ThePaddlerezine.comInternational digital magazine for recreational paddlers

How to plan a whitewater kayaking expedition DROPPING

intoMEXICO

Issu

e 3

of the Rio CoypisaBOLIVIANfirstDESCENT

Tracking the Fitzroy RiverPACKRAFTS inAUSTRALIA

MexicoBy Seth Ashworth

FranceBy David Truzzi Franconi

BoliviaBy Simon Chapman

AustraliaBy Chris Scott

Central EuropeBy Sandy Robson

NepalBy Beth Ettinger

Sea FishingBy Simon Everett

Recon reviewBy Phil Carr

EditorPeter Tranterpeter@thepaddler.co.ukTel: (01480) 465081Mob: 07411 005824www.thepaddler.co.ukhttps://www.facebook.com/ThePaddlercoukhttp://www.linkedin.com/pub/peter-tranter/36/bb8/134

Advertising SalesAnne EganTel: (01480) 465081advertising@thepaddler.co.uk

Front cover:Seth Ashworth taking a dive by Mathias Fossum.

Huge thanks to:Seth Ashworth, Mathias Fossum, Will Hartman,Lukas Strobl, Robert Machacek, Dave Truzzi-Franconi, Simon Chapman, Phil Carr, Chris Scott, Sandy Robson, Patrick Kinsella of Paddlemag magazine, Simon Everett and Andy Grimes.

ContentsNovember12

Not all contributors are professional writers and photographers, so don’t be put off writing because you have no experience! Thepaddler.co.uk magazine is all about paddler to paddler dialogue: a paddler’s magazine writtenby paddlers. Next issue is December 2012 with a deadline of submissions on November 30th.

Technical Information: Contributions preferably as a Microsoft Word file with 1200-2000 words, emailed to submissions@thepaddler.co.uk. Images should be hi-resolution and emailed with the Word file or if preferred, aDropbox folder will be created for you. ThePaddler.co.uk magazine encourages contributions of any nature but reserves the right to edit to the space available. Opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those ofthe publishing parent company, 2b Graphic Design. The publishing of an advertisement in ThePaddler.co.uk magazine does not necessarily mean that the parent company, 2b Graphic Design, endorse the company, item orservice advertised. All material in ThePaddler.co.uk magazine is strictly copyright and all rights are reserved. Reproduction without prior permission from the editor is forbidden.

ThePaddler 3

Issue 3

Mexico06

France22

Bolivia36

The Big Banana waterfall,Mexico by Seth Ashworth

Australia60

Central Europe72

Nepal80

Where we’ve been…6 Mexico

How to access the white waterfall’s paradisethat is Mexico.By Seth Ashworth

20 Other Mexico storiesOne from the archives.By David Ashplant

22 French RiveiraDave and his crew set off for a rendezvouswith super yachts and casinos.By David Truzzi-Franconi

36 BoliviaSimon extols the virtuesofthe pak canoe ashe manages to dodge insects and Peccarieson this frist descent of the Rio Coypisa.By Simon Chapman

60 AustraliaTracking the remote Fitzroy River inWestern Australia - in Packrafts.By Chris Scott

71 Other Australian storiesWalking with sharks.By Chris Scott

72 Central EuropeTracking the paddle strokes of Oskar Speck’s1932 expedition from Europe to Australia.Part one.By Sandy Robson

80 NepalTwelve young people from east Londonmake a difference to the local people andfind something about themselves.By Beth Ettinger

90 Other Nepal StoriesTwo from the archives.By Kevin Stainthorpe and Dave Burne

92 Sea fishingGetting started..Simon Everett

Regulars…4 Foreword

Access denied.By Peter Tranter

46 CoachingIncident management and safety.By Andy Grimes

48 First paddlePhil Carr puts the Wave Sport Reconthrough its paces in the first UK review.

54 Testing, testing 123Top kit reviewed..

ThePaddler 4

A new campaign has been launched with the objectiveof gaining recognition that there is, and always has been, apublic right of navigation on all rivers in England andWales subject only to the physical constraints of the riverand the size and nature of the craft using them.

‘River Access For All’ has been well received by paddlersand wild swimmers who have welcomed the clarity ofthe campaign’s key assertions which are:

1. “Historically, there was a general public right ofnavigation on all rivers subject only to the physicalconstraints of the river and the size/nature of thecraft using them.”

2. Mr Justice Lightman (in the case Josie Rowlands vEnvironment Agency, 2002) said “Public Right ofNavigation may only be extinguished by legislation orexercise of statutory powers or by destruction of thesubject matter of PRN e.g. through silting up of thewatercourse.”

3. Other than specific Navigation Acts, there has beenno legislation or exercise of statutory powers whichhas extinguished the general public right of navigation.

4. Therefore there is a common law public right ofnavigation on all rivers where the situation has notbeen changed by specific Navigation Act(s).

The website invites those that contest the public right ofnavigation to challenge these assertions and in particularto say which legislation or exercise of statutory authorityended the historic right of navigation. No such challengehas been received.

To the rest of the world, it may seem a little strange that recreational paddlers aredenied access on the nation’s rivers throughout England and Wales. It reminds me ofMuhammed Ali’s story about his return to the US after winning Olympic Gold in Tokyo1964 – when he was denied a burger in a restaurant due to his skin colour.

Here after a glorious Olympics when Team GB paddlers won two gold medals, a newand enthusiastic group of paddlers heading for the river are told to ‘get off ’ by landowners. Amazingly, only two per cent of our rivers are free of restrictions!

So paddlers in England and Wales have come together and formed a new campaign totackle the issue in a more direct way.

For all you paddlers out there in the rest of the World, please read on. That by the wayincludes our Scottish neighbours who do have a statutory public right of navigation!

November saw the submission of a petition to theHouse of Commons making similar claims andchallenging DEFRA’s policy for most unregulated rivers,which is that canoe access requires the agreement ofriparian owners.

“The Petitioners therefore request that the House ofCommons urges the Department for Environment,Food and Rural Affairs to adopt a policy for navigationon unregulated watercourses which is consistent withcurrent legislation or explain by what authority theDepartment holds a contrary policy.”

A report on the campaign’s website, commenting onthe petition, says, “It will be interesting to see DEFRA’sresponse. Will they:

• Identify the legislation or exercise of statutoryauthority which extinguished the historic public rightof navigation?

• Concede that there is no such legislation or exerciseof statutory authority and therefore the public rightof navigation still exists?

• Dodge the question with evasion and obfuscation?• Introduce new legislation like the Land Reform(Scotland) Act, 2003 to confirm that there is a publicright of navigation which can be responsibly exercisedsubject to an outdoor access code as in Scotland?”

More information on ‘River Access For All’ to be foundat:

Access denied Peter TranterEditor

www.riveraccessforall.co.uk

The websiteinvites those

that contest thepublic right of

navigationto challenge

these assertionsand in particular

to say whichlegislation orexercise ofstatutory

authority endedthe historic right

of navigation.No such

challenge hasbeen received.

ThePaddler 6

You may have seen Mexico depicted in the Rush Sturges film

‘Frontier’ and ‘Source’ as a warm, waterfall paradise. Perhaps you

have read about it in magazines and on the internet as well. You

may even have looked into organizing a trip of your own but

have been a bit stumped by the lack of data available. Well this

article is here to help you get your act together and have one of

the best and steepest kayaking holidays you can imagine

Left: Will H

artman dropping in on Tw

isted Pleasure, Lower Jalacingo

ThePaddler 7

Howto plan awhitewaterkayakingholiday tothe…

waterfall paradise ofMexico

f

.

By Seth AshworthPhotos by Seth Ashworth, Mathias Fossum, Will Hartman, Lukas Strobl and Robert Machacek

Lf W

ill H d

i i

Ti

d Pl L

Jli

Right: Seth Ashworth paddle huck and tuck on cascada TruchasJalacingo

mainareas for kayaking in Mexico, Veracruzstate and Chiapas. While bothare beautiful and containsome stunning whitewater,they are not usuallypaddleable at the same timeof year, so realistically you can’tdo it all in one trip. Thecharacteristics of each area isdifferent, Chiapas has uniquetravertine rock which is very grippy,whilst Veracruz has a smoother moreslippery rock type. Veracruz has thebiggest variety of different runs,concentrated together in a small area,whereas whitewater kayaking in Chiapas ismore spread out, usually requiring days oftraveling between rivers. The following willhelp you plan a trip to Veracruz, which is idealfor shorter holidays as you can really make themost of your time.

Who should you go with?If you are not too keen on the idea of travelingsolo around Mexico then you are going to needto find yourself a killer crew to travel and paddlewith. Because of the steep and often committingnature of Mexican Whitewater you and yourfriends should ideally be comfortable on Grade4/4+ with a view to paddling on more difficultwhitewater or making some tricky portages. Tryto keep your group to three or four, or multiplesof this, as it will make it easier in terms ofvehicles.

When should you go?Whitewater in Veracruz is totally dependent onthe amount of rain that falls during the rainyseason. This rainy season lasts from August toSeptember meaning that the safest time to bookfor is between October and January. However it ispossible that, if the rainy season was particularlywet, October could see water levels generally veryhigh. Or if the rainy season was fairly dry, all thebest water could be gone by January. There are avariety of runs that are still great with very highwater as well as numerous possibilities forexploration. Furthermore at the lowest water it isstill possible to make it down many of theclassics, it just wont be as much fun. Therefore asafe bet for your holiday should be around theNovember/December. Two to four weeks givesoptimal time to paddle many different sections.

ThePaddler 8

There are two

Chiapas has unique travertine rock

which is very grippy, whilst Veracruz has a smoother more slippery rock type

ThePaddler 9

Your friends should ideally be com

fortable on Grade 4/4+

Mattias Zeiner styling cascada Truchas

ThePaddler 10

What willthe weather

be like?

t Six of one &

ThePaddler 11

The creeking hub ofTlapacoyan is in themountains and can go fromlovely hot sunshine to coldrain in a few hours.

As a result take shorts andsunblock as there will beplenty of hot days, but don’tbe surprised if you have towear trousers, a jacket, socksand shoes a little more oftenthan you would like.

Seth Ashworth, Dane Jackson,

Todd Richey and Will Hartman

around the top spots on the upper Jalacingo, and Roadside Alseseca

Where do I stay?

Half dozen of

ThePaddler 12

Aventurec is a Tlapacoyanbased raft company withoptions for camping, hostel, orcabins, depending on howfancy you feel. I stayed in thehostel during my stay.

The hostel is a good basicoption, which is dry andprovides light, power and amattress (bring your ownsleeping bag). It also keepsyou away from a largenumber of biting insects.Aventurec also has a deliciousand moderately pricedbreakfast option, which will fillyou up for a full day on theriver, without even thinkingabout eating until nightfall.

the otherThePaddler 13

Cars: try to get something with a strong eng not so great then jus

Don’t worry abo big engined vehicle

wa

ThePaddler 14

For my trip I flew from the UK with charterairline Thomas Cook to Cancun, then made along (25hr) bus transfer to the town ofTlapacoyan, which is the heart of classic Veracruzcreeking. Alternatively fly to Mexico City, whichis just four hours away from Tlapacoyan.However, Iberia (and a few other airlines) willonly take windsurf equipment and not kayaks.This means it is vital to pack your boat in acareful disguise which, is both visually deceptiveand looks time consuming to wrap/unwrapthereby discouraging the person at the check indesk from taking a closer look at it.

How do I get to the river?You are going to need a car of some description.Car hire is available from the larger cities. In orderof distance from Tlapacoyan these are Xalapa(sometimes written Jalapa), Veracruz, Puebla andMexico City. If you get a selection try to getsomething with a strong engine, good tyres and ahigh clearance. If the selection is not so great thenjust ensure your boats all fit on top and beprepared to walk up some of the steepest hills.Don’t worry about high fuel costs of an Americanstyle, big engined vehicle as petrol is around 50pper litre. Some rivers will only require a shortshuttle, usually with a possibility to run/hitch.Others will require a driver, however these areavailable from Aventurec for a nominal fee.

How do I get river information?The most accurate guidebook that featured arange of good quality runs, including usefulinformation was the ‘River Gypsies guide toNorth America’. You will also find some goodinfo on wikipaddle.org. Furthermore Antonio,the owner of Aventurec is a wealth of knowledgeof the local area and knows most of the put-insand take-outs.

How do I get there?

ine, good tyres and a high clearance. If the selection is st ensure your boats all fit on top and be prepared to

out high fuel costs of an American style, e as petrol is around 50p per litre.

alk up some of the steepest hills

ThePaddler 15

Eating out in Mexico is the norm as it costs verylittle, and gets you out of cooking, which after along day on the river will be the last thing youwant to do. Mexican food can be delicious buttake care and choose wisely when selecting aplace to eat. Typical Mexican cuisine usuallyincludes some kind of meat, refried beans,usually onions in some form, rice and corntortillas. Corn tortillas are a staple and servedwith every meal, if you are not a big fan oftortillas, Mexico might not be the place for you.There are options to eat more of a range of foodfrom all over the world, but the local food isreally good. Most food seems to be fried, orgrilled and is fairly greasy. Vegetarians who eatfish will have a lot of options, but those whodon’t may have to look around more carefullyfor veggie options. A big variety of fresh fruit and

What to eat?

Will Hartman watches as Todd Richey fires up the cascada San Pedro

ThePaddler 16

ThePaddler 17

What kit to take? The obvious: a creek boat

A breakdown paddle and first-aid kit (at least one between your group).

Throwline: 15m or longer is essential to help on some of the portages.

A dry/semi dry cag: although the weather is generally warm, some of the gorges are deep and dark.

