of our first day in Glaskogen, on our first canoe trip to Scandinavia.

We’d paddled the length of Stora Gla, a far bigger expanse of water than any of us had paddled before, and we were now camped on a perfect little island amongst the promontories of pine and heather clad scoured rock at the eastern end of the lake. Now, whilst Louise and Mark sat by the fire in camp, I was sat on a warm rock gazing out over an expanse of liquid rose gold, entranced.Across the water, in the last light of day, a lone canoe glided between distant islands.The strongest memory, though, isn’t only of this utterly gorgeous view, but of the total silence that came with it. I’ve sat and listened to the sound of nothing before, in the Highlands of Scotland, but never has that lack of sound been so heavy, so remarkable.And that has what has drawn me back several times again.

MAL GREY

Mal has paddled open canoes extensively throughout the UK, as well as on numerous trips to France and Scandinavia. He seems to be developing a strange love for trips that include portaging across hillsides, but is equally happy to find himself drifting on the quiet rural rivers of Surrey. As well as having written a number of articles for the Paddler magazine, Mal has his own blog, photo galleries and website at www.wildernessisa stateofmind.co.uk

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ThePADDLER 50 Glaskogen is a forest nature reserve in southern Sweden, not that far from the Norwegian border and Oslo. Here, the endless woodlands of Scandinavia are managed but still generally natural, and the landscape rolls gently, no great hills rise from the carpet of trees.

It all sounds very samey. What makes it special, though, is the hollows and scrapes in the land, left by ice and erosion, that are filled with cold, clear water, with good trails or forest tracks between them. It is also, relatively easy to get to, for the central hamlet of Lenungshammar lies just a few hours drive from either Oslo or Goteborg. I’d flown in to meet my friends, who’d driven all the way from their home in southern France, handily bringing me a canoe and paddling gear.

As they proceeded to look after me in camp all trip, they have become known as the butler and the maid.

A MAGICAL FIRST EXPLORATION

On that first trip, we spent time on the big lake Stora Gla, before heading off into a series of smaller lakes to the east. Here we crossed our first Swedish portages.

In Glaskogen, these can be as easy or as hard as you want them to be, really. There are ‘true’ portages between some lakes, narrow rooty trails meandering through the woodlands, but a lot of the lakes are linked by gravel forest roads, perfect for using canoe trolleys. Handily, even if you bring your own canoe, you can hire ridiculously over-engineered trolleys from the hire centre in the centre of the nature reserve.

Those lakes were linked by quite long trolley pushes, and it was rather wet at times. Each afternoon, though, we would arrive at one of the numerous laavus, or wind shelters, which dot the landscape at strategic points. These are excellent places to stop, for each has a fire pit and normally a long-drop loo nearby. In the reserve itself, they are also normally provided with a large pile of split firewood. You are not, though, permitted to forage for your own wood in the nature reserve itself, though outside a respectful and sustainable approach to firewood collecting is fine.

For three days, we travelled through the woods, pushing trolleys as much as paddling, and looping back round to the southernmost point of Stora Gla. Here, as the wind was rising, we quickly paddle up the shore a few kilometres to another of the laavus, in a great position on the eastern shores.

Of course, when you’re paddling on lakes, some of them large; Stora Gla is almost 10km long and not far off as wide; then sometimes, the wind is going to get you. Here we were stuck for a couple of days, with whitecaps on the lake, but basically good weather. Far from being down about it, we just enjoyed living in the woods, walked through forest that goes on for ever, making you feel very small, and simply sat around the lake side watching and listening to the natural world.

There is something almost hypnotic about sitting on these shores, just soaking in the atmosphere of the north, that seems to be the same wherever you are in the world.

If you’re on a deadline, though, you need to build in some spare days, and to amend your plans to take advantage of the calm moments to move across the open water. On this occasion, that meant an early start to escape, and the next morning we were up at first light to make a couple of kilometres crossing into more modest winds, so we could then hug the shore later as the winds built up again.

pushing trolleys

For three days, we travelled through the woods, as much as paddling, and looping back round to the southernmost point of Stora Gla

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ThePADDLER 52 That first trip was only four years ago, yet now seems quite a distant memory. For our experience has built up, and our expectations changed, with the harder and more remote trips we’ve done since. What then seemed like tough 4km portages, now seem like pleasant enough walks through the woods pushing a canoe on wheels, after other trips where we’ve been carrying across boulder fields, dragging across moorlands, or walking for a full day through remote Norwegian woods with canoes on our heads.

THE LELÅNGEN LOOP

That first trip was wonderful, one of my favourite memories, an eye-opener to the joy of living outdoors in Sweden’s ultra-fresh air.The following year, we planned to return, but this time we fancied something a little more adventurous.To the south of the big lakes of Stora and Övre Gla, lie a series of lakes based roughly around the central lake and hamlet of Lelången. It possible to link these lakes into a circular route, using both trolley and carry portages to make a more energetic trip.This could be done in perhaps four days, but we prefer to enjoy time just being there, so decided on a full week.To make things easier, by now I’d bought an Ally 15DR folding canoe, which had proven its worth by a trip to Knoydart by train from the south coast of England. Not only could I fly with it, but it is also much lighter than many canoes to carry on your shoulders.This time, Mark and Louise would be joined

by Rob, as it seemed wise to add more staff to my crew when we’d have to carry stuff on our backs.

Now, we’re not know for travelling light and with Mark and Louise having made the long trip from France with a van, there seemed to be no excuse not to have a fair amount of ballast – of the wine variety. However, we didn’t really fancy carrying a week’s worth from day one… so a cache was left hidden in the woods near our half-way point. I even took a compass bearing or two to make sure we could find it again! Our trip then started with a 400m ‘proper’ portage, carrying all our

gear and canoes through pine-scented woodlands, down to a beautiful sheltered lake, clad in waterlilies.

A pleasant paddle down a long thin series of lakes took us under a road through a tight tunnel, and out onto Lelangen Lake itself. An hour or so down this and we found a lovely campsite, with a laavu, perched on a pine-clad promontory high above the lake. Subtly different to the sites on Stora Gla, the views were less extensive, for tall trees dominated the shores, but it seemed less visited and more isolated.

Our next portage, using trolleys, took us to a lovely island-studded lake, Ösjön. Here we stayed for two nights on a wonderful little rocky headland, though pitching the tents took a bit of thought as getting pegs in wasn’t so easy. Each evening, we were treated to a stunning moonrise over the lake, reflected in the perfectly calm water.

From here, our way ahead looked tougher. First, we’d have to find the portage in a maze of islands and bays. From there, a series of small lakes and increasing portages would take us into the next series of lakes. This was the first time we’d really attempted longer carries, and the trolleys were more burden than aid for these, given that they weighed 8kg each and the trails were too rough to wheel them! Each portage was slightly more efficient than the last, but all were fuelled by Non-Stop chocolates, a bag of which seems to last forever.

We spent a night in a woodland clearing, before continuing onwards across more small lakes, now linked by smoother forest roads, before settling on Norra Tvängstjärnen for a couple of days rest. Here we found a lovely wild camp, where an arc of sandy beach lay beneath a lovely flat spot in the trees. This was a magical spot for a rest day, pottering around and simply enjoying being there with good friends.

These are the days you remember on these trips, just as much as the actual paddling.

Eventually, we carried on back towards Stora Gla, via a more open lake, Nedre Tvängen, and another trolley portage. This was a lovely lake, with numerous rocky islands, many of them complete with little cabins as it lies just outside the nature reserve. Fabulous places to spend time in the

summer I should think. A last night at a final Laavu was filled with laughter and camaraderie, as we made our way steadily through an enormous pile of logs and finished off all our food and, of course, the ballast. The Lelången Loop had been a tough trial at times, but what a place to travel through with, and even sometimes in, a canoe.

A HOLIDAY IN GLASKOGEN

The next Scandinavia trip was much more adventurous, a 12-day linear route across the Swedish-Norwegian border from Rogen to Røros which has been previously described in The Paddler magazine. That was a big step up, so this year, we decided on something a little less energetic and serious. Rob and I, other plans having fallen through, decided a week back in Glaskogen would be the perfect antidote to hectic work lives. This time Mark and Louise couldn’t make it, so it was just us and our folding canoes, making our way via different flights to Goteborg before squeezing bags and boats into a hire car and heading for Lenungshammar again.

The weather forecast was a little less stable this year, so we kept out plans flexible. Strong winds would dominate the first half of the week, so we planned a “half a Lelången loop” in the opposite direction to the previous trip, as this would be more sheltered than the open water of the main lakes.What a joy it was to be once more heading off across clear waters, beneath towering walls of pine and fir, knowing that we would soon be camped in that land of silence.

This trip was much more of a holiday, the portages seemed pretty easy really, even the 3.5km one, almost all being trolley pushes. We’re getting used to it, I guess, and I suppose most folk wouldn’t see that as a holiday at all! My main memory of the first few days is of camp life, relaxing back into tripping mode, and enjoying explorations of the woods between paddles. We used some of the campsites we knew from before, though some of the route was new to us. The only difficulty this year was dodging squally showers on most afternoons, as well as a constant moderate wind which occasionally became too strong for paddling.

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Halfway through the week, we started heading back to Lenungshammar, for the forecast was looking better.

Normally, we’d paddle to the end of Stora Gla from there over a day or so. However, with windy spells still forecast this might lead to being wind-bound just before we had to fly home. Our cunning plan, then, was to drive a surprisingly long way round to a put in at the eastern end, and head off from there.

Stora Gla is, as previously described, a large expanse of open water. At the eastern end, though, a series of islands and peninsulas make up a magical area to explore, each made of scoured rock now clad with a cap of heather, birch and pine. There are many sheltered bays and plenty of wind shelters scattered about in some wonderful positions. Leaving the hamlet of Dammarna, we headed into this maze of islands, and in just an hour or so we were set up at a perfect camp, with a Laavu looking out towards the west, yet sheltered by outer islands from the prevailing winds. This would be home for the rest of the trip.

A sunny day was too windy to paddle, whitecaps racing across the outer lake, but we were content enough.That evening, we were rewarded with a fabulous sunset, and the forecast looked good for the next day. Getting up at first light, we quietly made our way to the water, saying little.The bay was a mirror, a perfect lake of liquid mercury in which the world was reflected. We slipped silently out from the shore, and spent a very special hour just paddling and exploring, each of us in our own world.The reflections were outstanding, the water miraculously clear, and the colours of the heather and grasses vibrant in the first light of the day.To top it all, the haunting calls of black throated divers echoed around us. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Having returned for a lazy breakfast, later we went for a longer paddle, out round the bigger islands, dots on the huge great expanse of the lake in perfect conditions with barely a breath of wind, or a ripple on the water. Finally, a week of being patient with the weather, and adopting our plans to make the most of it, had brought us the reward of one of the best paddles I can remember on our final day.

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INFORMATION

HOW TO GET THERE

GLASKOGEN Fly to Oslo or Goteborg and hire a car. A few hours drive on easy roads, the last part being gravel, and you can be there. Rob and I each have folding Ally canoes, though you can hire.

Drive the long way round through the low countries, Germany, Denmark and across to Sweden. Lenungshammar has a large campsite, which is the perfect base for your first night.

CURRENCY: one krona (SEK) = 100 öre

https://sweden.se

TIME ZONE: GMT +1

https://goo.gl/maps/EGTUZTdSA1SV8wLD7

HIRE

The Glaskogen Nature Reserve is centred on Lenungshammar. Here you can hire canoes, trolleys, buoyancy aids and paddles. The only problem is that the canoes are heavy aluminium Linder canoes, similar to the better known Grumman and you wouldn’t want to portage these on anything except the trolley routes.

Also, you can’t kneel in them and solo paddling isn’t a good option.

CAMPING

You need to purchase a ‘permit’ to camp in the nature reserve. This gives access to the wind shelters, long-drop loos and wood stores throughout the park. It works out about £6 a day I think, each, though there are ‘family’ discounts which they have been happy to apply to a group.

FOOD

There is a small shop at Lenungshammar, but it really is only the basics. It also, sometimes, sells gas, but not always!

We tend to buy fresh food for the first two to three nights, then move onto mostly dehydrated main meals.

We prepare these ourselves in the weeks before trips. I say we; I do nothing of the sort as the butler, the maid, or Rob have so far kindly fulfilled this role and I do the fresh bit. All this is backed up with things like pancakes or bannock cooked on the fire.

Swedish supermarkets such as ICA are very well supplied with everything else you need, though to get the best choice shop in one of the larger towns. If you come in through Norway, wait until you’ve crossed the border before shopping to save money. Supermarkets only sell weak beer, if you want wine or spirits you must use well-stocked government shops but watch the opening hours.

SILVERBIRCHCANOES.COM

Emerald colour water A circumnavigation of …

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Words and photos: Tom Thorpe There has been a lot of Irish circumnavigations in the last few years. But each trip is unique. My trip was completed in August 2019.

Paddler: Tom Thorpe is a teacher and semi professional sea kayaker based in Devon and Cornwall.

Days: 26.

Distance: 800 miles approximately.

Start and finish point: Portpatrick, Scotland.

Route: anti clockwise.

Ireland is a place that is made for sea kayaking. Whether you wish to circumnavigate the whole island, or cherry pick the best stretches, there is something for everyone. Around half of the Irish coastline is exposed to Atlantic swells and winds, therefore paddling whilst being surrounded by white caps and clapotis is pretty normal. Irish conditions are notoriously hard to predict and if a circumnavigator chooses to go clockwise or anti-clockwise it’s almost certain they’ll encounter headwinds and opposing conditions.

If you talk to folk that have undertaken the expedition you’ll hear them talking about the long days, the rough water and the notorious headlands and for the most part what they say is unlikely to be an exaggeration – it’s pretty full on! The Atlantic swells rise up from the deep water and meets huge cliffs. Anyone who paddles around Ireland will be put to the test and anyone that belittles it probably hasn’t done it.

