The Paddler Issue 51 Winter 2020 by The Paddler ezine

PADDLER The International magazine for recreational paddlers Issue 51 Winter 2019/20

Missinaibi River to

MATTICE Ray Goodwin Underated

UTTARAKHAND Steve Brooks

ezine The magic of belonging

OCF Eleri & Greg Spencer

Becoming a

PADDLER Greg Spencer Magnificent

KNOYDART Angela Ward & Adam Evans Chile and Argentina

PATAGONIA Mark Corti Finding peace in the

OUTDOORS Richard Harpham Circumnavigation of 2 TomThorpe

IRELAND

24-page winter issue of

CANOE FOCUS

Clear access, clear waters Go Paddling ambassador round up Coaching digital library

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH BRITISH CANOEING

The human factor By Tom Parker #4 FSRT a common language? By Andy Oughton

CONTENTS

South Lake Tahoe with Mount Tallac, California Photo: Michael Lutus Editor

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Cover:

The Open Canoe Festival, France Photo: Paul Villecourt (https://villecourt.com)

Additional thanks to:

Lowri Davies, Bex Pope, Tony Dallimore - T3 Imaging, Paul Villecourt, Ashley Kenlock, Andy and Alexandra Van Den Elsen

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 Early Spring 2020, with a deadline of submissions on Jan 20th 2020. 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.

Issue 51

008 The human factor

Winter 2019/20

#4 by Tom Parker

012 Becoming a paddler By Greg Spencer

024 Missinaibi River to Mattice By Ray Goodwin

036 Underated Uttarakhand, India By Steve Brooks

046 OCF: the magic of belonging By Eleri and Greg Spencer

056 Chile and Argentina Sea kayaking by Mark Corti

067 Canoe Focus British Canoeing’s 24-page magazine

092 Finding peace in the outdoors By Richard Harpham

102 Magnificent Knoydart By Angela Ward and Adam Evans

116 FSRT - a common language? By Andy Oughton

124 Circumnavigation of Ireland2 By Tom Thorpe

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RODUC T S P O

AWARDS

2020

EAR E Y

PA D D

55% RECYCLED YARN

L JURY PRIZE SPECIA

RODUC T S P O

AWARDS

2020

EAR E Y

PA D D

55% RECYCLED YARN

L JURY PRIZE SPECIA

“WE'VE HAD ENOUGH OF EXPERTS...”

Humans are social creatures and part of that is a tendency to form hierarchies within those groups. Hierarchies within our realm quite often tend to be based around perceived expertise, experience and confidence. This can massively inhibit the open, questioning ethos required for the collaborative decision making process to

work. The main bias at work here is the association of expertise with infallibility. Those who perceive themselves to be less expert within the group feel less able to ask questions or point out perceived problems, either because they feel they lack the required knowledge to challenge actions or because the feel that the ‘experts’ within the group must have a solid plan for their actions.

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

HOW FLAWEDTHINKING LEADSTO DANGER ONTHE RIVER Welcome to the final part of The Human Factor, a short series of articles looking at how sub conscious bias can affect our decision making on the river. So far, we've identified our capacity for conscious and sub conscious decision making and the pros and cons of each approach. We've identified many sub conscious biases that can lead to us making poor decisions without even realising it and we've looked at a simple series of questions to share the mental load amongst the group when making decisions on the river to help mitigate these biases. So, that must mean everything is all sorted, correct? If only that were true. It turns out that there are a number of biases that can reduce the effectiveness of the questioning approach amongst the group...

By Tom Parker

The human factor

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This is often referred to as the Expert Halo. Clearly, however, experts are still human, prone to bias and with a finite amount of decision making and analytical capacity, particularly in dynamic, risky environments. Surgery and aviation are both fields that have struggled with this issue in the past, with fatal results and millions of pounds have been invested in developing approaches to help mitigate the effects of the Expert Halo.

These largely centre around fostering and reinforcing a team based approach and a culture of empowering anyone present to call a stop. Hard as it can be to remember to build it in to what we do, those who have more experience need to actively encourage those with less experience to challenge their suggestions. We will struggle to remove hierarchies, but we can mitigate their effects.

THE IN CROWD...

We all like to feel accepted within a social group, right? No one really relishes the feeling of being an outsider. This need for acceptance is a powerful bias on our decision making and our willingness to question what is happening. It makes us less likely to question courses of action if we feel that analysis will adversely affect the rest of the teams’ experience, leading to them ostracising us. No one wants to be seen as a ‘mood hoover’, so we keep quiet, despite feeling uneasy about the choices that the group are making.

awareness of our mates and a willingness to ask questions all the more important if we are to avoid theses biases tripping us up.

We also have to consider the fact that our decisions may be riddled with sub-conscious bias, and yet nothing goes wrong. That doesn’t mean our performance was solid, it just means that we were lucky. We have to take a retrospective questioning approach too after our trip, asking ourselves why we did what we did and being honest. Once we admit that we are biased in our thinking, we become more open to people pointing out our bias.

TO CONCLUDE...

This may sound very gloomy, an insurmountable problem. It’s not meant to, believe me. We won’t ever rid our thinking of sub-conscious bias. However, if we admit that we are biased and understand the nature of those biases, we can minimise their effects. By understanding our motivations, gathering information ahead of the trip and sharing ideas with our mates, before, during and after our time on the water, we can stop the effects of these biases from spiralling out of control or prevent them having such a big effect in the future...

This acceptance bias doesn’t purely occur within tangible groups on the water. Peoples’ decisions are biased by digital acceptance – the quest for that shot or footage that will get you lots of social media likes can lead to all sorts of dodgy situations. Once again, it’s tricky, but we have to be happy to question each other’s suggestions with purpose and support.

JUST BECAUSE NOTHING GOES WRONG, IT DOESN’T MEAN WHATYOU WERE DOING WAS RIGHT... We’ve considered these biases individually but, in reality, they all mix together and help to compound each other, which makes both self awareness,

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DEEFEST

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DeeFest – 4-5th April 2020

We are stoked to announce a big new event coming to the Dee Valley in Spring 2020... Join us for DeeFest: a weekend of fun, races, freestyle, shenanigans, silliness and of course THE PARTY! We will have events for everyone, from seasoned racers and freestyle pros, down to those just getting started. Such is the versatility of this amazing river. Photos: Bex Pope

Plans include: l

l l l l l l

Races at Serpents Tail and Town Falls Inflatable race and surfing Team race Freestyle #FlippyFloppies Kids event King of the wave A big party in TNR’s newly renovated upstairs of Mile End Mill

We have other surprises in store too and we cannot wait for what should be an amazing weekend.

Note: The exact itinerary will be adapted depending on water levels.

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B E C O M I N G As a rule, we arrive in canoeing and/or kayaking pretty well equipped to cope… Words: Greg Spencer l Photos: Tony Dallimore - T3 Imaging & Greg Spencer That’s true even if we have no directly relevant experience. We have expertise we can draw upon from our experiences on land and in the water. With very little play and exploration we can come up with workable ways to do pretty much anything we want to do.

Once we have made a start, we're mostly in motion. We move relative to the water and the air. We create bow waves and navigate slight breezes, both of which shape what we can do. As a rule, we know that if we simply freeze and do nothing, our situation will continue to unfold in some way, shape or form - even if that’s just with us spinning around.

As we get more accomplished we get more attuned to what we've set in motion. We become switched-on to the options available to us. Our growing awareness gives us a feel for moving upon the surface of the water. Soon, it starts feeling as natural as moving on land or when we’re swimming.

In developing our ‘feel’ for our new activity, we tune into feedback we get through all of our senses. Initially, we might struggle to distinguish sensations which are important (e.g. a wind blown wave accelerating us into a turn) from those which may not be (e.g. a wind blown wave simply passing under our craft).

Fortunately, the struggle to distinguish relevant and irrelevant cues is a battle we know how to overcome – as it’s what we’ve faced many times when learning something new!

A …

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Stacking the odds

Whilst we don't really have any good long term alternative to developing our skills through feel, our capacity to create barriers to our own learning is matched only by the ease with which we can rather lose sight of what we’re actually trying to accomplish.

Getting our heads in a good place is an obvious enough starting point for anyone wanting to progress. In the bigger picture, this might at least mean doing things to stack the odds on us staying motivated as we know our readiness can easily be blown away by any drip-drip-drip of unsettling experiences.

If we are going to progress rapidly we also need to take steps to ensure we’ve got the confidence to try things we find suitably challenging. Confidence can be built on many things, but in our craft, one primary source is a conviction that we’re at least looking in the right place to start noticing how our boat is moving on the water!

With all of that said, we also need to be wary of distractions like thinking about how we’re moving our body or having our focus on a ‘marker’ such as another person or a point on the bank. If we’re doing any of these then we’re not even giving ourselves a chance to develop the ‘feel’ needed to make progress!

Getting our heads in a good place is an obvious enough starting point for anyone

wanting to progress

Balance

Developing feel is first and foremost about developing a new understanding of the dynamic balance we need to stay over our base of support through the full cycle of each of our strokes and throughout all our manoeuvres.

All too often, we get encouraged to focus on the base of support provided by the craft we are using. This is perhaps a necessary step but if this remains our sole focus we have immediately created a barrier to our development as a paddler. If anything, attunement to this side of balance is a matter for later on!

Of course, we are more likely to get lucky and develop a feel for something if we are actively searching for it. If we don’t appreciate that the catch phase of each and every forward stroke widens an experienced paddler’s base of support we are unlikely to play and explore in ways that allow us to understand what the water offers us!

We can liken our forward paddling to the ‘gaits’ we have in walking and running on land. As experienced paddlers, are we in balance at all points? No! We may not want to flop from one ear-dip to another but that's perhaps a closer analogy to the subtle, nuanced flow of what we ordinarily do.

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All too often we hear

coaches obsessing about ‘rotation’ but we all know that we can rotate very smoothly without achieving anything whatsoever

Coordination

In time we are likely to develop a range of forward paddling movement solutions to move us along at different rates in different situations. Each one is likely to become a recognisable personal ‘gait’ but each will, of necessity, be our own. No one paddles with someone else’s style: we’re all distinctive!

Each of our forward paddling solutions involves coordinating to connect effectively with the water through our blade and boat and to transfer power in useful ways, and even if we haven’t already started searching for support from the water when we try and lock our blade, we’ll find ways to move along.That’s a great start – but it’s also seriously limited and limiting!

To really progress, the solutions we develop will need to reflect a better sense of how we can connect with the water. In practice, we will at least end up needing a workable catch. The frame created by our shoulder girdle arms and paddle will have to be stable and able to transmit force transferred from our core.

All too often we hear coaches obsessing about ‘rotation’ but we all know that we can rotate very smoothly without achieving anything whatsoever. Coordination is more basic. It’s about developing our feel for our body as a linkage allowing us to drive our boat from our blade.

Agility

At a very basic level, our agility in handling our craft builds upon our ability to retain our balance even when taking more in our stride. It’s what comes with anticipating earlier and reacting more quickly and more smoothly. It also builds upon stable coordination patterns which we have learnt to adapt.

Our smoothness in our craft through all the vagaries the dynamic environments in which we move will depend on us having a ‘feel’ for how we might tweak the path on which our craft might otherwise have been set. If we don’t perceive the useful cues, every adjustment we make will be late and/or inappropriate!

As we become more attuned to the nuances of how our boat is running we become able to adapt the weight we transfer at each catch, the length of each of our strokes, the way in which we shift our bodyweight on each repetition, and the power transfer that results from our actions. Crucially, we even end up able to get the same outcome in lots of slightly different ways!

Over time, we generally try to add in attunement to the nuances of the dynamic environments in which we travel. That might be adjusting for gusts of wind, small waves and minor variations in the flow. At the other extreme, it can mean adjusting to fly off the lip of a waterfall. Wherever we are heading, we aim to be cued in!

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Limits

If we’re going to put developing feel at the heart of our efforts to develop as a paddler, we need to take seriously the idea that it is our job to find our solutions where we are seeing challenges. That’s not saying there’s no role for anyone else but it does mean understanding coaching as something akin to accompanying us as a sense-maker.

In practice, those around us may well have a pretty good idea what our paddling is likely to end up looking like before we start developing our own solutions.That’s likely to be true even when those around us are pretty open-minded about technique because the way our craft are designed to work means we face real and unavoidable functional limits in trying to get creative in our personal movement solutions!

If we’re in a racing kayak with wing paddles we still have scope to find our own, distinctive gaits as a paddler. Even at elite level, leading paddlers end up being quite recognisable from their paddling style.That said, certain commonalities will be identifiable and like it or not, certain temptations will be really dysfunctional, no matter what style we adopt. If we switch to white water canoes we need to accept that the craft we are in are designed to carve on an edge across eddylines and to spin out whenever unconstrained.Those considerations really do constrain us. Again, movement solutions can be many and varied but the work of developing ‘feel’ might as well start with an appreciation of inescapable realities.

What does this mean?

Do the functional limits we find in canoe and kayak mean we are best off starting from some master-guru’s ‘how to paddle’ technical template? Should we be learning what ‘ideal’ is supposed to look like and then going out ‘error correcting’ in practice sessions until our effort at doing as we’re told starts becoming vaguely effective?

Working from a technical template is a great way to make something look pretty on the outside (so it has the appearance of being workable). Sadly, below the veneer we can be looking at mush – not least because a focus on outward appearance can really get in the way of developing the feel necessary for ever better balance, coordination and agility!

Fortunately, being new to paddling does not have to mean floundering around developing dysfunctional movement solutions as we can quite productively use tightly-constrained tasks to help us develop the ‘feel’ we need to get better attuned to feedback we can narrow down our search as we strive to develop genuinely useful movement solutions.

One well known trick to help us narrow our search space when working on efficiency through turns, is simply tackling a complex manoeuvre at something like quarter-pace. As solutions, which are inefficient at higher speeds tend to completely kill our limited momentum at the lower pace, our search focus shifts – we become attuned to letting our craft run!

One well known trick to help us narrow our search space when working on efficiency through turns, is simply tackling a complex manoeuvre at something

like quarter-pace

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Validity

Working to develop ‘feel’ can be anywhere on a spectrum from hugely fun to excruciatingly frustrating – but simple steps can make all the difference. A primary one is structuring our practice so that we get meaningful experiences and can actually make sense of the feedback we’re getting.

For a variety of reasons, learning in a crew boat (tandem or bigger) with an otherwise skilled crew can be a rewarding way to gain experience. This can have huge practical advantages, especially where we can tune into the rhythm established by those skilled partners without having to concern ourselves with more than one role or responsibility.

On the flip side, few things undermine efforts to develop feel more comprehensively than having to distinguish the feedback we’re getting from what we do ourselves from the feedback we’re getting from

what everyone else is doing – especially where another inexperienced paddler might also be contributing in strange ways.

Whilst paddling solo can resolve some issues (e.g. finding the hull accelerating just as we’re about to initiate our own stroke) it can create others – especially where we have limited choice over craft and environment. In anything but a ‘beginner’ craft and in anything beyond very sheltered water, the challenge level can easily become overwhelming – and task simplification can become really difficult.

If we’re really going to stack the odds in our favour, we are possibly going to need to switch craft and environment from time to time. We might also find we need some sort of trick to amplify the feedback as we try things which are only slightly different, or to slow things down. For all these reasons and more, we might invite a coach-as-sense-maker to accompany us as we strive to develop our skills.

For a variety of reasons, learning in a crew boat (tandem or bigger) with an otherwise skilled crew can be a rewarding way

to gain experience

Conclusion

Those well versed in such things should be able to attach fancy language to much we’ve covered in this short introduction. Any one of us should see the potential for spiralling outwards from almost any point. In practice, however, this option is more likely to end up with us disappearing into (and getting lost and demoralised within) conceptual rabbit-holes.

We can liken our forward paddling to the ‘gaits’ we have in walking and running on land. As experienced paddlers, are we in balance at all points? No! We may not want to flop from one ear-dip to another but that’s perhaps a closer analogy to the subtle, nuanced flow of what we ordinarily do.

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The guide by the side

If we start by understanding our coach as a sense-maker, we will hopefully always start our practice with questions such as, “What is the motor problem we are trying to solve?”