Shorts: I prefer neo-lined shorts for extra warmth round my important bits!

Sturdy shoes: there is some walking, scrambling and climbing about.

A spare paddle: I saw a surprising amount of broken paddles.

Elbow pads: I ended up buying some from another paddler after repeated knocks.

Solid helmet: if you are as good looking as me – you may even consider a full face!

Some decent thermals: including one for the legs, which will help on cooler days and in areas with many biting bugs.

A camera: because nice photos to show your mum are almost guaranteed.

Putting on below the Big Banana waterfall ready for a day of fun

ThePaddler 18 Asir stomping down on cascada Truhas

ThePaddler 20

Top tipsDon’t drink the water: There is a lot ofpollution in Mexico, don’t drink the river wateror water from the tap. Only drink bottled waterand also use this to brush your teeth and washyour vegetables (if applicable).

Learn some Spanish: Not many people inMexico speak English so some key phrases areessential and the more you understand the easierit becomes.

Learn some Americanisms: There is a lot ofkayakers from USA who go to Mexico each yearand if you don’t listen carefully you maymisunderstand what they are telling you.Seriously, somedays it is like another language.

Don’t be surprised if its not always sunny.

Expect to be sick at least once: The D catcheseveryone at least once. Just expect it and takesome medicine with you.

Mexico is represented in the news as beingextremely dangerous, with instability betweendrug cartels and the government. Now I am notsaying there is no danger, but with a littlecommon sense you will be able to keep yournose clean. Avoid driving at night and try not tomake yourself stand out more than you alreadydo (there aren’t really any other gringos inTlapacoyan – so you will stand out!). Don’tmove round with huge amounts of cash, orvaluables and you should stay trouble free. In my10 weeks of traveling there I was only stopped attwo checkpoints whilst driving and never had topay a police bribe.

How much will it cost?Living expenses once you are there are anythingfrom £50-150 ($75-225), (60-180 Euros) perweek depending on how much you live.

CaliforniadreamingBy David AshplantPhotos: Gary LuhmImagine kayaking in a place where thewater is turquoise and so clear you cansee hundreds of tropical fish beneathyou and if you are lucky a blue whale –the largest living creature on the planet.

This is the reality of kayaking in BajaCalifornia, the narrow 800 mile Mexicanpeninsula south of the much betterknown American California, with thePacific ocean on the west side of thepeninsula and the Sea of Cortez on theeast side. It is estimated a third of theworld’s whale and dolphin populationslive, or at least spend the wintermonths, in the Sea of Cortez.

To read further visit:

http://www.thepaddler.co.uk/expmexico.html

Is it safe?

ThePaddler 21

Over 60 demo boats for you try for FREE!

Buy online or visit our store for some exciting Christmas

offers and our clearance promotion

We cater for all events and will tailor to your needs. Call the Centre for more

information

Activity days and weeks for the holidays, for 8-16 years, from

just £20!

PaddlePower, BCU 1-3 Star, FSRT

KAYAKING! CANOEING! TUNNELLING! LOW ROPES! RAFT BUILDING! HIGH ROPES! CLIMBING! ABSEILING! ARCHERY!!!

WOODMILL.CO.UK 02380 915746 | INFO@WOODMILL.CO.UK

WOODMILL CANOESHOP.CO.UK 02380 915740 | SHOP@WOODMILL.CO.UK

WOODMILL LANE, SWAYTHLING, SOUTHAMPTON, SO18 2JR

KIDS ACTIVITY HOLIDAYS

BCU COURSES

BCU INSTRUCTOR COURSES

TRY BEFORE YOU BUY!

4 Star Leadership, BCU/UKCC Level 1 & 2 Coach,

and coaching modules

CORPORATE DAYS, PARTIES & PRIVATE BOOKINGS

ThePaddler 22

The Riviera pa

There is a very easy way to return from go there with a large one.Or… maybe not!

David Truzzi-Franconi, Sim

ThePaddler 23

addlers

m a casino with a small fortune:

Simon King and Steve Seinet-M

artin off Monte C

arlo mon King and Steve Seinet-Martin

someconcern when planning the trip due to the lackof get outs in adverse conditions. However, weslid over the dark indigo seas, where thecontinental shelf is at its narrowest and plungesto considerable depths. Mid day brought us tosome contemporary cliff dwellings as the serriedranks of ochre coloured houses of the Italianatetown and French lemon capital of Menton, rosefrom the sea. We were too late for the lemonfestival and had to content ourselves with arefreshing but caustic glass of fresh lemon juice.

The beaches on this coast shelved steeply and tolaunch or beach involved jumping in or out ofthe water and riding the waves. By late afternoonwe entered the Baie de Roquebrune havingrounded Cap Martin, a rocky headland full ofAleppo and Maritime pines, with villas juttingout arrogantly from every promontory. It wasnow time for the search for somewhere to campfor the night. To begin, we had studied AdmiraltyCharts, Michelin maps and Google Earth andmarked possible areas for a night’s wild campingusing the tried and tested technique of arrivinglate and leaving early with no trace.

ThePaddler 24

Our Van drew to a stop at 5.50am inthe deserted Piazza Marconi inVentimiglia, Italy where the dawn mistwas lifting off the sea ahead of us. Wehad driven nearly a 1,000 miles fromhome overnight and were pleased tosee the adjacent cafe opening anhour later. Fortified we headed westalong the Ligurian coast and past theborder with France at Grimaldi –home to our distant ancestors whosecave homes pierced the Balzi Rossior Red Cliffs.BY DAVIDTRUZZI-FRANCONI

This stretch had produced

David Truzzi-Franconi and Steve Seinet-Martin near Cap Martin.

ThePaddler 25

Simon King in front of the Oceanographic Institute Monte Carlo

ThePaddler 26

of Monte Carlo where the lights ofthe super yachts were twinkling in the twilight.A bag of wine was cooled in the sea whilst wedragged the boats up the beach and unloadedour tents, which erupted into shape and we hada home for the night. We left early the nextmorning and soon we had Monte Carlo andMonaco on our beam the where the skylinelooked like an American City. Passing PorteHercule, we cruised beneath the 300ft highOceanographic Institute set into the rock –Jacques Cousteau was for many years itsDirector. Entering the more approachable Portede Fontvieille we passed beneath a rockamphitheatre verdant with cacti agave andaloes, the harsh calls of a magpie type birdechoed off the rock. Nosing our way to the slipwe got out and stretched our legs we were inMonaco! As we left we had to skirt the buoyedexclusion zone around the heliport forcing usto enter a confused and lumpy sea caused bythe wash of motor yachts and the downdraughtof helicopters.

Most of the coast here is an intensely developedstrip between the mountains usually shroudedin mist and the sea. We landed at Plage deMarquet for a couple of beers before continuingonward passing capes a'Ail and Rognoso andthe Pointe de Cabuel. This coast is the home ofluxury yachts each with their own helicopterpad and smaller recreational boats and sailingyachts waiting to be craned into the water withmost flying red ensigns. We snuck into the

We pulled up short

As we left we had to skirt the buoyed exclusion zone around the

heliport forcing us to enter

a confused and lumpy sea caused by the wash of motor yachts and the downdraught of helicopters

exclusive resort of St Jean Cap Ferrat fully aware of our 16 feet and 12 inche

Simon King at St Jean Cap Ferrat.

parakeets settled down for the night in the palmtrees. The bay was a mass of mooring lanternsand the headlands draped in lights.

We were awoken by the beach cleaners eachbeach we landed on had its pile of white quartzsand waiting to be spread in readiness for thestart of the season and would soon be covered insun loungers and parasols making us far lesswelcome, but we were early in the season andshared the beach with a few locals. All the wayalong this coast a flash of silver would betray thepresence of the railway as it burrowed throughheadlands and passed behind the beachfronthouses.

Today our first task was to paddle along the CapFerrat peninsula to Pointe Saint-Hospice toassess the sea state at the point. The waves weretwo feet high but at short intervals with whitecaps in the distance, we decided we could end upin a situation where we could not move forwardbut unable to turn back, so we did, while wecould, re-trace our steps back to the isthmus atBeaulieu sur Mer and set out to recce the portageit was possible.

ThePaddler 27

s freeboard and waited for dusk to fall and the wine to cool, whilst

David Truzzi-Franconi and Simon King off Cannes

Above: Loaded van atLa Napoul

Left: David Truzzi-Franconi cooking at Palm Beach near Cannes

steps and subsequent trips with our gear tookmost of the morning, asking a lady if shecould move while we launched into the Radede Villefranche. She confirmed that today CapFerrat was tres tres dangereux, our cautionvindicated we paddled across the bay in searchof coffee. The bay was temporary home to twocruise liners and their attendant ferries toshore. Entering the small harbour and headingfor the slip we were waved away by the PortCaptain and our registration numbers takenby a minion – so much for Villefranche,although we were all flying the Union Jack asit was the Queen's Diamond Jubilee!

We left skirting the surreally named Pointe desSans-Culotte and then the Cap de Nice, wavedon and given the thumbs up from a group ofyoungsters engrossed in hurling themselves offa cliff and climbing up again to repeat theexercise. We gave a wide berth to the CorsicaFerry and into the port of Nice, capital of theFrench Riviera and home to Dufy and Matisse.We enjoyed a pleasant afternoon coasting thepromenade des Anglais and its palms, passingthe private beaches in front of the hotels; wemanaged a stop before the three-mile paddlearound Nice airport and its buoyed exclusionzone.

ThePaddler 28

Wehauled the loaded

canoes uphill in the heat and bemused trafficand across a busy road junction before the downhill section. We then carried the canoes one at a time down a long flight of

David Truzzi-Franconi and Simon King portaging Cap Ferrat.

The sea at this point was covered in the aptlynamed 'By the wind sailors' – smalltranslucent discs of jelly tinged violet at theedges with a small ridge across the back, at themercy of the wind and current causing massstrandings. Being slightly more evolved wewere swept by the River Le Var along the coastand stopped for a break. On seeing the frontwas full of marquees – it was an alternativefair, dwarves extolling the virtues of recyclingsoon accosted me, it was time to grab ayoghurt and go. We headed for a spot we hadearmarked for camping at Cagnes sur Merhome of Renoir near where the River Loupdebouched into the sea.

ThePaddler 29

Entering the small harbour and heading for the slip we were waved away

by the Port Captainand our registration numbers taken by a minion

– so much for Villefranche

David Truzzi-Franconi andSteve Seinet-Martin on the

beach at Ventimiglia.

Truzzi-Franconi and Simon Kingentering Porte de Fontvieille

David Truzzi-Franconi in front of Chateau at La Napoulnear the mouth of the River Siagne

ThePaddler 30

foundus surrounded by rats! Moving on, weeventually tucked under the promenade wherescores of rollerbladers, cyclists and theinevitable joggers, all took advantage of thewide promenade. It had been a 16-mile dayand we were pleased to settle down for thenight. We awoke to day four of our trip on theSunday and waited to cross Antibes Harbourentrance as a stream of classic yachts sailed out– contestants in the Panerai Yacht race.

On crossing and rounding the corner weforced a wedge with our canoes into a small

beach packed with bathers so we could hopashore for some water and provisions. Leavingthe beach found us heading for our mostchallenging paddle yet, that of the Capd’Antibes. It has a blunt tip three quarter milewide of exposed rock with outlying rocks andshoals, cutting between the headland and theexposed rocks into a headwind and a shortsteep sea on our quarter. This often meantpaddling out to sea to ride the waves head onbefore picking a spot to turn and head alongthe coast again, usually with a wave trying toclimb in over the side. It was a long and slow

Our first attempt

David Truzzi -Franconi posing in front of Menton

haul taking an hour before we managed toturn and head for Juan les Pins surfing on thenow following sea and then a beam sea as wepaddled along the coast looking for a place tostop for the night.

We washed up outside the Buddha Bar for afew... actually a lot of beers and Moules, Steak

25mph due to increase at 9am tomorrow. Ouralarms set for 5am we retired, launching into acool and calm morning we worked our way upthe coast passing inside the Lerin Islands as wereached Cannes at 8am. The wind freshened toforce 3 to 4 and we had to claw our way aroundthe point to a bay in the lee of the wind at PalmBeach home to a Casino.

We made a shelter in the Tamarisk and preparedto sit the storm out it was now 5 to 6 with whitehorses all across the bay of Cannes. The windveered forcing us to drag the canoes through thesand to get in the lee of the wind once more onthe other side of the bay here it was very hot andstill. Simon went into town dodging theLamborghinis to find the tourist centre andmanaged to get a rail timetable for our returnjourney to the van and the information that acampsite existed 25 miles away in La Napoul.

I decided to cook that evening and headed intothe shops for supplies. I had spotted afishmongers called La Pescaille-Poissons deligne-Coquillage et Crustaces. We bought twofine fish – a Dorade Gris, a type of Bream and awonderful red Rockfish beautifully prepared andsealed in foil bags. I lit the two disposablebarbecues I had bought in England and when theflames and smoke died down lay them on themesh. Whilst they sizzled I made a fennel saucewith some white wine a large moon hung in thesky and the lights of the Ile Sainte Margueriteand its Fort light up the dusk. We had onlycovered four miles that day.

ThePaddler 31

Tartare etc. At this point a crewmember from one of the yachts told us the forecast for the morning: strong winds of

Leaving the beach found us heading for our most

challenging paddle yet, that of the Cap d’Antibes

Slip at Porte de Fontevielle in Monaco.

we paddled the largecurve of the Bay of Cannes, stopping forbreakfast before cruising a parallel course to theCroissette and its Palm trees with the continuoushonking of car horns to mark a wedding jarringthe day. At one stop some locals came to inspectthe canoes, not having seen one on these shoresand were interested to know about them. Weheaded for La Bocca and La Napoul, hoping for ashower that night, eventually stopping at asecluded beach whilst two of us went to find thecampsite on foot, booked us in and found it hada slipway off the river!