By far, the most impressive trip that has been done was by a group of Irish chaps in 1990. The group included Mick O’Meara and took 33 days. The boats they used were Valley Nordkapp copies and although the Nordkapp was an extremely advanced design for its time, it’s still an older style displacement hull and all of the equipment would have been heavier than most of today’s circumnavigators use. The 33-day trip was never supposed to be a record, it was how things worked out and for the guys it was simply something they wanted to do.

IRELAND ThePADDLER 59

ThePADDLER 60 Interestingly though, that 33-day time would stand for 20 years and even today, with the lightest and fastest equipment, most will struggle to beat that.

The trip is between 800 to 1,000 miles depending on the route taken. If you choose the 800-mile version, a paddler will find themselves in open water very often.

My trip took 26 days, anti clockwise, including the crossings from Scotland. My 26 days included two days off the water, one day due to force eight headwinds and one day due to strong winds and a choice I made to rest instead of battle and make slow progress.

In any sport there seems to be a set path. A climber will find themselves in Fontainebleau and Yosemite at some point in their journey. A surfer will find themselves in Morocco or Indonesia and a sea kayaker will find themselves in Greenland, Norway, Ireland, Scotland and other places. There seems to be a well-trodden path and areas that attract more hype than others.

I travelled around the world when I was younger, searching out national parks and hidden areas. I tried desperately to stay away from other westerners and tourists.Towards the end of my travels I realised something; that there is often a reason why people flock to some areas and why they are so popular. It’s because they are outstandingly beautiful and inspiring.

As I progressed through my sea kayaking career I kept hearing about Ireland and as I studied maps of the world, I’d often check out the Irish coastline. I didn’t mentally prepare and fully commit to the plan until six weeks before I set off.

ROOF OF BRITAIN ULTRA

In 2018 my friend Steve Bowens and I paddled around the top of Scotland, which included many of the islands on our route and some of the best

crossings and exposed sections of water in the UK. We called it the Roof of Britain Ultra at around 620 nautical miles. It was the perfect preparation trip.

During the six weeks leading up to Ireland I got hold of all of the maps and things I needed. All of my heavy equipment was switched out for lighter gear.

My training schedule was tripled and I did my reps and exercises most days. Where I live is perfect for training and trips around Plymouth breakwater with a heavy boat or towing Mr Finn was a regular occurrence. That training was essential. Luckily, my girlfriend is very supportive and I regularly towed her whilst she sat on my longboard surfboard. That resistance training was a big help.

Training for long trips is tricky; long distance sea kayaking is a lot about endurance and mental grit.

The Scillies crossing and islands is one of my favourite places and paddling trips and it was great to be able to test my equipment there.

SETTLED WEATHER

The best time to do an Ireland circumnavigation is around the longest day of the year. Often the weather is pretty settled through June and around the longest day. If you read the books about UK and other Ireland circumnavigations, folk always try to be on the Irish west coast at that time. Obviously the more settled the weather, the more distance one can achieve and for most, the more fun the paddling.

August is when I get my summer holidays. Bumpy water helps me stay engaged and focused so I wasn’t worried if it wasn’t going to be super calm.

For me paddling for 8-10 hours a day can get pretty laborious and monotonous if the water is flat, if there is a swell, tide or wind blowing or flowing I’m happy. The thing that does bother me on long distance days is a headwind. A headwind increases a paddler’s stroke rate and causes more fatigue.

Paddling 30-50 nautical miles each day means that one cannot go crazy on any one of the days because rest and recovery is not an option, its really important to know your limits. I had many headwinds in Ireland and that’s one of the reasons why my total came out as 26 days and not 21. I was careful and more conservative on the distance and a couple of times only achieved a 25-30 mile day.

Once you get a good relationship with yourself and know what you can achieve it allows us to find out what is possible and plan more realistically.

My route was planned out from the beginning and I had targets, but I took it day by day. I’d check the forecast twice a day and sit looking at the sea eating my breakfast. The plan was very dynamic and I made alterations to my goals the night before, the morning of and during the paddling days. Utilising the good weather days is so important and when the conditions allowed, I pushed the distance to 45-55 nautical miles. Eating and carrying enough food was a major challenge.

THE ROUTE

I had studied the weather patterns all year, watching the synoptic charts and how the systems were moving.

This year we have had abnormal conditions.

Many easterlies and northerlies and prolonged periods of settled weather were common.

Whilst working through June and early July, the weather was amazing and I knew it couldn’t last forever.

Our predominant winds here in the UK are south westerlies. Some years easterly winds and swells are quite rare, but not this year (2019).

I looked at the charts, tides and forecasts religiously in the weeks leading up to the trip. It would be so cool to do the crossings from and to

Scotland within the circumnavigation, so I checked it out.The maps suggested that Portpatrick in Scotland would be an ideal launch site and I had a really positive phone conversation with the RNLI station and the Harbour Master. I began to get really excited.

The decision to paddle clockwise or anticlockwise would be made a day before I set off, I wanted a week of semi-reliable forecast to make the decision.

So sitting in Portpatrick the night before and studying my apps, charts and maps – the decision was made. The tides and weather matched up and if I could maintain a good speed and reach my target distances, I could get down to the south west corner and meet the south westerlies, which were sure to come in at some point. If it went to plan the wind would assist me along the south coast and up the east coast and that would counter any conditions I met on the west coast. At least that was the theory. Definitely a risk, but I’m paddling around Ireland; the whole trips a risk!

I set off from Portpatrick after a windy and wet night in the van, I struggled to sleep that night because I was so excited. At 04.00 the weather settled and I woke up and looked out, the rain was still there but the wind had dropped. The tide told me that I didn’t have to launch until 08:30 and I was pleased as it gave me chance to sort my gear and van and make sure I had everything for a potential month on the water.

I paddled out from Portpatrick into the fog and locked onto my bearing, it was an amazing crossing and 45 nautical miles later I paddled out of the fog and landed at a place near Waterfoot in Ireland. I had made it, the first challenge done, for me being in Ireland was magical and I was so happy. The forecast was telling me the weather was really settled for the next few days and I prepared for a few big days creeping around the north coast. At this point the tides were on springs and they would push me and be on my tail all morning.

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The headwinds arrived on the third day and I hugged the coast and took part in some tactical

rock hopping

to avoid the winds and tide.

headland at 22:15 was a big relief. I surfed into a natural harbour as the sun was setting. It was an amazing day and these were the conditions I had been expecting, the true Ireland. I had paddled past ten islands that day and covered 50 nautical miles.

I sorted my gear and sent my girlfriend a picture of the sunset. She sent me an alarming message back and I called her straight away. She had answered the phone in tears and she had just hung up from calling the coastguard. She had called them after becoming worried. I apologised profusely and after she had calmed down, I decided I needed some help on the safety front to relieve pressure on myself and others.

In Waterfoot I experienced my first taste of Irish hospitality. My plans to paddle around Ireland with minimal equipment and weight meant that I carried little food and water, no shoes or non-essential items.The plan was to knock on doors or find springs for water and to stock up on food every three of four days.

NEW GPS UNIT

I went to find someone willing to fill up my water bottles. I knocked on a door and the family invited me into the house and I met an amazing chap who had sailed around the world and worked on super yachts.

He told me his story and about how he had dived into shallow water, broken his neck and paralysed himself from the neck down. He was wheelchair bound and his positivity and his willingness to talk openly about his situation was very inspiring. He was really interested in my plans, I’d told him of how on the way over from Portpatrick I had attempted to get a good GPS track and check my location a couple of times due to the fog and shipping lanes. Unfortunately my GPS had decided it was time to die and wasn’t functioning at all. To my amazement he gave me a new GPS unit after hearing that mine had shut down. That was so amazing!

Here I was in Ireland, I had to embrace the fact that this was happening and fully commit to each day and to my plans to go anti clockwise. I moved through the north coast and managed to make good time. The first day gave me a boost and I paddled through tide races in lovely warm weather, looking out towards the Scottish islands and passing the giants causeway.

The headwinds arrived on the third day and I hugged the coast and took part in some tactical rock hopping to avoid the winds and tide. The weather was really changeable and as I moved around the northern tip, progress was slowed by strong headwinds. I battled on. The north coast is amazingly beautiful, the clouds hang over the mountains and the sandy beaches stretch for miles, I was soon to understand that the majority of the Irish coast is sandy beaches split by large cliffs.

When I made it to the west coast the wind was opposing tide and the water was pretty bumpy but I was moving quickly and managed to keep the wind on my tail for most of the day. Moving down towards Dawros was a full on day and arriving at a remote

The next morning I messaged Steve Bowens, one of my best friends whom paddled around Scotland with me last year. He is a surf lifeguard trainer and AALA inspector, knows the Irish coast and understands the processes involved with FSK expeditions.

Every day I would send Steve a route card with timings and anyone would be able to follow me on an app. Elise my girlfriend would be able to call Steve if she couldn’t get hold of me.

Basically the instructions were, if you cant get hold of me, haven’t heard from me by 02.00 and the tracker isn’t working, call the coastguard and tell them my last known location and my target location for that day.The thing is with these trips, by the time anyone can get to a solo paddler on an exposed coast, it’s probably too late and I was fine with that, it’s something I accept when I paddle solo in remote locations.

6,000 CALORIES A DAY

The next couple of days I passed Rossan Point, stopping quickly to re-stock the boat at Malinmore.

This was when I realised what Steve had tried to tell me was true – being a Vegan in Ireland will be hard.

Milk is in most things and whole foods won’t be common. Even cereal bars were hard to come by but I bought what I could and loaded up the boat. My decision to only carry minimal food was still good, a heavy boat is a slow boat. It’s crazy how much food a paddler consumes when paddling consistently quickly over long distances. The amount of calories burnt per day is estimated at 6,000. To get a balanced intake of carbohydrates, sugars and fats is hard. Most energy bars are hard to eat after one has eaten ten and some of them taste horrible. Flapjacks for me are the best but I couldn’t buy them in most places. Biscuits and peanut butter sandwiches would provide the energy.

Moving towards Easky was challenging, the wind was changeable and making it to an island called Invermurray with a headwind was tricky. In Ireland there were monasteries and signs of historic habitation on most islands. I didn’t get much time to explore but luckily the islands were home to many species of birds and it was great to hang out and watch them. Camping on Invermurray was really fun and the next day I paddled to Easky in wind, fog and rain. My original aim was to cross the whole of Sligo Bay in one go but the weather just wasn’t right. That lost me a day. Luckily I had a tail wind heading towards Benwee Head and I camped at Raheen, which set me up to pass through my first crux section of the trip.

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ThePADDLER 64

When I woke up on the sixth day knew that it was only a matter of time before that swell and west wind came in – the weather forecast was promising bad things. The Mullet Peninsula was challenging with really strong offshore winds, followed by strong headwinds and squalls. I realised that my dream of settled weather for the whole of the west coast was just that: a dream.

I made peace with the decision that breaking the record of 23 days was very unlikely. To be honest, as soon as I made that peace, I was relieved and I felt more relaxed. From that point on, I wouldn’t be

attacking Ireland and launching an offensive. I decided to work with the conditions and go with the flow. Whatever I could achieve and whatever happened, just happened. If the weather was bad I would do a shorter day and get to a sheltered camp.

I didn’t take unjustifiable risks, exhausting myself, trying to make the same distances.

I rounded one of the southern points of the Mullet Peninsula and met Sean Pierce of Shearwater Sea Kayaking and his group.What a great guy! He spent time with me and we looked at the maps and he explained a few areas, giving me some tips. It was great to talk to such an enthusiastic and nice fella for a while.

He understood my journey and he was interested in my plans – his advice was sound and local.

Opinions are always tricky for me to gauge and advice is always hard for me to accept, but it does allow me to form a well-rounded vision of what I should expect and be aware of. Early on in my planning for the trip I had learnt not to listen to other paddlers advice and their horror stories. I needed to make my own plans and rely on my own judgement and experience. Other paddlers just made me nervous and anxious of certain phantom cruxes and stretches of coast. The outdoor world loves a bit of horror.

STRONG RAIN AND WINDS

Waking up at Surge Beach, I knew the weather would get bad. I set off from the beach at 06:30 and battled my way toward Achill Sound and Achill town.

The rain and wind got really strong and the rain was so thick at times I couldn’t see. The squalls and wind would come and the wind would be so strong that I would just hold my position for up to 20 minutes and let it pass, when it subsided slightly I could carry on and find a wind eddy. When I arrived at Achill town I was tired and luckily a local chap called Patrick let me stay on his lawn, he provided me with a shower and a cup of tea. It felt amazing and even after only a few days of being wet and sweaty, it felt so good to come into contact with a modern world.

I made a base camp on Patrick’s lawn and re-stocked the kayak, ate a lot of food, stayed dry and made some alterations to my kayak. I was sitting there, chatting on the phone, I look up and who is there?

John Willacy! Can you believe it! John holds records for most of the circumnavigations, crossings and circuits in the UK. John has never set a time for Ireland but it’s very likely that when John does, he will set a new record time.

With the boat packed and maintained I moved on from Achill and I was treated to the best day so far, I

paddled past many islands, two big headlands including Slyne Head and I arrived in Connemara.

When I got to the bay where I was due to camp, the dolphins came out to play and they swam with me for half an hour, I love dolphins.

The camp was set up and I sat above a beautiful beach watching clouds rising and moving towards me like monsters in the sky.

The weather forecast was not good and I stood on the hill and looked towards the Aran Islands and the middle section of the west coast. This was the section of coast that I had received the most warnings about, with horror stories about clapotis and boomers.