To ensure we are always allowing scope for appropriate self-organisation (in ways which will help us solve the problem we’ve identified) we might also ask practical questions such as: l Is our practice-structure encouraging us to explore the movement pattern variability we’re going to need in the environments in which we wish to perform? l Are the coordination patterns we’re developing representative of those we’re going to need in the environments in which we wish to perform? l Are we practicing with access to the perceptual cues and information we’re going to need in the environments in which we wish to perform? l Is our decision making in our practice representative of the decision making we’re going to need in the environments in which we wish to perform? The science links ‘degrees of freedom’ and ‘motor abundance’ and talks of the ways we can increase our adaptability to get resilience in our movement solutions and protect ourselves from key injury risks but fortunately, the doing doesn’t need the science!

A big thank you to Marianne Davies of Dynamics Coaching for her contributions to this article. For further reading see http://theuglyzone.rocks/

MISSINAIBI

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R AY

G O O D W I N ’ S R I V E R

T O

MATTICE Photos: Ray Goodwin

2019 Our launch spot was Barclay Bay on Missinaibi Lake. We arrived late afternoon, after a fivehour drive, fromTimmins. All our canoes and food were delivered by the excellent Missinaibi Headwaters Outfitter. Permits were paid for and we camped up for the night.

The morning brought a flurry of activity as Paul, myself and customers busied our final packing and carried our gear down to the slip. I had teamed up with Rosemary and we started the first pack of the trip. Others were quickly on the water and asking for me to check their front to back trim.We were well loaded, between us, with seven barrels of group food along with a wannigan containing all the cook gear.The wannigan was a plywood box which would be carried via a traditional tump line across the head on all portages. I was glad when Roo and Graeme volunteered it a place in their canoe.

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Brunswick Lake

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slight

With a

Using a bow drill, fire by friction CREDIT: Courtesy of Ray Mears

headwind

we worked shelter to shelter along the lake. On a distant shore we spotted a black bear foraging before it noticed us and calmly disappeared into the woods. We lunched at the narrows and then paddled into the end of the lake and the start of the river.

The river was low and most rapids were a bit of a scrape but still with enough power, when the water was confined, to deserve caution.

Our second day had us down to first Long and then Sun rapids. The latter with a couple of awkward rocks right in the main flow at the end of the rapid. A quick decision was made by Paul and myself and it was the whole team out to line down. As this was the first use of the ropes it took a whole lot of attention on our part both for the safety of the boats and the making sure the team moved carefully across the boulders. The caution was emphasised when we inspected a wrecked canoe from another party – indeed, within a kilometre, we came across another canoe wrapped high around a rock. These are not places to chance injury or losing a boat!

FILMING WITH RAY MEARS AND THE BBC 2004

Barry Foster was the cameraman on the first part of the trip and seemed to have an unbridled faith in my ability or at least my decision making. He asked if I could run a rapid with him filming? I pondered before saying yes. The boat would be heavier and Barry would have a weighty camera on his shoulder. He climbed into the canoe and stuck his legs under the seat, facing back at me. I got him to get the legs out in case we took a spill. He looked at the camera and back at me: we couldn’t afford to get it wet.

I ran the line and Barry got his footage and nowadays it always seems a bit of cheat just attaching the GoPro to the bow.

2019

As we approached Peterbell we could hear the steady rumble of a goods train. It, as usual was a real monster with four or locomotives pulling from the front and a massive trail of flatbeds with containers stacked two high. It took a long while for this rumbling behemoth to cross the bridge and even longer for it noise to disappear into the distance. Many folk miss out the lake and the first rapids to start their trip here. Yep it is possible to book the canoes and group onto the train.

Peterbell was established in the 1920s and operated for some 50 years before first being abandoned and then demolished with little of interest remaining. We passed on by.

A bitter wind from the north picked up as we headed to the marshes and our chosen camp. Adding to our discomfort rain now lashed down. The camp is on a rocky knoll overlooking the marshes, but we struggled to find enough water to get through the reed beds protecting the lagoon at its foot. Wading in the mud and vegetation we teamed up to drag each boat the ten metres or so until we could paddle again. Standing for the first time in hours, the low temperature hit me hard and like several others I started shivering.

A 100-metre paddle and we were at the awkward landing at the foot of the knoll, where only one boat at a time could unload. I grabbed my pack and leaving everyone else unloading got up to the camp area. My priority was to set a group tarp up, so there would be some respite from the rain. Soon the kit was up at the top and most were off to gather whatever dry wood could be found. Paul had the fire going quickly and the first water was on for a brew. Anyone can walk into the woods on a dry day and set up but it is in the wet and wind that your skills are proven.

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Filming with Ray Mears We were being plagued by mosquitos and we needed a place clear of marshland for a day of bushcraft. On my suggestion we pushed ahead to the site on Allan Island. Ray wanted to carve a paddle and I wanted to be taught how to use a bow drill for lighting a fire.

I collected a log for the paddle and watch with interest as Ray split it with wedges to create a plank and then started marking out a paddle with charcoal. Bit by bit the paddle emerged from the wood with a small amount of work by me. Ray was concerned I would be over keen and I was soon regulated to observing. The footage of me working on the paddle would be edited in with my later work carving a spatula to give totally the wrong impression - yep I had been stitched up. It still makes me smile to this day and both spatula and paddle have pride of place on my wall.

It is interesting to look back of the footage of me using a bow drill. I had never attempted it before and for more than an hour I struggled to get the coordination to get a smooth action. A slight change in pressure, angle or just general incompetence and the peg would go shooting off in all directions. I was into my final attempts as my energy waned but I got a smooth run and smoke started pouring from the bottom board and an ember formed. Ray cautioned me to slow down and not to allow the copious sweat from my brow to drop on the ember. I bundled it up in the tinder and blew on it. Within seconds a flame appeared, slightly more and the bundle burst into flame – I had done it! For an hour I had been a novice rather than an expert and the coach within me had been fascinated by the process.

GREENHILL RAPIDS 2017

We had reached the top of Greenhill and Paul and I were in agreement that the team should portage. The river was higher and there was less experience in the group. However, I would run it solo with a loaded boat before helping with the portage of some 1,400 metres. The portage cuts across way from the river so I would be on my own. Again, I worked myself down it

Greenhill Rapids

“Impossible to scout… meaner than a junk-yard dog… a real canoe cemetery.”

2019

We portaged past and then camped at the bottom of Wavy Rapid. A rather spacious site with a great sandy beach perfect for swimming and after a comfortable night and it was on down to Greenhill.

GREENHILL RAPIDS

Back on my first trip in 2003, I approached this with some trepidation. Hap Wilson’s guidebook included dire warnings about this 1,400-metre rapid, “Impossible to scout… meaner than a junk-yard dog… a real canoe cemetery.” That first time I had my friend Jon as bow paddler and that led to a problem. Great to have on Jon the trip and in the wilderness, he was however inexperienced as a paddler. We started working down from eddy to eddy never leaving one until we had a definite line and a plan to get to the next.

Alun and Jamie were steady in the other canoe. Eventually we ran out of good eddies and I wasn’t prepared to cut loose and run. We lined down a section until lines and eddies became more obvious.

eddy by eddy. Sometimes running the boat aground in shallows to slow down and get a look downstream. So, with a mix of tactics I worked my way down. By the time I got to the bottom Paul had already dropped a load at the end of the trail and was on his way back up for more.

GREENHILL IN 2019

This time the river was very low and because of the width there was little power in the water. We alternated the lead between boats and dodged and scraped our way down. All were enjoying it and the manoeuvring necessary upped everyone’s game. A real joy to watch the team in action.

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Filming with Ray Mears We had got what we needed. Then the news came, not unexpected, that Ray Mears’ dad was seriously ill. We needed to finish and get out. A few calls to the outfitter via satellite phone got a float plane extraction arranged.

We paddled down and waited at the agreed point.The plane did a fly through to check the section of river before coming back for a landing. Ray and gear were loaded on and flasks of coffee and fresh pastries were passed to the rest of us.The plane could only take one passenger and one canoe on trip.

It was an interesting take off. The straight wasn’t long enough so the pilot was starting from further upstream. Coming around the bend with speed then accelerating again to take off. As soon as we were airborne the pilot banked to the left to avoid the hillside ahead, it was intimidating, before climbing up above the forest. By the time we got back to Timmins, Ray was already on a flight back to Toronto and onto the UK.

crops it could grow. It operated from 1788 until 1879. Back in 2017, we spent an hour or so wandering what we believed to be the site of the post but with no trace of anything found.

We camped at the start of the portage and carried the canoes across the 1.5 km that same day. The trail is slightly overgrown with a number of fallen trees. Some had teamed up to carry in pairs and some solo. The final part of the portage is muddy and the wood dropped into it to make a dry crossing was appallingly slippery. At this point I gave up my solo carry and waited for assistance carrying the canoe by hand for the final bit.

2019

We had a two night stop in the camp below Thunder Falls. A chance to clean clothes, read, rest and fish.

Paul and I were keen to take the portage over into Brunswick Lake. It avoided a long flat section of the Missinaibi but more importantly this was the historic fur trade route. The Hudson Bay Company had, due to competition from the North West Company, started to move inland its posts around Hudson and James Bay. For a time, Brunswick House was the southern most HBC post. It had been sited on the lake so that it could be more self-sufficient in food with easier fishing and hunting along with the

Next morning most of us did two trips carrying loads across.The launch into a branch of Brunswick Lake was shallow, muddy and lily infested.We laid a carpet of branches to enable us to push out further before resorting to punting through a long section of shallows before breaking through to the main lake.

The island camp on Brunswick is idyllic but an aluminium motor boat was moored up and the camp obviously occupied. A quick conversation and we realised it was two park rangers on a maintenance trip and with plenty of room on its crest they invited us to join them. The newly installed and empty thunder box was a very welcome change. While we sorted the rangers working day had finished and they took off on a fishing trip, reappearing hours later with plenty of filleted fish for all of us.

Morning came with yet more rain out of the north but the wind was low enough for us to head up the lake. Rob’s Australian flag was flying proudly from the stern of his canoe offering one of the few bits of colour on a grey day. Lunch was hurried and we

The rangers working day had finished and they took off on

a fishing trip,

reappearing hours later with plenty of filleted fish for all of us

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made it to the top of the Brunswick River. A brief view of a moose and we headed on knowing the next campsite was way down on the Missinaibi. The river was low and only passible, in the rocky sections, because an eight-foot wide channel had been cleared for the Voyageur’s 25’ birchbark canoes. At times we had to wade and line where rocks and trees had blocked this old waterway, even a beaver dam briefly hindered our progress.

Back into the Missinaibi we headed on until late in the day and at last we reached the first possible camp, however, two teams were already camped there! One was a university course and another led by Jeff Tindall. We knew Jeff from a previous trip and had bumped into him days earlier before we headed into Brunswick. He quickly invited us to share the site and even use the tarp already set up. A quick scout starting to bring in dry wood and Paul soon had a pot boiling for a brew and then the meal was underway. We scrabbled around for flat spaces but we soon had everyone camped up.

LAST CAMP

A couple more days had us down to a last camp at the spectacular Glassy Falls. With plenty of room we again shared the site with Jeff ’s team. The students were on a four-week trip on the river and Jeff was very much playing the role of facilitator rather than guide. He even encouraged his students to question us on our roles and experiences.

old waterway,

At times we had to wade and line where rocks and trees had blocked this even a beaver dam briefly hindered our progress.

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INFORMATION For canoe trips in Canada, Ray teams up with his good friend Paul Kirtley: www.Frontierbushcraft.com

There is a film of the 2019 trip on Ray’s YouTube channel @: https://youtu.be/lWkCFYjIV_E

Above: Brunswick Lake

Below: Missinaibi Lake

The final morning again dawned with rain sweeping in from the north. A last rapid was run smoothly and we finally pulled into the town of Mattice. Waiting for the outfitter some ran over to the toilets to get shelter, others of us hid behind the information boards.

Only when in the shuttle vehicles did warmth truly return and recollection soon turned to the joys of the river. You could feel the camaraderie and pride in the team. With views of bear and moose, beaver and otter, loon and eagle we had been part of the wilderness. The Missinaibi had not disappointed.

Ray Goodwin’s website: www.RayGoodwin.com Ray is using gear from NRS. Our outfitter for this trip was https://mhoadventures.com Read more on Ray’s canoeing adventures: Yukon, Canada https://paddlerezine.com/ray-goodwins-big-salmonand-yukon/ Algonquin, Canada https://paddlerezine.com/ray-goodwins-paddleportage-and-play-algonquin-with-kids/ Interview https://paddlerezine.com/an-interview-with-raygoodwin-mbe/ Mull, Scotland https://paddlerezine.com/ray-goodwins-by-canoearound-mull/ Bloodvein, Canada https://paddlerezine.com/ray-goodwins-bloodvein/

SILVERBIRCHCANOES.COM

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Words & photos: Steve Brooks We were having our final lunch together in Rishikesh as a group before everyone started to head back home. Stanzin and myself, along with Pawan, had just led a 12-day kayaking adventure in one of the most underrated destinations in the Himalayas!

Uttarakhand, a Himalayan state north-east of Delhi lays home to some of India’s most sacred mountains and of course, the Ganges. A 45-minute flight or roughly 6-7 hours by taxi will bring you to the yoga capital of the world - Rishikesh. A town not only full of Hindu pilgrims coming to cleanse themselves in the sacred Mother Ganga (Ganges River), it also has thousands of foreigners coming to practice yoga, travellers from all around the world and a fair few souls searching for themselves!

Though, to be quite honest, I am not too sure if we are actually considered normal or even sane to the average Indian for kayaking in such a torrent of water! What they do not know is that it is a big water heaven, especially right at the end of the monsoon!

UTTARAKHAND

UNDERRATED

Above: Gina Kelly catching air while running the BIG water of the Alaknanda River in the India Himalayas

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The whitewater section of the Ganges provides a great place to get used to this kind of volume of water. It is all pool drops that flow nicely to the next rapid with most of the bigger wave trains and hits further downstream so you easily get used to the character of the river by the time you arrive at Golf Course - the biggest rapid on the Ganges.

Steve Riding his Enfield Bullet back from Leh to Manali in India

Do not think of the polluted Ganges down by the plains and Varanasi! Up in the Himalayas the river is clean. For a few years now, beach camps on the side of the river have been banned, so you can even see leopard and elephant footprints on the sandy beaches.

India is currently going through a huge infrastructure project.The main roads leading to all its outposts at the borders are being widened, tunnels are being bored through the mountains and railway lines will be extended up into the heart of the Himalayas!

SHIVANANDI RIVER LODGE

This meant our ride up to our next location after the warm-up on the Ganges was going to take a little longer due to the construction and disruption. But with a very early start to beat the traffic we managed to arrive at Shivanandi River Lodge just before lunch. Shivanandi is a stunning place located on the banks of the Alaknanda and the perfect place to base ourselves from. The Alaknanda is one of my favourite rivers in the world! It is the main tributary of the Ganges and has various day sections from Class 3 up to Class V.The further you head up the valley, the harder the river becomes but throughout all the sections the scenery is stunning, the water is big (at the beginning of October) and there are so many waves to surf. This is one of the beauties of kayaking in this part of India, the time spent on the river is great for everyones technique, river knowledge/understanding and sheer

Portaging a river wide ledge drop on the River Pindar

The team kayaking on the Pindar River with great levels.

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A brilliant finish to a fantastic time kayaking in Incredible India

enjoyment. It was called, “No stress kayaking” by one of the team and I can fully agree with that!

In previous seasons, Stanzin, Ute and myself would just head to the Alaknanda for a blast down or a surf. One year we spent five days going back to the same spot as the wave was so, so good!

PINDAR RIVER

The Pindar River is a tributary of the Alaknanda and another classic! It has a more Alpine feel, with longer and steeper rapids, less volume than the Alaknanda and warmer water. Different sections offer kayaking from Class 3 upwards with the steep upper reaches accessed by hiking and the classic sections easily accessible by jeep.