Setting off and turning into the mouth of theRiver Siagne we passed a small chain ferry to takegolfers from one links to another! And then offto the left tributary and found our slip-hotshowers and a restaurant meal followed. A tripdownriver to the Chateau the following morningand up to the station to book our tickets toVentimiglia that afternoon a visit to the patisserieand the boulangerie and we were off on a sleekdouble-decked train to collect the van.

We hopped of at Antibes to explore for a whileand again at Monte Carlo so Simon could fulfilan ambition to play the tables. We hadsmartened up but still expected to be turnedaway, however, we entered the vast ornateentrance and found the dress code to be relaxed.Simon however wanted to enter the innersanctum so bought a day’s membership, whichgave entrance to the terrace, private rooms andthe right to lose his money and pay £15 for a ginand tonic.

However, Simon emerged triumphant holding a 10-euro token and still had his original

stake! Reboarding the train

we enjoyed the rest of the journey from the topdeck rolling into Ventimiglia in the early evening.We found the van untouched, drank a farewellcoffee in our beach cafe and in two hours arrivedback at the campsite. Heading home next daybattling against driving rain and headwinds wepulled off into Beaune for a meal, as it wasSteve's Birthday. We drew our chairs up in leBistrot Bourguignon and the cork was pulled outof a bottle of local wine-SALUT!

ThePaddler 32

NextmorningHow

ever, Simon emerged triumphantholding a

10-euro token

and still had his original stake!

David Truzzi-Franconi and Sim

on King off Menton.

Beach camp nearMonte Carlo.

ThePaddler 33

Sea Kayaking Kefalonia Ionian Sea, GreeceDay-trips in Kefalonia, multi-day trips in Kefalonia, Ithaca and all central Ionian,BCU courses, accommodation www.seakayakingkefalonia-greece.com

Genuine hospitality, quality equipment and an amazing place topaddle. We offer: day-trips, expeditions, courses and accommodation.

Milos island, GREECE www.seakayakgreece.com

Paddle with the Authors Florida Keys & EvergladesDecember 2012 - April 2013Fully outfitted kayak camping trips of 2 to 10 days

NEW: Great Calusa Blueway Ten Thousand Islands Everglades ~ Key Largo to Key West7 Mile Bridgehttp://www.burnhamguides.com

WHITE WATER RAFTINGKAYAK SCHOOLCANYONINGWHITE WATER KAYAKINGADVENTURE PACKAGES

Owned and operated by members of the Nepali NationalWhite Water Team, we are passionate about river runningand proud to share our country with you. www.paddlenepal.com www.facebook.com/paddlenepal &info@paddlenepal.comRecommended by Lonely Planet, Trip Advisor, En Routard & Rough Guide

TAKE TO THE WATER IN A CANOE OR KAYAKWORKING WITH GROUPS AND INDIVIDUALSCLIMB THE PEAKS, HIKE THE HILLS, BIKE THE TRAILS

hello@farandwild.co.uk http://www.farandwild.co.uk

CANADABY CANOE� Complete Gear and Food Outfitting� Guided Trips� Canoe, Kayak and Paddleboard Rentals� Ultralight Souris River Canoes

Summer Phone:705.569.2595(May 1 – October 15)

Winter Phone:406.600.5297(October 15 – May 1)

Email:canoe@icanoe.ca

Web:www.icanoe.ca

Kayaking GreeceSea kayaking holidays in Skopelos

http://aegeanescapes.com

We are proud to offer the very best training insport, adventure and active leisure. As a privatetraining company we can offer bespokeprogrammes in the the following areas:

� Apprenticeships in Sport and ActiveLeisure (levels 2 and 3).

� Vocationally Related Qualifications in theOutdoors, Sport and Public Services.

� Targeted retention and recruitmentpackages for FE and HE colleges.

� As well as a host of technical certificatesand NGB qualifications.

For further details please see ourwebsite www.channeltraining.co.uk,visit us on Facebook or call us on0845 2996321

Your paddles and travelsTo advertise on this page email: ads@thepaddler.co.uk

The annual Show, this year situated withinExCeL’s South hall, is widely renowned for beingthe first place to see the latest marineinnovations, design and technology. The 2013Tullett Prebon London Boat Show will host thelatest launches, products and marine brands, aswell as offer a wide range of activities that willentertain the whole family –there will besomething to suit every taste and budget!

2013 ShowAttractions IncludeThe Knowledge Box This is the place to head for those keen to learnfrom leading experts on a wide range of subjects.This year’s Knowledge Box programme will consistof a variety of talks such as how to successfullymaintain an engine, which lifejacket to select tocompelling tales of journeys across the oceans. TheShow’s lineup includes Richard Harpham,kayaking traveller, along with marine experts,nautical adventurers, experienced sailors andtechnical specialists daily.

Multi-Activity PoolsThe On The Water multi-activity pools are at thecentre of the Show’s action and offer the perfectopportunity to test your skills at a variety ofactivities. You can either try canoeing or kayaking,or if you prefer not to get wet, head down to theMicro Magic attraction to watch and take part inthe model yacht racing. Mini match racing andregattas of the radio controlled yachts will be takingplace throughout the full nine days of the Show,don’t miss your chance to be crowned champion!

World CruisingBrand new for 2013 the World Cruising attractionwill immerse visitors into the life of a cruiser. Showvisitors will have the chance to speak with expertsand gain first hand ‘how-to’ advice as well as beingable to talk with specialists who provideequipment for these type of journeys. You will alsofind three ARC and ocean cruising yachts that arefully kitted out to enable long term living on boardto explore. To top this off there will be theopportunity to take a tour of the globe through arange of masterful photography showcasingbeautiful images from the world’s seas and oceans.

The Marina and Dock EdgeScaling from model boats right through to thelargest vessels on display at the Show, the marina isan essential spectacle, as is the 500m of dock edgewhich will boast some impressive craft and on-water displays from four times British Jet SkiFreestyle Champion Jack Moule.

Used Boats MarinaAmongst the action outside, the Used BoatsMarina is perfect for perusing a variety of usedboats for sale, catering for all budgets and needs.Whether you are in the market for a previouslyloved boat or simply intrigued about the price ofyour current vessel, make sure to visit thisadditional sector in boat retail to see just how faryour money can go, and of course with no buildtime, these boats are ready to sail away straightafter the Show.

Feature Boats Two Global Challenge yachts will be out on themarina for the 2013 Show. These 72ft boats thathave sailed around the world twice, the wrong way,

ThePaddler 34

The Tullett Prebon London Boat Showreturns to ExCeL London from 12-20 January2013 and promises to light up the capital with astunning showcase of all things marine.

will now be available for visitors to climb aboardand explore. Sarah, from the Tall Ships Youth Trustwho now use her to provide people with ‘theultimate Sail Training experience’ and CatZerofrom the company of the same name who workwith young people to get them back intoemployment, will be there for the full 9 days foryou to get up close and personal with.

UK Star ChampionshipsFor three days Fine Art Sails, a first-of-its-kindcollaboration between world class yachting andinternationally acclaimed fine artists, will bringsomething truly different and exciting forspectators and Show visitors. On Friday 18through to Sunday 20 January 2013, ten Star classkeelboats will take to the waters of the RoyalVictoria Docks, outside the Tullett Prebon LondonBoat Show, to race in the introductory CNMEstates UK Star Championships. See over 18renowned Olympic and World champion sailors,boasting up to 10 Olympic medals among themwill be taking part in the regatta. This includestriple Olympic medallist Iain Percy, doubleOlympic medallist Andrew Simpson and Olympicmedallists Pippa Wilson, Ian Walker, Mark Covell,Michael McIntyre and Bryn Vaile.

BoardwalksBack inside the South Hall the boardwalks aredesigned to look exactly like a marina; just withoutthe water. For the 2013 Show there will be severalboardwalks dotted around the Show allowing youto step onto a selection of the world’s best powerand sail boats.

The Luxury Brand ShowThe Tullett Prebon London Boat Show continuesthe element of enjoying the very best that themarine lifestyle has to offer. Enjoy even moreluxury and glamour at the 2013 Show, with thecomplementary Luxury Brand Show, situatedwithin the South hall.

The London Bike, Outdoors andActive Travel ShowsFrom Thursday 17 to Sunday 20 January 2013, theNorth Hall, opposite the Tullett Prebon London

Boat Show, will play host to the London Bike,Outdoors and Active Travel Shows. Access to allthese shows, including The Luxury Brand Show isgranted with just one ticket, offering excellentvalue for money with entrance to five shows forthe cost of just one.

Located at ExCeL, it could not be easier to visit theShow - with the new cable car spanning the riverfrom Greenwich to the Royal Docks; you can takein views of London on the way! It is also accessibleby DLR, rail and car parking tickets can bepurchased in advance for a daily price of £12 withan adult or concession advance Show ticket*.

Keep updated on Show news and developmentsvia the Tullett Prebon London Boat Show website

www.londonboatshow.com

ThePaddler 35

SHOW TICKET OFFERBook Standard Adult tickets in advance from£10, valid Monday 14 – Wednesday 16 January2013 OR come on any other day from £14. Totake advantage of this £14 ticket offer, simply callthe ticket hotline on 0871 230 7140** andquote your promotional code of L32, offer endsmidnight 11th January 2013. For every adultticket purchased, two children aged 15 years andunder can be admitted for free†.

Other great ways to experience the Show:

• Late Entry Tickets from £10*• NEW! Parking book in advance and save –

from £12. Subject to availability terms andconditions apply see website for details

* £10 tickets available for all day admission on14th, 15th and 16th January 2013 only. £10tickets are also available for admission after3pm on any day of the show.

** Calls cost 10p per minute plus Networkextras. Calls from mobile phones may costconsiderably more.

† Terms and conditions apply. Seewww.londonboatshow.com for details. Alldetails correct at time of going to press.E&OE.

ThePaddler 36

By Simon Chapman. 28th August 2012

Simon carrying the poles for the frame

ThePaddler 37

first

descen

t

Rio Coypisaof the

The Rio Coypisa: Bolivia. The buttress roots of rainforest giants reach right down intothe scarcely-moving greenish water and a ‘vee’ ripple

spreads away from the front of the canoeas we paddle gently forwards, taking carenot to make any noise that would scareaway the maroon and orange ball of fur

that is sitting on an overhangingbranch. It’s a ‘Golden Palace’monkey, only just discovered andnamed after the Las Vegas casino,which put in the highest bid toname the new species. Minutesbefore, an otter – the giant type: sixfeet long with blue goggle eyes and ablotched white throat – swam underthe canoe. It’s late afternoon on aperfect jungle river and the insects

don’t seem so bad. For a while!

Simon carrying the poles for the frame

ThePaddler 38

and barely even marked on our map, was neverthe intended destination of our expedition. Thisfirst descent of the Coypisa was a ‘cop out’, aquick way back when our attempt to get toanother river, the Enatahua, failed.

With hindsight it is clear that we totallyunderestimated the task we had set ourselves;trek over a mountainous watershed carrying adisassembled portable canoe, build the boat up,then explore the river beyond. It was a plan thathad worked well on previous trips, most notablyin 1997 when Julian Singleton and I had madethe first descent of the Alto-Madidi. This tripwould start where that trip had left off. We wouldtrek to the Alto-Madidi and paddle up it for twoor three days to get to a point just 10kms over asmall range of mountains from the Enatahua.How hard could it be?

The Pak Canoe is brilliant for exploring junglerivers. I have used them in Brazil, Siberia and severaltimes in Bolivia. The boat consists of a five and halfmetre neoprene skin into which you slot poles andcross pieces to make up a Canadian canoe which islight enough (about 24Kg) to pull upriver or carryover obstacles but will also take some fairly heftyrapids. Building the canoe takes about 30 minutes.Packing it up takes half the time. That means youcan trek to the headwaters of a river, build up theboat and paddle it downstream; and you alwayshave the option of breaking it down, packing andcarrying it if ever the river becomes too rough,choked with snags or swampy to continue. Ourcanoe was for three people. We knew we werepushing it by squeezing in four plus gear in but wereckoned that Julian, myself and our two Bolivianguides/ porters (Miguel and Mauro) were all fairlysmall and, in fact, we had no problems with thecanoe at all; it was the terrain that was to provide allof the trouble.

Yet this river unexplored atits headwaters

The

Pak Canoeis brilliant for exploring jungle rivers.

I have used them in Brazil, Siberia and several times in Bolivia.

ThePaddler 39

The

Pak Canoeis brilliant for exploring jungle rivers.

I have used them in Brazil, Siberia and several times in Bolivia.

Simon trying to clear yet another logo jam

A littlepassenger

ThePaddler 40

and a tough trek in and wewere paddling up the Alto-Madidi, Mauro and Miguelperfecting a regime of standing in the boat and polingit up the minor rapids using bamboo cut fromriverside thickets. On the fourth day, we reached themouth of an un-named river; and that’s when theweather turned. July and August in southernAmazonia is dry season. The meanders are edged bybeaches of mud, sand or large, rounded stones. Withthe rain, these disappeared and dragging the canoe upthe rapids became treacherous. Things came to a headwhen I tried to cross a narrow section of what lookedlike a shingle waterslide.

The river was now running red with mud and risingvisibly. I set off across, got to waist height (whichwas quite high enough given that I was carrying afull pack), then I hit sinking mud. The classic rule isnot to struggle but it’s hard not to when waves offrothing water are rushing towards you. Secondslater, I was chest-deep.