A big low pressure system was coming and that evening was the calm before the storm.The northern section of the low pressure system, bringing easterly winds, which annoyingly would provide me with headwinds on this section.The winds got stronger and I had to get to the Aran Islands as quick as possible

ThePADDLER 65

ThePADDLER 66 and sit out the first 30-knot winds. I made it to Inisheer and that night the wind and rain got so strong it felt like I was camping in a hurricane.

HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE

It settled slightly the next morning and I climbed into an old 15th century castle, ate my porridge and stared at the sea. The easterly winds were still there but that would mean the cliffs of Mohar would provide me with a wind shadow, clapotis would be minimal and I’d be able to make progress, if I could get there. The winds were touching F4/5 but I loaded up and paddled out from the island. I had a battle to get to the cliffs and when I looked up they were lined with hundreds of people staring down. I paddled along the cliffs in flat water and passed through the arch at Hags Head and out into stronger winds, probably F6/7.

After getting to a beach close to Spanish Point, I sat and ate lunch, stripped off and swam in the sea and washed out all of my dry clothes. Sometimes with strong headwinds one has to just wee and deal with it later, stopping paddling isn’t possible, a relief zip in my dry pants is essential and toileting isn’t usually an issue.

Strong offshore winds with a short fetch are hard in a sea kayak because it hits the boat and the paddler square on, gaining shelter in the troughs isn’t possible.

Looking up there was blue skybox looking out to sea or inland there were walls of cloud. I’m not exaggerating; this was paddling in the eye. I had identified Whitesands, Doonbeg as a sheltered location and my plan was to get there, set up camp and wait for the southern part of the depression and the westerly winds.The winds came that night and the winds reached gale force for the next few days, with frequent small craft warnings put out over the radio by the coastguard. Luckily social media worked amazingly well and Ireland circumnavigations have a strong following of very enthusiastic paddlers. A group of great guys showed up and we all ate food and talked about paddling whilst I waited out the storm. A big thanks to a chap called Ted.

The weather moved through and luckily it was ok to paddle out. I knew there would be some swell and clapotis hanging around and the headlands would be spicy but I had to move south. The sea-state was still around SS5 but it was ok. I have spent a lot of time surfing, coasteering and rock hopping and it has really helped me analyse a coastline and read it like a river. I can see where the eddys and sheltered sections are and which beaches I can land on, so I wasn’t worried too much about the rough water and swelly sections.

All I was thinking about at this point was getting around the south west tip, the crux. I pushed south and made great progress making it to Brandon. Brandon is the start of the south west’s headlands. It had taken 15 days to get here and I was pleased with that.

The clapotis through the south west section was relentless and my stroke rate was much higher with my glide phase being reduced, having to low brace was pretty normal.

Blasket Sound and the islands were inspiring and this section is where the incoming tide splits on the west coast. Dunmore Head gets hammered by all the conditions but luckily I managed to pass it on a relatively calm day. I knew the next two days would be pretty rough.

Mountains next to the sea create their own weather patterns. The weather was so changeable, there could be blue skies and F3 winds one minute and then the temperature would drop and the rain would start and the wind would pick up to F5 the next minute. It was hard paddling and when I reached my camp spot near Puffin Island, Portmagee, I was tired, the 15-nautical mile crossing had worn me out. I made soup using spring water and ate a lot of food. I was halfway right now and that felt really good.

Part two of Tom’s circumnavigation of Ireland will be in the next issue.

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ThePADDLER 68

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Welcome to PaddlePoints!

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The Healing Power of Paddling Read more on page 8

Team Announcements Read more on page 18

Autumn 2019

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Let’s go somewhere

Contents

3

Welcome

Our Partners

Welcome

4

News News

5

7

Halfords Cotswold Outdoor - Something for Everyone

14

Jaffa - True or False

20

Get Changed, Stay Warm With Dryrobe

22

Performance

K1 Team Gold for Great Britain’s women at... p5

Slalom World Championships Round up

16

2019 Wildwater World Championships

17

Olympic Team Announcement

18

Qualifications and Awards 6

Award of Honour

Go Paddling!

The Healing Power of Paddling

8

Welcome to PaddlePoints!

9

Slalom World Championship Roundup p16

Focus on Clubs Paddling Has Changed Charlie’s Life For The Better

23

The Healing Power of Paddling p8

Coaching and Leadership 10

Access and Environment

Paddling Has Changed Charlies Life For The Better p23

Right Here, Right Now is where we draw the Line- Greta Thunberg

12

Clean up Your Waterways

13

Upcoming Events What’s On?

24

Canoe Focus Autumn 2019

Stand Up Paddleboarding

4

Welcome

This issue of Canoe Focus fully reflects the diversity of our community, our activities and the things we care about.

With just eight months to go to the start of the Olympics and ten months to the Paralympics our performance teams have been finalising selection and preparation.

The Tokyo Sprint test event gave paddlers the chance to test the unique Tokyo Bay setting and it was good to see our Paralympians, at the end of a long season, once again show their abilities. The Slalom selections are reported on Page 16 and 17 but no report can do justice to the drama and fine margins of the season for all concerned. Every paddler was a credit to our sport and I congratulate Kim, Bradley, Adam and Mallory on their performances and selection.

encourage this development further. (Pages 10-11) It is a fast growing part of the paddling scene and has been well represented in the regattas this summer.

We have always been a community that appreciates the wonders of the natural environment; respects nature and never takes for granted the fragility of the environment paddlers enjoy. Support for the climate campaign reported on page 12 raises issues on a global scale and discusses the importance of our clean up campaigns to maintain our local waters.

We are massively well served by the quality, number and depth of service from our volunteer community and three ultimate examples of service are featured on Page 6. The recipients of our Award of Honour are fine examples of service, and receive both my congratulations and admiration.

To win support for access to more water it is vital that our role as custodians of our natural environment is maintained (Page 13). Our work on PaddlePoints provides a new digital platform to help paddlers find and enjoy great spots along our waterways. Developed for the paddling community (Page 9) your contributions to this platform will help us build a greater connection for us all on the water.

We are delighted to see the development and extension of the paddling community embracing SUP and our coaching qualifications can help support and

Behind every paddler is a story of their journey – and remarkable they are too. The story of Emma Kitchen’s paddling journey and the breadth of disciplines she now enjoys shows exactly why she is a great advert for our #shepaddles initiative (Page 8). Sport as an enabler and a way to find and fuel your passion is at the heart of Charlie’s journey (Page 23) and I am sure he will achieve his ambition to be a leader in our sport.

Once again the breadth in this issue of Canoe Focus demonstrates the vibrancy of the family of paddlers that we represent and illustrates the bedrock from which we can build further. We shall be starting the process to set our new ambition and challenges for the next four years during 2020; so please ensure you join us on our journey.

Happy paddling.

Professor John Coyne CBE Chair, British Canoeing

www.britishcanoeing.org.uk

N E WS

5

Receive regular updates plus exclusive discounts for our partner products with a British Canoeing membership. www.britishcanoeing.org.uk/news

www.britishcanoeing.org.uk/membership/join-us-online-here

Performance round up Britain’s world leading paracanoe team win medals at Tokyo Test Event Members of Great Britain’s sprint and paracanoe teams enjoyed success in Tokyo test event ahead of the 2020 Games next year.

2019 Coaching and Leadership Conference: Workshop Choices The 2019 Coaching & Leadership Conference will take place on the 23rd and 24th November at Eastwood Hall, Nottinghamshire. With a variety of workshops available, head to our website and book your place today.

Paddle clean up toolkit launched to help paddlers keep waterways clean

K1 Team Gold for Great Britain’s women at Canoe Slalom World Championships

To celebrate World Rivers Day the Canoe Foundation has launched a paddle cleanup toolkit! Head to our website for tips and advice you might need to keep your local river free from plastic pollution.

Great Britain’s women got off to the best possible start at the World Championships in La Seu d’Urgell, Spain winning gold in the women’s K1 Team event to become world champions in this event for the first time in ten years.

We’re thrilled to be teaming up with dryrobe to promote paddle sports across the UK and support our elite athletes. Our new partnership will also provide members of British Canoeing with access to unique benefits on dryrobe products. Become a member today to receive our exclusive partner discounts.

British Canoeing athletes recognised by SportsAid British Canoeing is delighted to announce that so far this year, 18 athletes have been recognised by SportsAid and have received a grant to support their development.

Canoe Focus Autumn 2019

British Canoeing announce partnership with dryrobe

6

Award of honour Three members of our community were recognised with British Canoeing’s highest accolade at the Holme Pierrepont Open.

Kevin East

The Award of Honour recognises an individual’s outstanding service, commitment and major contribution to the sport. Nominations are welcomed from members of all National Associations and the final selection is approved by the Board of British Canoeing.

Recipients; Tim Ward, Kevin East and Doug Caffyn have each played a significant role developing our sport and living out the spirit of British Canoeing.

Tim Ward

www.britishcanoeing.org.uk

Tim Ward has spent a lifetime in canoeing, initially with the Scouts where he first picked up a paddle and then through his 40 year involvement in the sport. His contribution to both canoeing and freestyle specifically has been unique. Tim has acted in so many roles including Chairman, Coach, President, Team Manager and Event Organiser to name a few. Tim was Chairman of Freestyle GB for five years. During this time freestyle saw one of its greatest successes with two senior British World Champions emerging from the 2011 World Championships. As Honorary President of Nomad and Marlow Canoe Club, Tim continues to work tirelessly to support progress within our sport. He is a true pioneer, inspirer and motivator not forgetting Tim Ward Dad to a World Champion.

Kevin East has given a lifetime to canoeing and has been an instrumental access supporter for decades.

He represents canoeing interests at the Port of London Authority, Parliamentary Waterways, National Trust and many other groups and has a wealth of knowledge on rivers. Kevin has played a leading role in supporting Regional Waterways Advisors and the waterways team in Nottingham and shaped policy and direction in the British Canoeing Places to Paddle team. Kevin is the Local River advisor for the River Crane, The Duke of Northumberland and the River Thames from Staines to Teddington. Kevin was instrumental in developing the all year access arrangement on the Lower Mole Flood channel managed by the Environment Agency. He continues to support this arrangement with numerous site visits. A member of the Canoe Camping Club for over 50 years Kevin organises many of the trips on the Thames Kevin East Region’s programme.

Doug Caffyn The name Rev Caffyn is familiar to many paddlers, but few are aware of the immense contribution Doug has made to Doug Caffyn canoeing. Doug is a former chair of the British Access Committee and served two terms on the Environment Agency Southern Region’s RFERAC (Regional Fisheries, Ecology, Recreation Advisory Committee) representing canoeing interests. In 2004 he submitted a thesis on ‘The Right of Navigation on Non-tidal Rivers and the Common Law’ providing a wealth of information and shaping thinking on the subject of access to water. In 2010 Doug submitted a second thesis; ‘River Transport 1189-1600’ providing paddlers with further evidence to rivers that were physically usable. Doug continues to provide ongoing support and advice on access related issues.

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8

THE HEALING POWER OF PADDLING #ShePaddles

Canoeing was a family affair for 38-year-old Emma Kitchen. Her father introduced her to the sport as a child building an open canoe in which they spent many happy holidays paddling around the Lake District and Scotland’s Loch Lomond.

Aged 17 she followed in her brother’s footsteps becoming a member of Lower Wharfe Canoe Club where she pursued kayaking. But that was before university life took hold followed by a 21-year hiatus from paddling.

Sitting along the bank of a sun-soaked canal, Emma tells us how emerging from an abusive relationship led her to find healing on the water and a new family in her local canoe club.

“I saw the freedom as an opportunity to come back to something I love and do something for me,” she says.

“To anyone who is thinking about taking up canoeing I would say definitely do it. Find your local club, head down and give it a go. There are a variety of different disciplines so there is bound to be one to suit you. By going to a club you’ll have the support you need to give you the confidence and guide you through your first time on the water.”

Emma is now looking forward to getting to know more of the women in her online paddling community by taking part in a clean up event along the Leeds Liverpool canal.

“Paddling makes my soul sing. It calms me, it helps me heal. It is like a therapy for me.”

“I do all three disciplines now; kayaking, canoeing and SUPing and I’m a member of two clubs, plus an online community! They’re all different but everyone is welcoming and helps each other out.”

www.britishcanoeing.org.uk

Emma’s four-year-old son also shares her love of the great outdoors and any opportunity to get on the water. “He can be a little tearaway,” she says, “but once we’re in the canoe he’s often found falling asleep slumped over the buoyancy aids or trickling his hand in the water. Our time paddling really calms him.”

Having only started back on the water a year ago, Emma’s confidence has grown so much, she now coaches at Lower Wharfe Canoe Club and is a #ShePaddles ambassador. “I love being able to help others grow their passion and develop their skills too.

Find out more about our #ShePaddles community at britishcanoeing.org.uk/ news/2019/shepaddlesspread-the-love.

9

Welcome to PaddlePoints!

A new, exciting digital map available through the Go paddling website – built by paddlers for paddlers… In October, British Canoeing proudly unveiled PaddlePoints, a free mapping resource that quite simply helps paddlers find places to go paddling.

PaddlePoints has hundreds of route ideas on waterways across the country enabling you to easily access all our Paddle Trails that are already so popular on the Go Paddling website. Not only that, but through the new hub you will be able to share and input information on places to launch, park, hazards, weirs, clubs and much, much more.

British Canoeing acquired PaddlePoints in 2018 from the original creator, who had set the site up having seen a gap in the market. A lot of work went into consulting on the user experience and creating an easy to use, mobile friendly website that you can take anywhere.

British Canoeing Places to Paddle Manager Ben Seal, sees the launch of PaddlePoints as a great landmark for British Canoeing: “One of the biggest challenges people face in our sport is simply knowing where they can put their boat on the water. PaddlePoints is game changing, and opens the waterways up for new

and varied paddles. We are proud that this has genuinely been created by paddlers, for paddlers and we have been really excited to relaunch it through the Go Paddling website.”