Diwali - the Festival of Light being celebrated in Rishikesh

When we plan our kayaking trips we try to involve a festival as it is a fantastic cultural experience in many ways! Diwali – the Festival of Light happens around October/November and is one of the most celebrated of Hindu festivals. On its spiritual side, Diwali is to celebrate victories of: light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance and good over evil to name but a few. Family homes make Rangoli, which are coloured floor decorations with plenty of traditional Diya oil lights spread throughout the house. Outside it is now a different ball game with crazy techno coloured LED lights! Throughout the festival, sticky, extremely sweet and brightly coloured Indian sweets are given as a gift and eaten in abundance.

FIREWORKS

Checking out the sweets and samosas in Gauchar

The other side of Diwali are the fireworks! Over the five days of festivities, fireworks of all styles and types are being set off. From rockets to thunderous explosive bangs – some even rattle the hotel walls! Indians are setting off what are some of the most dangerous explosive devices ever sold to a civilian population! It is an integral part of the celebrations and no matter how much pollution they cause, with Delhi stuck under a blanket of smog and let alone the injuries involved, I very much doubt you will be able to take away

Ran Harel running the BIG waves of the Alaknanda River Stanzin Tanfan kayaking on the Pindar River on a good water level

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As we peeled into the eddy at the confluence by the temple, people where shocked and extremely surprised to see us kayaking! In fact so much so that it took them more than 10 seconds to realise they should get their phones out to take photos and selfies! It was an amazing end to the trip and a big highlight.

By our last ghat at the take-out some of the team decided to go for the three dunk blessing and cleansing with a difference – kayaking style with three eskimo rolls! Everyone is still living and enjoying life, because as like I said at the start of this piece, the water quality of the Ganges up there in the mountains is good!

MORE OF AN INTRODUCTION

Above: Ger Keane running a big wave in his Waka Gangsta on the Alaknanda River

someones sheer enjoyment of what these pyrotechnics can do - especially at those prices!

It truly is fantastic to be part of the Diwali festivities and experience everything about it but sometimes better from a safe distance! We were now heading back to Rishikesh with a stop along the way to kayak the Bhagirathi River. An extremely important river to Hindus, the Bhagirathi is considered as the source of the Ganges. Starting high up by the Gangotri Glacier, it starts it journey making its way down to Devprayag and meeting the Alaknanda River.

BIG BOUNCY RAPIDS

Below: Eoghan Dunlea running a sweet rapid on the River Pindar

It is the section below the Tehri Dam that provides some great pool drop rapids in a beautiful gorge, well away from any roads or villages! You have to be careful to make sure they are releasing water from the dam. We kayaked with high water and it was so much fun, with big bouncy rapids and the odd hole to avoid. There are a couple of rapids that get the adrenaline flowing and the heart pumping, one of which finishes right above the confluence of the Alaknanda.

On the way back to Rishikesh in the jeeps, Gina mentioned that this trip is really more of an introduction to this part of the Himalayas.This is certainly true! On this trip the team only paddled a few rivers and sections of what Garwahl has to offer. With other outstanding rivers to be kayaked such as the Mandakini, Nandakini,Yamuna and of course one of the gems of the Himalayas: the Tons.The region of Kumaon has some of the most pristine rivers we have every paddled in the Himalayas. From September through to June you will find some great whitewater. Just be aware that early January can be quite chilly – just ask Robert Sommer, the founder of Robson Paddles!

Don’t get me wrong, India is certainly not for everyone! It can be overwhelming in so many aspects of life and the fight with pollution and rubbish is certainly a big struggle but those who have a fascination in the country and who want to experience something very unique will certainly not be disappointed!

Apart from the great memories, workings, flips, spins, sweet lines and the vibrancy of India, one of the topics at the table was just why is this place overlooked by kayakers? We have been going back to Incredible India to kayak, leading trips and exploring every year since 2008. I just hope the photos do this amazing kayaking region justice!

A-6574 Pettneu am Arlberg Tirol

IMPROVERS

ALPINE RIVER RUNNING

ROAD TRIPS

CREEKING

COACHING

SKILLS & THRILLS

PPhotos: Steve Brooks • Graphics: wennos.com

CHILE

PLUS

S P I R T : E N I R U S T N N O I E T V I A D EX P ED & RU E P hand

BEGINNERS

Uttarak

IA N E V O L S Socˇa INDIA Himachal Pradesh

ggokayaking.at Tel.: +43 (0) 6766 530 38 78 • info@gokayaking.at

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INfORmAtION

HOW TO GET THERE

Delhi to Rishikesh: the plane is 45 minutes flying followed by a 30-minute taxi ride. A taxi from delhi to Rishikesh is anything from 5-8 hours depending on traffic. there are also nice public buses that you can use but you may be charged an extra seat ticket for your kayak, if they can fit it in!

UttARAKHANd CURRENCY: Indian rupee

www.gokayaking.at

TIME ZONE: Gmt+5:30

https://goo.gl/maps/W2JaiJ7NoRxj5u6CA

TRANSPORT

Up in the mountains you can use public transport, though it can be problematic trying to flag down a bus as they are not keen to wait while you tie the kayak down on the roof! We only use jeeps up in the mountains!

PERMITS

Kayaking is a bit of a grey issue in India. Aquaterra organised our permits for us and Shivanandi will be organising permits from next year for kayakers who are basing themselves up there. Not all companies have permits for the rivers you will want to kayak on, so make sure you check!

MORE INFO

We will add some more information to our upcoming blogs and occasional newsletter, so check into our website or sign up to our newsletter for more info!

STEVE BROOKS

Steve has lived in Austria now for over 21 years and from being a place to come and work seasonally on the river, to a base camp and finally making Austria his home! Steve’s love for kayaking and adventure is infectious and this can especially be seen in the kayak school he set up 10 years ago. Based out of the Arlberg region in western Austria, the school runs courses for beginners plus coaching and instructing kayakers through all the whitewater grades, including creeking and river running. With rivers such as the Inn, Sanna, Rosanna and Oetz – home of the famous Sickline kayaking competition, it has the longest kayaking season in the Alps, especially with that quality of whitewater!

In-between the kayaking season in Austria, Steve can be found kayaking and leading courses, adventure trips and expeditions in the Soča Valley, Indian Himalayas, Peru and Chile in South America. He speaks Austrian, German like a local and is trying to work out if he speaks Peruvian, Chilean or Argentine Spanish. He has also been a team kayaker for Peak UK for over 20 years! When he is not kayaking, he searches for that perfect powder run out in the back country on his home mountains of St.Anton am Arlberg or riding his Royal Enfield Bullet in search of undiscovered rivers and remote passes in the Indian Himalayas.

For more photos and updates please check out: www.gokayaking.at www.facebook.com/KayakSchoolArlberg www.youtube.com/channel/UC4k6Yblf84a9P4d13fcEq_w www.instagram.com/kayakschoolarlberg/

ULTRALIGHT KAYAKS award winning design, class leading construction.

WWW.TOOTEGA.COM

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( R E ) V I S I T I N G ( U N ) F A M I L I A R

MAGIC BELONGING H A U N T S

A N D

O F

T H E

Words: Eleri & Greg Spencer Photos: Paul Villecourt (https://villecourt.com)

Every year brings us new adventures and opportunities to add to our defining experiences, but through time, repeat visits can also transform our sense of home.

Through the years of the Open Canoe Festival

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Dropping off theVercors Plateau at the Col

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de Rousset was stunning even on our very first visits to the Drôme. One moment we were in high Alpine meadows. The next, we were surrounded by towering cliffs and the world was dropping away at our feet towards rolling foothills. Somewhere down below was our destination, but we were captivated by a sense of having discovered a truly magical gateway, and we forgot about carrying on. The magic was in having found something special for the very first time.

On that first trip, the discovery never really ended. We started by attending our first Open Canoe Festival and falling in love with the emerald-green waters of Drôme. We continued the theme with our first visit to the Ardèche: at least as stunning as the Col de Rousset. We then got to run the ‘Jewel in the Crown’ of Massif Central rivers as we descended the Allier from Chapeauroux to Le Pont d'Alleyras. Even the shuttle was a magical: a train ride through a stunning landscape.That was all before encountering a majestic volcanic plug in Prades!

In the months following this trip to France, we got a bit carried away with discovering places for the very first time. One trip took in the Lahn from Diez to Koblenz. Another involved the Weser from Hann. Münden to Emmerthal (Hameln). That summer we managed both the Drau (Carinthia, southern Austria) and our first coastal canoe sailing at Tighnabruaich (across to Bute and down towards Arran). We also explored the Thames, lots of the Broads and bits in Cumbria. Discovery was great!

BECOMING OLD HANDS

On our first visit to the Open Canoe Festival we’d made many new friends, and we returned in each of the years which followed. Of course, each year has been different. Even the river has been transformed by floods, with favourite spots disappearing. Staying on beyond the main festival, we have also managed to explore new sections well above those normally paddled during each festival – and several paddleable tributaries.

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ThePADDLER 50 We have been back to the Col de Rousset pretty much every year, including in the snow. We’ve explored the paths over to the plateau (through woodland into high meadows) and messed around on the Via Ferrata de Chironne. We also have made annual pilgrimages to the town of Die and further up the valley. In 2015, we even found time to go rock climbing at La Graville and to explore the nearby village of Saou.

Each year, the landscape of the Drôme Valley becomes more meaningful for us. Even tributaries we’ve not yet paddled become familiar as we scout them out and read up on what we will find when we eventually get our opportunity. The local landscape even becomes more meaningful through the experience of friends, especially when we hear of their hikes and mountain bike rides – though we’re very conscious that all of our visits have been in spring, so we’re keen to get back one autumn!

SPIRALLING OUTWARDS

In the year of our second OCF, we retraced many of our steps from the previous year as we were guiding mum on her first visit. By the third year we were linking a few days at the Open Canoe Festival with a week based out of Roquebrun (near Beziers) on the River Orb. Since then, we’ve explored the Isère, the Rhône. We even had a memorable journey along the spectacular Route des Ecouges (not recommended in a van with large trailer).

By 2013, paddling connections formed at successive Open Canoe Festivals had led us northern Italy. We detoured a road trip to Austria in ways which took in the Swiss Alps, Lake Como and the Dolomites to join friends from the Open Canoe Festival for several days on the Ticino. Martin Strunge had flown in from Denmark. Raphael Kuner had driven across from Germany. We’d connected with a whole world of canoeists stretching across more than ten countries!

By 2014 we were running workshops called ‘Premiers coups de pagaie sur la Drôme’ or ‘Introduction to the Drôme.’ Initially, we mostly

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looked at the unique character of the river and at practical things like where to access the river. Now, we also help other people connect in other ways, and encourage an interest in everything from the flora and fauna and the local produce to the 12th-century Cathedral of Our Lady (Notre-Dame) just up the valley in Die.

BEYOND DISCOVERY

In 2018, after many other Open Canoe Festival visits, we introduced Nikki Royle to the Drôme. Sadly, our plan to hit the Col de Rousset at sunset fell apart and we arrived in the dark. This was not great for Nikki, and we promised to return in daylight - but somehow, for us, coming through the Col was still really special. We weren’t just relieved that we’d somehow got our spluttering car across the plateau. The moment was special because it meant we’d arrived back in a place which was really meaningful to us.

The next morning we started to introduce Nikki to places. Before long, we were paddling - and as Nikki was pretty much the same size, Eleri got the chance (for pretty much the first time ever) to be the stern paddler for tandem trips.We all had a ball, and came up with new names for different places on the river – like Woo Hoo Corner

Having Nikki around was great for lots of reasons, and inspired us. Her enthusiasm brought us back to the freshness of our first visits, and made sure our sense of discovery was not lost. Going back also helped us piece together our recollections of those earliest visits, and our sense of how everything fitted together.

EPILOGUE:ARDÈCHE, 2019

Following our workshops in 2018 we were invited to run several days of workshops with Eschweiler Canoe Club at their annual Easter gathering on the banks of the Ardèche. We did this on our way to the 2019 Open Canoe Festival. We’d not been back to the Ardèche since our second OCF, when Eleri had been seven years old, so this was as much discovery as re-discovery. We came away having had a wonderful few days, but also having put many old memories and stories into fresh perspective.

Oh – and the 2019 Open Canoe Festival? Eleri will recall it as her first as a full OCF Instructor, working apart from Dad, but this was also the year of her first 24km ‘big descent’ solo in the little canoe we’d used together on our very first visit.This was the same canoe we had used on almost all of our early adventures, so it is now a bit of a sieve – but it added to the magic as it’s also associated with many of the memories, which mean so much each and every time we get out.

Finally, a blast up our first full via ferrata on our last full day of our 2019 visit was a reminder that being familiar with an area does not mean an end to the freshness that comes with exploring. That got us to Le Claps, we’ve still got so much that we’ve not yet had an opportunity to discover. What does that mean? Well, no matter what plans we develop to try something completely new elsewhere, we’ll be back at the Drôme for the 10th Anniversary Open Canoe Festival in the Spring of 2020!

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OPEN CANOE FESTIVAL 2020 30th April to 3rd May 2020 registrations will open on January 1st. Don’t miss this 10th anniversary!

Registrations can only be done online (no registration at the festival). It’s the only way for them to plan the right t-shirt and meal quantities.

2020 rates (before March 31st): l The entry fee is 90€ / person for the three days event (100€ after March 31st). l 60€ for the kids (under 12) and the ‘non-paddling’ persons (70€ after March 31st). l Free for the kids under five years old. This price includes: l Official Open Canoe Festival t-shirt. l Goodies bag including poster, sticker, magazines. l Thursday opening film. l Friday night meal. l Friday night concert. l Saturday night meal. l Saturday night big prize lottery. l Sunday free local specialties picnic. l Technique and safety clinics. l Free shuttles.

Numerous workshops (workshops registrations will be done only at the festival),

Participation to the organisation costs (the real cost per person is about 135€, the difference is financed via our sponsors and partners).

When you register, we offer the possibility to order vegetarian meals (no meat, no fish). The picnic is not vegetarian. Food allergies are not managed.

The price doesn’t include the camping fee.

Camping reservations (tents) are not necessary (except for chalets and mobilhomes as availability is limited). Please contact: http://gervanne-camping.com

Possibility to get a breakfast service during the weekend: please ask the camping office when you arrive.

The price does not include canoe rental. We are currently working on rental partnerships.

PATAGONIA

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Two of the wildest and least-hospitable places on earth… Chile

ARGENTINA …andTierra del Fuego

Words and photos: Mark Corti

I’ve always been drawn to Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego. Darwin described it has having a, “Mysterious grandeur of mountain behind mountain, with deep intervening valleys, all covered by one thick, dusky mass of forest ... gale succeeds gale, with rain, hail, and sleet, [the climate] seems blacker than anywhere else.” It clings to the very bottom of South America, facing down the Southern Ocean and across to Antarctica and it’s one of the wildest and least-hospitable places on earth.

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Did you know: Patagonia is a sparsely populated region shared by Chile and Argentina.The region comprises the southern section of the Andes Mountains and the deserts to the east. Patagonia is bounded by the Pacific Ocean on the west, the Atlantic Ocean to the east

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It’s also one of the most dramatic,

with jagged peaks tearing at the clouds, blue-grey glaciers tumbling stop-motion headlong into deep, dark waters, and everywhere waterfalls plunging, freefalling down mountainsides to the sea. The climate hasn’t changed much from Darwin’s time, with a typical summer’s day including rain, snow, 30-knot winds and single-digit temperatures – sometimes all at once.

I, however, was currently viewing it over a glass of wine from the cosy cabin of Icebird, a sailboat outfitted for expedition support work in the Southern Ocean. I felt I’d earned the wine – we’d had a long sail in poor visibility, in an area where the charts weren’t merely sketchy, but actually wrong

– misaligned with the terrain by about a mile and a half. In the narrow channels and fjords through which we’d been navigating, it had made for a tense afternoon of helming and watch keeping.

We were currently secured by a spider’s web of shore lines to the various rocky islets that protected our anchorage – strong winds were forecast overnight, so we didn’t want to take chances with the anchor dragging. Then once we’d anchored – a task transformed into a mission by driving snow – we’d unlashed the kayaks from their fastenings and towed

them to a nearby beach. This was the first time they’d been used since last season, and there was some minor maintenance required to bring them up to scratch – tightening deck lines, replacing bungies, refitting and adjusting the rudders.