The others appeared in the canoe just as I startedscreaming for help, but I was stuck fast and, trying topull myself up onto the boat, I nearly capsized it andthen sliced my finger on Mauro’s upturned machete.By then my feet were free and I was floating in thecurrent holding onto the back end of the canoe as Iwas towed to shore; at which point the otherspushed off to get to the high bank on the other side,saying they would prepare a camp then come backfor me. That was a long 20 minutes wait.

By the next day the river had gone down enough for usto push on upstream. However, the water was stillrunning fast and soon we were spending more timeoutside the boat than in, hauling up increasingly largerapids as the valley narrowed into a gorge with black,rock cliffs dripping with ferns. On one raised patch ofmud I found a single, bare human footprint. I showedJulian but we opted not to tell our guides as by thenwe were jittery about entering the territory of theuncontacted Toromonas Indians. Soon after, we optedto breakdown the canoe and continue on foot. Tenkilometres to the Enatahua over two hard days, weassured ourselves. We cooked up all of the heavy foodthat night. Tomorrow we would find a ridge thatheaded west and follow it over the watershed.

The ascent, up a rain-worn gulley, was nearly verticaland the canoe poles sticking out the top of myrucksack caught on every vine and horizontal branch.An hour’s struggle had us on the top of the first ridgebeing shouted at by a lone black spider monkey whosespace we had invaded, and four hours more had ussitting roughly over (but a 1,000 metres higher upthan) our camp of the night before.

ThePaddler 40

A jeep ride On one raised patch of mud I found a single,

bare human footprintIshowed Julian but we opted not to tell our

guides as by then we were jittery aboutentering the territory of the

uncontacted Toromonas Indians

Spectacled caiman

Our map, obtained by bribery at army base in La Paz,had been wrong. We had followed the wrong ridge.Our decision; canoe back down (the rapids were great)and find a flatter way to get across. This time, theterrain which on our map appeared to only rise one80-metre contour turned out to be a maze-likenetwork of interlocking knife-edge ridges and narrowgullies. We tried following the high ground for a whilebut all the ridges ended in sheer drops or were tangledwith vine thickets that blunted our machetes. The bestwe could do was to follow a westward bearing up anddown, up and down. Julian was miserable that night.

“I can hardly walk” he said, peeling his socks off toreveal exposed bare flesh along the sides

and heels of bothfeet. Wet sandin his boots had

acted like a grindingpaste and worn the skin

away. Mauro and Miguel took muchof his load, we bound his feet tightly and

we carried on. Luckily, we found the jungleparadise river: The Coypisa.

ThePaddler 41ThePaddler 41

By now we were back in high rainforest and thewildlife (monkeys of various types and a couple ofanteaters) were everywhere. We opted to rest for acouple of days and use the canoe to explore the river’sheadwaters. On our first night there, a tapir came intoour camp. I didn’t see it. When I heard its footsteps, Islipped out of my hammock ready to ambush it withmy head torch on full beam, and just then Julianstarted snoring, a sound which my guides later told mesounded remarkably like a jaguar growling!

Unsurprisingly, the tapir took fright and clatteredaway into the riverside thickets. The next night, wetried a ‘stake-out’. We canoed down to a river beachwhere we had noticed a fruiting fig tree, sat on theshingle, ignoring the biting insects and waited untilit went dark. The plan worked. Two tapirs (or maybethe same one twice) turned up. About the size of adonkey with a trunk-like nose that snorkelled out tosniff the air ahead, our tapir came remarkably closeand was unfazed by our shining torches at it or evenflash photography. Seeing wildlife like this is a suresign of an untouched river. This animal had clearlynever seen people before.

“I can hardly walk”Julian said, peeling his socks off to reveal exposed bareflesh along the sides and heels of both feet. Wet sandin his boots had acted like a grinding paste and worn

the skin away!

Julian poling forward

The dawn and dusk canoe trips were a joy but,once the mosquitoes, sand-flies and beesdiscovered our camp, the rest of the time becamean ordeal. Trying to dry our feet out to avoidtrench foot became pointless. The raw areas justattracted flies and got bitten whenever weuncovered them. We made the decision to giveup our crossing to the Enatahua. We couldn’tface two more days across the knife-edges andbesides, we had found an unexplored river rightwhere we were.

It was a good decision; and good to be back onthe water again, even if the deep water meandersof the headwaters became increasing interspersedwith pebbly shallows and minor rapids as theCoypisa descended through a rocky stratum.Stingrays were abundant in the shallows andeach time we got out to drag the canoe, weprobed ahead with our paddles (frequently a raywould splash out of the water when one madecontact!). Just as worrying was the electric eelthat surfaced next to us just as we were about toget out and start pulling.

The character of the river changed. Seeminglybreaking the rule that rivers should get bigger asstreams join them, the Coypisa shrunk until itwas three metres wide and encased in a deep redmud trench. The problem now was log jams.There were frequent tree falls across the waterand piles of driftwood that (we presume) hadbeen deposited when the water level fell at theend of the wet season three or four monthsearlier. Getting past these was another of thoseoccasions when the Pak Canoe came into itsown. I have descended Amazonian rivers ondugout canoes and on rafts made of balsa woodlogs. With both types of craft, riding rapids isfine. Pulling across water-slide shallows alsoworks, but at snags you are stuck.

ThePaddler 42

Unfortunately, with abundantmammals come the bitinginsects that prey on them.

Just as worrying was the

electric eel that surfaced next to us just as we were about

to get out and start pulling

Notso with

a light canoe,which you can just

lift across the fallentrees, sometimes with kit still

inside and other times withouteven getting into the water (you just

perch on the fallen trunk and pull the boatacross thus avoiding the stingrays, electric eelsand pirañas). The frequent short portages were apain but the wildlife made up for it. The deepwater pools between the fallen trunks were hometo giant otters that would pop their heads out tosnort at us and the smaller ‘Lobos del Rio’(Southern River Otters) sometimes would swimjust ahead of our bough wave.

But, the best encounter of all was when a herd ofWhite-lipped Peccaries crossed the river justbehind us. Peccaries, South America’sequivalent to wild boars, not Jaguars,are the most dangerous animalsin the Amazon. Their herdscan number hundredsof individualsand theycharge

when they feel threatened (on a previous trip,Julian and I had to climb a tree when around 40went for us). This time, luckily, we weredownwind. Around 50 peccaries swam acrossthen tried en-masse to climb the mud bank onthe other side of the river. This was too steep andfor 20 minutes and, at only about ten metresdistance, we watches as pigs climbed, fell on topof each other, tumbled into the water, grunted,squealed and fought until some enterprisingindividual found a way up and the whole herdfollowed. The stench (imagine stale sweat mixedwith liver pate) was overpowering.

It was like one of those wildlife documentarymoments and I was in the middle of it, quietlytugging a flimsy red plastic canoe free of thesticky mud that it had grounded on just in casethe herd turned and we had to make a quickgetaway. The intensity of the situation wasamazing, one that made the torture of getting thecanoe over the mountains, the trench foot andthe thought of the forthcoming return up theRiver Alto-Madidi worthwhile.

ThePaddler 43

Unfortunately, with abundantmammals come the bitinginsects that prey on them.

Peccaries, South America’s equivalent to

wild boars, not Jaguars, are the most dangerous animals in the Amazon

ThePaddler 44

Highest and largest: Lake Titicaca is the highest navigable lake inthe world at 3,810 metres above sea level. It is also one of the deepestlakes in the world.

The Salar de Uyuni is the largest deposit of salt in the world andcontains over 64 million tons of salt!

The largest deposit of lithium in the world is found under all that salt!

Cerro Mutún is the world's largest iron ore mine and is run on naturalgas instead of Amazonian wood.

Bolivia is located within one of the wettest zones on the planet withover 8000 millimeters (8 metres!) of rainfall per year.

The world's largest butterfly sanctuary is located in Santa Cruz, Bolivia.

Bolivia is the leading country on Earth for certified tropical forests.

Bolivia is home to the two highest cities in the world. Potosí is the highest,and La Paz is the second highest. In the 1570s Potosí was also the mostpopulated city in the world!

Diversity: Bolivia is among the top "mega-diverse" countries on ourplanet. Together, the mega-diverse countries contain over 70% of all speciesknown to humankind. In plant species Bolivia is the 11th country in theworld (over 20,000 plant species). In vertebrate species it is 10th in theworld. In bird species it is 7th in the world and in butterfly species it is 4th inthe world.

Population: 10.1 million. Bolivia is one of the least-developed countriesin South America. Almost two-thirds of its people, many of whom aresubsistence farmers, live in poverty.

Visas: See: http://bolivia.embassyhomepage.com

Safety: Be vigilant and cautious about your surroundings on arrival andwhile travelling in Bolivia because of the number of violent crimes againstforeign nationals. Exercise caution when choosing which type of transportto travel in. Look out for established transport companies and ask widelyfor guidance - avoid people offering cheaper transport. Beware ofindividuals offering help at taxi points and at bus terminals where manythieves work in teams to distract their victims.

Language: Spanish, Quechua, and Aymara were Bolivia's three officiallanguages. However, as of December 2009, when Bolivia adopted a newnational constitution, all native languages and dialects have been declaredofficial languages.

Electricity: Electricity in Bolivia is 230 Volts with two-flat pin US andtwo-round pin European plugs

Geography: The country has three main geographic zones: the Andesmountains and ‘Altiplano’ (high plateau) to the west; the semi-tropical Yungas(jungles) and temperate valleys descending the eastern slopes of the Andes;and the tropical lowlands which cover the eastern half of the country.

Money: The Bolivian Boliviano is the currency of Bolivia

INFORMATION

https://maps.google.com/?ll=-18.25022,-64.819336&spn=27.007254,20.368652&t=m&z=6

Bolivia

http://www.boliviabella.com

� Complete Gear and Food Outfitting� Guided Trips� Canoe, Kayak and Paddleboard Rentals� Ultralight Souris River Canoes

Summer Phone:705.569.2595(May 1 – October 15)

Winter Phone:406.600.5297(October 15 – May 1)

Email:canoe@icanoe.ca

Web:www.icanoe.ca

CANADABY CANOE

First of all we should begin by talking about what’smost important in managing any dangeroussituation…

YOURSELF!Before beginning any recovery we must rememberthat we are the most important person involved inany situation, we must protect ourselves beforediving head first into a situation that could put us indanger and even make things worse for all involved.

If we can be sure that we not putting ourselves intoany danger we can continue into recovering andmanaging the situation effectively. Firstly we shouldthink about stabilising the situation to prevent itfrom getting any worse, for example making sureour group is pulled in safely into an eddy or safestatic position before we start trying to solve anyproblems. We can then think about recovering anyvictims or people in need of assistance.

Lastly we should help recover any equipment thatwe may need to reunite with the victim. One goldenrule we must also remember is that equipment isreplaceable, but yourself and the rest of your teamaren't and are always the most important thing!Please refer to diagram 1 for a table explaining thissituation management style.

We have many options available to us to safelyrecover people from white water. All of them havediffering levels of risk some being very high othersbeing very low so naturally it makes sense for us tostart using the lowest risk recovery methods andprogress to the more dangerous if we have noother option.

Let’s look now at the risk options diagram belowright, this shows us a low to high risk recoveryprocess we should aim to be working from. Startingfrom the low risk option of talking/shouting at thevictim to gain their attention and verballyencouraging them to swim to safety also known asself rescue.

The next low risk option would be to reach for thepaddler using your hand or if they are to far awayyou could use a paddle or length of tape sling youshould have in your buoyancy aid.

We then move onto throw line rescues. Plentycould be said about the use of throw lines andhow/when best to use them. We wont go into muchdetail regarding the actual throw line techniquesused and would recommend that all people paddlingon white water should attend a BCU white watersafety and rescue course which covers the use ofthrow lines in white water.

Something very important to remember when usingthrow lines is that we should always have a sharpknife on our persons that is easily accessible, in casewe needed to cut the rope if somebody becamedangerously entangled in the line!

Towing or paddling out is next and being capablepaddlers we should all be aware of the ways to towa swimmers to safety e.g. holding onto front or reargrab loops of the rescuers boat. By paddling out to aswimmer we are putting ourselves at risk, the mainrisk being approaching a panicking swimmer that’strying to grab the nearest thing to keep them afloatwhich may end up being you resulting in thempushing or dragging you over by accident andmaking the situation a lot worse.

When it comes to ushaving a positive andenjoyable time on the

water a strong knowledgeof river safety and incidentmanagement is essential. Inmy last article we talkedabout aspects we should

consider to be a good riverleader and strategies to

help avoid potentialproblems we could

encounter.

In this article I hope todiscuss what happens ifsomething fails and whatsystems we should workthrough to manage thesituation and recover itsafely. So let’s talk now

about how best we shouldmanage a situation.

Andy would like tothank his sponsors

SystemX andLiquidLogic Kayaks.

Andy is the managingdirector of Fluid

Combinations KayakCoaching and

Guiding. Furtherinformation and

courses please seewww.fluidcombinatio

ns.co.uk

ThePaddler 46

Chapter 3

Incident management and safety

Priorities1. Self2. Team3. Victim

4. Equipment

The priority is you/self, yoursafety and then you can be ofuse to the team and the victim

Coaching by Andy Grimes of Fluid Combinations Kayak Coaching and Guiding

ThePaddler 47

The last and most high risk recovery strategy is ‘GO’. Putsimply this means the rescuer going into the water chasingafter the victim by swimming after them or using the livebait method which is taught on the BCU white watersafety and rescue course. Jumping into the water ourselvesis always the most dangerous option we have and shouldbe avoided at all costs unless we have no other option e.g.Face down unconscious victim floating down the river.