Founder and now Lead Developer of PaddlePoints at British Canoeing Ben Sansom says the new PaddlePoints is just the beginning:

“The new design is slicker, quicker and provides a much better mobile experience. It also links with wider Go Paddling products such as Challenges and Trails and will give paddlers all the information they need to take to the water. This is just the beginning, there is lots more in store for PaddlePoints.”

It is hoped that with more visitors to the site, many more PaddlePoints will be added. Over time, the information will become richer and more detailed, so that you have all the information you need to take to the water safely.

So now you have your new PaddlePoints website it’s time to get out and GO PADDLING!!!

Find out more at: gopaddling.info/ paddlepoints

Canoe Focus Autumn 2019

Anyone can view the information on Paddlepoints, and you can contribute to our digital map with comments or by adding new points by simply signing up for free.

10

British Canoeing now have a range of qualifications and awards for Stand Up Paddleboarding, providing more opportunities to enhance and grow the exciting world of SUP!

Courses cover paddling in a variety of environments including sheltered and white water and incorporates training for those looking to become a Paddlesports Instructor or SUP Coach. Each qualification also comes with a certificate of recognition so you can show off your newly learnt skills.

Delivered in line with the pace and confidence level of the individual, our qualifications are designed to develop both understanding and skills in SUP.

Personal Performance Awards Gain valuable personal skills training and recognition in specific environments on an individual basis.

SUP Sheltered Water Award SUP White Water Award To find out more and book on to a course near you head to: www.britishcanoeing. org.uk/canoe-nearyou?category=courses.

SUP Surf Award Paddlesport Leader For anyone wanting to lead a range of craft from their SUP on journeys within a sheltered water environment, up to 200m from the shore with winds up to and including force 3.

Paddlesport Instructor Learn to run introductory or taster sessions for a variety of stable craft, as well as short journeys.

SUP Discipline Specific Module www.britishcanoeing.org.uk

This one day module introduces the basic techniques and understanding of SUP. A mix of theory and practical activity, this course ensures you have plenty of time to explore the various disciplines within SUP and the specific techniques that apply to each. Learn about the different types of boards, their characteristics and the different techniques used on them.

11

SUP Coaching awards cover: British Canoeing is also offering four NEW pathways for anyone wanting to coach SUP progressive sessions.

Stand Up Paddleboard Sheltered Water Coach For anyone wanting a formal and regulated qualification coaching SUP in a sheltered water environment.

Stand Up Paddleboard Open Water Coach Looking to operate further afield and want to coach the skills needed to tackle bigger environments? Try our Open Water course which will teach you to operate up to 500 metres from the shore in winds of up to force 4.

Stand Up Paddleboard White Water Coach

Stand Up Paddleboard Race Coach Focus solely on your SUP race skills in open water environments. Technical, tactical, physiological and psychological aspects are all part of this programme.

Canoe Focus Autumn 2019

The white water presents exciting challenges and develops skills, confidence and safety awareness operating on grade 2 and 3.

12

“Right here, right now is where we draw the line. The world is waking up. And change is coming, whether you like it or not”.

On Monday 23rd September, climate activist Greta Thunberg (16) addressed the UN Climate Conference in New York, chastising world leaders for failing this, and future generations on climate change.

Greta Thu

nberg

“You are failing us. But the young people are starting to understand your betrayal. The eyes of all future generations are upon you. And if you choose to fail us, I say: We will never forgive you.”

help tackle the rising tide of rubbish in rivers and seas – but if we stand any chance, any chance at all of handing on our rivers to Greta Thunberg’s generation in good condition, we need sustained mass action.

Thunberg’s incredibly powerful speech reflects a growing global movement of people who have simply lost patience with the lack of action from successive Governments across the globe. Strikes in major cities at home and in the US are a clear indication that the young generation have been mobilised and are taking up the fight to stem global warming.

While access to many of our rivers in England remains contested, we cannot wait for Brexit to be over nor for a future Government to finally decide to legislate. The time for ‘mass action’ to preserve our rivers has passed. The time to recover our waterways, back to good health, is now.

At home, the effect humans are having on the environment and our rivers is plain for all to see. Incidents of pollution, declining biodiversity and river systems clogged with plastic and junk are now almost ‘accepted’ as attributes of our waterways. A bag in a tree, a coffee cup in a bush, plastic bottles collected in the reeds and sanitary wipes woven into a nest. This is not the environment that our youth should have to inherit.

Over the last 12 months, British Canoeing has championed the need for paddlers to step up and help protect and enhance the special places we paddle.

Scores of river clean up events run by clubs, centres and individuals have retrieved literally tonnes of junk from the water. It is incredibly inspiring to see the efforts of dedicated paddlers who are willing to

This Autumn in partnership with Surfers Against Sewage, paddlers up and down the country removed hundreds of sacks of litter and plastic pollution from our rivers. But for our community to make a real difference, it is vital that these efforts are sustained and not isolated acts of goodwill.

We can all draw inspiration from the spirit of all those energised campaigners who are standing up against climate change. This generation stands little chance of handing clean rivers with clear access to Greta Thunberg’s generation if we do not stand up as individuals to be the guardians of our rivers.

www.britishcanoeing.org.uk

Clean up your waterways

13

with the help of our free paddle clean up toolkit September saw the celebration of World Rivers Day, and the launch of our Paddle Clean up Toolkit. This essential guide provides you with all the tips and advice you might need to keep your local rivers free from plastic pollution.

Designed and written with the help of Clare Osborn of Clare Talks Rubbish, the information contained in the toolkit has everything you need to plan and promote a clean up along the stretch of waterway you paddle.

Inside you’ll find activities and ideas to extend your knowledge of plastic pollution, get all your club members involved as well as information on how we can all reduce our impact!

So whether you’re part of a club, centre or social group who really want to look after the environment and places they love to paddle, download it free from our website. Just search ‘Paddle clean up toolkit’.

Access and Environment Officer Chantelle Grundy says:

“We really want to continue our support of clean ups by providing a helpful resource with lots of tips and advice on how to carry out a paddle clean up. Encouraging clubs and centres to begin to think about ways in which they can reduce their own use of single-use plastics to help stem the flow is integral to us all making a difference on our waterways.”

So if you’re planning a clean up in your area, download our free toolkit for a step by step guide plus lots of information on how to promote the event to your local clubs and get everyone involved.

Canoe Focus Autumn 2019

In partnership with

15% discount

for members of British Canoeing 2.

1.

For those who like to spend Christmas outdoors, we’ve got just the thing, whatever their adventure and whatever their outdoors.

We’ve picked out our favourite kit for those who love to take to the water, so they can get out and explore more.

3.

Discover adventure-inspired gifts, selected by our experts, in-store and online.

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7.

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1. Arc’teryx Men’s Conveyor Belt £30 2. Osprey Women’s Aura AG 65 Rucksack £190 3. Montane Women’s Neutron Glove £35 4. Rab Women’s Braid Beanie £23 5. Bridgedale Men’s Midweight Merino Comfort Sock £18 6. Hydroflask £38 7. Icebreaker Men’s 260 Zone Long Sleeve Crewe Top £90 8. Rab Men’s Electron Jacket £240 9. Jack Wolfskin Men’s Scandic Jacket £100

#12adventuresofchristmas cotswoldoutdoor.com

Why not plan a treasure hunt down the local river or canal? If there are enough of you, turn it into a competition!

Something for

The perfect gift, selected by our experts

Full T&Cs apply. Not to be used in conjunction with any other offer or discount.

Selected lines are exempt. Partnership discount is only valid for customers signed up to our free Explore More benefits scheme. Only valid upon production of your British Canoeing identification in-store or use of code online. Offer expires 31.03.20.

Let’s go somewhere

16

In what was a roller coaster of a week in Spain, Britain secured all four Olympic boat quota places at the 2019 Canoe Slalom World Championships in La Seu d’Urgell, ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games next year.

In the men’s C1, Great Britain secured the Olympic quota spot through David Florence’s sixth place finish in the final. However Adam Burgess was the athlete to finish top of the British selection points race. The Stafford & Stone athlete had a long wait to see if he had done enough to top the points standing.

Kimberley said: “I am lost for words! It is my first senior World Championships final in four years, so I was happy to be in the final.”

On the final day, Mallory Franklin secured Britain’s women’s C1 boat quota spot and topped the selection process at the same time as she finished 11th in the semi-finals. Despite a tricky run where she capsized at gate 14, Mallory showed true grit and determination to complete the course and ensure that Great Britain would be represented in C1W when the event makes its debut in Tokyo.

Adam Burgess Adam said: “It’s bizarre because it has not gone quite how I expected today. The final was so hard to watch all the way through and you couldn’t have written it going down to the last boat.”

With the Olympic boat quota spot achieved during the heats, Kimberley Woods was the only British finalist in the women’s K1 event, giving her maximum points in the British selection race to top the standings. The Rugby athlete posted a solid 99.65 including one touch which saw her take her best ever finish in a World Championships, coming sixth.

Mallory Franklin The Windsor paddler said:

www.britishcanoeing.org.uk

“I am really happy that I came out on top of the selection standings, but I would have liked to have done it in a better style. That run was definitely not my best canoeing and I have struggled a lot this weekend in putting runs down and being able to hold things mentally. I am just relieved to have come out of the weekend with something positive.”

Bradley Forbes-Cryans finished Britain’s top boat in

Kimberley Woods

the men’s K1 to secure the British team’s Olympic quota place after finishing just outside the medals with a fourth place. The Scottish athlete put down one of the best runs of his life, and without the slightest of touches on gate 10, he could’ve secured a podium finish in his first senior World Championship final.

17 The team also picked up a medal during the team competitions, with the trio on Kimberley Woods, Mallory Franklin and Fiona Pennie claiming gold in the women’s K1 team event. It was the first time in 10 years that a British team had won gold in that event, in 2009, also in La Seu d’Urgell.

Bradley Forbes-Cryans Bradley said:

More information on the World Championships is available below: Woods and Burgess secure GB Olympic nominations

“I was really, really pleased with the run today. I just came into this competition with no expectations whatsoever and normally I have made this a real make or break competition for me. I picked up a small penalty which has cost me a medal today, but I am really happy with my performance across the weekend.”

Canoe Slalom World Championships day five

2019 Wildwater World Championships Former two-time Wildwater World Champion Hannah Brown narrowly missed out on a medal at the 2019 World Championships after finishing fourth in the women’s kayak final.

As one of three British athlete’s taking on the finals in La Seu d’Urgell, Spain, Hannah put down a strong run to initially take the race lead at the halfway stage of the competition, after delivering a time of 61.20.

“I’m absolutely gutted because I was so close yet so far and I think my run wasn’t perfect. I had two big mistakes so to be that close is crazy. It is probably a measure of my raw speed but also lack of time in a wildwater boat and it is costly.

“Wildwater is close to my heart so to come here on the world stage and be that close is really cool yet frustrating.”

In the same event, Victoria Murray posted a 66.71 to finish 15th in the Scottish paddler’s first ever World Championship final.

Elsewhere in the men’s kayak final, Ben Oakley finished in 11th after delivering a time of 55.74.

Hannah Brown

Canoe Focus Autumn 2019

It was then a waiting game for the 2017 bronze medallist as she had to watch the remaining athletes take to the course to see if her time was to be enough to make the podium, but unfortunately she missed out by just half a second to take fourth position.

Speaking after her final, she said:

18

Reigning Olympic champion Liam Heath MBE heads the list of five canoeing athletes named by the British Olympic Association (BOA) for Tokyo 2020.

Liam Heath MBE will compete at his third Olympic Games having won sprint bronze in the K2 200m alongside Jon Schofield in London and then silver in Rio before being crowned Olympic champion in the K1 200m.

He held the grand slam in 2017 (Olympic, World and European titles) and has been unbeaten in the K1 200m since then. Liam will be looking to retain his title and cement his place as the most successful British canoe sprint athlete of all time.

Completing the canoe slalom quartet is Adam Burgess in the men’s canoe single (C1). Great Britain’s first ever C1 U23 World Champion in 2015, Burgess has been growing in stature over the last few years becoming the 2018 European Championship silver medallist and a World Cup silver medallist this year.

Liam is joined by four canoe slalom athletes, who will all make their Olympic debuts in Japan.

Mallory Franklin will race in the women’s canoe single (C1) class, the first time this event has been included in an Olympic Games. She has made a meteoric rise through the sport, winning a record eight individual international medals in 2018 alone, to become Great Britain’s most successful female paddler. World Champion in 2017, this year she won her first senior European crown, followed by World Cup gold on her home course at Lee Valley.

www.britishcanoeing.org.uk

Kimberley Woods will take the seat in the women’s kayak single (K1) to finally realise her Olympic dream, having had her first insight as a member of the Team GB Ambition Programme at Rio 2016. Woods is a World Cup medallist in this event and in 2018, was a World Championship bronze medallist. She recorded her highest finish at the senior World Championships two weeks ago coming sixth, to claim her 2020 Olympic spot.

In the men’s kayak single (K1), Bradley ForbesCryans put down the run of his life at the World Championships last month, to finish just off the podium in fourth place and secure his Tokyo berth, beating some of the world’s biggest names in the process.

Forbes-Cryans is a World Cup silver medallist and won silver at the U23 World Championships last year.

Liam Heath MBE - Men’s Kayak Single (K1) 200m Mallory Franklin - Women’s Canoe Single (C1) Kimberley Woods - Women’s Kayak Single (K1) Adam Burgess - Men’s Canoe Single (C1) Bradley Forbes-Cryans - Men’s Kayak Single (K1)

Image by Sam Mellish

britishcanoeingevents.org.uk presented by

TRUE or FALSE 1. You should eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day – TRUE 2. Apples float in water but pears do not - TRUE (Pears don’t absorb oxygen once they have been picked, which means they are usually too dense to float on water. Apples do absorb oxygen even after they are picked, which means they are usually light enough to float on water.)