ACHING SHOULDERS

It was easier to do it on the beach, where we could spread out and move around, rather than the busy deck of the yacht. This far south, the sun sets late and it was gone 21.00 by the time we climbed into the zodiac and returned to the Icebird, the whine of the little outboard echoing back and forth across the

silent bay. My shoulders were aching from pulling miles of mooring lines, my fingers frozen from working with the steel multi-tools we’d been using on the kayaks, and to top it off I’d just discovered that I’d forgotten to zip up the pockets of my jacket and they were filled with slowly-melting snow.

I reached for the bottle and poured myself another glass of wine.

The next day dawned still and overcast, with a thick blanket of cloud obscuring the peaks which crowded the skyline all around. The driving snow overnight had monochromed the scenery – deep water, black rocks, grey sky, all rimed white with fresh snow. The wind had dropped, and the landscape reflected in the dark mirror of the water like a Japanese ink drawing.

sketchy, but actually wrong

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Gnarled trees, twisted by the

relentless winds, clung tenaciously to cracks in the steep cliffs; the snow, sprayed by the wind, filled the crevices in the bark and dusted the foliage, lining everything in white. It was – and I appreciate this is an over-used cliché – a fairytale, winter-wonderland scene.

We dragged the kayaks out from their blanket of snow on the beach and went exploring. This was our first paddle together, so we took the opportunity of flat, sheltered water to have a chat and discuss how we were going to journey together as a group. We were a mixed-ability bunch, so it made sense to paddle in a fairly structured way, with clear roles and responsibilities, and the more experienced paddlers buddying with the less-confident ones.

A LEISURELY PACE

We didn’t have a particular objective for the day other than to stretch out the paddling muscles and explore this dramatic fjord, so we set a leisurely pace, cruising along the rocky shoreline and watching pairs of flightless steamer ducks splash across the water. I hadn’t seen these before, and I was captivated – they neither fly nor paddle like the mallards I’m used to, but instead flail their broad feet along the surface of the water, pushing their heavy bodies up on the plane and leaving behind a wake like a jetboat – or, as I guess the early explorers noted, like a paddle-steamer going flat out. It looks incredibly inefficient, but they can keep it up for surprising distances – certainly enough to escape from overly-inquisitive sea kayakers!

We paddled on, penetrating deep into the forks of the aptly (if unimaginatively) named Caleta Horquilla (Forked Creek). A few small chunks of ice appeared, drifting lazily on the outgoing tide, and as we rounded the point we saw the source: a gorgeous two-colour glacier, sweeping into the sea from a saddle between double peaks. As it reached the water, a rocky bluff stood in its path, forcing the glacier to flow around it.

ELECTRIC BLUE

On one side of the bluff, the glacier was an electric blue, the all-around glare of the overcast sky making it glow with an otherworldly light. Groans and rumbles came from beneath it, with an occasional sharp retort as huge blocks of ice cracked and fractured under the immense pressure, sending cascades of ice crashing into the fjord. On the other side of the bluff, the glacier was grey, almost black in places.

A casual glance dismissed it as moraine, the gravelly detritus that glaciers push ahead of themselves, the fragmented remains of crushed mountains. However, a second glance revealed it for what it was: old ice, smoothed and sculpted by wind and sun and covered by a layer of black dust. It was hard not to see this branch of the glacier as dead – a static, slowlydecaying contrast to the noisy animation of its sibling.

We drifted closer, awestruck by the power of nature, which had carved and was still carving this landscape from the living rock. The rocky bluff, which split the glacier was, in geological terms, a temporary aberration, soon to be milled to powder by the inexorable grindstone of the ice.

As we paddled back to the yacht after the day’s exploration, the stillness was broken by the chugga-

two-colour glacier,

As we rounded the point we saw the source: a gorgeous

sweeping into the sea from a saddle between double peaks

chugga of an ancient marine diesel. A brightly-painted wooden fishing boat hove into view, caparisoned with ropes and crab pots and all the paraphernalia of a Chilean working boat. This was excellent news indeed: crab fisherman are usually up for a bit of friendly bartering and happy to trade a few boxes of wine for a basket of fresh crab.

OCEAN DELICACY

Fuegian king crab – called centollo by the locals – is a true ocean delicacy, but most of it goes to the US and Asia, and it’s seldom seen in Europe. Once they’d anchored and sorted themselves out, we headed over in the Zodiac, clutching a bottle of rum and a box of local red. Crab fishermen in this part of the world lead a tough life, the three-man crew staying at sea for the entire four-month season in their tiny wooden

ThePADDLER 61

ThePADDLER 62

Did you know:Tierra del Fuego is an Argentine province.The province had been inhabited by indigenous people for more than 12,000 years, since they migrated south of the mainland.

boats, their only outside contact a weekly resupply visit from the mothership. Consequently, they’re always happy to see some new faces, and sure enough, we were greeted with open arms and wide smiles (In fact, these particular fishermen invited us to come out and experience a day working on a crabfishing boat, which was an adventure all of its own – but this is supposed to be a story about kayaking, so it will have to wait!).

In short order, there was a pile of crabs clambering about in the bottom of our dinghy, and we headed back to the Icebird for one of the more memorable meals of the trip – with wine, obviously!

The next day we moved on, chasing a pod of dolphins down the fjord as they cavorted and spun on our bow. We dropped the kayaks in the water and had a short paddle around the new bay.

Caracaras – mid-sized birds of prey endemic to the area – patrolled the shoreline, quarrelling noisily with Magallenic and kelp geese for scraps left by the retreating tide. A Patagonian ringed kingfisher perched on a branch, regularly diving into the shallows and

returning with wriggling silver fish in its beak. Overhead, a pair of condors circled slowly back down to their nest, high on an inaccessible cliff ledge.

UNIFORMLY SPECTACULAR

This set the pattern for the next few weeks. Sail to a new, gorgeous anchorage; explore the area, by kayak and on foot; and move on elsewhere. The scenery was uniformly spectacular, the weather reliably changeable. On one occasion, exploring the head of a dramatic fjord in the kayaks on a gloriously-sunny day, a katabatic wind sprang up out of nowhere, pushing us back towards the open channel.

The ice, which had been a loose brash through which we’d paddled without issue, bunched together and compressed into a solid pack as it was forced through a constriction in the channel. Forward progress was impossible, and even getting a paddle in the water required multiple attempts. A capsize would have been a disaster. We rafted together, shivering as the wind pushed us, embedded in the ice pack, out towards more-open water. Once through the constriction, the ice loosened and we

we made a pact

“We went against a lot of locals and family advice, with many asking us to stop there but to reach our goal no matter what”

broke free, surfing down the sudden short chop with a 30-knot wind on our tails, back to the welcome shelter of the Icebird.

The speed at which the situation had changed – it took less than five minutes to change from a glassysmooth blue-sky paddle, abstract ice sculptures reflecting serenely in the mirrored surface of the fjord, to a challenging battle through a dense icepack in 30knot winds – took even the experienced paddlers among us completely by surprise.

REALLY TOUGH

This was a different kind of sea kayak trip to others I’ve done, which have primarily been self-supported, multi-day journeys. And you can travel like that in Patagonia – several people have, undertaking epic and arduous trips in this astonishing landscape. But it’s tough – really tough – and I’m not sure enjoyable. I’ve paddled in places where the environment brings challenge – the always-wet temperate rainforests of western Canada, the icy shorelines of Antarctica – but the difficulties of camping here in Tierra del Fuego outweigh them both.

ThePADDLER 63

ThePADDLER 64 SPRINGY, SMALL-LEAVED PLANTS

We saw hardly a square foot of flat land the whole time we were there – the mountains fall directly into the ocean, and you’re often in 50 metres of water only a short distance offshore. Where the land wasn’t rock, glacier or impenetrable forest, it was covered in a deep layer of springy, small-leaved plants, which acted as a sponge for the meltwater pouring constantly off the hills. Every step squeezed pints of water from it, often flowing over the tops of hiking boots.You certainly could camp on it – it was soft enough for comfort – but you’d need to be really sure your groundsheet was totally waterproof. You would be camping in several inches of water at all times, and you’d be soaked underfoot as soon as you left the tent. It wouldn’t be impossible to camp, but the terrain would certainly reduce the enjoyment. Coupled with the scarcity of landing spots, the unpredictability of the weather and the extreme local wind effects, having a mothership as a base made a lot of sense. You could still do challenging paddles in a variety of conditions, but with the safety net of a decent meal and warm bed waiting for you at the end of the day.

One of the most memorable paddles was in Seno Chico. We’d moored the yacht in a steep-sided bay, little more than a deep crack in the surrounding cliffs. The sun was shining, and the rocks – a warm orange gritstone rather than the forbidding black peaks we’d seen hitherto – glowed under a cloudless blue sky. The ships’ pilot’s guide to the area suggests a spectacular glacier lay in the eastern arm of the fjord, only accessible by small boat due to a ridge of glacial moraine across the entrance that prevented deeperdraft vessels from navigating to it.

It seemed on paper like a perfect objective for a half-day paddle – around twelve kilometres there and back. And so it proved. As we paddled, mid-size chunks of glacier floated past us in stately procession.The water was a deep turquoise under the sky, still enough to reflect the cliffs stretching above. Gushing waterfalls plunged down them, smashing on rocks in clouds of spray. At the head of the valley, a majestic ice-blue glacier groaned and creaked as the sun began to warm it.

As we neared the glacier, the walls closed in until they were no more than 50 metres apart, the cracks and booms from the glacier echoing back and forth between them. At our approach, a colony of blue-eyed Imperial shags – several hundred pairs at least – took to the air, leaving their rocky ledges and swirled over our heads in a raucous, squawking blizzard. It was an unforgettable wildlife moment, against a stunning landscape.

Unfortunately all good things must come to an end, and all too soon we found ourselves sailing towards Ushuaia, our final destination. Tides necessitated an early start, and so we sailed out of the dark and into the sunrise down the Beagle Channel, the sky changing from salmon-pink to orange against the sails as the sun crept up and over the endless march of angular peaks which line the channel. Truly the mysterious grandeur of mountain behind mountain. I couldn’t have put it better myself.

SHOUT OUTS

With thanks to Captain Cath Hew, First Mate Greg Scamporlino, and crew Don, Paddy & Eva.

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2019

WINNER

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Major Championship Winners - 2019

Ambassador Round Up Read more on page 18

Read more on page 14

Clear Access Clear Waters - A Round up of 2019 Read more on page 6

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Winter 2019

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Let’s go somewhere

Contents

Go Paddling!

Welcome Welcome

Ambassador Round Up

News News

Ambassador Round Up p18

Coaching and Leadership Squads announced for 2020 season p5

Coaching Digital Library

Access and Environment Clear Access Clear Waters - A Round up of 2019

The Great River Derwent Clear Up

Coaching Digital Library p20

Adventure Wabakimi - Canada Canoe Trip

Clear Access Clear Waters A Roundup of 2019 p8

Paddlesport Slalom Inspires huge success once again

Major Championship Winners - 2019

Upcoming Events

Performance Round Up

What’s On?

Canoe Focus Autumn 2019

Wabakimi - Canada Canoe Trip p22

Performance

Welcome Stronger Together was aptly chosen as the title for the current strategic plan of British Canoeing. It sought to symbolise how the sport could work collectively, to become more than the sum of its parts. It emphasises, at a time when there is division and factions in so many parts of contemporary life that we are stronger, more impactful and more effective when we seek out that which we have in common rather than the minutiae that may divide us. Our strength as a sport and a recreation is rooted in its diversity – of forms, backgrounds, motivations, inclinations and even opinions. But our singular strength is in being a community that works together to ensure that paddling is promoted and valued, that opportunities are extended and that the environment in which paddlers pursue their passion is protected, enlarged and cherished. We choose to stress this as we have enjoyed a year in which the essence of Stronger Together has been so evident and so rewarding. The activities covered in this issue demonstrate so strongly the journey we are on to be ‘Stronger Together’.

www.britishcanoeing.org.uk

The transition of our members and supporters into a pro-active movement has brought thousands together practically and emotionally behind the ‘Clear Access, Clear Water’ agenda. The round up here, only scratches the surface of a successful year of progress where we have taken the positive front foot. We are not shy in demanding greater access and rights on our waterways; but we do it politely, driven by evidence and always positively. We are delighted at the actions and growth of our champions. Our campaigns have been well received – not least because of the pro-activity of so many groups in supporting our words with positive action demonstrating that paddlers care for their rivers and the environment in general. The Derwent clean ups this year have been transformational in improving the river, restoring health at short notice after the floods, and leveraging British Canoeing into debates that we had struggled to enter before.

Bringing young women together and breaking down any barriers to enter into our sport has been driven by Eilidh Gibson through her national award winning initiative ‘Slalom Inspires’. Eilidh’s elite career paused due to injury in 2019, but she nonetheless channelled her energy into positive outputs for our sport. And speaking of inspirational young women – the story of 15 year old Liliy Cousins’ 200 mile paddle in Canada cannot fail to impress. Allied to the community of female ambassadors, 2019 has been a breakthrough year in reaching out to bring more women into the sport and enabling them to enjoy the benefits of being a regular paddler. On the competitive front it has been another successful year with a whole series of World and European championship titles and some outstanding individual and team performances. Our young athletes have been recognised nationally with Dan Atkins and Ottilie Robinson-Shaw nominated for national awards. For our Olympic and Paralympic disciplines 2019 has been an anxious qualification year and we are now looking forward to the excitement of 2020 with a focus on Tokyo, when our sport will enjoy a little more time than usual in the media spotlight. Our coaching community has come together too. A sell out coaching conference in November showcased much of the energy and togetherness that is now emerging and this, together with the huge take up in elearning modules, has demonstrated a thirst for knowledge from coaches which is inspiring. Day in day out, the coaching community is on our front line and deserve our continued support and appreciation. 2020 will undoubtedly be another busy and exciting year for everyone connected with British Canoeing, as we work together to inspire a passion for paddling and to strengthen our community.

Happy paddling.

Professor John Coyne CBE

David Joy

Chair British Canoeing

CEO British Canoeing

N E WS

Receive regular updates plus exclusive discounts for our partner products with a British Canoeing membership.

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

Clear Access, Clear Waters Podcast British Canoeing has launched a brand new podcast, Clear Access, Clear Waters – The Paddler’s Podcast hosted by Olympic champion Etienne Stott MBE. During the series, Stott explores the reasons why we get on the water and meets some of our inspiring paddle community, including our female ambassadors and Steve Backshall.

New Coach Developer eLearning and Mentoring eLearning As part of the Coaching Department’s commitment to support the learning and development of Coach Developers and Mentors, we’re excited to unveil two new eLearning resources to aid coaches and leaders. Head to page 21 to find out more or click here.

British Canoeing has selected its athletes for the UK Sport Lottery Funded World Class Programme (WCP) in Canoe Sprint, Canoe Slalom and Paracanoe as we build towards Tokyo 2020 and beyond.

Normally the word paddling or canoeing conjures up images of weeping willow trees, thick green banks and kingfishers flirting overhead. But cities and urban environments have a lot to offer paddlers looking for a different kind of adventure. Head to our website to find out more.

British Canoeing appoints VOW as official nutrition partner British Canoeing has appointed VOW Nutrition as their official nutrition partner. VOW Nutrition will supply products to senior athletes on the paracanoe, slalom and sprint high performance sport programmes. The partnership will focus on optimising senior team performance in the build up to the Tokyo 2020 Games and complement ongoing nutritional support, based on the British Canoeing ‘balanced diet, food first’ approach.

Canoe Focus Winter 2019

Squads announced for 2020 season

Discover paddling in the city

Clear Access, Clear Waters A Round up of 2019 2019 was an exciting year in the Places to Paddle Team following the launch of our Clear Access, Clear Waters Charter. In the charter, British Canoeing committed to:

Championing the case for fair shared sustainable open access on all waterways in England

Preserving, protecting and enhancing the health of our rivers

Inspiring more people to be active outdoors – reconnecting them with the environment

Access and environmental issues were a high priority for members and with that in mind, British Canoeing has worked hard to deliver on our pledges by; > Meeting with the Environment Ministers and Shadow Environment Minister, Junior Ministers and Shadow Ministers for the Environment, plus at least five MPs from Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrats plus peers from the Liberal Democrats. Lobbied Government Ministers, MPs from all parties and met with peers to explain the importance of fair, shared access being addressed now.

www.britishcanoeing.org.uk

> In February, John Grogan MP laid down an Early Day Motion calling for greater access to inland waterways. This attracted 21 signatures from all parties, which fell a long way short of a previous attempt in 2011. However, a number of MPs and Ministers did respond stating their unwillingness to sign any EDM’s as a matter of principle. > Met with Defra officers both on access and Invasive Non Native Species control providing evidence on an expert panel at an audit committee enquiry. (That’s a big deal!) > More than 25 written questions have been answered by the Secretary of State for Defra and DCMS. Each one submitted via a supportive MP.