Group DynamicsWhenever we go out paddling there will always be a groupdynamic or group persona being used around the group. Forexample being very relaxed and less formal also known aslaissez-faire can be a good group dynamic when paddling ona calm section of easy water with no obvious danger.However, being laissez-faire isn't so good in a high risk ordangerous environment where a more dictatorial orautocratic approach would be better suited. Lets look nowat the diagram below, which shows us an image explaining inmore detail the different group dynamics available to us andwhen best to use them.

We should consider all the group dynamics in the diagramand consider their uses in different environments andsituations. It would make sense in a reactive situation forus to consider the use of our team and even assignresponsibilities for each member of that team to aid in therecovery process. Some simple roles for the team couldbe: first aider, incident manager, upstream spotter or evenbeing the kit man organising any rescue equipment.

In all major recovery incidents communication is key andmust be kept constantly throughout any incident to ensurethat a methodical and safe recovery for all involved is made.

In summaryThe most important thing in any situation is you and wemust remember that to prevent making a situation fromgetting worse we must firstly protect the interests ofourselves and any of our other group members beforemoving into help any victims.

� We should aim to work through the low to high riskrescue strategies to avoid putting people inunnecessary danger when solving incidents.

� By working as a team and assigning responsibility toeach team member we can be sure that we are makinguse of all available members of the group while stayingin complete control.

� Keeping constant communication within the groupthrough the whole incident is vital and will ensurevictims are recovered as quickly and safely as possible.

Chapter 3

Incident management and safety

Low to high riskoptions

Talk (lowest risk on river bank)Reach (low risk on river bank)

Throw (medium risk on river bank)

Tow (higher risk on water)Go (highest risk on water)

Group dynamicsAutocratic Laissez - faire

dictator benevolent dictator formal informal laid back laissez-faire

See Andy’s coaching feature 1 and 2 at:www.thepaddler.co.uk/coachbalance.html and

www.thepaddler.co.uk/coachleader.html

Coaching by Andy Grimes of Fluid Combinations Kayak Coaching and Guiding

ThePaddler 48

The leader

of the PACKI had the pleasure of being the first person (probably) in the UK to paddle thenew Wave Sport Recon. I had seen the boat a couple of weeks ago and hadarranged to hook up with Tom at the Tees Barrage for an evening paddle. TheTees Barrage has always been a great place for me to test boats as it’s beenmy local paddle spot since the day it opened way back in the last century.

ByPhil Carr

ThePaddler 49

is a Wave Sport Recon 83 and is a final prototype, soapart from the quality of the plastic finish in a coupleof areas it is the same as the final production model.

Getting the boat setup was easy. I added a couple ofshims to the hip pads and raised the front end of theseat. The boat had many different outfitting extrasthat included shims for the hip pads, an additionalseat pad to raise the entire seat and various othershims and blocks to customize the full plate footrest.

In the past I had a Riot Glide with a surf seat that hada seat with a raised front end – I really liked this andwas able to get a very similar feeling in the Recon.The rubber band that retains the footrest bolt (toprevent loss) was a little fiddly and did slow medown a little when I was adjusting the footrest. Not abig deal at all and I still think they are a good idea, asis having bright yellow bolts. On the negative sideI’m not a big fan of using white for the outfittingexteriors and on a personal level I would prefer black

ThePaddler 50

The boat I tested

ThePaddler 51

or dark grey, which to be honest is a little picky.Overall I think the outfitting is great, I was able to getsetup in a new boat in the car park in less then tenminutes.

I’m 6ft 1 or 2 inches on a good day, with size 10 (UK)feet. During the paddle I was wearing a pair of WaterTennies (UK 10.5s). The boat was setup with the seatbang in middle and I found that I had huge amountsof room for my feet and much more scope to pushthe footrest forward if I desired.

On paper I should really be in the 93, however, theboat sat really well with my 210lb bulk (+ kit). This didsurprise me and in many of the photos that were taken,you can see me looking back at the stern of the boat. Iwas expecting it to be under water and to find myselftrying to wrestle the boat down the whitewater course.In fact the Recon was super balanced, it just lookedright and it definitely felt right.

The boat had many different outfittingextras that included shims for the hip pads,

an additional seat pad to raise the entire seat

I found the boat incredibly fast, much faster than anyother creek boat that I have paddled recently. It turnsincredibly well and you can really carve the boat intoeddies thanks to the really strong edges that sit belowthe water line.

A couple of times during my paddle I tried to lean thewrong way and attempted to catch an edge, each timewithout success. I found that the boat handled welland was beautiful to paddle. If I gave it some beansthe boat really came alive. This reminded me more ofa play boat, which for me is a great plus. There were acouple of times this evening that it just whipped intoan eddy with very little input from its pilot.

The best way I was able to describe the Wave SportRecon this evening is that it is really fun to paddle.

I wish the Recon was sitting in my garage right now,as I would definitely be out again with it at first light.

ThePaddler 52

From the start

I’ve paddled a hell of a lot of boatsover the last 25 years and the Recon has to be one of the few that have really left

a lasting impression

www.wavesport.com

ThePaddler 53

Go on, give us a ‘like’ on our Facebook page andbe entered into a free draw to have the chanceto win a pair of tickets to The Outdoors Show at:

https://www.facebook.com/ThePaddlercouk

Lifedge Waterproof Case for iPad http://www.lifedge.co.ukHow to bomb proof your iPadWe were really looking forward to this case and when it arrived in itssweet packaging it really looked the business. This is for us outdoortypes who need full protection for their iPads and it really does dothe job in that respect. We bounced, dropped and submerged itand each time it came up smelling of roses. So that’s what you buy itfor and it does the job very well - so what’s the problem?

Well I for one nearly had a seizure getting it onto the iPad. The websitemakes it all look very easy and flexible but I’m afraid we didn’t. All three of usfound the casing hard and unbending - in fact we nearly gave up. However, persistencepays off and once we had shoe-horned it into place, and this is something you should definitely do before youleave, it very much looked the part.

In bright green it looked really funky and the touch screen worked really well too. In fact I think the mattscreen of the casing subdues any bright reflections and is better suited to outdoor use than the glossierscreen of the iPad. The case also has a very handy handle on the rear, which you can use to hang it fromvarious places if you wish. There are also two plastic stands that have to be carried separately that as well asbeing used to attach the case to the iPad also come in useful as a small stand.

I am pleased to report that the case hasbecome more flexible over time – the moreit is used the easier it bacame to fit. Onevery useful tip to make life much easier fromthe start is to use a lubricant around the lipof the case and it becomes much easier tofit. We feel so comfortable with it now, myson now reads it in the bath! In short it’sbullet proof! Available for iPads 1,2 and 3.

Features• 100% Waterproof. Shockproof.• Anti-glare screen for sunlight viewing.• Total functionality of touchscreen, Wi-Fiand cameras.

• Compact case for everyday protection.• Exceptional sound transmission.• Comfortable handstrap for ease of use.

New paddlesJackson Kayak beginsshipping its newKarma whitewaterkayak.

Jackson Kayak of RockIsland, Tennessee hasbegun shipping itsnewest whitewaterkayak, the creekrunning Karma Series.Available in threesizes (small, medium

and large), the Karma adds anexciting new line of steep riverperformance boats to theirgrowing river running products.

Following the footsteps of the2012 release of the Zen, JacksonKayak has taken the hull design ofthe Zen and built the accents of anelite creek kayak. The end result is aunique blend of speed and creekperformance. This 4th generationcreek kayak improves on its classicoutfitting with its Uni-shockbulkhead, improved Sure-Lockback band, new stainless steel grabhandles as well as Jackson Kayak’sfull Boat Armor Outfitting: seatbrackets, welded floor support,Thermo U-channel, 4 lb densitywalls and Thermo Seat.

“Bow to stern, the Karma createsconfidence and excitement,putting a smile on my face,” statesJackson Kayak President, EricJackson. “Where have you beenall of my life?"

“The Karma takes the all-outcreekability of the Villain seriesand adds extra speed, surfableplanability and taller sidewalls tocreate a Zne/Hero/Villainevolution with the best featuresof each craft,” adds whitewaterguru and team lead, Clay Wright.“The Karma comes back aroundto exactly where Jackson Kayaksshould be for 2013 taking theinnovative planing hulls we arefamous for into a packagedesigned for the wildestwhitewater arenas in the world."

http://jacksonkayak.com/jk-kayaks/whitewater/2013-karma/ Available in grey, blue, green and pink.

Lifedge waterproof case for iPad. From £74.99 UK; From $99 US; From 79.00 Euros

ThePaddler 54

Testing, testin

Anti-glarescreen for viewing inbright conditions.

Plastic stands

Gill Speed FloatingSunglasseshttp://www.gillmarine.comSimple solution to an old problemSimple solutions are always the best and when they look as good asthis – then it’s even better! Gill has specifically designed these for useon the water with maximum UV protection from the sun and 100%glare free polarised lenses. Plus – they float – so should you beclumsy enough to drop them in the water, they don’t sink out ofsight!

There isn’t much chance of them falling off you’re face as they feelfirmly attached in a very stylish wrap round design. They feel verycomfortable, snug and lightweight with a soft rubber bridge for thenose.

We all know the dangers to our sensitive eyes with prolongedexposure to the sun’s harmful UV and the glare off the water makingthe exposure far more intense.

A hydrophobic outer lens coating sheds water and reduces saltresidue, whilst oleophobic technology is applied to the inside face,repelling fingerprints, sun lotion and skin oils all culminating toprovide optimum clear vision.

Each pair of sunglasses is supplied with a soft non-scratch pouch thatcan also be used for cleaning the lenses.

The Speed glasses are just one of an extensive range of floating andtraditional sunglasses now on the market from Gill. We like these forthe lightweight, style and fit.

Available in black.Gill Speed Floating Sunglasses. From £34.99 UK; From $89 US; From 79.00 Euros

Hydrophobic

outer lens coating sheds

water and reduces salt

residue.

ThePaddler 55

gThePaddler.co.uk test station. If youwantyourproductremovedanditwillbeofinterest to paddlers - email us: reviews@thepaddler.co.uk

Testing, testin

Soft non-scratch

pouch that can also be

used for cleaning.

The Sea Kayak Navigation Aid (SCANA)http://www.howardjeffs.comBridging the gapThe Sea Kayak Navigation Aid (pronounced ‘scana’) has been designed to bridge the gap between professional ‘Chart Table’navigational instruments such as the Bretton Plotter & Dividers and/or the SILVA (Type 4) Mountaineering style compass usedcommonly by outdoor enthusiasts.

The sea kayaker frequently travels along the coast, requiring not only detailed landinformation that is usually found on Ordinance Survey maps, but also specific nautical

information such as tidal streams, drying areas etc, which will be found on marinecharts.

The sea paddler’s chart table is their spraydeck and foredeck, therigidity of the Breton Plotter and the sharp points of the dividers arenot practical here. However the base plate of many mountaineeringcompasses is frequently too short to draw out an extended course

or measure distance quickly and easily. The ability to transfer from onescale (kilometres) to another (nautical miles) is essential!

The SCNA addresses all these points in a simple, effective and robustmanner. The base is made of a flexible clear plastic which copes with the

undulations and flexibility of the cockpit area. The range of scales and specificdimensions of the instrument allow measurement of distance quickly and accurately. The compass rose and bearing cord allow anglesand/or indented coastline to be measured with ease.

The clear plastic plate is made of UV stable material. The scales and markings etched into the plastic are scratch resistant and alsomade of UV resilient ink. Its flat profile allows storage under deck elastics and the additional lanyard reduces the possibility of loss. Italso makes an excellent kayak repair patch if you are really pushed!

New style for winter 2012http://www.hellyhansen.comIntroducing the Warm T – a first for Helly HansenThe Warm Relaxed Fit Ice T from HH is a departure from their more normal tighter athletic fit garments andtheir first ever HH Warm t-shirt design. It’s much looser and heavier than normal HHs and all for a reason. The

weight is added by the exterior Merino wool, which gives the garment an almost luxurious feel and keeps you warm incolder weather. Beneath this lies another layer of HH’s more traditional LIFA material that draws moisture away fromthe skin in warmer conditions - a jack of all trades really!

But it works and it works so well that it is now my t-shirt of choice for the winter indoor circuitsessions, which start out with me feeling cool and end with the sweats. This shirt keeps me feelcomfortable all the way through – top marks! Warm Relaxed Fit Ice T is available for men insizes small through to 2XL in expresso (left) and black.

More traditionally for HH, one of their best selling base layers, the Freeze ½ Zip has beenupdated. Wool from Merino sheep provide the insulation, durability, odour resistance andmoisture control. Soft and itch-free, it is ideal for base layer garments and designed to beworn next to the skin.

As I have often said with HH base layers – they are tight fitting and sometimes feel a touchclaustraphobic at first – however, that soon gives way after a few minutes and you thankthe heavens for such a warm layer whilst out in cold conditions. Back at base you strip offyour top layers and let the front collar zip down and you’re as snug as a bug in a rug infront of a roaring fire. To add to the comfort the seams are flatlock and placed outside offriction areas.

Available for both men and women in a variety of colours and in sizes from small to2XL, there is something here to suit everyone.

Available direct from www.howardjeffs.com. Trade enquiries welcome. Email: howardjeffs@btinternet.comRetail price £14.95 including post and packing within the UK.