3. Grapes become raisins when they are cooked - FALSE (raisins are dried grapes) 4. Cucumbers are a vegetable – FALSE (cucumbers are a fruit) 5. The seeds of strawberries grow on the outside rather than inside, unlike other fruit - TRUE 6. Watermelons don’t contain water – FALSE (watermelons are mostly made up of water; each bite contains about 92 percent water and 6 percent sugar) 7. The longest recorded spit of a cherry stone is 28m – TRUE 8. There are over 7000 types of apples grown all over the world - TRUE 9. Cherries belong to the rose family – TRUE 10. Bananas don’t contain vitamin C – FALSE (bananas are a good source of vitamin C) 11. Kiwi fruits contain half as much vitamin C as oranges - FALSE (on average, kiwi fruits contain twice as much vitamin C as oranges) 12. Under certain conditions, vegetables can be grown in space – TRUE (potatoes were the first vegetable to be grown by astronauts, and scientists are still experimenting with what they can grow within their spaceship gardens) 13. Around the world, more oranges are used to make juice than eaten raw – TRUE 14. Pineapples take up to two months to grow – FALSE (it takes around two years on average to grow a pineapple) 15. Tomatoes are a vegetable – FALSE (tomatoes are a fruit)

proud sponsors of

Proud Sponsors Of

Available At

31.12.2019

22

Get changed, stay warm with dryrobe Brand new partnership with British Canoeing

At dryrobe we’re thrilled to be teaming up with British Canoeing. Not only are we stoked to be supporting the performance athletes, but we’re excited to help promote paddle sports across the UK, as well as offering unique benefits to British Canoeing members.

We’re proud to be working with an organisation that shares our goal of getting more people active outdoors, as well as supporting an awesome community of paddlers in advocating good environmental practices on Britain’s waterways.

Since its launch in 2012, dryrobe has become an essential companion for watersport enthusiasts across the world. Born from necessity, dryrobe lets you get active outdoors, whatever the weather. With enough space for you to pull your arms in, you can get changed anywhere whilst the super-warm synthetic lambswool lining and waterproof outer protects you from the elements, in any climate. Perfect for staying warm pre and post paddle.

We will also make sure that podium performance athletes with British Canoeing have dryrobes, to help keep them warm and dry during training and at competitions. This limited edition design is also available to purchase online. Head to dryrobe.com to find out more.

Gideon Bright, dryrobe founder and Director, commented: “Our mission at dryrobe is to help inspire, enable and improve the experience of an active outdoor lifestyle, for everyone. British Canoeing embraces this ethos wholeheartedly, which is why we’re proud to be supporting the incredible work they do, with both elite athletes and their active community of paddlers across the country.”

www.britishcanoeing.org.uk

Gareth May, British Canoeing Business Development Manager, said: “We are delighted to be working with dryrobe whose vision and values very much reflect our own from a performance through to recreational paddling perspective.

“One of our Stronger Together ambitions is to provide enhanced offers for paddlers and this partnership will give members of the paddlesport community another unique benefit for being a part of British Canoeing.”

Image by Kim Jones

For more information on British Canoeing, head to: britishcanoeing.org.uk

23

Born with Spina Bifida and a difference in leg length, 15-year-old Charlie Knowlden has always struggled to walk. Awkward stares and issues fitting in led to feelings of low self-confidence. But everything changed for him when he took up kayaking. Here he tells Canoe Focus how being out on the water has changed his life for the better.

“I’ve always been self-conscious about the way I walk, getting awkward stares from people and feeling an overall sense of not fitting in,” he says. “Kayaking has been so good for me because it has helped me feel accepted. When I’m on the water with my friends, I forget about the fact I’m disabled. It’s a release from a world that can be so judgemental.”

Charlie started kayaking just after starting his second year at high school. His friend Tom suggested they join a ‘learn to kayak’ session at his local club, Stourbridge Arm Canoe Club and the pair were instantly hooked.

“I’ve been kayaking for almost three years now. Due to my disability, participating in sport had been difficult, but paddling provides an opportunity for me to get fully involved. It keeps me fit, active and provides a rush of adrenaline when I do the more extreme stuff. If I could, I’d paddle every day, but currently I get on the water twice a week.

“I’m a member of Stourbridge Arm Canoe Club - a really friendly, welcoming club who have become a second family to me. Saturdays are a general club session and Wednesdays is polo, which can be brutal but great fun! We also have regular away-days or weekends which I love, particularly when we head to Wales to paddle the Dee and Tryweryn rivers, or wind along the Dart in Devon.”

Charlie now hopes to train as a paddle instructor, passing on his passion and knowledge of the sport to younger generations.

His one piece of advice for someone thinking of taking up the sport?

“Go for it! Kayaking is cheap to start out with as you can borrow club equipment and there are plenty of different activities to do so you’ll never be bored. My favourite disciplines are white water paddling, slalom and freestyle. Paddlers are one of the most welcoming communities and changed my life for the better.”

Canoe Focus Autumn 2019

24

What’s On? NOV

15

Southern Region Film & Photography Festival: Abingdon, Oxfordshire

MAR

14

Fri 15th Nov 2019

Come and join us for our Film and Photography Festival at the Amey Theatre with guest speakers including Ivan Lawler! Celebrate the joy of epic adventures, amazing athletes, members, clubs and centres through sharing experiences and celebrating the many successes in our sport and other epic outdoor sports. james.hinves@britishcanoeing.org.uk

Stronger Clubs Conference: Eastwood Hall, Nottinghamshire Sat 14th Mar 2020

The conference aims to bring together club officers, club coaches, event organisers and volunteers who all contribute to the growth and development of paddlesport in England. The day will provide the latest insights from across paddlesports to keep your club up to date, helping your volunteers to feel better informed, better equipped and even stronger together.

Programme and information published early September.

NOV

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Coaching and Leadership Conference: Eastwood Hall, Nottinghamshire

Sat 23rd – Sun 24th Nov 2019 The conference brings together instructors, coaches, leaders and guides, with varied experiences and disciplines, who are invited to engage, discuss and reflect on the insightful keynotes and workshops throughout the weekend.

Find out more here.

Find out more here.

MAY

15

ECA European Slalom Championships Lee Valley

Fri 15th - Sun 17th May 2020 Lee Valley White Water Centre will host the European Championships in 2020 in the run up to the Olympic Games. This competition will allow the European slalom athletes to get in last minute performances and set the standards for Tokyo.

Tickets are now on sale at: www.britishcanoeingevents.org.uk

www.britishcanoeing.org.uk

MINCH

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M I D S U M M E R A C R O S S T H E

Words: Richard Janes Photos: Gethin Roberts and Richard Janes

Rich Janes and Geth Roberts (Sea Kayaking Wales), visit the Shiant islands from Reinigeadal and continue to Uig (Skye).

Summer Solstice! Wind (BF 5/6) and beyond as the squalls roar against the tent and shred our plans with its non forecast persistence. Storm bound on a tiny island in Loch Tarbert (Harris, Western Isles) whose real estate we explored whilst the kettle boiled.

The previous day we had managed to circumnavigate Scalpay, which tempted us with her interesting lighthouse on the SE tip at Eilean Glas. The original lighthouse was built in 1788-9 and the first to be built in the Western Isles. Blowing against an ebbing tide, we found challenging seas here.

Clapotic hurdles for laden boats in the race towards the lighthouse.

Checking weather forecasts enough to flatten batteries gave us hope that the moderate forecast for around 2.5 days would remain. And we made a plan! Kayak back to Uig (Skye) across The Minch via the Shiant Islands. Our launch point to be the Bothy in Glen Reinigeadal from an early start.

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to the Blue Men

A boat travelling through these waters will begin to slow down, this is due taking hold of the vessel, holding it back. Sailors have witnessed eerie long thin blue hands coming over their boat's gunnel.

Setting off for Reinigeadal

and in welcome sunshine, we congratulated ourselves on our paddle technique as we slid down Loch Tarbert with a tail wind (BF 5) and ignored the ubiquitous and dour fish farm. Under the Scalpay Bridge, through Caolas Scalpaigh and turning north, we were in shelter and another world. Stunning coastline, hills and flotillas of feasting birds. Beaks clutching precious Sandeels gave the menu away. Out of shelter, we had a short paddle across Loch Trolamaraig against a feisty wind but in bright sunshine the vista was now truly stunning and we knew the bothy, shower and food was close. A short (6NM) day which gave us a chance to enjoy the simple luxuries of bothy life, drinking tea in warm sunshine.

For those who understand the pleasures, our ‘Alpine Start’ the next day began at 05.00 but the morning stumbles and cursing was rewarded by a busy pair of otters starting their day. We paddled between Eilean Dubh a Bhaigh and Eilean Mor a Bhaigh to be wowed by the distant views of Scotland’s north western seaboard. Benefiting from the now southerly wind and north going tidal stream, The Shiant islands slowly got closer.

Our paddling time to the Shiants (10NM) was longer than planned. Maybe we paused too long for the views? Or maybe it was something else…

THE BLUE MEN

The Blue Men live in the Sound of Shiant. They are said to be like selkies, the souls of dead mariners.

A boat travelling through these waters will begin to slow down, this is due to the Blue Men taking hold of the vessel, holding it back. Sailors have witnessed eerie long thin blue hands coming over their boat's gunnel.

A boat can be caught forever in this icy grip, at the mercy of the weather and the will of the waters, but the Blue Men give you a chance. If you can answer questions asked by the Blue Men, they will release you! Don’t believe me? Sitting in a kayak amongst fast water, several miles from land does strange things to the mind. Maybe the first answer for the Blue Men is ‘seamanship’?

SEABIRDS

As we approached the Shiants (pronounced, 'Shants') we were amazed by the number of seabirds.The islands are one of the most important breeding colonies for seabirds in Europe – around 10 per cent of UK puffins and 7 per cent of UK razorbills breed here every year. Apparently, there are more Puffins on St Kilda but at a lower density. We met land at Garbh Eilean and massive basalt columns. “Piano keys,” said Geth. More impressive than Fingal’s Cave on Staffa.

The journey along the northern aspect was marked by simply thousands of Puffins. Birds flying everywhere, lifted in spume. Whirring rebellion to these kayak invaders of their place.

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We entered the bay through a natural arch and tunnel, through the cave of Toll a Roimh.

Phew! Land and a leg stretch before a visit to the bothy, owned by the Nicolson family (not resident). Adam Nicolson has written a most excellent book about his involvement with the islands, ‘Sea Room’ (2001).The short stay residents kindly shared the fire and conversation whilst we had lunch. Black rats once occupied the bothy and island but following an eradication scheme, the island was declared rat free in 2018.

‘SHIANT’

The name ‘Shiant’ is from the Scottish Gaelic Na hEileanan Seunta, which means the ‘charmed,’ ‘holy’ or ‘enchanted isles’.

Nicolson (2001) adds ‘hallowed,’ ‘haunted,’ ‘spooky’ and ‘otherworldly’ to the possible meanings of senta, the Irish equivalent of the Scottish Gaelic sianta.

The islands have a very special atmosphere and it would be difficult to argue with any of these names.

So, we walked and enjoyed feeling the wind drop whilst waiting for some tidal assistance for the journey south to Uig (Skye). Even from our high point, Skye seemed a long way away! The walk did wonders for our bodies, creaking from the continuous motion of paddling. The tooth shaped Galtachan Islands to the west looked impressive; Dark studded diamonds, Hewn by nature’s might, Anchored in a sea of swelling, brilliant silver.

With our navigation targets barely visible, we set a southerly course into lively, blue water and the sun. We could see the metal structure of Sgeir nam Maol, located around 2NM north of the headland of Rubha Hunish from a long way off. Getting there was a significant marker and with fabulous views of Trotternish (Skye) and the islands of Fladaigh Chuain, it felt very special. The sea

now changed. Sgeir nam Maol forms part of Comet Rock, which extends from around 0.5NM and close to the surface it can cause heavy breaking seas. Fortunately not this day! But it did form some waves where we felt good enough to turn around and have a short play. The large population of Common seals were not impressed.

Whilst Skye was now close, we were barely halfway to Uig! With such knowledge and realisation that we might

Na h-Eileanan Seunta,

The name ‘Shiant’ is from the Scottish Gaelic

which means the ‘charmed,’ ‘holy’ or ‘enchanted isles’

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ThePADDLER 100 just get to Uig in time for chips and beer, Geth and I ‘poured on the coals’. We were both paddling identical Zegul Arrow (HV) composite boats and matching each others pace, which got faster until we got to the point where additional effort had poor return. It seemed an age to pass the rocky islets of Lord McDonald’s Table, followed by the rocks of An Dubh Sgeir cutting the water. Stunning, savage, powerful place.

THE WESTERN ISLES

Very soon, the sea became calm. Ever changing distant views, the Western Isles formed a beautiful backdrop to the west and Skye was illuminated in the most glorious light. Pity the body was beginning to ache. At this stage of a journey I try to use different muscle groups for a few strokes. Combined with mind games, the miles soon pass. How many strokes to that buoy?

Using transits, the miles were getting harder! We managed to chuckle when we realised we had both marked distance using the most phallic (mimetolith) rock, standing proudly on a base of seaweed. Looking around, the Western Isles were now a distant blur, water stretching to the sun.

Tired and now quite hot, we turned south into Loch Snizort and a fantastic view of the Cuillin Hills, sharp relief in the early evening sun. We also saw the ferry coming in from Lochmaddy and it looked tiny, such is the scale of the place.

Finally, we could see our destination and Uig Pier arrived. A beach scarred by plastic detritus, polymeric reminders of a place we had been away from. People, the smells of summer barbecue, midges and a slipway marked the end of our journey (20NM from the Shiants).

We shared a great day and journey, which felt like three. Genesis of dreams and memories, which will last with us a lifetime.