“People care for the things they love, but they only love the things they know” Cal Major What has been key over the last 12 months is the work you, our paddlers have done to care for the environment, inspiring more people to tackle the plastic in our rivers. The successful partnership with Surfers Against Sewage has helped to inspire well over 150 river cleans and paddlers have been busy playing their part in cleaning their local waterways all year. This invaluable work reduces the amount of plastic pollution and junk journeying out to our oceans causing untold damage and staying in our environment forever. British Canoeing also published a new Paddle Clean up toolkit in the summer, continuing to raise our profile and supporting the wider CACW campaign. We’ve also been working with a number of partners including the Canal and River Trust and Rivers Trusts on a local and national scale to tackle Invasive Non Native Species (or INNS). These can cling to your paddling kit and spread across waterways, clogging up waterways and damaging wildlife.

7 British Canoeing has worked with the Wildlife Trusts at a number of performance events including the National Sprint Regattas, Canoe Polo and White Water to promote the issue of INNS. Physically running Check, Clean, Dry stations and encouraging paddlers to clean equipment before leaving their place of paddling.

“More people more active, more often – that’s not much to ask for is it?” Emma Wiggs MBE The best way to get more people enjoying our sport is to inspire them with amazing places to paddle. 2019 has seen the launch of even more trails and the publication of three new waterproof maps. Back in October, we launched PaddlePoints providing paddler generated information on places to park, launch, land, eat and play, inspiring more people to get outside and enjoy the water. From clean-ups and lobbying to campaigning and spreading the word, our community of brilliant paddlers are doing lots of great things behind the scenes to champion the cause of fair, shared, sustainable open access. To celebrate this, we also launched our Clear Access, Clear Water Community Champions Award, championing the achievements of those volunteers who are truly inspiring and carrying the #ClearAccessClearWaters message far and wide.

So what’s next? This campaign doesn’t work without you. We’ve been working really hard on the Clear Access, Clear Waters Campaign – but we need your help to make our voice heard. As we move into the New Year what better time to make a pledge to support the campaign? Here are three ways you can help make fair shared sustainable open access a reality: Visit our new Clear Access, Clear Waters website, due to launch in January and sign our petition to support fair shared sustainable open access on water.

Undertake a river clean, shout about it and invite your local MP, councillors and media – use this opportunity to show them why fair, shared, sustainable, open access on water is vital for our rivers!

Bayley Siddall: Sheffield Hallam University Canoe Club Andy Gee: Whoosh Explore Canoe Club Wim Brunsting: Cambridge Canoe Club Steve Waters: Colchester Canoe Club Addi Man: 2018 British Canoeing Woman Paddling Ambassador Woody Snapper: Nottingham Kayak Club

Keep up to date with the latest developments by signing up to support our Clear Access Clear Waters Campaign. clearaccessclearwaters .org.uk

Canoe Focus Winter 2019

Write to your MP. Ask them to raise this matter with the Secretary of state – they work for you! Over two-million people paddle each year – just think of the impact we can have if collectively we made our voices heard?

Here’s a reminder of our 2019 Clear Access Clear Waters Community Champions.

The Great

October saw the launch of Surfers Against Sewage’s Autumn Beach Clean with paddlers around the country taking to the water to rid their canals and rivers of rubbish. Paddle Peak, a community group of paddlesport businesses, clubs and professionals in Derbyshire banded together to tackle a twenty-mile stretch of the River Derwent. The clean up effort took a full five days to complete and saw everything from TVs and wheelie bins to bikes, road cones and wet wipes being pulled from the river. Over the course of the operation, volunteers shifted five truck loads of rubbish from the river totalling several tons of waste.

Paddle Peak’s future goals include inspiring local businesses, especially fast food outlets to go plastic free, eliminating plastic bags being thrown into the Derwent during the Boxing Day Raft Race and providing more rubbish bins and recycling in key areas along the riverside.

Speaking about the event, river clean organiser and Paddle Peak founder Pete Astles said:

“At the top of the valley we were pulling out agricultural plastic waste stuck in the trees. As we meandered into the towns, we were pulling out bigger items that had clearly just been thrown in. Downstream of Matlock Bath there’s always a load of drinks and food waste that’s been discarded over the fence or blown in off the pavement.”

To find out more about Paddle Peak’s work and vision for the Derwent Valley checkout their website www.paddlepeak.org

www.britishcanoeing.org.uk

Slalom inspires a huge success once again After a shoulder injury shattered her Tokyo 2020 dreams, Eilidh Gibson created Slalom Inspires. Set up in 2018, the initiative provided Eilidh with a way to channel her passion for the sport into something positive. Eilidh now aims to inspire girls in slalom to nurture their talents and fall in love with the discipline.

The first event held in November 2018 saw more than 60 girls attending, with many returning in 2019 for three regional events held in Scotland, England and Wales and a second national event held at Lee Valley. Dame Katherine Grainger attended the opening of the 2019 Slalom Inspires national event which consisted of coaching sessions, workshops and a team-building hot dog session.

Speaking about the event Eilidh said: “I am really passionate about women and girls in sport. I know how much sport has changed and shaped my life and I want other girls to have the same opportunity. “Slalom Inspires comes from my love of the sport, how much the sport has changed my life and the opportunities it has given me which I wouldn’t have had beforehand. “I see nationwide how many girls drop out of paddling, especially in their teenage years and how we have a one third female to two-third male split in our sport of Canoe Slalom and that makes me really sad. I want to do something positive about it and for more girls to experience the amazing sport we have.

www.britishcanoeing.org.uk

“For me it’s all about the love for canoeing and if the girls want to be Olympic athletes then great, we’ll support them. But if they just want to do it for the love of canoeing then great we’ll support them to do exactly that too, to stay in the sport and have fun.” Eilidh has since won UK Sport’s award for Social Impact. Click here for the full story.

For more information about Slalom Inspires head to slalominspires.com

Image credit: Kim Jones

IT’S ABOUT THE WATER Building some of the best kayaking equipment on the market doesn’t happen overnight, and building a company that cares about paddlers, the river community and the environment takes time, too. With nearly 50 years of experience, NRS is dedicated to providing inspiration, expertise and the equipment that’s needed to empower adventures on the water. As a 100% employee-owned company, NRS was founded with a vision to support both paddlers and the places we paddle and is committed to the stewardship of clean, healthy waters. Based in Idaho, USA, NRS has rooted their foundation in The Whitewater State by doing what matters: spending time on the water with co-workers and friends and looking to help the sport grow at every opportunity. The future depends on the protection and preservation of wild rivers and lands. NRS has made it a priority to focus on conservation, to support organizations fighting for rivers, and to use their networks to spread the messages far and wide. Part of their mission is to build the best possible equipment, so paddlers can focus on the water, the strokes, the adventure and not worry about what they’re wearing. Their legacy of providing premium-quality equipment informs every new NRS product design through a philosophy called Ultimate Utility. Ultimate Utility is about more than building rugged gear that gets the job done. It’s about purpose-driven, user-focused solutions that are clever, not complicated, and focuses on comfort and convenience to improve experiences.

»The future depends on the protection and preservation of wild rivers and lands.«

www.nrseurope.com Protest organised by the Balkan River Defence.

facebook.com/nrseurope

instagram.com/nrsweb

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It’s all about the base An expert’s guide to layering

Nothing sets you up for winter adventures like a good layering system. Getting it right is the key to all-day comfort and performance, but just as every adventure is different, so is every layering system. The formula and types of layers you’ll need depend on the type of activity and conditions, as well as your own performance. Understanding how each layer works independently and as part of a system will help you to build an effective layering system for your adventures. We’ve tried and tested it all to help you find what’s right for you.

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Expert advice

01 Base layer Worn next to the skin and designed to regulate your body temperature by retaining heat and wicking away moisture, different base layers are suitable for different uses. Merino wool is versatile and antimicrobial with great insulating and wicking properties, whereas synthetic base layers are quick-drying and better for high-intensity activities.

02 Mid-layer Sometimes called the insulation layer, the mid-layer provides warmth but should be simultaneously breathable and able to retain heat. Avoid cotton which retains moisture and choose a fleece for quick-drying, breathable comfort or an insulated jacket for a great warmth-to-weight ratio. Make sure to select the right level of warmth for your activity level and conditions.

03 Outer layer In bad weather, a shell over your insulating layer will protect you from the elements. A good outer layer will protect you against wind and rain, whilst also allowing the moisture and heat from your body to escape so you don’t overheat. Depending on weather conditions, choose from a waterproof hard shell, wind-resistant soft shell or insulated jacket.

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Let’s go somewhere

Major Championship Winners World Champions Liam Heath MBE Emma Wiggs MBE Charlotte Henshaw Charlotte Henshaw Mallory Franklin, Kimberley Woods and Fiona Pennie

2019

ICF World Cup 2 Sprint Men’s K1 – 200m Paracanoe Women’s VL2 – 200m Paracanoe Women’s KL2 – 200m Paracanoe Women’s VL3 – 200m Slalom Women’s K1 – Team

Duisburg, Germany 31st May - 2nd June 2019 Gold

Liam Heath

Men’s K1 – 200m

Canoe Slalom ICF World Championships La Seu D’Urgell, Spain 25th - 29th September 2019

European Champions Mallory Franklin Kimberley Woods, Mallory Franklin, and Sophie Ogilvie Emma Wiggs Charlotte Henshaw Senior Women’s Canoe Polo – Team

Slalom Women’s C1 Slalom Women’s C1 – Team Paracanoe Women’s VL2 – 200m Paracanoe Women’s KL2 – 200m

World Champions – Junior Freestyle Junior Women’s K1 Sprint Junior Men’s K1 – 200m Extreme Slalom Junior Men

Etienne Chappell, Jonny Dickson & Ben Haylett

Slalom Junior Men’s K1 – Team

European Champions – Junior Sprint Junior Men’s K1 – 200m Junior

Gold

Mallory Franklin

Women’s C1

Bronze

Kimberley Woods

Women’s C1

Silver

Krakow, Poland 16th - 21st July 2019 Gold

Etienne Chappell, Jonny Dickson and Ben Haylett

Gold

Etienne Chappell

Bronze

Men’s K1 – 200m Women’s K1 – 1000m

ICF Junior & Under 23 World Championships Pitesti, Romania 1st - 4th August 2019

www.britishcanoeing.org.uk

Junior Men’s K1 – 200m

ECA Junior & Under 23 European Championships Racice, Czech Republic 11th - 14th July 2019

Gold Silver

Daniel Atkins Philip Miles

Junior Men’s K1 – 200m Junior Men’s K1 – 1000m

Poznan, Poland 23rd - 26th May 2019

Liam Heath

Men’s C1 Junior – Team

Bronze Bronze

Bethan Forrow Etienne Chappell

Junior Women’s C1 Junior Men’s K1

ICF World Cup 1

Lee Valley, UK 14th - 16th June 2019 Gold Gold Gold Gold Silver Silver Bronze

Mallory Franklin Mallory Franklin Joe Clarke Etienne Chappell Adam Burgess Kimberley Woods Ryan Westley

Women’s K1 Women’s C1 Men’s K1 Extreme Slalom Men K1 Men’s C1 Women’s C1 Men’s C1

ICF World Cup 4

Markkleeberg, Germany 1st September 2019

ICF World Cup 1

Gold

Junior Men’s Extreme Slalom Women’s K1 Junior – Team

Liptovsky Mikulas, Slovakia 4th - 7th July 2019

Szeged, Hungary 21st - 25th August 2019

Daniel Atkins

Bethan Forrow, Ellis Miller, Lois Leaver Kurts Adams-Rozentals, Alfie Boote and James Kettle

Junior Men’s K1 – Team

ECA Junior and Under 23 European Championships

ICF World Championships

Gold

Kimberley Woods, Mallory Women’s C1 – Team Franklin, and Sophie Ogilvie Mallory Franklin Women’s K1

ICF Junior & Under 23 World Championships

Canoe Sprint

Liam Heath Lizzie Broughton

Women’s K1 – Team

Pau, France 30th May - 2nd June 2019

Bronze

Gold Bronze

Kimberley Woods, Mallory Franklin, Fiona Pennie

ECA European Championships

Gold

Ottilie Robinson-Shaw Daniel Atkins Etienne Chappell

Daniel Atkins

Gold

Gold Men’s K1 – 200m

Etienne Chappell

Extreme Slalom Men’s K1

ICF World Cup Final

ECA European Championships

Prague, Czech Republic 6th - 8th September 2019 Silver

Kimberley Woods

Decize, France 25th - 28th July 2019 Women’s C1

Olympic Test Event

Mallory Franklin

Women’s C1

ICF World Championships

Women’s KL2 – 200m Women’s VL3 – 200m Women’s VL2 – 200m Women’s KL2 – 200m Women’s KL3 – 200m Men’s VL3 – 200m

Paralympic Test Event

Charlotte Henshaw Laura Sugar Jeanette Chippington Emma Wiggs Emma Wiggs Stuart Wood

Women’s KL2 – 200m Women’s KL3 – 200m Women’s VL2 – 200m Women’s KL2 – 200m Women’s VL2 – 200m Men’s VL3 – 200m

ECA European Championships Poznan, Poland 23rd - 25th May 2019 Gold Gold Silver Silver Silver Bronze Bronze Bronze Bronze

Emma Wiggs Charlotte Henshaw Emma Wiggs Stuart Wood Jeanette Chippington Jeanette Chippington Robert Oliver Ian Marsden Laura Sugar

Women’s VL2 – 200m Women’s KL2 – 200m Women’s KL2 – 200m Men’s VL3 – 200m Women’s VL2 – 200m Women’s KL1 – 200m Men’s KL3 – 200m Men’s KL1 – 200m Women’s KL3 – 200m

ICF World Cup 1

Coimbra, Portugal 28th August - 1st September 2019 Gold

Women’s Senior

Silver

Women’s U21

Silver

Men’s Senior

Mechelen, Belgium 28th - 30th June 2019 Gold

Women’s Senior

Bronze

Women’s U21

Canoe Freestyle ICF World Championships Sort, Spain 29th June - 6th July 2019 Gold Silver Bronze Bronze

Ottilie Robinson-Shaw Alex Edwards Sam Wilson Ottilie Robinson-Shaw

Charlotte Henshaw

Women’s KL2 – 200m

Gold

Emma Wiggs

Women’s VL2 – 200m

Silver Silver Silver Bronze

Emma Wiggs Laura Sugar Robert Oliver Jeanette Chippington

Women’s KL2 – 200m Women’s KL3 – 200m Men’s KL3 – 200m Women’s KL1 – 200m

Canoe Marathon

Women’s K1 Junior Men’s Senior Squirt Men’s Senior Squirt Women’s Senior Squirt

Whitewater Rafting IRF World Championships Australia 15th - 19th May 2019

Women’s U23 - Slalom

IRF European Championships Luka, Bosnia & Herzegovina 2nd - 7th July 2019 Silver

Masters head to head

Ocean Racing ICF World Championships St Pierre Quiberon, France 9th - 15th September 2019

World Championships

Silver

Shaoxing, China 17th - 20th October 2019

Women’s K1 – Long course

Jonathan White

Surf Ski Men Paracanoe

Canoe Focus Winter 2019

Gold

Lizzie Broughton

Women’s Senior K1 Short Women’s Senior K1 Short Women’s Senior K1

ECA European Championships

Silver

Poznan, Poland 21st - 22nd May 2019

Bronze

Jane Swarbreck Lizzie Polgreen Jane Swarbreck

ECA Cup 1

Tokyo, Japan 12th - 15th September 2019 Gold Gold Gold Silver Bronze Bronze

Men’s Junior K1 Women’s K1 - short

Canoe Polo

Szeged, Hungary 21st - 25th August 2019

Charlotte Henshaw Charlotte Henshaw Emma Wiggs Emma Wiggs Laura Sugar Stuart Wood

Tim Dowden Lizzie Broughton

Baerum, Norway 31st May - 2nd June 2019 Gold Bronze Bronze

Paracanoe

Gold Gold Gold Silver Silver Bronze

Bronze Bronze

ICF World Cup

Tokyo, Japan 25th - 27th October Gold

Performance Round up Eight athletes represented Great Britain at the 2019 ICF Canoe Marathon World Championships in Shaoxing, China.