Warm Freeze 1/2 Zip. From £49.99 UK; From $72 US; From 59.00 EurosWarm Relaxed Fit Ice T. From £52.99 UK; From $68 US; From 55.00 Euros

ThePaddler 56

Bearingcord locator

1:50,000ROMER grid

1:50,000nautical mile

scale

1:50,000nautical km scale

Top layer ofMerino wool and loosefitting gives the Warm T a

relaxed feel.

Half zip and flatlockstitching gives temperaturecontrol and next to the skin

comfort.

Aquapac 100% Waterproof iPhone Casehttp://www.aquapac.netA perfect fit

In response to consumer demand, Aquapac has launched a 100% waterproof case specifically for theiPhone 4 and a slightly larger version for the longer iPhone 5.

Previously Aquapac’s mini and small Whanganui cases were used to protect iPhones from water,dirt and sand. This new iPhone case has been cut-down in size so the fit is better and morecompact.

As with all of Aquapac’s phone cases you can make calls, send texts and search through the caseas well as take photos thanks to the Lenzflex™ window in the rear of the case.

If taking your phone onto the water to take photos or listen to tunes then you know yourphone will be safe and dry thanks to Aquapac’s water-tight clamp mechanism – the

patented Aquaclip® – which seals out water and sand. Guaranteed to IPX8 thecase will cope underwater at depths of up to five metres for one hour.

I completed an indoor swimming test with the Aquapac and an old mobilephone (just in case) and everything was tinder dry 40 minutes later.Afterwards I inserted my iPhone to see if the operating claims weretrue and rest assued they were. Excellent!

Aquapac Stormproof Padded DrybagCarrying a laptop or other valuables on the water could easily become a recipe fordisaster, so lash them down in our padded drybag and worry no more. Aquapac’s

Stormproof padded, rugged and simple to use dry bag is perfect foroutdoor enthusiasts and leaves you worry-free whatever the weather.

Manufactured from TPU-coated Nylon, it features welded seams anda classic 3-roll seal for complete waterproofing to IPX6 (fire hoseproof). It has thick foam padding all-round for protection from

impacts. Supplied with an adjustable shoulder strap, the bagalso features a unique front lashtab for securing to kayak,

raft or other luggage and 4 D-rings for greatadaptability.

This bag is big enough to fit a 17-inchlaptop and anything smaller in fact wehad two laptops inside. There are no

separate compartments but we had asimple piece of cardboard so they didn’t

rub each other.

The internal area of the bag is foam-padded for protection against minor knocks only and is certainly not bombproof. That’s not the aim of the bag though – that is to protect against water, which it does with ease.

� Lashtab to tie it down to deck or luggage rack.� Adaptable shoulderstrap so you carry it as you prefer.� The roll-down seal will keep out any rain or mud, or spray on a kayak.� The integral lashtab is perfect for lashing it down to a deck.� Guaranteed for 5 years from first purchase.� Waterproof rating: stormproof.� Colours: cool grey/black and orange.� Materials: 70D PU-coated ripstop nylon with taped seams.� Weight bag: 7.0oz / 199g.� Two shoulderstraps: 2.4oz / 69g.

100% Waterprood iPhone Case. From £20 UK; From $30 US.Stormproof Padded Drybag. From £50 UK; From $70 US.

ThePaddler 58

Locking clips

Lanyard

Padding forprotection against minor

bumps and knocks

Adjustableshoulder straps

Manufacturers Holidays Watersport Jobs Courses & Quals Watersport Centres Equipment Retailers Canoe Club Finder

News/events Expeditions Kit Reviews Used Stuff Coaching Disciplines Video/Blogs

The world of canoeing and kayaking at your fingertips

ThePaddler.co.ukOnline digital magazine for the recreational paddler

DIDYOUWINTHIS LITTLE BEAUTY? by Liquidlogic1. Visit: www.thepaddler.co.uk/paddlermagazine.html to find out…

and whilst you’re there subscribe to issue 3 of the free ThePaddler magazine

And huge thanks to Liquidlogic andSystemX for supplying this superb kayak

ThePaddler 60

HIGH & DRYBy Chris Scott

ThePaddler 61

HIGH & DRY Chris Scott returns to WesternAustralia, this time to track theremote Fitzroy River inlightweight packrafts.

Following our brilliant run around Shark Bayin 2006, in 2011 Jeff, and I headed into theKimberley in the far north of WA for an 80-mile run down the wild Fitzroy River.Located just 17° south of the equator,during a big wet season the Fitzroy becomesAustralia’s highest volume river, although bySeptember we were expecting a string ofpools requiring tiring portages. For thatreason we chose three-kilo packrafts, lightenough to roll up and carry if necessary. Ifwe hit trouble there were nearby cattlestation tracks and most importantly, themenace from 20-foot saltwater crocodileswas much reduced this far upriver. We’d seeplenty of smaller freshwater crocs, butunprovoked they’re no more dangerousthan lizards, feral bulls or snakes, though wecarried thick canvas ‘snake gaiters’ forwalking in long grass.

the only town for 150 miles in either direction,we dumped the van and took a short flight northover the hills to an isolated wilderness camp.Once the noisy Cessna was airborne Jeff gave mea thumbs up. The previous Wet had been brokenall records and 1,000 feet below there was a lotmore water than we expected so late in the dryseason.

Next morning we were dropped off by river some15 miles from Dimond Gorge. Here the Fitzroy

sliced through the King Leopold Ranges beforemeandering 60 miles to Geikie Gorge, a day fromFitzroy Crossing. In between there was nothing;we carried food for five days plus whatever wecould catch.

Out on the water my Alpacka Yak was a superblytaught and responsive packraft. Jeff was in avaguely similar £20 pool toy, a ‘slackraft’ with allthe rigidity of a lilo.

ThePaddler 62

Jeffinhis£2

0 ‘slackraft’

Withalltherigidity

of alilo

At FitzroyCrossing,

Disposable slackraft versus expensive packraft; let the trial begin…

ThePaddler 63

Jeffinhis£2

0 ‘slackraft’

Withalltherigidity

of alilo Chr

is in his expensiveAlpackaYak

Superby t

aught and responsive packraft

Vs

Disposable slackraft versus expensive packraft; let the trial begin…

ThePaddler 64

By 6.30 it was dark and Jeff had already

passed out

after admitting, “This is going to be the

hardest thing I’ve ever done.”

Geikie’s famous East Wall where eons of flooding had carved the former subsea reef

into scalloped and fluted forms

Up again with the light, we were expecting moreankle-twisting portages. Little did we know thiswould be one of our best days on the Fitzroy.Soon we entered an area of rocky outcrops andknotted rapids where freshies basked on sandybanks or dozed submerged, close to our feet. Asthe day progressed we paddled lazily or towedour rafts over sandy shallows, as effortless aswalking a dog. At times the main channel gotblocked by flood debris, diverting the flow intothe fringe canopy of trees. Here, shaded from thesweltering exterior, we were ensconced in abenign riverine underworld where blue-wingedkookaburras squawked, lanky-necked egretsstalked the pools and yard-long water monitorslicked the air. After the previous day’s effort thiswas more like it.

ThePaddler 65

We set off along a deep, tree-lined pool but sooncame to our first rock bar. Tramping in the mid-morning heat with maximum loads and boats onour heads underlined how effortless it was topaddle, although maybe not in a flaccid slackraft.Before us stretched a long pool where Jeff battleda headwind for hours, trying various paddlingpermutations. Nothing could shift the PVC toy ata satisfying speed.

Mile by mile the spinifex-clad hills crept by untilwe finally called it a day on a sandbar and tuckedinto the first of our dried bag meals followed byseveral cups of tea. By 6.30 it was dark and Jeffhad already passed out after admitting, “This isgoing to be the hardest thing I’ve ever done.”

At 5am it is light enough to get stuck into ourfirst full day on the river. Jeff chose to walk thethree miles to Dimond Gorge while I paddled,occasionally dragging the Alpacka throughshallow rapids. We rendezvoused around tenand fought another headwind where the Fitzroycuts dramatically into the ridge. A couple ofhours beyond lay the Gap marking the southernlimit of the King Leopold Ranges. The ochresandstone cliffs became grey granite rubble andat the Gap we clambered onto a ledge andknocked back a litre of soup and a litre oforange drink while Jeff cast a handline, withoutluck.

Beyond the Gap, the Fitzroy weaved across thebaking savannah, obscured by its corridor ofthick trees hiding who knows what! Sureenough, the flow soon disappeared into a hugerock pile and dense woodland. Shouldering ourpacks, we staggering up and over the boulders,boats on our head. An hour later I was parchedfrom the effort and croaked to Jeff, ‘Let’s camp atthe end of the next pool.” We’d put in an 11-hourday of just thirteen miles and were beat.

Another bag meal, lashings of tea and Jeff wasout by six – a personal best. As the stars lit up,out on the billabong crocs chased the fish andbats dashed overhead while I pottered around,before squeezing into my tiny K-Mart tent to graba mozzie-free night.

Beyond the Gap, the Fitzroy weaved across the baking savannah,obscured by its corridor of thick trees

hiding who knows what!Geikie’s famous East Wall where eons of

flooding had carved the former subsea reef into scalloped and fluted forms

ThePaddler 66

soon after mid-morning‘smoko’ I came across a deposit of alluvial gold,sparkling in the shallows. Using a plastic bin lidI’d found earlier, Jeff panned the sediment andwe soon had some colour. There certainly wasgold in the Kimberley and the 2011 flood hadclearly exposed riches beyond our wildestdreams. Then, like so many heat-struckprospectors, we came to our senses. ‘Fools’Gold?’ ‘No fools around here mate’ we chuckled.

Ankle-deep wades led to pandanus-lined pools,but were often preceded by exhausting, hip-deepquicksands. Elsewhere log jams or jumpy cattle

hampered progress, but the ever-presentKimberley soundtrack of squawks, whistles,warbles and chirps filled the air. At one point thethick aroma of urea choked the air; up ahead ahuge colony of brown bats clung from the rivergums, lifting with a rowdy shriek as we slowlypaddled by.

In the heat and pitiless UV, Jeff’s PVC cheapiewas softening like tar and picked up another flat.Fixed in a jiffy we pressed on, squeezing underroots or over fallen logs, and a one pointscrambling up the steep banks to dodge a crankybull.

A day later,

In the heat and pitiless UV, Jeff ’s PVC cheapie was

softening like tar and picked up another flat.

ThePaddler 67

An hour from sunset another huge sandbankdeflected the flow into a knot of flood-mangledtimber. With cowpats and bat shit all around, itwasn’t a great spot but we were done in. Accordingto the map we were close to the Big Bend whichled to Geikie Gorge. Fifteen miles – it had beenanother tough day but we were getting to gripswith Fitzroy pack boating. Jeff prepared a deliciousgarlic damper on the embers and we were out likelights.

Mid-morning Day Five we turned Big Bend andspied the Geikie Ranges in the distance. Thoughthe road bridge was still 25 miles away, it markedthe beginning of the final leg. The rock changedagain to limestone and as we picked our waythrough some gnarly rapids Jeff’s floor gotsnagged. It was smoko time anyway, so while thewater boiled he made another repair.

Dimond Gorge

Above: Jeff panning thesediment.

ThePaddler 68

entering GeikieGorge National Park where, as you’d expect in rule-clad WA, private boating was restricted in favour oftour boat cruises and camping was banned outright.Paddling down from the Leopolds was unheard of,but we’d not been able to inform the rangerbeforehand, so were expecting a bollocking. Fromthe plane we’d seen that the river passed the gorge ina deep green channel. For me in the nippy Alpackathat was great news, for Jeff it wasn’t.

We rocked up onto a slither of an island for lunchand I offloaded the Yak for a quick blast, skimmingacross the water like a pebble. “Have a go, Jeff.” Hedid and of course, loved it.�“I shouldn’t have donethat. I really shouldn’t have done that,” he realised.It made getting back in his insufferable pool toy allthe more galling.

As we entered the main gorge the blaringcommentary from a tour boat bounced off the walls,scoured by 40-foot-high tide marks from the annualflood. We’d been spotted for sure; they’ll be waitingfor us downriver, hands on their hips. We decidedwe’d deal with that when it came; it’s not like wewere pissed and shooting at crocs while honingaround on jet skis.

Without the protecting tree canopy, the full heat of the40°C afternoon bore down on us. The river was alwayscooler, but with weary arms, Jeff set off across asandbank by way of a rest. Half an hour later heflopped back into his boat, clobbered by the radiatedheat. I hitched him up and we set off along theGeikie’s famous East Wall where eons of flooding had carved the former subsea reef into scalloped and fluted forms.

Gliding under overhangs and nosing into caves, wewere enjoying a break in the pace when up ahead ababe in a red kayak came into view. As we got close shestarted chuckling.

“I hope you’re not laughing at us” I said with a sterngrin. It was Ingrid, the Cool Ranger in her ScupperPro sit-on-top kayak, the only person north of the26th parallel remotely impressed by ourachievement. “Good ON-ya guys!” She said as wefilled her in on our adventure, something she’dwanted to do herself. Ingrid confided that a bigsandbank a couple miles ahead was out of the park –we could camp there.

We’d slipped through Geikie without a getting aticket and the end was now in sight, but Jeff had welland truly had it with his slackraft and talked aboutwalking to town. By dawn he’d come to his senses;he’d nursed his bloated paddling pool for nearly aweek, past sleeping crocs and charging bulls, overboulder fields and under fallen trees, patching it ashe went. Yesterday had been a slog, but he knew hehad to see it through to the road bridge.