Postscript... we were back in time for a beer! We tried to buy chips as the owner was locking the door. “Don't you know what time it is?” She said. “Um...er, but it’s still light!” We said. Skye does a wonderful curry.

Reference : Nicolson, Adam (2001) ‘Sea Room’

the Western Isles

Ever changing distant views,

formed a beautiful backdrop to the west and Skye was illuminated in the most glorious light

7 BEDROOM HOLIDAY RENTAL Sleeps 15 – Tolmin Soca Valley Slovenia

Casa Di Volce, a beautiful 19th century (1801) stone-built house, in situ on the outskirts of Tolmin (45 mins drive from Trieste Airport). You can walk to numerous beach areas, along the banks of the Soca River. The house is ideally located for outdoor summer and water activities and also located 45 minutes’ drive to the ski resorts of Cerkno & Kanin. The area is ideal for White Water Rafting, Kayaking, Mountain Climbing, Canyoning, Canoeing, Paddle Boarding, Fishing, Paragliding and Nordic Walking.

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13-15th September 2019

A S M A S H I N G W E E K E N D @ T H E

Words: Tim Star Photos: Florian Hartmann, Carolina Auer and Lisa Staudinger Lofer Rodeo was a weekend in four acts: lighted night paddling, boater cross, the legendary paddlers party and a protest paddle for the Saalach river. All accompanied with blue skies and perfect water levels.The 180 starting spots were sold out Friday evening before midnight!

Organised by Whitewater Slaves Kayak Club, the Lofer Rodeo 2019 started off with the annual night paddling and light show with a riverside bar. Joining in were paddlers from Austria, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Great Britain, Slovakia, the Netherlands and New Zealand.The laser show had a later start this year allowing the sounds and the paddling to continue late into the night exceeding all expectations from previous years.

Saturday 10.00, the races started.Timed runs are used to seed the boatercross with the top 64 men and 16 women battling it out in the afternoon for the trophies. Racing was tight, exciting, and physical with many turnovers and surprises. In an unbelievable race, Matthias Weger of Austria, pushed his way to the top in the men's field.

The largest ever women’s field took to the Saalach this year bringing the tightest, most nail biting, racing of the day. It also dished out the biggest beatings with a swim in one of the heats. In the end Paulina Kodadova Zasterova from the Czech Republic, took home the women’s trophy.The Czech’s continued their trophy run with Eduard Doskocil

winning the C1 canoe competition. Before the finals went down, four old schoolers from the Prijon Pro Team won the hearts, with superior style notes, for a throwback fun race.

After the boathouse party was drained of beer last year, the ordering was stepped up with 1,000 litres of beer cooled for the night. Beer flowing and the prize giving completed, the boat raffle was started. The selected finalists fought it out with a free-throw competition, the winner taking home a Spade kayak. Formalities all settled, Dj Maqua sound-tracked hazy memories of good times late into the night.

With a slow Sunday start, the Alpiner Kajak Club organised Saalach protest paddle started. Over 300 kayakers, rafters and SUP paddlers showed strong opposition to a planned hydroelectric power station on the Saalach River near Unken.

Recording the highest participation numbers ever, the Lofer Rodeo was a smash. Save the 18-19th of September, 2020 for next year’s biggest paddling party weekend.

LOFERRODEO

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“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,

YUKON

it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness,” t h e

2 0 1 9

R i v e R Q u e s t b y s u P

Story: Mike Procter Photos: supjunkie, Kelli surritte, @perfectnegatives and @paddleleague, trevortunnington and the team

i stumbled across that Charles Dickens quote in a magazine on the flight from London tovancouver; and it stuck in my head. Mostly because it sounded ominously like what we had in store for us. We were four days from the start of the 2019yukon River Quest – the world’s longest annual paddling race; 715km down theyukon River in less than three and a half days.

A week later, as I limped towards the finish line in Dawson City, I reflected on those words… It had definitely been both the best and the worst of times. And with no shortage of foolishness. Wisdom, admittedly a little less so. We weren’t exactly the conventional contestants in a race so extreme that only 15 paddleboarders had previously managed to complete it. Historically the domain of canoes and kayaks the Yukon River Quest (YRQ) had only opened its doors to SUPs in 2016; which is when the event first grabbed my interest. Whilst I was far from a pro SUP racer, I knew I enjoyed the sport; and more importantly I’m a total sucker for any ludicrous challenge. Also, I was confident I had something else in my locker; a mental resilience and determination instilled in me through six years’ service in the British Army.

Given my network of like-minded old Army friends, it wasn’t long before I found a couple more recruits, Ben Ashwell and Stu Croxford, both also former infantrymen. In Stu’s case, an explosive encounter with a Taliban road-side bomb in 2012 had ultimately led to the amputation of his right leg.

But like so many injured veterans, Stu’s spirit and determination has seen him conquer some of the world’s most daunting physical challenges; from a full Ironman to the Cape Epic. The Yukon, however, would represent a whole new level of endurance challenge.

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We had little frame of

reference for such an astronomical distance on a SUP. We knew we had to fly halfway round the world with our boards, and we knew we had to carry a long list of mandatory safety kit. On paper, the Red Voyager sounded like a suitable board for the challenge. After explaining our challenge to the very helpful folk at Red Paddle Co, they very kindly loaned us some boards and threw in some extras like paddles, deck bags, t-shirts and caps.

From there we began a near-two-year build-up of paddling UK and European rivers, lakes and oceans.

But it wasn’t until the three of us arrived in Whitehorse, Canada, when the sense of adventure truly set in. Whitehorse played host to a series of prerace events, kit checks, racer briefings and support crew briefings. The support crews are an invaluable entity for this race. Ours included my wonderfully supportive wife, Sophie, our two young children and Sophie’s parents, Mitch and Belinda, for good measure.

At the meet and greet event we were keen to get to know the few other characters in our category; i.e. the mad men and women who – unlike the canoe and kayak majority – planned to paddle for up to 70 hours… standing up. We wanted to hear their stories, their background, their preparations and solicit what advice we could from those far more experienced than ourselves. One man in particular, Bart de Zwart, who was the preordained favourite having won the YRQ SUP category in all three years since it was introduced.

Bart’s advice was simply, “Don’t get off the river”. It sounded a little dramatic.

We didn’t believe we would be in that much of a rush. After all, we weren’t planning to win the race.

We knew all too well our lack of racing experience and the fact that were paddling on inflatable touring boards amidst a field of 14-foot carbon race boards. Our goal was simply to finish; an achievement in its own right.

AND THEY’RE OFF

The race began at midday on the Wednesday, with a frenetic energy totally disproportionate to the race that lay ahead, as 300-or-so racers (from solos to eight-person voyager canoes) scurried the 400m from the start line to their waiting boats, spurred on by the cheering crowds. Once we hit the water, the chaos quickly settled into an orderly stream of vessels snaking along the river.

The SUPs were easy to spot, standing tall over their seated contemporaries. They were all

out in front already; and we guessed that was the last we would see of them. Over the first few hours the orderly line began to spread out and quite expectedly we took our place near the back of the pack as we approached the dreaded lake.

If you’d asked us before the race, “what is your greatest fear?”, the answer was without doubt “the lake”. Lake Laberge is 50km long! To put that into perspective, that’s 1.5 times the width of the English Channel. There is a saying amongst race veterans, “if you can make the lake, you can make the race”. Not only is it 50km bereft of current, but this vast expanse of water is also exceptionally vulnerable to the weather, as we would very quickly discover.

Less than half an hour in, a storm came rolling down the lake and within seconds engulfed us, turning relative tranquillity into horizontal rain and four-foot waves. Our hearts sank as we battled to keep the noses of the boards from being battered by the oncoming waves. We had little choice but to fight our way off to the side.

Knowing there was a tight race cut-off at the other end of the lake, we decided that any movement was better than no movement. So we had the idea of removing the fins from the boards and wading through the shallows; dragging our kit-laden boards behind us. Thankfully, we hadn’t even made it 1km when the storm began to break and we were able to take the fight back out on the water.

As the remainder of the lake dragged on the time pressure grew. The safety boat lurking behind us served as a depressing reminder that we weren’t just near the back, we were the back; and the cut-off was closing in on us.

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Finally, as Wednesday blurred into Thursday, after 13 hours of paddling we finally met with the welcome revival of the river current which eased us off the end of the lake to the Lower Laberge check point, where we relished the opportunity to briefly step ashore.

The temperature drops quite considerably at night, so we took the opportunity to quickly eat and layer-up, and then pushed off into the night.

BREATH-TAKING SCENERY

The next few hours were some of the most pleasurable hours of the race. The so-called thirty-mile stretch still seemed relatively small; perhaps 30-50m wide. Through the tight meanders we enjoyed the feeling of racing along with the current, zipping past the breath-taking scenery. The cold air had developed thick patches of mist on the surface, which were strangely enjoyable to paddle through. With our persistence in overdrive, we also started catching up and overtaking a few other boats; mostly two-person canoes and the odd solo. Whilst most other vessels were typically faster paddling than us, we were fast learning the beneficial river currents, which we could see better from our standing position. And thanks to some successful overtaking efforts, we finally got that pesky safety boat off our back for a while.

However, we were beginning to face another issue; Stu’s prosthetic leg was giving him problems.The relentless duration without being able to rest the socket was beginning to risk lasting damage. By early afternoon, after more than 24 hours of paddling, Stu made up his mind he wasn’t going to hold Ben and I back from completing the race ourselves. So, dismissing all military

clichés about never leaving a man behind, Ben and I were reluctantly forced to leave Stu behind. After tending to his leg, Stu was able to paddle on to the next monitoring point at Little Salmon and was able to get a lift from there to Carmacks where he joined forces with our support crew.

Ben and I knew we still had roughly nine hours to push hard to Carmacks. Carmacks being the first enforced stop – of seven hours – and the only place where the support crews could meet us. It was also the last real race cut-off, so we told ourselves if we could make it to Carmacks, we would make it to Dawson.

Spurring me on was the thought of everyone who had supported and sponsored us in the lead up to the race. We had decided a year earlier to use this adventure not just for our own gratification, but also for a worthy cause; Great Ormond Street Hospital, raising over £10,000 raised for the charity.

Then several hours before Carmacks, an unexpected vision appeared in the distance; another SUP. It didn’t take us too long to catch up and reveal it to be Paddle League/SUP Racer journalist, Chris Parker. Chris told us he had just tried to have a 10-minute power nap to combat the spiralling sleep-deprivation. The fresh company proved a welcome revitalisation for all three of us, and as a reenergised threesome we ploughed on; finally reaching the rest stop and our waiting support crews at 21.00 on the Thursday evening, 33 hours into the race. Soberingly, we weren’t even halfway at this point. But who cares; we could eat proper food, we could sleep for a few hours, and then the rest of the race would be downhill, right? (No!)

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ThePADDLER 110 CARMACKS TO DAWSON

After about five hours’ sleep, we set off from Carmacks in the early hours of Friday morning. Our spirits were relatively high considering the growing list of physical ailments, and the 400 odd kilometres still to go. The Five Finger Rapids came and went without a hitch. But just as our confidence was peaking, Mother Nature reappeared to break our hearts again.

No storms, no rain, just the one thing SUPs are more vulnerable to than anything; WIND! For hours on end.

Worse still, it didn’t seem to matter which direction we were travelling on the meandering river, the wind simply blew up the river and into our faces. We were reduced to big heavy paddle plants, desperately trying to grab hold of the river current and keep pace with it whilst the wind tried relentlessly to blow our inflatables back upstream. When the winds finally eased some eight hours later, low and behold the time pressure was back, as was our old friend the safety boat, chasing our tail.

Despite all our hard-fought efforts to catch up and overtake a number of canoes and kayaks, many of them had ended up withdrawing. Others – by virtue of sitting low under the headwinds – had managed to catch us up again.

We finally reached the second enforced stop at Coffee Creek 22 hours after leaving Carmacks. It was only a three-hour stop, where our intention was to simply refill water and energy drinks and get a bit of shut-eye. Frustratingly, for two straight hours, a 1,000 militant mosquitos tried relentlessly to eat our eyeballs through our eyelids; so the sleep never quite transpired. Oddly it didn’t really matter, because we felt close now; and by close I mean a mere 180km. It’s funny how our perceptions of distance were totally skewed by the context of how long this race is. I remembered on approach to Carmacks thinking to myself, “50km to go… we’re basically there”. Your average SUP distance race is about a quarter of that.

Yet here in the course of this unfathomably long quest (great word for it), 50km is just around the corner!

That optimism did a good job of pushing us through the final leg. The pains seemed to fade away, or we just stopped thinking about them. The winds came back in force, but somehow we just didn’t care. We didn’t swear loudly at them like the previous afternoon. We just got on with it.

The sleep deprivation, however, was in full force. It became very difficult to look at the banks of the river without hallucinating. For me, the thousands of pine trees lining the banks morphed into armies of cartoon characters. Rock faces were even worse. We tried whatever we could think of to keep ourselves awake.

Mostly I sang. But for the life of me I could only remember the words to one song; Kenny Rogers’ The Gambler, which I’ll probably never be able to listen to the same way again. At one point I heard a clatter behind me followed by a string of expletives. I looked around to see Ben climbing out of the river onto his board. When I asked him what happened, he replied glumly, “I think I fell asleep, the next thing I knew I was in the water”.

Keeping the body fuelled was also imperative for staying awake and keeping going. But it was becoming harder and harder to motivate ourselves to eat or drink. I was sick of the taste of cereal and nut bars. My energy drinks, which had been a lifesaver, had eventually grown sickly; and my mouth felt dry and blistered.

The last couple of hundred kilometres to Dawson are also by far the most testing as far as navigation goes.