Richmond’s Lizzie Broughton won a fantastic bronze medal in the women’s K1 event, over 19 seconds ahead of the next competitor to make the podium once again.

Slalom: Mallory Franklin won the women’s C1 gold medal at the test event of the newly opened Kasai Canoe Slalom Centre in Tokyo ahead of the 2020 Olympic Games next year. Mallory showed her trademark speed and precision once again on the Japanese course to top the podium. Despite coming sixth in the semi-finals including two touches on gates seven and eight, Mallory regained her composure for the C1W final later that day and put down a storming clean run of 110.95 to finish over five seconds ahead of Nuria Vilarrubla of Spain and claim the gold medal.

K1. The athlete from Rugby finished fourth in the final with a touch on gate 24. Bradley Forbes-Cryans claimed a seventh place finish in the men’s kayak final after a clean run of 96.04. The Scot went slightly quicker in the semi-finals but couldn’t quite challenge the top three in a tightly contested final that left just 2.5 seconds separating the top seven athletes. Touches cost Adam Burgess a spot in C1 men’s final after he finished 14th. Two early penalties on gates three and five meant the Stafford and Stone paddler was two seconds away from a top ten place needed to qualify for the final.

Elsewhere, Kimberley Woods was extremely close to a medal herself in the women’s

Speaking on the competition and her time on the Tokyo waters so far, Mallory said:

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“I am really happy to come away with the win at the Olympic test event. The racing was tough, the course that was set was very technical and it was a real puzzle to work out. But I am happy to have put a run together in the final, and to come away with a win is a good boost going into winter training.”

Don’t forget you can see the Great Britain Olympic slalom team compete at the European Championships the May! Great Britain’s slalom paddlers will be competing on home soil at the European Canoe Slalom Championships presented by Jaffa on 15 -17 May 2020 at Lee Valley White Water Centre.

Tickets are on sale now

Full booking details and ticket options are available here britishcanoeingevents .org.uk

For events, activities and adventure ideas visit gopaddlingweek.info

Our British Canoeing Women’s Paddling Ambassadors have done so many amazing things this year! Here they tell us about their highlights of 2019 and their aspirations for the year ahead… thing which stands out was my first experience of the middle Llugwy, only a few weeks ago. Although slightly nervous, I was excited to try paddling in a new playground and had an exhilarating time in my beautiful home of North Wales.

Lizzie Neave There aren’t many disciplines Lizzie hasn’t turned her hand to. From competing in slalom at the 2012 Olympics to sea kayaking expeditions and tackling freestyle.

Jo Moseley

Paddling highlight of 2019

As well as being a keen paddleboarder, Jo also bodyboards, swims and cycles. This year she SUPed 162 miles from Liverpool to Goole raising funds for The Wave Project and 2 Minute Beach Clean.

2019 was the first year I’ve not competed internationally since 2002. Instead, I’ve paddled for myself and for fun, going where I want, when I want. I’ve tried new disciplines, paddled new rivers, improved my freestyle, explored amazing coastlines in a sea kayak and just enjoyed myself.

Paddling highlight of 2019

Ruby Isserlis Aged just 16 Ruby is our youngest ambassador. She is part of the GB Canoe Polo Development Academy and is aiming for the GB squad in the coming years.

Having paddled over 160 miles alone, from Liverpool to Goole, completing the final stretch alongside a fellow #ShePaddles Ambassador as people cheered and banged tins was incredible! I was so grateful and humbled by everyone’s kindness and chuffed to have achieved my goal.

Kate Waite

Paddling highlight of 2019 My highlight this year has been playing in my first tournament for the GB Polo Development Squad in Belgium. A truly amazing experience with so many awesome people!

Kate discovered paddlesport in her 40’s and her first experience of paddling saw her navigating around icebergs in Antarctica!

Paddling highlight of 2019

Bex Pope Bex Pope describes herself as a ‘girly girl with all the hobbies’. Her desire to show others that there is no such thing as perfect makes her a great coach and leader.

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Paddling highlight of 2019 2019 has been a great paddling year for me. One

Lizzie

Despite working long hours this year I’ve squeezed in a few paddling highlights, including my first moving water experience. Although I was shaking with nerves, an exceptional club coach built my confidence up and I ended the day with a huge smile on my face. A recent stressful week was also remedied with a solo, sunny river paddle and provided me with solitude as day turned to dusk.

Kate

Bex

Ruby

Vicki Birch

Paddling highlight of 2019

An autistic son left Vicki and her family socially isolated, but paddling changed that completely. Vicki now campaigns to encourage new female paddlers to the sport.

Paddling highlight of 2019 Participating in a coast to coast relay with groups of young people aged 16-25 to launch the Desmond Family Canoe Trail. Groups paddled from Liverpool and Goole, meeting in the middle for a youth led community festival. I paddled, walked and cycled from Wigan to Burnley. In 2020 I’ll be setting up two community canoe clubs in Wigan. One for the whole community age 6+ and one for women and girls only.

Shona Brownlee This year Shona had her right leg amputated below the knee and underwent intensive physical rehabilitation. Now she is working towards her Paddlesport Leader Award.

Paddling highlight of 2019 2019 has been a year of post-amputation firsts; first time back on moving water, first time back in an open boat, first post-surgery qualification plus the discovery that I can still do it! Going into 2020 I’m going to try different disciplines, including slalom and SUP; they’ll test how effective my waterproof prosthetic is! Having started my Coach Award prior to surgery, I’d also love to complete this too.

Amiee Caitlin Williams

Donna Navarro Donna turned to yoga to rebuild the strength in her back after an injury. SUP yoga is now a huge part of Donna’s life and she continues to share the benefits with others.

Paddling highlight of 2019 2019 didn’t quite turn out as hoped. A family bereavement meant lots of weekends spent travelling to be with family. Time on the water has been a wonderful means of escape in a difficult time; strengthening my physical and emotional wellbeing. I’ve also overcome a fear of white water, by practising alongside other #ShePaddles Ambassadors.

Emma Kitchen Having been through a tough few years personally, Emma returned to paddling; a sport she had loved in her teenage years. In doing so, she found the perfect therapy to help her heal. Emma’s paddling adventures are regularly accompanied by her three year old son. An active member of her club, all of Emma’s adventures, achievements and mishaps are done with a huge smile.

Paddling highlight of 2019 I’ve always worried what others think. Will people laugh? Will I look like the fat girl who can’t paddle? This year I took charge of my emotions and fears and went on a white water confidence booster with Chris Brain and Lowri Davis. They put me at ease, gently nudging me out of my comfort zone and leading me to gain my Canoe Personal Performance Award!

Donna

Shona

Vicki

Amiee

Emma

Canoe Focus Winter 2019

A 12 week personal development course with the Princes Trust in 2012 sparked a love of the outdoors which has continued into her adult life.

Being part of the freestyle demo on the BBC adventure show live at Pinkston. It was such a fantastic event and great to bring a lot of different disciplines together to showcase our sport!

Learning and Development

British Canoeing is dedicated to supporting the learning and development of our instructors, coaches, leaders and guides.

Over the past year, we have worked closely with our Technical Groups to create a range of resources to provide further development opportunities for coaches and leaders of paddlesports. This includes a new self analysis tool, digital library, Coach Developer eLearning and Mentor eLearning resource. The self-analysis tool (www.britishcanoeingawarding. org.uk/coach-self-analysis/) gauges your current levels of understanding, skill and knowledge in each discipline with the self-analysis tool. Providing a personal overview of coaches’ current practise and a breakdown of competencies in each area, the analysis offers pointers to support continual learning and development for coaches.

On completion of the self-analysis tool, coaches can download their results to share with peers and mentors for further guidance and support. Our new Digital Library, (www.britishcanoeingawarding .org.uk/digital-library/) will further your understanding with a fantastic range of resources. From academic papers, videos and podcasts to eLearning and much more, new material is continually being added so there will always be something relevant to increase your knowledge base. To access the Self-Analysis tool for your own development or to browse the range of resources in the Digital Library, visit the British Canoeing Awarding Body website. - www.britishcanoeingawarding.org.uk/

www.britishcanoeing.org.uk

NEW Coach Developer eLearning and Mentoring eLearning We’re also pleased to announce not one but two new eLearning resources designed to support the learning of Coach Developers and Mentors. Applicable to both experienced and new individuals in the role, the materials provide new skills and approaches to consider. We would encourage anyone involved in leadership to have a look at these resources..

Coach Developer eLearning This resource explores the relationship between the coach and developer and includes building professional relationships, profiling, growth mindsets, difficult conversations and lots more. The eLearning will take around 30 minutes to complete.

Mentoring eLearning This eLearning tool explores the holistic view of mentor relationships, including responsibilities, tools and strategies to develop your mentoring skills. To access the Coach Developer or Mentor eLearning head to; www.britishcanoeingawarding.org.uk/ mentors-and-coach-developers/

Canoe Focus Winter 2019

Canada is renowned for its expansive lakes and wide open stretches of wilderness. Situated in Ontario with over 2,000 kilometres of lake and river canoe routes to explore, Wabakimi Provincial Park is the world’s largest wilderness canoe reserve - even bigger than Yellowstone!

Here, Lily Cousins, aged just 15, recounts her experience of paddling 200 miles of this stunning trail with her family earlier this year. “The joy of wilderness canoeing is something I’ve grown up with and cherish. Leaving civilisation behind is such a cleansing experience and living the way our predecessors did is, to me, exceptionally gratifying, as if one is reviving the ancient ways. Mile 54.1 on the Armstrong section of the Montreal to Vancouver railway line was to be the starting point of our 14-day-trip through the wilderness of Northern Ontario. With only my parents and little sister for company, our journey would see us relying on just our backpacks and a single canoe for survival. Wabakimi is a huge national park, and is one of the world’s largest boreal forest reserves. Yet at our guest house on the edge of the park, our hosts, Burt and Brenda, estimate that only 500 or so paddlers journey through it each year. Indeed, during our 14 day trip we didn’t spot a single other canoe on the water.

Canada has such a simple beauty about it. The mass of trees are so diverse and yet somehow, interwoven with lakes and rivers, envelope the mass of land. The feeling of total wilderness and lack of human influence took a short time to consume me, it quickly felt as if I’d been there for days. We paddled as a unit, my dad steering carefully whilst mum and I powered our craft (my little sister Nellie was better known on this trip as “the booster”: too young to paddle constantly, the second her paddle hit the water, the boat accelerated). I marvelled at absolutely everything I saw, from the enormous evergreens to the fragile pitcher plants. After an exhausting but amazing first day we reached our campsite. Not used to such rigorous exercise (canoeing is a lot more tiring than one would imagine!), I was eager to relax in our new tent. Positioned right next to the river, our pitch instilled a warm, calming feeling in me.

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The next few days were rich with long paddles, interspersed with short rapids, fishing and wildlife sightings. The rapids varied in difficulty. Some we ran, others we gave a wide berth and portaged! Wabakimi Park has no markers for portages or campsites meaning scouting out rest stops is very much guesswork. This entire national park, has managed to maintain its wildness. Human impact has been minimal – the only signs of human life coming from small footpaths and occasional hints of campsites. It feels as though there is a spirit of Wabikimi itself, protecting it.

A little past halfway along our journey we detoured to follow an extension north, since we’d pushed hard in the first week and were ahead of ourselves. This involved a rest day and a trip to simply explore without our packs. Incredibly we were lucky enough to spot a strong elegant moose with silken coat and an exquisite rack of antlers. Too soon though, it was day 14 and we were paddling to our pick up point. I couldn’t help the tinged sadness that filled me. I always find endings beautifully bittersweet, I was proud of our achievement and finishing the trip, but leaving such a wonderful place was truly heart-wrenching. The creatures we saw were incredible and Wabakimi, with its vast forest and stunning lakes will always hold a very special place in my heart.

What’s On? MAR

British Canoeing AGM, Stronger Clubs Conference & National Recognition Awards Eastwood Hall, Nottingham

MAR

Sat 14th March 2020

MAR

Sat 21st - Sun 22nd March 2020

Sat 28th - Sun 29th March 2020

Rafting Selection & National Championships The National White Water Centre - Canolfan Dŵr Gwyn Genedlaethol

Sat 28th - Sun 29th March 2020

Canoe Focus Winter 2019

MAR

Slalom Selection Weekend 1 Holme Pierrepont

Sprint Regatta 1 Holme Pierrepont

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OUTDOORS Finding your peace in the

Words: Richard Harpham Photos: Richard Harpham, Peter Tranter and Ashley Kenlock

Modern life is sometimes overwhelming with fast pace, digital overload and little downtime. For most of us within the paddling community the perfect antidote is to head to the woods and wild areas and escape outdoors.

In this article I want to explore some of the ideas behind this recent phenomenon of ‘rewilding’ (and link to our ancestors) and share my eclectic experience. First and foremost, I need the outdoors, it allows me to tame my manic and driven nature without which I have a tendency to self destruct, failing to balance personal needs and family life alongside the pressures of life, work and a deluge of ideas and goals.

A quick disclaimer: I am not a qualified mental health professional but ran a mental health programme for five years under the government’s TaMHS pilot (Targeted Mental Health Service) for young people. The core objectives were to 1. raise awareness of mental health and remove stigma, 2. build capacity to support young people and 3. improve mental health through interventions.

Prevalent issues identified by the teachers included low self esteem, increased anxiety and stress, lack of positive role models, poor sleep patterns, digital overload and a rise in vulnerable learners. To combat this we created an award winning social enterprise, www.inspiredlife.org, which offered structured outdoor programmes, positive role models, life coaching for young people and mental health resources. We developed resources and experiential activities, which mapped goals, plans and targets and built a new language of emotional literacy. How am I feeling? What makes me feel good? How do I deal with loss and rejection?

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These days we deliver a new format called Adventure School

using our adventure business Canoe Trail to deliver structured outdoor activities with well-being and life skills embedded. It is ‘learning by stealth’ – the outdoors providing an uncluttered space to develop new ideas, challenge and develop resilience. I can remember one young man called David with a difficult school life commenting, “This is the best bloody thing I have ever done” after a canoeing session and cooking food on the river bank.

The programmes delivered a measured 23.8% improvement in adolescent well-being, a NHS ‘wellbeing’ scale. Expanding our comfort zone and using outdoors is something that Dartmoor Zoological Park’s Benjamin Mee (We Bought a Zoo), has embraced using his park and animals to work with military veterans suffering from PTSD. From a mental health perspective, there is science behind why outdoor activities makes us feel better and improves our well-being which is explored later on.

There is a lot written about mindfulness at the moment. One key aspect of this is being ‘present’ in the moment, as opposed to scanning a phone or checking messages. Part of this is to change thought patterns to not only being mindful of what you are doing but also where you are doing it. Connecting to your environment and natural world is the gift that keeps on giving. I have recently returned from a three-

canoeing session

“This is the best bloody thing I have ever done” after a and cooking food on the river bank.

day paddle with a Duke of Edinburgh group on the River Great Ouse. We were treated to kingfishers flitting, cormorants drying, otters playing, seals sunbathing and even some owls hunting. Once you switch off from the other distractions then this becomes an addictive and rewarding quest boosting the ‘feel good factors’.

Natural light itself has a proven scientific basis for helping us feel better. Sunlight and darkness trigger the release of hormones in your brain. Exposure to sunlight increases the brain’s release of a hormone called Serotonin. Serotonin is associated with boosting mood and helping a person feel calm and focused (it also reduces the SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) effect. At night, darker lighting triggers the brain to make another hormone called Melatonin.This hormone is responsible for helping you sleep. Blue light and screens are thought to suppress the release of these hormones and also potentially damage eyesight.