Soonwe’d be

“Good ON-ya guys!” She said as we filled her in on our adventure, something she’d wanted to do herself

ThePaddler 6969

“Good ON-ya guys!” She said as we filled her in on our adventure, something she’d wanted to do herself

Ingrid, the Cool Ranger in her Scupper Pro sit-on-top kayak

ThePaddler 70

Weather:Western Australia has a number of climatic zones due toits enormous size. In the north-west, heavy rains mark the summer'wet' season, although the interior is mostly dry with high summertemperatures; while the southwest has mild, wet winters and hot, drysummers. Perth’s rainfall is highest between May and September.February is usually the hottest month of the year, averagingtemperatures of 31°C. A sea breeze called ‘The Fremantle Doctor’,blows from the south-west providing relief from the heat. Winters arerelatively cool and wet with temperatures of around 18°C.

Money: Australia’s national currency is the Australian dollar whichcomes in denominations of $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100 notes.

Visas: Unless you are an Australian or New Zealand citizen, you will needa visa to enter Australia. New Zealand passport holders can apply for a visaupon arrival in the country. All other passport holders must apply for a visabefore leaving home. You can apply for a range of visas, including touristvisas and working holiday visas, at your nearest Australian Consulate. Youcan also apply for certain types of visas online.

There are important things you should know before applying for, or beinggranted, an Australian visa. These include applying for the right type of visa,application requirements, your obligations while in Australia and theimportance of complying with visa conditions.

For more detailed information visit the Australian GovernmentDepartment of Immigration and Citizenship website.

Population: The 2011 population of Australia is estimated atapproximately 21,766,711 people. Most of the population (83% in 1996)live within 50 km of the coast and concentrated mainly in the large coastalcities of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide.

Animals: Our unique animals are one of the many reasons people visitour country. Australia has more than 378 mammal species, 828 bird species,4000 fish species, 300 species of lizards, 140 snake species, two crocodilespecies and around 50 types of marine mammal.

More than 80 per cent of our plants, mammals, reptiles and frogs areunique to Australia and are found no-where else. Some of our best-knownanimals are the kangaroo, koala, echidna, dingo, platypus, wallaby andwombat.

Surf and water safety: Australia’s popular beaches are usuallypatrolled by volunteer lifesavers from October to April and red and yellowflags mark the safest area for swimming. For information about marinestingers and crocodile safety read the Queensland Government website.

Language: Australia’s official language is English. However, being amulticultural nation with a significant migrant population, there is also atremendous diversity of languages and cultures.

Electricity: Our electrical current is 220 – 240 volts, AC 50Hz. TheAustralian three-pin power outlet is different from some other countries, soyou may need an adaptor.

INFORMATION

https://maps.google.com/?ll=-17.97808,126.120987&spn=0.755002,0.887833&t=p&z=11

Australia

http://www.australia.com

And so at

ThePaddler 71

6am we set offseparately for the final 13-mile leg which Ifigured I’d complete by noon, collect the van andmeet Jeff back at the bridge. With nothing to loseI went for it, but by ten miles I was fading. Thefamiliar cycle of headwinds, quicksands, log jamsand enervating heat took its toll as iridescentgreen jabiru storks carved the sultry airwaves.There were a lot more roos down here too, butwhat about that bridge?

Finally there it was, less than a mile away. Triple-trailer road trains hammered across, oblivious tothe tiny raft below, its paddler up to his kneesagain in quicksand.

Presently a shadow passed overhead, but itwasn’t a fallen river gum or a rustling cadjeput; itwas the bridge on Highway 1 which ringed theentire continent of Australia. Worn out andparched, I crawled up the steep bank, rolled upthe Alpacka and headed for town.

Walking withsharksBy Chris ScottChris Scott asked “Why doesn’t anyonepaddle around Shark Bay, Jeff? It seemsideal for beginners like us.”

“Name puts them off I reckon,” hereplied. “It’s famous for big Tiger sharks;National Geographic made adocumentary there once.”

“Oh really?” I said. “I thought it was justa name...”

I had just flown in to Perth, WesternAustralia (WA) from London andtogether with Jeff ’s girlfriend Sharonwe’d hit the road for the 1,000km driveto Shark Bay.

To read further visit:

http://www.thepaddler.co.uk/expaustraliasharks.html

https://maps.google.com/?ll=-17.97808,126.120987&spn=0.755002,0.887833&t=p&z=11

And so at Information:Alpacka Rafts are available from:www.alpackaraft.com or inEurope at:www.packrafting-store.eu

Chris Scott’sIK&P blogis packed withvaluablepackrafting info

and helpful suggestions at:http://apaddleinmypack.wordpress.com/packrafts/

ThePaddler 72

Following the

paddle strokes of

Oskar Speck

In 1932, a 25-year-old German electrician called Oscar Speck jumped inhis folding kayak and began paddling through the waterways of Europelooking for work. Along the way he fell in love with the journey itself, andcarried on until he reached Australia, seven years later. As he arrived onthe shores of Thursday Island, World War II had just erupted and he waspromptly interned for six years. Last year, Australian expedition kayakerSandy Robson, set off to recreate Speck's astonishing adventure inseveral stages.

Reproduced courtesy of theAustralian National Maritime Museum.

ThePaddler 73

Following the

paddle strokes of

Oskar Speck Story and images by Sandy RobsonEdited by Patrick KinsellaFirst published in Paddlemag in Australia

ThePaddler 74

For me it has gone from being a

story on paper and a map showing a route through places whose names

I couldn’t pronounce, to a story that I'm living

The whole thing was originally Oskar Speck’sidea. I thought most kayakers would know aboutOskar, but I was wrong. Even in his homeland,Germany, I was telling people his story for thefirst time.

I am telling the story now, not with words butwith paddle stokes as I re-trace the 50,000kmkayaking journey Oskar Speck took fromGermany to Australia. For me it has gone frombeing a story on paper and a map showing aroute through places whose names I couldn’tpronounce, to a story that I'm living. It's a talethat travels through many countries, and notmuch of it is in English.

Exactly why I am doing it, I think I will find outwith the passing of time. That's something I haveplenty of. It took Oskar seven years to reachThursday Island in a folding kayak. I will try forfive. The water under my bow started on theDanube River in Ulm, Germany in May 2011.

I first met Oskar while reading his water-staineddiary penned eight decades earlier. As I got toknow him, I tried to imagine how I would copewith the challenges he faced. This research,coupled with my subsequent experiences, notonly gave me a perspective of what the journeywould have been like for Oskar, but also revealedwhat had changed and what has endured overthe last 79 years.

We sit side by side on the precipice. This is Jugo'sspecial place where he comes to breathe the river.He held my hand to get me on this edge safelyand now I can see why we have climbed over therailing. Jugo tells me what he sees.

This Dunav vista is intertwined with his life inNovi Sad and with his love for his country.Dunav is the Serbian word for the Danube. Hecan see himself kissing a girl by the river when hewas just a teenage boy. He can smell theblossoms of the riverside trees. He tells me abouthis decision to leave a good job, wife and child inCanada to return and fight for his countryalongside his brother. He was up here when theNATO planes were dropping bombs on thebridge below.

The war is over, but the people's problemscontinue. Jugo says that when he sits here, theproblems get smaller. "The river is their escape,"he says of the many men that I have seen outfishing on the river in the past few days. Sure,they're catching food to put on the table, butwhen they go to the river they are joking aroundand life is simple again. The river shows themwhat is important and what is not.

I can relate to what he is saying because kayakingis my escape. I am escaping the lifestyle that mostpeople in my world consider 'normal'. Normalseems to involve getting up and going to workeach day until you are 60 years old, and thenretiring, perhaps having paid off a house in thesuburbs in the process. The ocean and wildplaces have given me a different perspective onwhat is important. So here I am overlooking theDunav with Jugo. I am taking some of myretirement now.

ThePaddler 75

Left: Entering the Iron Gates G

orge in Serbia. Right: N

ovi Sad to Belgrade with Jugo –

100kms in a day..

I thought most kayakers would know about Oskar,

but I was wrong

ThePaddler 76

was not the rapids and whirlpools that Oskarexperienced, but getting past 35 dams thatnow punctuate the Danube, using locks orportage routes. In the first week I had totraverse 18 small, self-operated locks. Eachinvolved 30 cold minutes of standing in thebreeze in wet paddle clothing.

Oskar and I both used a network of kayakclubs on the Danube for accommodation,support and the companionship. In Austria Iwas lucky to be launching in Linz on the sameday as two German kayakers, Patrick andJohanna. I was intrigued by their retro folding

kayak, which was similar to Oskar’s, and theywere an inspiration to me as we paddled big-kilometre days together through Austria,Slovakia and Hungary. It was a very hard daywhen we had to part ways early one morningin Budapest. My friends packed up their kayakand took the train home, as I went off aloneinto Serbia.

Oskar had at least two dogs during his voyage,and what I found most remarkable was howhe had paddled the 35-nautical-mile crossingfrom Turkey to Cyprus with a young puppy inthe kayak. During my first night campingalone in Serbia, I found myself wishing I had adog with me for companionship and security.

My first challenge

I know what Oskar would say. You don’t need money to see the world in style. In his words, a kayak is a

“first-class ticket to everywhere.”

ThePaddler 77

On my last day on the Danube, I met Brza. Shearrived in the morning as I was packing mykayak, and pursued me a kilometre down riveruntil I finally gave up and let her climb onboard. She was the perfect kayak dog andeventually found a place to sleep on the backdeck, with her head curled around my waist.With sadness, I returned Brza to herhometown, Brza Palanka, at the conclusion ofthe 18km trip to my take-out point. I didn'tthink the border police would let me take heracross and I was unsure if she would survivethe whitewater on the Vardar. I was not evensure I would!

The Serbian kayakers that I had becomefriends with in Belgrade assisted me withpassage from the Danube in Serbia to theVardar in Macedonia, and provided all the

contacts that I would need to paddle this riverthat is little known outside of the Balkans.

On a one- or a two-week expedition, you canplan every detail. A four-month journey isanother situation entirely. Sometime yousimply have to take things as they come. Priorto the expedition I couldn't find anyinformation about the Vardar. In Germany,paddlers asked me how I planned to getmyself and my kayak from the Danube to theVardar, and I surprised and worried themwhen I said I didn't know. Having undertakenhuge journeys before, I was confident it wouldwork out. When you follow your dream,things often just fall into place in ways youcould never imagine, so I continued to paddleinto the unknown until the day I arrived inNovi Sad and met Jugo.

With Postmaster Willy in Austria.

Below: Patrick and Johanna.

The start of alifelong friendshipwith Patrick andJohanna and a loveof the biscuit calledDoppelkeks.

Photo by WilhelmMayrhofer.

people think I'm out there paddling solo andtalking to Oskar like an imaginary friend. Okay, Ihave to admit, I may have sworn at him whenconfronted by the weir on the Vardar River that Ihad to portage 5kms past, and again the next daywhen I arrived at three wire-covered rockwallsspanning the river and prompting yet anotherportage from hell.

And Oskar and I had a difference of opinionwhen it came to the Vardar. I would have beencontent to continue on the river Danube fromSerbia all the way to the Black Sea and evenacross to Istanbul. But Oskar got his way, so Iwent from the Danube in Serbia to the VardarRiver in Macedonia, put my sea kayak into thewhitewater and hoped my boat would not bedamaged like his was in the rapids.

It was a relief to arrive at the sea. Then myrelationship with Oskar was okay again. We wereoff to the Greek Islands together and a seakayaker really does belong on the sea. I probablyset out on this next phase of the journey withmore confidence than Oskar. His craft was notdesigned for the ocean and, surprisingly, hecouldn't swim. When he got worried he wouldtie himself to his kayak with a rope. At times itmust have been terrifying.

Part two next month: Greece to Turkey

ThePaddler 78

and to my utter delight and surprise he said: “It'sall arranged.” It seems the bush telegraph is notunique to Australia, and the Serbian paddlersreally did have everything sorted, from routeplans to contact details of English speakingpeople in every town I would stay in as I passedalong the Danube in Serbia. The mayors of sometowns had been made aware of my impendingarrival and I even had the name and telephonenumber for the chief of police.

The icing on the cake, though, was contacts forpaddlers in Macedonia and a detaileddescription of the Macedonian section of theVardar River. I was humbled by my experience ofBalkan hospitality. If you only paddle one part ofthe Danube River, then I urge you to go to Serbia.

“So, how’s your relationship with Oskar Speckgoing?” I am asked as Stage One of myexpedition concludes. Well, it’s pretty tough atthe moment actually. The first stage took mefrom Germany to Cyprus; I have very littlemoney left and finding work and sponsors tofund the next stage is tough. But if we could sitdown right now and have a beer and a chatabout the trip, I know what Oskar would say. Youdon’t need money to see the world in style. In hiswords, a kayak is a "first-class ticket toeverywhere."

Jugo would agree with Oskar. He paddled forthree months last year on a budget of one Europer day and he says of such adventures:"Everyday is like a fairytale." Long-distancekayakers are rich in adventures that travellersstaying in the finest of hotels could neverimagine.

So, I know what Oskar would say, but maybe thequestion about myrelationship with Speck is

delving for somethingmore. Perhaps

We satdown for a coffee

To help sandy continue with her adventure, she needs 1,000 people willing to give 20AUDs. Contact Sandy for details on how to make a donation at: robsonsandy@hotmail.comwww.sandy-robson.com

To follow Sandy’s expedition view:www.vskc.org.au/ExpedDashboard.asp?ExpedID=13

For more information on Oskar view:www.anmm.gov.au/site/page.cfm?u=1416&c=915

Below: The PaddlingMafia in Serbia...

Dejan and Dragan werewatching my back.

Sandy paddling with Werner Gotz in Germany.