Thanks to the many tributaries, the river had grown enormously by this point, up to a kilometre wide; you could no longer just nip from side to side to catch a better current. More so, it becomes extremely braided, forcing you to choose meticulously which channels to take. The river map lashed on top of my kit became a fixation; a source of great concentration and frustration, but also provided a countdown of sorts. Each page of the map might take an hour to paddle, and each turn of a page became a tiny victory in its own right.

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ThePADDLER 112 By the time we turned the final map page to reveal our finish line, the emotion began to set in. We revisited our sadness at having lost Stu along the way, but we were happy to have met and had the pleasure of paddling with Chris. After more than 70 hours of paddling, with less than five hours sleep, through sweltering days and freezing nights, brutal headwinds, the lake, the storm, the hallucinations and the pain – the feeling as we finally approached Dawson City was indescribable. As we passed the finish line to the sound of boat horns and cheering crowds, including our fantastic support crew, our sense of accomplishment reigned supreme.

One welcome surprise, and a real testament to the spirit of the SUP community, was that all of the other SUP finishers were also there cheering us in. Bart de Zwart, as expected, had defended his title. Albeit nearly five hours behind his personal best, confirming the challenging conditions we had faced. Peter Allen, another YRQ veteran, a couple of hours behind.

Followed by Canadian superwoman, Shauna Magowan and then Brad Friesen. Despite finishing hours before us, and surely longing for sleep themselves, they were all there waiting to high-five us into Dawson. What an unbelievable tribe they are. Or should I say, we are, because I think I’m here to stay.

As with any such physical and mental challenge (and I can’t think that there are many in the world quite like this), the endorphins quickly allow you to forget the pain and misery along the way; and the hundreds of times I said to myself, “never again!”.

Instead, I soon began to think, “what if?” What if we applied all those things we had learnt along the way; reading the currents, picking the channels, arranging our

You can see interviews with Mike and Stu by Sarah on the Supjunkie YouTube channel. https://youtu.be/qjhBLqhwe8E

kit, better nutrition, avoiding getting off the water? What if we had better luck with the conditions? Most importantly, I wonder what it would all be like on a race board? Well, I guess there’s only one way to find out…

THANKS

We owe a huge thank you to everyone who played a part in this incredible experience. To those who gave generously to Great Ormond Street Hospital. To those who kindly supported us with kit and equipment; Red Paddle Co, Millican, HydroFlask and LifeStraw. To the race organisers and spirited army of volunteers.

And of course, to our fantastic support crew; we could not have done it without you.

ULTRALIGHT KAYAKS award winning design, class leading construction.

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SCILLIES

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Sea kayaking in the

Words Sarah Webster Photos: Sarah Webster, Celine Meier and Alan Jary

This was my first visit to the Scillies since I came as a child on a family holiday in the 1970s. Now I was on the intermediate sea kayaking course run by Sea Kayaking Cornwall (SKC).

THE PEOPLE

There were 13 of us in the group, including two Belgians, two Swiss, and one German man named Dominik, all drawn here by the wonderful sea kayaking opportunities offered by this little archipelago.

Dominik had been slightly delayed by the weather conditions, having flown here in his own small singleprop aeroplane, a Grumman Tiger, and entertained us with anecdotes about air traffic controllers, “They told me if I started the engine, they would call the ambulance…

The other three seats in the plane were taken up with my kayaking kit.”

Our coaches were Geoff Cater and Andy Mullins, who met the rest of us on the quay in St Mary’s as we disembarked the Scillonian. Geoff and Andy clearly had a close bond of friendship and, as the week went on, we learnt that this was born of two epic adventures that they had undertaken paddling around both Britain and Ireland.

Photo: our SKC coaches Geoff Cater and Andy Mullins – Geoff (left) demonstrating clapotis.

Photo: Céline Meier

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CAMPING

Most of us chose to stay at the Garrison campsite, which is well run and has a small field set aside for SKC; a wonderfully flat pitch, sheltered by the traditional Scillonian Pittosporum hedges, with the roar of the sea ever-present. By the time we had walked to the campsite, our luggage had already been delivered and there were small trolleys available to trundle it all to the SKC field. There were many very tame sparrows and blackbirds and Geoff warned us that hedgehogs were also rife.

Sure enough, on the first night, I was awoken by a hedgehog rummaging around my bags in the porch of the tent! Hedgehogs are not native to the islands and were introduced to St Mary’s in the 1980s. With no natural predators, their numbers have grown and, sadly, they now present a great threat to ground-nesting birds, as they eat their eggs.

THE BOATS

The boats were a mixture of composite – Romany, Explorer, Pilgrim by Nigel Dennis Designs, Rockpool and Tarantella by Taran, and plastic – Scorpio, Delphin and Pyranha Venture.

I paddled the Romany and found it very good.

SKC keep the boats at Porthmellon beach, which was the starting point for all our adventures.

PADDLING

On a short, ‘shake-down’ paddle on the first afternoon, Geoff and Andy encouraged us all to use the week to step outside our comfort zone, and into our ‘stretch’ zone, while acknowledging that beyond this, there was a ‘terror zone’, where most of us learn very little. They encouraged us to let them know when we were at these limits.

Each morning, we met at Porthmellon Beach, to plan the day's paddling, according to the wind conditions and sea state. Geoff explained how to use various weather apps to look at wind and swell and compute this with the state of the tides.

On the first day, we circumnavigated St Mary's, a distance of 10 miles, in an anti-clockwise direction, setting off past the Garrison and Porthcressa Beach, stopping off at Old Town for a coffee and at Bar Point, at the north of the island, for lunch. We saw seals and shags (for which Scilly has the third largest colony in the UK) and on our return to Porthmellon, we were able to practise rolling. The day was topped off with a barbecue at the campsite in the evening.

The next day, 13th August, Geoff explained that this would be the last chance this week to get to St Agnes, due to the predicted winds, so we set off on a straightforward paddle of some 2.5

miles to this pretty little island. Once there, however, Geoff came round to each of the group and explained that as the conditions were relatively calm, we would take the opportunity to reach the Bishop Rock Lighthouse!

BISHOP ROCK LIGHTHOUSE

We fuelled up, and prepared ourselves for a good hour's paddle each way. “You do realise what a rare treat this is?” said Rob, an experienced Scillies paddler. As there was a slight north-westerly stream, we initially headed for the Western Rocks, and the lighthouse gradually came into clearer view. We saw a large flock of Manx Shearwaters, and several gannets. Apart from these, and a fishing vessel some way off to the north of us, this was a completely desolate seascape.

The Bishop Rock Lighthouse was constructed between 1852 and 1882 to warn sea-farers of the treacherous Bishop Rock and Western Rocks, saving many lives. As we approached the rock, the swell increased to 1.5m, with considerable clapotis behind the lighthouse.

Only Pete, a para-trained army man, had the sang-froid to take a selfie with the lighthouse in the background.

On the return journey, the weather closed in, and the visibility became poor, meaning that we could no longer make out the domed lighthouse on St Agnes which we had been aiming for.

Geoff and Andy switched on their VHF radios so that they could communicate with each other and Geoff took the lead, taking a compass bearing on the St Agnes lighthouse, while Andy brought up the rear.

Those at the flanks were asked to keep the group in a tight box, effectively forming a diamond formation that we would use later in the week for sea crossings. This was by far and away the most committing sea paddle I have ever done. I felt a pang of frustration as we reached rocky Annet, as it is forbidden to land there and was very tired when we finally reached St Agnes at 3:30pm for lunch. Suitably restored, we returned to St Mary’s, buoyed up by our achievement. Definitely at the upper end of our stretch zone, we thought.

The next day, after a debrief on the beach, we headed out to Tresco for a very good hot chocolate, then on past St Helen's where we first heard, then saw, lots of seals. Then on to Round Island where there was more clapotis and the dramatic rock formation Men-a-Vaur.

Four of the group opted to circumnavigate this, while the rest of us had had enough of clapotis and were content to wait for them to reappear on the other side.

Photo: Porthmellon Beach – the starting point for all our adventures. Photo: Alan Jary

Photo: visit to the Island Gin distillery.

Photo: Sarah Webster

Main photo: the paddle to Bishop Rock, “You do realise what a rare treat this is?”

Photo: Alan Jary

Photo: the seals were as interested in us as we were in them. Photo: Alan Jary

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Photo: Céline Meier

After lunch on Tresco, the group split again, with some braving a strong headwind around the north edge of the island, while the rest of us paddled back around the south-east. Once reunited, we paddled back to St Mary’s, by which time the swell and the tidal stream were both considerable and we needed to ferry glide – something I have only really experienced before in a white water setting – to reach our target of Porthmellon beach.

A further highlight of the week was paddling out to the Eastern Isles – Little Ganinick, Great Ganinick, Little Ganilly, and Great Ganilly, to see the large colony of grey seals. They seemed as interested in us as we were in them, coming up behind our boats and then disappearing again with an enormous ‘splosh!’

When we stopped for lunch, those with drysuits took the opportunity to swim amongst them. On the return paddle there was a strong headwind, and our diamond formation soon dispersed. As the slowest paddler in the group, I was offered a tow, and Geoff and Andy took the opportunity to demonstrate how to set up different methods of towing as I simply flew along!

‘CLASSROOM’ SESSION

One of the notable features of SKC is the strong relationships that they have built up with people and businesses on the island, for example the sailing centre where the boats are stored,The Beach bar restaurant, who let us use their loo in return for quite a bit of business in the evening and the campsite, where Geoff helps load the luggage on to the truck for the Scillonian.

Photo: rescue practice in St Mary’s Harbour.

Photo: Céline Meier

Photo: lunch stop at the Bar Point, St Mary’s.

Photo: Céline Meier

the Eastern Isles –

A further highlight of the week was paddling out to

Little Ganinick, Great Ganinick, Little Ganilly, and Great Ganilly, to see the large colony of grey seals

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One such connection is with Nick, a fellow paddler, and owner of the Mincarlo guest house, a large house next to the lifeboat station. On the one day when the conditions were too rough for paddling, Nick and his wife Bryony let us use the dining room of the guest house for a classroom session. Geoff and Andy gave us a presentation about their extraordinary circumnavigations of Ireland and Britain over coffee and biscuits. In the afternoon, some of us visited the award-winning Island Gin distillery which has taken Bishop Rock as the inspiration for its brand.

SKILLS DEVELOPMENT

The final day of the course was spent developing our skills in setting up different types of tow, rolls and deep water rescues. I tried out Céline’s carbon fibre Greenland paddle; great to paddle with but rolling will require a little more practice!

The course over, it was time to break camp and say our farewells. We had gelled as a group and paddled a distance of 55 miles, the 17-mile round trip to Bishop Rock being the longest. At this point, Jeff Allen arrives on the scene, ready to run the advanced course. “If they can circumnavigate the whole archipelago,” he said, “they should be able to paddle back to Sennen.

That’s the idea of it!” Fancy a paddle, anyone?

MOST GLAD I BROUGHT

Neoprene trousers Touring cag

WISH I HAD BROUGHT My lovely touring paddle A sponge

DIDN’T USE AT ALL Pogies Insect repellent – too windy!

Photo: granite formations at Peninnis Head, St Mary’s.

Photo: Céline Meier

Liv Life Adventure – the

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Loch Awe halfway point Olivia supporting

Day one: Loch Awe

BIG THREE THREE LAKES, THREE PEAKS, THREE CYCLE PASSES

Words and photos: Jenny Spencer British Canoeing Membership Marketing Manager So you’ve probably heard of the three peaks challenge, now add in the challenge of paddling the three longest lakes in the UK plus three rather hilly cycle rides and you are in for a roller coaster of a week.

Day 1: Day 2: Day 3: Day 4:

Day 5: Day 6:

Day 7:

Paddle Loch Awe (24 miles) Hike Ben Nevis (11.8 miles) Cycle (30 miles) Paddle Windermere (11 miles) & Cycle (25 miles) Hike Scafell Pike (6.3 miles) Paddle to the end of Lake Bala and back (7 miles) & Cycle (20 miles) Hike Snowdon (7.9 miles)

For the stat geeks amongst you that totals: 42 miles paddling, 26 miles walking, 75 miles cycling and a lot of driving in between.Your next question is probably, why?

Well, for us this was more than just a personal challenge, we wanted to do something that raised awareness of our story and the fantastic support that we received from Birmingham Women’s hospital. 16 months prior to the challenge my sister Claire was expecting her second child. Unfortunately late scans detected that things weren’t quite right and baby Olivia had fluid on her lungs. It was a very difficult time, as at this point the doctors were unable to work out why it was happening and what should be done.

We were prepared for the worst but at the same time the doctors and nurses remained positive and took exceptional care of both my sister and the baby.

It was discovered that Olivia had a rare condition called Congenital Chylothorax (the accumulation of chyle in the pleural space - ‘fluid on the lungs’).

In the month prior to birth the Birmingham Fetal Medicine Department performed a procedure that involved injecting a tiny syringe through my sisters stomach and draining the fluid from Olivia’s lungs. This helped for a couple of weeks, however things started

to deteriorate quickly. At 36 weeks it was decided the only way for Olivia to be born safely was to repeat the drainage procedure and follow this up with an emergency C section. After her birth Olivia spent a month in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and Special Baby Unit.

She was reliant on a ventilator, double chest drains and a long line (a tiny tube inserted in the vein at the foot threaded right up to the heart) which gave her vital nutrients whilst the doctors stopped all feeding until the fluid stopped accumulating. Olivia is now 18 months old and is a very happy and healthy little toddler with no long-term affects. If it hadn’t been for their pioneering work and specialist care the story could have been quite different. We are so grateful to the hospital for the incredible support and truly inspired by the 24 hour care they offer families on daily basis.

RAISE FUNDS FORTHE HOSPITAL

We decided we wanted to do a challenge to raise funds for the hospital; to keep up these fantastic services costs a fortune. Paddling is something we have always enjoyed as a family so we made this the core of the challenge. However we felt that if we were asking people to show their support financially we needed to do something that went the extra mile.