Another element of the science behind why spending time in the outdoors feels good, is boosting endorphins, the ‘happy hormone’. Walking, canoeing, kayaking, swimming and camp chores all offer the body a chance to release endorphins. Endorphin release is associated with ‘runners high’ where there is a sense of joy and elation whilst doing an activity. Be aware you need some exertion to release endorphins to the euphoric level!

Being grounded is something we recognise subconsciously with a sense of peace, relaxing into our natural surroundings as we paddle, hike or wade. Of course being off screen time helps reduce our mental fatigue.There are many initiatives and projects helping to encourage more time outdoors including Forest Schools, Project Wild Thing and of course the Green Gym.

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would be no escape

Facing whitewater more challenging than anything we’d previously tackled or trained for in a gorge from which there

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Surrounding all of us are a myriad of green and blue spaces including cycle routes, footpaths, rivers, lakes and canals. Top tip is to purchase a paper Ordnance Survey Explorer map and explore your local area (it’s so much more revealing than digital to find local sites to explore and also to make notes). This mini project will definitely feed the soul and connect you to your local wildlife. Don’t forget that we need to log and submit ancient footpaths and rights of way by 2026. (see Ramblers Don’t Lose Your Way).

The Song of the Paddle concept was promoted through the work of the late Bill Mason, canoeist, guide and environmentalist. His lifetime of exploring led to a mastery of the art of paddling. I love the feeling of knifing the paddle back to the start of the stroke, ‘making the catch’. You can tune into the song

of the blade doing its work. The paddle slicing elegantly through the water equally transfers nicely to ‘feeling grounded’. It connects us to our happy place and we can exist in the moment.

There are plenty of ways to immerse yourself in nature to restore energy, boost your well-being and promote good mental health. Here are a few of my favourite ways to recharge my batteries…

OUTDOOR AND COLD WATER SWIMMING

Outdoor swimming is one of the best trends to reemerge after we lost so many lidos and outdoor pools. The resurgence has been astonishing as people have enjoyed taking a dip in the sea, lakes, and local rivers. Cold water swimming leaves you with a positive tingle and glow as you send your blood pumping around generating that feeling of ‘I’m alive’. Of course as paddlers we can access secluded pools and beach spots. There is an odd juxtaposition as paddlers in that we try to stay in the craft rather than embracing the water and swimming at regular opportunities. I now make this part of my plans to swim in secluded pools, tarns and river locations.

well-being

There are plenty of ways to immerse yourself in nature to restore energy, boost your and promote good mental health

wrong kit, dark, bad weather and other such mind bending agendas diminish your outdoor time and happiness. Keep a SUP in the boot, phone a friend, and make time to paddle, One of the reasons I love the DW (Devizes to Westminster Race) is that it requires training throughout the winter what ever the weather and conditions.

GO BARE FEET

Getting my toes onto cool grass, warm sand or wading in the sea or a river is a small slice of paradise. I believe it must link to the same synapses and energy lines that reflexology unlocks. Go for it, whilst waiting for a shuttle or at a lunch stop or rest, whip off your socks and flex your toes in the water.

SIT SPOTS

Sit spots have been highlighted in the world of bushcraft over many years as a great way to let nature come to you. For me there is an acceptance that I am shut off from other distractions. I believe there is a trade-off where you tune in with your senses and in return are accepted by the wildlife and nature at large.

GO PADDLING BY KAYAK, CANOE OR SUP

Find your song of the paddle by getting out onto a river, lake or canal. Avoid deadlines and mobile phone calls to enjoy the gentle ripples, splashes and reflections that make this pastime so invigorating. Beware of inertia preventing you from paddling,

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Forest Bathing is spending time in a forest to reduce stress and feel a sense of wellbeing. It originated in Japan, where it is called shinrin-yoku, and it is now one of the cornerstones of Japanese healthcare. Spending time camping in our woodland, campfires, cooking and relaxing with friends is my spiritual boost. Increasingly I have found it hard to adjust to the pace of modern life in contrast to the two months a year I spend in the wilderness on expedition, in woodlands and on river banks wild camping.

CONNECTING WITH NATURE

A 2016 report undertaken by Natural England and mental health charity Mind focused on three main green care initiatives to help support people struggling with mental health issues (care farming, environmental conservation and therapeutic horticulture), They concluded that these interventions helped lessen symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression, here are a few ideas: • Grow and pick your own food • Foraging • Take nature photographs • Listen to nature’s sounds • Beach combing • Follow a trail • Build animal habitats • Litter picks and conservation • Bird watching and animal tracking • Pet sitting or dog walking • Sleep under the stars

So many of these fit into or alongside our paddling and outdoor activities which is part of why we love them so much.

RISK AND RESILIENCE MODEL

It is worth understanding the different factors that affect our mental health and in particular whether we feel positive mental health or negative. It is perfectly normal to experience bad moods, anger and low points as part of our emotions. If we are exposed to multiple stressors, triggers, energy drains and increased risk factors it obviously causes a deterioration in our well-being. This can range from feeling anxiety, to mental distress through to severe and enduring mental health problems.

The good news is that we can start to work on our resilience factors, which can be viewed as selfresilience, our support network and our wider environment. Of course the old adage if we always do the same thing we will always get the same result may apply. There are plenty of examples where people have changed from a high stress work place or toxic relationship to improve well-being and happiness.

Examining your support network is helpful and investing time and energy into positive relationships sounds obvious but sometimes we need to change the dynamic. Joining a canoe and kayak club, outdoor or bushcraft group or spending more time with friends and family can be a game changer providing a peer group and motivation to do more. Similarly a focus for a goal (new skill or craft) or trip (expedition) can help build positive outcomes. Self-efficacy reflects our confidence in the ability to exert control over our

If we are exposed to multiple stressors, factors, it obviously causes a own motivation, behaviour, and social environment by completing tasks, goals and achieving a sense of control and resilience. Paddling skills and outdoor challenges fits perfectly with this.

OUTDOOR HIERARCHY OF NEEDS

Maslow’s Hierachy of Needs offers a model to explain factors that build to a level of self actualisation – being the best we can be. The outdoors offers a clear and pure environment to develop these elements, resilience and self awareness without distraction. This is why we use outdoor activities to stretch comfort zones, build life skills and adopt new mindsets. The hierarchy model is often shown as a pyramid with stages, phycological needs (water, shelter, food, warmth) safety needs (financial, security, health), love and belonging (friendships, family and groups), self

triggers, energy drains and increased risk deterioration in our well-being

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IF YOU ARE STRUGGLING THEN ‘TALK TO SOMEONE’

According to Mind, one of four of us will experience a mental health problem in a year and one in six of us will experience this within a given month. General trends also suggest with issues around money, jobs and social/digital media have made it harder to cope with the problems.The good news is you don’t have to quit your job and run naked into the wilderness – unless you want to! Making small changes and marginal gains will help provide a balance and increased happiness. Plan some small tweaks and new goals to begin to change habits and you will start to see and feel the difference.

One of the key aspects of mental health guidance is to talk to someone. It is not prescriptive who to talk to – it could be your GP, a friend, family member or someone more distant such as Samaritans. Taking to someone is the first step to feeling better.

Online resources and support can be found at: www.mind.org.uk The Mental Health Charity www.samaritans.org Samaritans is charity providing emotional support to people in crisis

I hope you have found this article affirming and useful with some evidence and trends behind why paddling, bushcraft and the wider world of outdoor activities is good for us especially with the pressures of modern life. Happy Trails

Richard Harpham bio

Richard has become a Fellow of the Royal Geographic Society. Richard is a human powered adventurer and inspirational speaker who has completed over 10,000 miles of expeditions by kayak, canoe, bike and on foot including exploring the Yukon, cycling the Sahara and Canada’s Inside Passage.

At home he runs www.canoetrail.co.uk, a watersports and adventure business with his wife Ashley in Bedfordshire providing qualifications, canoe camping, coaching and paddling trips to some of the UK’s and world’s best locations. He is the former editor of Bushcraft and Survival Magazine and writes for Outdoor Adventure Guide, MoD’s Resettlement magazine and the Paddler magazine. His adventures are supported by: Flint Group, Paramo Clothing, Olympus Cameras, Valley Sea Kayaks, Silverbirch Canoes, Bamboo Clothing, MSR, Canadian Affair, Osprey Rucksacks, Extreme Adventure Foods, Air North, Reed Chillcheater and Exposure Lights. You can follow his adventures through social media and @ www.richadventure.com

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Loch Morar to Loch Nevis

KNOY DART FRIDAY: Our journey began on a cool overcast day on a short slipway into Loch Morar. We’d been here before in September 2017, at the start of a sanity-questioning slog across the watershed into the Arkaig system.This time our plans were for a shorter portage from the fresh water of Loch Morar to the sea water of Loch Nevis.

Story & photos: Angela Ward & Adam Evans

T H E M A G N I F I C E N T

W I L D E R N E S S

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Perhaps a less physical challenge

than mountaineering with a canoe although it would present issues such as tide heights, tidal races, wind and the remoteness factor of having no mobile phone coverage.

We were waved off by the wonderful owners of Heatherlea B&B who had kindly provided us with a shuttle service and who still recount tales of our previous ‘Morar Madness’ adventure to their other guests.

Whilst we were preparing to get on the water, the Lake Superintendent called by to check our plans and pointed us to a place where we could see White-Tailed Eagles nesting.

The weather forecast was as predicted and we set off into F3 headwinds. In my early days of paddling, such conditions would have slowed me down. Continued practice over the years has allowed me to sit back and cruise along in all but the harshest open water environments. Paddling is important to me in so many ways as it gives me a profound connection to nature, space and rugged escapism. On-going chronic respiratory problems have meant that some of our more recent trips have been less extreme although I was grateful that recent endoscopic sinus had made a significant difference to my ‘paddleability’.

Simply being surrounded by the magnificence of Loch Morar was a different experience to last time. That was about travelling fast and light and making distance so we could immediately start our brutal portage over to Loch Arkaig. Now, we could savour each paddle stroke especially as I was christening a new addition to my collection. My new black walnut Swallow, handcrafted for me by Bill Todd at Freebird Paddles, sliced effortlessly through the inky waters.

Paddling along Loch Morar was a different experience to our last time there in 2017. Then, we got to the end of the loch and immediately began our land-portage over to Loch Arkaig. This time was a more leisurely affair because our only agenda was to near the end of the loch before darkness fell. As we picked our way between the islands, grey pillows of smoke raced across the hillside from controlled heather burns on the northern shore.

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BACTERIA-FREE FRESH WATER

With no rush to press on and make distance, a shingle shoreline drew us in for a snack-break. It was a great opportunity for Adam to test out one of his new toys, an expedition water filter. Within minutes and with minimum effort, we had several litres of virus and bacteria-free fresh water with which we could quickly rustle up some piping hot drinks.

After being well-fed and watered, we continued with our leisurely voyage. Taking our time was good but even better was making easier progress with windassistance. In true Scottish fashion, the weather had done a 180-degree about-turn and the F2 tailwinds gently guided us towards our destination. Spritsails out, we only stopped to investigate the start of our portage into Loch Nevis. A recce on what to expect is a luxury to which we aren’t usually accustomed.

As we approached the end of the loch, we could just make out Oban Bothy on the south shore. We’d hoped to have the place to ourselves but unfortunately we weren’t that lucky because as we got nearer, we spotted a group of young lads wandering towards the bothy.

A few 100 metres away on the opposite shore, there was perfectly smooth grassy land upon which to pitch. With a calm midge-free forecast and a landscape, which

would inspire painters and poets, it made sense to tarp out for the night.Two parallel boats with paddles framing the tarp entrance made a great place from which to view our green and blue rugged world.

After a sumptuous evening meal of medium-rare ribeye steak and fried potatoes, followed by Cartmel Sticky Toffee Pudding and Devon custard, we could sip Glayva and enjoy watching the sun go down on a beautiful late summer evening.

As the sun lowered and the shadows grew longer, the water turned silvery black and we were reminded that our most brilliant days aren’t always the ones wrapped in luxury and sheen. They are often the days when we toil a little, accomplish a lot and yet savour the perfect moments of simply being.

SATURDAY

After being lulled to sleep by the sound of waves gently lapping against the shore, we awoke to a misty morning and calm clear waters. One joy of canoeing is the opportunity to take along a few creature comforts and luxury items. What some people may perceive as a luxury is in fact part of the staple diet of an expedition paddler, namely thick fluffy pancakes with maple syrup, washed down with freshly brewed stove-top coffee.

Having an outdoor breakfast whilst surveying our spectacular surroundings and formulating our plans is certainly a great start to the day. The original plan was to enjoy some mountain time on foot, leaving the canoes behind and wandering around the magnificent Knoydart wilderness. With the weather hinting at a big impending drama to come over the next few days, the risk of being pinned in this remote Scottish loch needed to be considered.The absence of a phone signal meant that we decided to curtail the walk for another time.The mountains weren’t going anywhere but nothing could stop the weather coming to us. We did wonder how many times the wind direction could spin round through 180 degrees in the space of 24 hours!

The last time we passed through here, Oban Bothy was closed because it was deer-stalking season so now while we were in the vicinity, it made sense to go and explore. We’d seen the temporary residents head off into the distance, so whilst they were out, we quietly paddled over to have a gander. We could see their stash of grog cooling at the water’s edge and inside, the bothy was well-kept, clean and tidy. We stayed just long enough to meet and greet the young lads, who returned with armfuls of freshly sawn wood and declared proudly that they planned to have a, “Massive bonfire.” I’m all for a bit of fire-craft but it’s so important to consider sustainability and environmental impact. It’s a lack of such awareness which had led to a loss of many paddle spots in Scotland recently.

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After our bothy recce, we headed upwind ThePADDLER 108

again in order to access the Tarbet jetty. Once our boats and kit were loaded onto the trollies, we decide to prepare for the ‘up and over’ by eating and drinking before our steep cobbled portage. And it certainly was steep! Several times it took a combined effort to get the trolley wheels over the axle-snapping cobbles and troughs. Thankfully, serious amounts of gym training paid off, giving me excellent lung function and mega girl-power so we slowly made our way up and over the two-km portage. The one-km uphill section was hard-going with a rough stony track, punctuated with large

potholes. The one-km downhill section wasn’t much better, although the assistance of gravity made it slightly easier.

Once we reached the jetty onto Loch Nevis, our legs wobbly from grunting and pushing, we saw the tide was coming in fast. We launched quickly onto the salty Scottish waters and immediately noticed the viscosity of the water in comparison to fresh water. Sea paddling feels like a combination of gentle river running and being on open water. The canoes feel more buoyant although the water is thicker, much like paddling through salty green treacle.

As we reached the Narrows on Loch Nevis, the tide becomes squeezed together by the coastal edges and spits you out at quite a rate. That’s why it’s so important to plan your journey around the wind and the tide or you’ll simply fight a losing battle. It pays to remember that Mother Nature is bigger and stronger than all of us. As we passed through the Narrows, I gathered that we must have been going at a pretty fast rate when some bystanders nearby shouted at me to, “Slow down or I’d be done for speeding!”

Tucked in and tiny in the corner distance, Sourlies Bothy came into view, and so did its small group of temporary residents. We gently ease towards the bemused onlookers and as the water became too shallow to paddle, we took the opportunity to stand tall with our big sticks and pole our way through the shallow salty water in search of a perfect place to pitch Terje for the evening.

After pitching at what we thought was high tide, we watched the water creep ominously over the pristine grass towards the tent. We breathed a sigh of relief as the tide receded only to watch the water start to edge even closer still and envelope the tent pegs. In order to monitor the situation more carefully, we strategically marked the water levels using very expensive and technical small pebbles. We watched the gentle ebbing and flowing for what felt like a very long time. Once we were confident the tide was definitely receding, we sat outside and surveyed the late summer sun disappearing over the horizon.

Tranquil, almost ethereal waters greeted us in the morning as planned, the tide had crept up on us in the early hours. We had timed our breakfast and de-camp to coincide with high tide, ensuring that we only had to tip the canoes back into the water rather than drag them over the flats of sand.