Despite having little cycling or hiking experience my sister was determined to step out of her comfort zone and push her own personal boundaries through this challenge as well. The idea for the Big Three Challenge was born and the training and planning commenced. For the next six months we tried to meet up almost every other weekend and would fit training in around kiddy care and family time.

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The part of the challenge we were most nervous about was Loch Awe. It’s a huge loch and has the potential to get very rough if the weather isn’t in your favour, at the widest point it’s over a mile wide. We decided to face our fears and start with this paddle first. We were rewarded for our choice as we had pure blue skies and the loch looked like glass. If you are used to paddling on rivers or canals (like me) there is nothing that prepares you for the sheer scale of the loch. On a number of occasions we stopped for a few moments to take on food and drink, but also take in the view.

The scenery around the loch is breathtaking and when you experience this from the water, with all the reflections, it’s incredible. We had a fabulous paddle but as you can imagine by the time we finally reached the end we were both very glad to be stepping out of the boat. Every part of our bodies ached after the 24 miles and we’d gained a few blisters and sore chaffed areas on our bodies. However, despite this I’d say this is one my favourite days I’ve ever had on the water.

We experienced exceptionally good weather for the whole time we were in Scotland. Day two saw us hiking up Ben Nevis in shorts and vests, again with incredible visibility and views. The hike felt long but our spirts were high. The following day we competed a hilly bike ride through one of the national parks. On the drive down to our next set of activities in Windermere we were feeling tired but looking forward to what lay ahead.

When we woke up on day four we were in for a shock.

The combination of the last three days alongside a long drive had suddenly taken its toll. We both woke up feeling like a whole herd of cows had trampled over us. I remember struggling to walk down the stairs without holding onto the banister and my sister could hardly sit on a chair. Delayed onset muscle soreness had well and truly set in and our legs had taken the brunt of it.To add insult to injury this was going to be one of our toughest days. It was the first time we were doing a double activity, first up we were kayaking the length of Windermere then jumping straight onto our bikes to complete a brutally hilly ride back to our accommodation near Newby Bridge. We were both physically struggling that morning but it is amazing what you can achieve when you set your mind to it.

The night before my parents had arrived with my sisters two children to support us. Seeing them was the extra motivation we needed and as soon as we both got in the boat we were off and didn’t look back.The weather was starting to turn. We’d checked the forecast the night before and decided to start early, as this looked like the best weather window. We started the paddle from the south end of the lake to utilise the tailwind. At a few points it started to get quite choppy, but we relaxed through these sections and let the wind take us. We really surprised ourselves with how fast we were going, so much so that when we got to the end of the lake our support crew weren’t there to meet us, as they’d stopped for coffee on route! But when they arrived we topped up on food and drink and were off on the bikes.

By day five our bodies were still really suffering, our hike up Scafell Pike was a tough one. On the way up we still had some beautiful views across the lakes, however at about the halfway point we entered low cloud cover giving zero visibility and 30mph winds at the top. In some ways this added a different element to the day and an extra sense of adventure, taking our minds off the slight sickness we were both feeling. We took it steady, focusing on one step at a time and remembered why we were doing it.

That evening we headed down to Snowdonia and although tired we were feeling excited as the end was in sight.The next two days weren’t going to be a walk in the park though, we still had quite a lot to do and the forecast really wasn’t looking good. On day six all we could see as we drove to start our paddle on Llyn Tegid was greyness and rain, it was looking grim. However as we arrived at the lake, despite the rain, it was actually quite flat and looked beautiful out there.This really lifted our spirits, we set off hard and quickly got into a good rhythm.Today was our last paddle and every stroke counted as we wanted to get off the water feeling like we’d given it everything we had. We powered through torrential rain and didn’t hesitate for a second. It felt great and we were pleased to complete this lake in a good time. We gave ourselves a decent break and warmed up in a local coffee shop with tea and cake before setting off on our last bike ride.

Just one more day to go, time to go and conquer Snowdon. It wasn’t going to be easy as the weather forecast was awful. We had heavy rain and poor visibility from the off and despite being prepared with decent gear we were soon all soaked through. But like any challenge it’s the tough times and things you go through as part of the journey that make it. We kept our spirits high with laughter, jelly babies and the odd bit of singing in the rain. Four hours 21 minutes later and we made it off the mountain, feeling incredibly proud with a whole weeks worth of fantastic memories.

During the week we covered a total of 143 girl powered miles and ascended 5,612 metres, totalling an activity time of 28 hours; 32 mins; 37 seconds.

Which was five hours quicker than we anticipated. We burnt 30,690 calories (between 4,000-5,000 per day) that’s a lot of cakes. But most importantly we made it over our fundraising target, raising £6,200! We were overwhelmed by people’s generosity and so grateful for the incredible support we received from our friends, work colleagues, family, the paddling community and people we met along the way. For further information or to make a donation visit www.justgiving.com/liv-life-adventure

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE CHALLENGE

Paddling with my sister, despite growing up in the sport we rarely paddled in a double kayak so it was great to do this together. We knew the challenge was going to be hard but we made a pact that we wanted to enjoy it.The best way to do this was to work together.There is something special about feeling a boat glide through

We really surprised ourselves with how fast we were going, so much so that when we got to the end of the lake our

support crew

weren’t there to meet us!

The start on Windermere Llyn Tegid wet

Scaffel Pike summit

Cycle Scotland

Mum and dad support crew

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ThePADDLER 126 the water when it’s running well. Especially when you are in a double and everything is in sync. Every stoke feels strong and in unison, you feel able to stretch that little bit further, add that extra bit of rotation and power. At the same time you are relaxed and the boat surges through the water below you.

The other thing we did was support each other. At times that involved being patient, at other times being silly and singing our way through the hard times. If one of us needed to have a quick break to have something to eat or a quick stretch then we made the time to do this and used it as a reset opportunity. If the boat wasn’t feeling quite right we’d stop for a few seconds, check we were both alright and then start again. It was a long week and it was important that we looked after both our bodies and minds. But most importantly we tried to laugh and soak up the experience of doing this together with the support of our family.

Toughest parts: It was definitely the hills, coming down off the mountains and then having to walk down the stairs and start again the next morning! We got cut bums, chaffed armpits and tummies, ridiculously sore legs and soaked right through. But if anyone is considering doing a challenge like this I would always say yes. The memories that you make and share along the way are incredible. Just make sure you plan and prepare well and you will be surprised with what you can achieve.

Last day on Snowden

RECOMMENDATION

Paddling the three lakes is beautiful and takes you on an adventure through three of the most stunning locations in the UK. I’d recommend the Go Paddling Three Lakes Challenge to anyone who has a sense of adventure and is looking for a paddling challenge to train for. If you’re competitive you can see how fast you can complete the lakes and aim to make it onto the Three Lakes challenge leader board. We were really pleased to end up as the fifth fastest people to complete, with an overall paddling time of six hours; 28 minutes. If speed isn’t your thing, then why not plan to complete this adventure over a the year, ticking off one lake at a time. The choice is yours! For more information on the Three Lakes Challenge take a look at the Go Paddling website: www.gopaddling.info/gopaddlingchallenges

DIRECTORY

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RIVER DART ACCOMMODATION Stone Barn Cottage, HOLNE, TQ13 7SL Two-minute drive to The Loop/Newbridge Self-cater. Sleeps six has three great hot showers/one bath Bring own sleeping bags/towels l Warm and comfortable TV. WIFI l Good drying facilities l Off road parking Two-minute walk to village pub l £25 per person per night Minimum weekend fee of £300 for Friday/Saturday night Contact thetroakies@hotmail.com tel.01364 631544 mob. 07800513479

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RANNOCH

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CROSSING BY OPEN

CANOE Quite simply an amazing journey!

Words and photos: Dave Rossetter Eighty kilometres of paddling covering six lochs, seven rivers and five dams! Paddles, poles, sails, ropes and trolleys will all be involved in completing one of the countries ‘must do’ canoe journeys.

This is a classic Scottish open canoe journey, world class. It connects the wet high moor down to one of the country’s biggest rivers – the river Tay. Connecting all of the lochs and rivers along the way the paddler will utilise the full repertoire of canoe skills – river running, sailing, poling, snubbing, paddling and portaging.The decision of what skill to use when will be at the forefront of the mind when journeying through this wild and remote part of Scotland.

Along the way sightings of roe and deer, curlews, grouse, otters and potentially beaver as we move down onto the Tay adds to the magic of crossing Rannoch Moor. Starting from the high point of Loch Ba in the west you follow the water east and then south until you have reached as far as your time allowed or the water becomes salty as you enter the sea.

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ThePADDLER 130 DAY ONE

Paddling away from the road (A82) and navigating through the myriad of islands, shallow areas and the rocks gives a great sense of excitement. Gradually the loch starts to narrow and the route into the Abhainn Ba begins. This wet boggy area gives you a very tight twisty, shallow, rocky paddle/pole/line/wade with the canoe. The decision of when to change tactic to keep going is always challenging you. This 2.5km river/burn lets you know that you are now on an adventure. Negotiating the river eventually spits you out onto Loch Laidon.

This loch is true highland gem. With stunning views behind you towards the Glencoe hills and mountains as well as the views ahead past Rannoch station on towards Ben Alder you are left breathless!

Schiehallion (she-hally-on) – or Fairy hill! Paddle past the site of an old prison and refuge. Eilean nam Faoileag has a tower on it dating back to the 19th Century and references going back as far the 15th Century of people residing on the island. The eastern end of the loch takes you the next dam at Kinloch Rannoch.

The

This long (9km) thin loch usually gives the opportunity to sail along and conserve energy for a truly stunning river lies at the end.

GRABH GHAOIR

The Grabh Ghaoir is the last of the natural rivers that you get to paddle prior to getting the river Tay. Finding the entrance can sometimes be a challenge but once on the surrounding scenery is awe inspiring.

Passing the peat bogs and old tree routes leads to a false sense before the river suddenly picks up pace.

This highland river twists and turns and doesn’t let up all the way into Loch Eigheach. Continuous moving water that tests your nerve and skill as you check, set then drive your canoe around the river.

The sense of achievement of controlling your loaded canoe in this highland river stays with you as you look for the great camp site on the side of the loch.

DAY TWO

Day two starts with a short morning paddle across the loch. Watch out for the kelpie or water horse that legend has it was the fiercest in Scotland. The loch is a deep loch mainly thanks to the hydroelectric works and dam at its eastern end. It’s this dam that is the first portage for the trip. Thankfully there is a track on the southern side to follow. The track will take you down to the weir where you can get back onto the water. The river Gaur is wide and powerful, which has a few meaty rapids to navigate.

Depending on flow there a few choices – portage, line or run! A couple of them could go up grade 4 so time to read the river well.

This river marks the return to some form of civilisation as the road runs along the north bank.The reward for paddling the river is a stunning paddle through Bridge of Gaur out onto Loch Rannoch.

A 15km loch – let’s hope there is wind behind us…

Time for head down and get on with it. However, it is a loch steeped in history. Views towards

Loch Rannoch

The reward for paddling the river is a stunning paddle through Bridge of Gaur out onto

temptation is stop here and visit the pub/café but the draw to get onto Dunalistair Reservoir to find your campsite is never far from your mind.

DAY THREE

Dunalastair Water or Reservoir is a really unique piece of water. It is entirely man-made. It feels like little Canada as you paddle through this piece of water that provides water source for the Tummel hydro scheme. The dam here was built in the 1930s and gives an interesting portage round on the north side.

This is a big day. The river – Upper Tummel – has some very challenging water on it. Most of the time is on a compensation flow so not pushy but enough that gives some exciting and challenging water. Various rapids go at grade 3 with more committing sections. However, all are dealt with by paddling, lining or portaging. Once through a sigh of relief and Loch Tummel appears.

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The beautiful11km

loch cuts through an area steeped in history. With 17th century clan estates, cairn circles, old forts and sites made famous by Queen Victoria, it leads to sense of days gone by. You are more concerned that the next dam is fast approaching. Clunie Dam – built in the 1950s is reputed to have raised the level of the loch by 4.5 metres and gives a portage round onto the next section of the river Tummel. Most will camp at the loch side.

DAY FOUR

A short paddle to the dam and portage round gets the muscles ready for the next river.

The river sees quite a bit of paddlesport/rafting activity in the summer months. The famous Linn of Tummel is also here. The river itself has a few grade 3 rapids that need to be navigated. It is a technical river that does keep the canoeist on their toes. Getting to the end of the river and seeing where the River Garry comes in leads you to ponder other routes. The Garry system will not be far from your mind and will lead you to ponder maps on your return.

Glenmore Lodge runs a Rannoch crossing trip each year. Visit glenmorelodge. org.uk for more details.

Here you have made a significant milestone on the journey. You have turned south. The short man-made Loch Faskally (3.5km) created in 1950, takes you right down into Pitlochry. This brings a shock to the system as you have entered civilisation as the dam here has a salmon fish ladder where the tourists come to see the thousands of fish ascend on their way to the spawning grounds.

Once the portage is completed a short paddle to get out of town and down the next section of the river Tummel to find a camp for your last night. This braided fast section of water gives outstanding views around.

DAY FIVE

Your last day on this particular journey finishes at the little habitation of Ballinluig. The short paddle from camp brings you to main bridge over the river (just above the River Tay confluence) and time to pack up and find the local café for a well-earned piece of cake!

WHAT A TRIP!

This is right up there as one the canoe journeys in the UK. It should be at the top of any canoeists ‘to do’ list and is achievable for any canoeist who has put the time in. Come and test your canoeing and put the full repertoire of skills together in one incredible journey.

No where to hide on Lough Ree

01479 861 256 www.glenmorelodge.org.uk

Join us on Scotland’s famous rivers, lochs and coast Offering the full range of British Canoeing coaching, leadership, performance, safety & CPD modules

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