As the neighbours at the bothy waved us goodbye, our bows cut through the mirrored water below as we stealthily made our way whilst being enshrouded by the Scottish morning mists.

Creeping along the north edge of the loch, passing small islands which emerged from beneath the water, we decided to stop off for lunch and do some sealspotting. From our small rocky outcrop, we soon

noticed beady black eyes intermittently peering at us. We watched them. They watched us. We ate our food. They watched us even more intently. We took photos and they were happy to pose. I’m fairly sure that we were in their human Safari!

A ‘SNORTY-COUGH’

Paddling away from our snack-spot, Adam and I looked at each other quizzically upon hearing what can only be described as a ‘snorty-cough’. There was initially no visible source of this weird noise but then suddenly the massive head of a large grey bull seal appeared just a few metres from my stern.

Within a very short space of time, the wind had picked up slightly and was just in our favour, so our ‘seal spotting’ came to an end. We quickly set up our sailing rigs and made good speed towards Inverie. Effortlessly cruising towards civilisation and aided by the tidal flow, Inverie soon appeared on the horizon. On the approach, we could just make out The Old Forge in the distance and could almost taste the Guinness. Paddling is obviously very thirsty work and we didn’t want to become dehydrated so we pressed on.

Our neighbours from Sourlies Bothy were also enroute to Inverie, except on foot. I’m not sure how long their journey would be but assuredly we arrived there before them. My reason for wanting to visit Inverie was simple. It is the location of the most remote pub on mainland Great Britain, only by sea or a very long walk.

WELCOMING COMMITTEE

As we drew closer to the mainland, a small crowd were assembling in the beer garden. I doubted that they were an official welcoming committee but they now had the added bonus of watching us land on the rocky beach and nonchalantly make straight for the pub. To be honest, I think we should charge to be a mobile tourist attraction!

Making my way to the bar whilst looking resplendent in my Dam-X paddlesuit, I located JP. I’d told him we’d turn up at some point during April and we had. I’m not one to break a promise, particularly if it involves drinking Guinness and the opportunity to use a ‘porcelain throne’. During our chat, he kindly offered us a place to moor our boats. I’m not sure if he appreciated that we were paddling canoes with sails rather than yachts which need mooring.

I didn’t much fancy the idea of mooring in a harbour and then swimming ashore so instead we decided to try and locate a wild camping spot at Rubha Raounuill. As we skirted our way round the coastline in search of suitable places to pitch up, it became obvious that there weren’t any.

The tide was now going out and we didn’t relish the prospect of dragging our boats and kit across several hundred metres of seaweed-strewn sea bed in order to reach dry land. The other option was to haul our boats and kit several metres vertically and try to pitch a tarp on a steep section of grassy-covered rock. We weren’t exactly inspired by doing this either and so decided to head back towards Inverie. Another pint of Guinness whilst checking the weather forecast and coming up with alternative plans, seemed incredibly sensible. Adapt, improvise and overcome as they say!

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ThePADDLER 110 We turned around and made our way back along the coastline and now both the wind and the tide were favourable so we made good progress. As we got past Inverie, the water levels were so low that it gave us the opportunity to stand tall with our big sticks and with the tide pushing us gently along, we soon reached the gently sloping sandy shores of Long Beach.

This low-key Ranger-managed campsite offers one of the best views in Scotland. Facilities include a stateof-the-art Natsol compost toilet, a fresh drinking water supply, a turf-roofed log cabin shelter (complete with a selection of camping kit e.g sleeping mats/bags which are there for people to borrow), a dry stone communal BBQ and several fire pits. Bundles of firewood are available to buy for use in the firepits. This firewood is purchased from the Knoydart Forest Trust.

requirements, to promote the health of the herd, reforestation of Knoydart and to restore balance to the ecosystem. In addition, they have developed a bunkhouse and a shop to generate much needed income to reinvest in land management activities.

At the time of writing this article, campsite fees are just £5 for the first person in a tent and £4 for each person thereafter.There is no need to book in advance.You can either pop into the Foundation Shop (on the main street in Inverie) to pay, or alternatively pay the Ranger in the morning.There is also an honesty box located at the entrance to the log cabin. Long Beach offers the benefits of wild camping with the luxury of running water and an indoor toilet. Not quite a porcelain throne but definitely more eco-friendly and in keeping with the surroundings.

After pitching Terje within a few metres of the sandy beach, it was time to head back to The Old Forge for an evening of warmth, hospitality and Guinness . With no roads in or out, an 18 mile hike over Munros or a seven-mile sea crossing from Mallaig are the usual way to reach the most remote pub on mainland Great Britain. It started off as a smithy’s forge and then was used as a worker’s social club. Later it became a pub offering excellent local fish and game, real ales and live music. It has all the benefits of being remote but having modern amenities and we made tactical use of their wifi to check the weather forecast for the coming days.

This year is the Knoydart Foundation’s 20th birthday. In recent history, Knoydart was neglected and its community lived with uncertainty due to a series of absentee land owners. As a result, members of the Knoydart Community set up a charitable organisation: ‘The Knoydart Foundation’ (KFT) and after extensive fundraising, were able to buy out around 17,000 acres of the Knoydart Peninsula in 1999. Since then, the foundation has repaired and completed works to improve the efficiency of their community-owned hydropower scheme, which provides green power to 70 households, businesses and workshops in and around Inverie.

They have renovated antiquated water supplies, sewage systems and housing, and have built six properties which provide affordable rental homes for community members.The foundation established a ranger service, which includes Long Beach Campsite, Knoydart carbon cycle hire, public and private guided walks and land rover tours, and volunteering opportunities for residents, visitors, schools and scout groups.They set up deer management procedures to meet with legal

hospitality and Guinness

It was time to head back to the Old Forge for an evening of warmth,

KNOYDART FOREST TRUST

The community also set up the Knoydart Forest Trust, a charity to manage the communities’ woodlands. KFT has been so successful that they also work with private land owners to manage their woodlands on the peninsula. KFT is delivering a woodland management plan which focusses on the removal of the monoculture plantation, which was traditionally used to generate income and are replanting mixed native species in order to restore the landscape, facilitate small scale local timber processing and use, promote biodiversity and amenity. They also process and sell firewood and timber and have a subsidiary company, Wood Knoydart, who deliver woodworking courses and produce wood products which are sold across the peninsula and the mainland.

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FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITIES

Knoydart is arguably one of the most beautiful places in the UK. You can expect regular wildlife sightings with a healthy residential population of Golden Eagles, Sea Eagles, Buzzards and Peregrine Falcons. Inverie village is home to many Pine Marten and Badgers and Inverie Bay has a prolific population of otters; there is a newly constructed otter hide at the end of Long Beach for visitors to enjoy. Knoydart boasts fantastic hiking, paddling, cycling and horse trekking opportunities. There are three local Munro, two purpose-built mountain bike tracks in Inverie village, nine miles of tarmac road, and 17,000 acres of open hill to explore.

After a night of restful sleep, we awoke to finalise our plans. We had contemplated spending an extra night in Inverie but we knew today gave us the only realistic opportunity to get back in our boats and head to Mallaig, We’d awoken to sunny skies and a gentle breeze but heavy winds and biblical rain were predicted. There is a ferry service from Inverie to Mallaig which could have transported us and our boats but where’s the fun in that when you have paddle and sail power?

High tide was in, the kit was packed so with a perfect off-shore F3 breeze, we hoisted our sails and set off from our beachside launch point. What started off as a gentle breeze became progressively less gentle.

Reaching the more exposed section of the loch, the wind speed picked up and we very quickly sped along, propelled by F4- 5 crosswinds. Suffice it to say that the crossing from Long Beach to Sgeir a’ Ghaill was quite possibly the most challenging 45 minutes in any of my paddling adventures.

UNRELENTING

There were a couple of occasions where I shouted across to Adam that, “I don’t like this and I’m not enjoying it,” but there was obviously nothing to be done except to just get on with it. I used my WW Big Dipper to steer and this worked extremely well because it has such a large blade. My strength training at the gym came in very useful as the forces generated on your body are not to be underestimated when you’re controlling a fullyladen 15-foot long exped boat on exposed open water. With the roar of the wind in our ears and on the sides of our faces, the pressure on our arms was unrelenting.

Nearing the sheltered stretch of coastline at Eilean Giubhais, the wind began to ease and there was the opportunity to take down our sails and head ashore for a well-earned breather before making our way towards Mallaig. As I’d been in front and sailing at my best, Adam had followed on behind. I hadn’t been aware that the swell was big enough to obscure him seeing me in my canoe between troughs in the waves.

BLUE SKIES

It felt safe again to be in a more sheltered location near the rocky shore. The sun was shining, the sky was blue and once we had a little tailwind, we put up our sails again and continued our journey skirting the craggy coastline.

Ahead of us around the corner was the entrance to Mallaig harbour, from which we could see ferries emerging away from the mainland on their journeys to the Scottish islands. Playing chicken with ferries was not on our to-do list and we simply wanted to turn into shelter for a rest. We dropped our sails and ventured cautiously towards the harbour mouth. It became clear that the wind was being funnelled between the high walls of the harbour, creating a patch of water approximately

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ThePADDLER 114 300m long which had F5-6 winds blasting headlong into it. At that point we had two options, get out before the harbour and either wait and portage or suck it up and paddle as hard and tactically as we could into the vortex. As the forecast had indicated that the weather would get worse as the day progressed, there was only one realistic option. Press on. The going was painfully slow, barely making a foot in distance with each stroke. Once all the tactics and techniques had been maximised, it came down to a matter of power and size. No matter how good you are, in those conditions, a good big one beats a good little one. Conclusive proof that size really does matter! We decided to raft together in order to make safer, quicker and more reliable progress. Being dwarfed by much larger vessels made us realise how small how our boats are in comparison to the ferries.

Battling through, we eased into calmer waters. Sweating, aching and tired, we un-rafted and carried on solo paddling with relative ease.

Weaving between ships, we saw cheeky seals begging for scraps from the sterns of fishing boats. As we reached terra firma, we felt safe at last. With a final lugging of boats and kit up the steep stone steps, I headed off, still wearing my paddle kit, in search of fish and chips.

We’d done in four days what we had factored would take six days.That was down to weather and tides. Marrying those two changing variables had been an educated gamble which had thankfully paid off. A very satisfying conclusion to yet another awesome adventure!

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Heatherlea B&B. Heatherlea, Mallaig PH41 4RH www.heatherleabedandbreakfast.co.uk

Thank you to Ranger Amie for her contribution about the Knoydart Foundation. It’s very important to acknowledge and appreciate the hard work which goes into protecting our wild places. www.knoydartfoundation.com

Thank you also to JP from The Old Forge at Inverie for his excellent hospitality, in particular the Guinness. www.theoldforge.co.uk

As always, I’d like to acknowledge Bill Todd from Freebird Paddles. He makes wonderful paddles for me and it’s such a pleasure to take them on our adventures. www.freebirdpaddles.co.uk

01479 861 256 www.glenmorelodge.org.uk

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FSRT I S

A C O M M O N L A N G U A G E ?

Story: Andy Oughton Freelance canoe coach, coach educator and field IV officer for British Canoeing. Photos: Andy and AlexandraVan Den Elsen

I set off on a recent trip with the question in my head – was it just delivering to a group that spoke a different language that was going to be the challenge?The answer to that question was a resounding no because of the importance Europeans place on learning languages, rather than anything I was bringing to the occasion. Thinking more broadly, there were other differences between myself and the group that may have been playing on my mind.

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So back to the beginning,

I was observing Tim Scott running a Racing Coach assessment down at Norwich Canoe Club. There was only one candidate who was a Dutch racing paddler and aspirant coach from Rotterdam. The coaching sessions were a pleasure to watch, imaginative and engaging, promoting good progress for each of the three learners. The personal skills were likewise polished and effective. So that left rescues.

With the co-operation of the learners and a larger group of club paddlers, scenarios were set for Alex (the aspirant coach) to demonstrate her skills. In comparison to the other aspects of the assessment, the rescues did not have the same degree of practiced proficiency. Questions were asked about the likelihood of scenarios happening and techniques for resolving the situation. It transpired that a Foundation Safety & Rescue Course had not been completed prior to assessment and, to be fair, that is not a prerequisite of a Coach Assessment in the Sheltered Water environment.

The rescues had been secure, effective and at the standard for the assessment but the conversation between Tim, Alex and myself at the end of the day questioned the preparation and framework for rescues on Sheltered Water, specifically in racing boats. Attending a Foundation Safety and Rescue Training (FSRT) course is an option, does it include enough about skinny boats? Too much about plastic boats? In short, is it racing relevant?

MEETING THE SIX RACING COACHES

This was the more concerning difference in my mind as I crossed from Harwich to Hoek van Holland to meet the six racing coaches from various clubs and national squads for an FSRT at Leiden Canoe Club. I was really grateful to Alex for taking rescue training as an action point from her assessment and wanting to do more both for herself and the coaches in the Netherlands. Before the FSRT, she had already organised a day of informal rescue practice for some of the group. By keeping to the syllabus for the rescue training, was there going to be enough relevance for racing disciplines?

Talking about rescue protocols at the start of the day, brought together the thinking on good briefings being the place where rescues begin. Paddling groups who have a clear understanding of the physical boundaries, distances between boats and their role should a rescue be necessary, are easier to manage.

This led onto discussions over PFDs and the perceived trade-off between performance and safety. The notion that freedom of movement is sacrificed by a PFD has its roots in the old fluted jackets of the 1970s through to the modern white water BAs but these are not the only choices available. Peak UK offer

the Olympic cut, racer pro with Gaia Foam, which is ISO and ICF approved (other manufacturers have similar PFDs designed to allow freedom of movement). SUP paddling has increased the options with the availability of waist worn inflatable life jackets (NRS Zephyr and Palm Glide for example). Then there is always the option of an inflatable sport life jacket predominantly used in sailing (Crewsaver style).

The consensus in the room was that PFDs were less restrictive than the perception and that the practice of lone training, either solo or where there is loss of sight between the group leans towards some personal floatation being worn. The biggest obstacle to the wider up-take of PFDs in their racing community was the lack of use (when training) by those at the top, coaches and athletes. This was one of many action points to take forward from the day.

“GRAB THE SHAFT”

Shout and reach rescues made a lot of sense to a group used to paddling on canals, although there was an acknowledgment that they also used meers and lakes. There was nothing lost in translation of the phrase, “Grab the shaft” when offering a kayak paddle as a reach aid. The group were less convinced about rope rescues but were happy to be active outdoors throwing things at each other as a warm-up in preparation for getting out on the water.

On the water, we looked at towing and assisting. This was late morning, much the same time as it would have been without having included a selection of racing boats in the characteristics and safety features of boats session.

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ThePADDLER 120 The tow and assist session was a mix of sharing ideas and techniques and looking at the transferability of these ideas between the different craft and practicing them. Inflatable SUPs were new to some of the group and proved very popular. Racing craft without grab handles required different line tows but these were shared between the group along with ‘foot in cockpit’ tows for the skinny boats.

‘LIKE FOR LIKE’ RESCUES

After lunch we looked at the classic ‘like for like’ rescues in plastic kayak, canoe, SUP and racing boat followed by a great session of problem solving some mixed craft rescues using a selection of techniques from earlier. As the session was now truly a practical wet session, challenges were issued to complete a solo deep water re-entry of a K1 and to try different ways of assisting deep water re-entry. Several of the

coaches showed amazing agility and balance and were able to sit back in their K1 unaided.

By the end of the day there was a real buzz amongst the group having tried so much stuff.

Andy Oughton

One of the changes in thinking to come out of the experience was to look at using SUPs rather than power boats as safety cover for the organised races. The group had been so impressed with how easy it was to empty a racing boat from a SUP and to then get the paddler to re-enter from the same SUP. Earlier in the day, when talking about briefings, one of the coaches had recounted the example of a power boat aiding a capsize only to cause several other paddlers to struggle with the wash created.

A SUCCESS

A day working with a group of paddlers and coaches from a different background is always to be valued and this was no exception. I had started a little apprehensively, not sure that the training would ‘fit’ but by refocusing the content to cover the group’s needs and encouraging them to pool their experience, it was a great day of sharing safety thinking and practice.