ThePaddler 79

I was humbled by myexperience of Balkan

hospitality. If you only paddle one part of

the

Danube River, then I urge you to go to Serbia

To help sandy continue with her adventure, she needs 1,000 people willing to give 20AUDs. Contact Sandy for details on how to make a donation at: robsonsandy@hotmail.comwww.sandy-robson.com

To follow Sandy’s expedition view:www.vskc.org.au/ExpedDashboard.asp?ExpedID=13

For more information on Oskar view:www.anmm.gov.au/site/page.cfm?u=1416&c=915

Dem

ir Kapija Gorge on the Vardar River in Macedonia with Marijan.

Sandy paddling with Werner Gotz in Germany.

ThePaddler 80

worldSo far from hom

e and…

Standing on the roof ofthe

ThePaddler 81

world

It had been a year since theproject began. Meetings, fundraising, planning, sponsoredevents and determination hadled us this far and now we wereon a plane to Nepal! Twelveyoung people, aged 14-21 andstaff from Laburnum Boat Clubin Hackney, east London wereon a cultural, community andkayaking adventure of a lifetime.The group raised £20,000 over12 months to make the triphappen and all the hard workwas finally coming together. The aims of the trip weresimple: To undertake anexpedition, which benefitedeach individual, their localcommunity and thecommunities, which we visited.By Beth Ettinger

Everyone was overwhelmed by the massivedifferences we encountered straight off the planeand on our ride into town we sat with mouthsopen and faces pressed against the windows,drinking in all the sights, sounds and smells of anew country. The next day we flew to Pokhara, atthe foot of the Annapurna range, where we met ourguides, Santosh and the team from Paddle Nepal.

The first part of the expedition was a three-daytrip on the Seti River. We had a paddle raft, a gearraft and eight kayaks, giving everyone theopportunity to paddle, raft and swap aroundthroughout the trip. The experience of spendingtwo nights camping on white sandy beaches bythe river, with nothing more than we had carriedwith us, was a first for most of the group. Thequestion “where are the toilets?” This wasanswered with a paddle for a spade, a tarp forprivacy and directions where to dig!

The Seti definitely showed us what we had instore for the rest of the trip. The scale of things inthe world’s highest mountain range was going totake some getting used to. It was more than thesize of the rapids, which were huge compared tothe canal in Hackney. It was the sense ofadventure, of the challenges we would face as agroup and as individuals, the teamwork andsupport required by being so far away fromhome, the differences in the way people livedand the achievements everyone would shareduring the expedition and as the trip went on,the team bonded through common experiencesand the need to support and be supported. Thenext three days we spent in the homestead of thethree brothers who run Paddle Nepal calledSimental, on the Banks of the Trisuli River, wherethe villagers survive by subsistence farming.

ThePaddler 82

Finally, we arrived in Kathmandu

Group member Moneer Elmasseek describes the trip, "On the first night camping by the river, I saw something I had only seenin films. I saw the Milky-Way shadowing the mountains of the Himalayas,we were standing on the roof of the world, so high up I felt I couldtouch the moon. I saw three shooting stars, most people go their entirelife without seeing one. We were so far from home, yet it didn't matteras I was surrounded by close friends I call family. When we got on theriver the next morning, we left our campsite in natures hands again. InNepal I discovered things about myself, about the world and aboutpeople, and I will remember it for the rest of my life.”

We were there to undertake a communityproject: to build toilets as there was onlyone in the whole village. The game wason to provide each of the remainingfour homes with a toilet of their own.We split into groups and set aboutcollecting rocks to build the structuresand digging holes to house the tanks.We spent each day working hard andit wasn't long before we were workingalongside the villagers, not sharing acommon language but spending allday together, digging, carrying andfinding ways round theproblems of building on theside of a mountain. We lefteach house with apermanent structure aswell as tin for the roofs,concrete, pipes, andtoilet pans. We helpedmake a realdifference to theircommunity andfor futuregenerations.

ThePaddler 83

“I'm never going to call myselfpoor again,” another reflection onthe scale of the Himalayas, wherehaving nothing means exactly that.

On the last night the villagers gave us an eveningof traditional songs and dance round the bonfireand we handed out toys to the children. The nextmorning the villagers came out in full traditionaldress and gave us a Nepalese send off andblessing for the journey ahead, with vibrantdecorations, incense and flower necklaces hand-made that morning. We left the village exhaustedand headed for the next challenge – a day ofcanyoning!

Apart from the physical man hours wecontributed, the best part was the communityspirit shared between visitors and villagers. Theyoung people from one of the most deprivedareas of the UK had seen how hard things can beliving hand-to-mouth.

Apart from the physical man hours wecontributed, the best part was the communityspirit shared between visitors and villagers. Theyoung people from one of the most deprived areasof the UK had seen how hard things can be livinghand-to-mouth. Travelling from inner London to aremote mountain village in Nepal certainly putsthings in perspective and was summed up by

ThePaddler 84

Ryan Whittingham

than the Setibigger and harder than the Seti

in wetsuits and bouyancy aids to the base of amassive waterfall, where we were given a safetybriefing before starting our descent down thecanyon. There were whoops of joy, screams ofterror and a few tears along the way, but afternumerous slides, lowers, leaps and prayers we allmade it, safe and excited, back to the bottom.

The next day was one of rest and an opportunityto explore the town of Pokhara, albeit for a shorttime, before we hit the road again and headed forthe Kali Gandaki, one of the holiest rivers in thecountry. The water was colder and more powerfuland the rapids were definitely bigger and harderthan the Seti. The crux of the trip were the tworapids, Big Brother and Little Brother. Both hadthe group out on the side inspecting anddeciding whether to paddle, raft or walk around,which took some time!

ThePaddler 85

We hiked up hill for 45 minutes

The water was colder and more powerfuland the rapids were definitely

than the Setibigger and harder than the Seti

for us as Big Brother is a portage for the raft,leaving the eight kayaks waiting to be filled.Eventually the challengers lined up in their boatsand took on the grade IV rapids, a hugeachievement for a group more used to the Dart.The experiences so far must have had an effect, aseveryone arrived at the bottom grinning from earto ear, some people even had their kayaks withthem when they eddied out at the bottom! Anyembarrassment for swimming was dwarfed bythe respect in the group for people making theirown decisions and taking the consequences oftheir actions.

Rowan, known to all for his 'face of panic' everytime he falls in the water overcame his worrieson swimming the rapids stating “the kayaking ismuch more fun than worrying about swimming”.The last day on the Kali marked the end of theadventure, leaving us each with a sense ofachievement for what we had done, individuallyand more importantly, together. We overcameperceptions, disagreements, fear and tummybugs and enjoyed our final day in Kathmanduvisiting the Buddahannath temple and takingrickshaws to Durbah Square on the last night ofDivali, a real assault on the senses with light andcolour everywhere and the whole city it seemedhad come out to celebrate.

ThePaddler 86

One decision was made

the trip leader, summed up the tripby saying, “The best bit waswaking up on the side of the river,knowing that I was going boatingagain that day. We learnt how hardvillage life and living hand-to-mouth can be and also how far alittle help can go.”

The group are now delivering lectures to localyouth and community groups to inspire othersto take part and to show what a lot ofdetermination and team work can achieve. Theaims of the expedition were met, and then some,and the benefits for all involved will last alifetime. A big thank you to all those that madethe trip possible, including the Team at PaddleNepal who were more than fantastic, the JackPetchey Foundation, the Canoe Foundation, theMarston Group Charitable Trust, Hackney andCamden YOFs and to everyone who took part.

Beth Ettinger

ThePaddler 87

Any embarrassment for swimming was dw

arfed

by the respect in the g

roup for people makin

g

their own decisions

and taking the consequences of their ac

tions

ThePaddler 88

ThePaddler 89

ThePaddler 90

Nepal: kayakingfor beginnersBy Kevin StainthorpeAs Kevin explains, my vision was blurredand those all too familiar muffled soundsof surface noise and rushing waterstarted to mix together and try toconfused my senses even further. I wasupside down. But unlike any previousexperiences I was not in a state of panic.The water wasn’t cold, the river wasn’tshallow, and the conditions were perfectfor setting up and attempting to roll.

I remembered what I had been taught, Iwrestled my paddles forward, tucked,paused to make sure my blade was leveland had purchase on the surface, thenas I brought the paddle across thesurface I gave the now familiar hip flickand in an instant I was bathed onceagain in warm sunlight as I grabbedsome more fresh mountain air.

To read further visit:

www.thepaddler.co.uk/expnepalbeginners.html

ThePaddler 91ThePaddler 91

Monsoonboating in NepalBy Dave BurneIt all began after our group triumphantlycompleted the Tsarap-Zanskar (India)multi-day expedition in very high water,then hitched into Leh. It was here wefound that river levels were the highestthey had been since the 70s, whichexplained the mysteries of why wedidn’t recognise any of the descriptionsof rapids we had just paddled!

So, you’re in Leh, and all of the classicsyou had planned on paddling are toohigh. What do you do? Go and discussyour options with a local raft company,have a whisky or two, then a few more,challenge some Nepalese raft guidesand a six-foot six legend of a Germanto a drinking competition et voila!

To read further visit:

http://www.thepaddler.co.uk/expnepal.htmlTo read further visit:

www.thepaddler.co.uk/expnepalbeginners.html

The kayak is ideally suited for fishing, that is, after all, what the craft wasoriginally developed for. The origins of kayaking are as a survival craftused to fish for cod and salmon and hunt seals and walrus. The modernfishing kayak bears stark similarity to those skin on frame kayaks, otherthan the overall profile and ethos behind the method of using a small,paddle powered craft to access better fishing grounds than can bereached from shore. Don’t be fooled by the sit-on-top configuration the better, modern, purpose designed, fishing kayaks are highly evolved to suit the task.

ThePaddler 92

Kayak fishing in the sea

ThePaddler 93

Kayak fishing in the sea

By Simon Everett

ThePaddler 94

It is interesting that kayak fishing results in more

public calls to the coastguard than any other type of kayaking.

ThePaddler 95

lookaround the basic design, there are good reasonswhy the open decked kayak has become thefavoured layout. There is a well on the after deckto house a box or crate that is accessible fromthe cockpit whilst at sea, some also have a cargohatch below this for camping gear.

On the foredeck there is another cargo hatch,which is often used to house the 12Ah battery topower the fish finder and chart plotter. Then, inthe cockpit itself, there is a fish hatch, long enoughto stow fishing rods and your catch. On the betterkayaks there are bulkheads and the fishbox is aseparate moulding, not simply access into the hull.

Astern the seat you will findtwo, flush-mounted, fishingrod holders with rod leashingpoints and angled in such away as to keep the rods out ofthe main paddling arc.Further rod holders are addedforward in the cockpit.Running along the gunwalesare the anchor hauls, so thekayak can be anchored in atide run with the stern facingthe flow, yet still be controlledfrom the cockpit. The freedomof movement required toreach all these features and tohave the stowage and deckspace to mount them is reallyonly possible with an opencockpit.

Get the proper kitThe next consideration is the paddler’s kit. A PFDis mandatory, no kayak angler with anyexperience will launch without a proper PFD, notonly do they provide buoyancy in the water, butwind protection and certain amount ofinsulation whilst out of it. It has also become astandard recommendation that a drysuit, withappropriate under layers for the season, be worneven in summer.

The kayak angling fraternity pride themselves ontheir preparation and safety kit carried. VHF isseen as a must, not a luxury, likewise a compass,whistles and waterproof torch. Flares are carried,mini flares in the PFD pocket and offshore flareson the kayak.

Most regular kayak anglers have their craftregistered with the Coastguard on the CG66scheme, it is a worthwhile practise and everylaunch will be notified to the regional station,

and again upon landing, this is most importantas without the notification that the party is backashore safe at the time stated alerts are put out.

If the time back ashore changes, a quick messageover the VHF to the station is all it requires andthey will make a note of the new ETA ashore.Failure to log back in normally triggers a phonecall to the registered telephone number first, soas to avoid false call outs. It is surprising howmany times people forget to tell the station theyhave gone home, don’t be one of these!

Notify the coastguardWhy is it important to notify the coastguard?What business is it of theirs what I am doing? Itis interesting that kayak fishing results in morepublic calls to the coastguard than any other typeof kayaking.

This is because good hearted cliff top walkers, orobservant deckchair sun-tanners, notice a kayakremaining in the same place for some time,sometimes with a regular arm wave (where theangler is casting) and with no visible sign of anyattempt to paddle or make headway the shorewatcher naturally assumes the kayak is in some kindof trouble and in good faith alerts the authorities.

This is most frequent when fishing close toshore, simply because four miles out the kayakcannot be seen, but 800 yards off the cliff orbeach they can be. Therefore it is the kayak anglerwho isn’t going far out who most needs to notifythe coastguard.

With the information the coastguard station willthen simply put out a call on the VHF to ask ifyou are OK, so it is important to constantlymonitor channel 16. When you answer in theaffirmative, that all is well, the coastguard willthen ask if there is another kayak in your vicinitythat might need assistance. You can tell them youare the one(s) out there and all is well, therebyavoiding an unnecessary lifeboat launch.

If the coastguard cannot raise you on the VHFthey are obliged to launch the lifeboat toinvestigate. The number of these instances isrising, so it is important that kayakers operatingwithin sight of the shore, that means all of us,notify a paddle plan every time we launch, evenif it is only 400 yards off the beach. In fact it isMORE important if you are only 400 yards offthe beach.

Taking a quick

Mackerel are probably the mainstay ofmany kayak angler’s catch, as they areubiquitous and easily caught. They are asporting fish in their own right,especially if caught using ultra lightspinning gear or light fly fishing tackle.

Fly-fishing from a kayak in the sea isgaining popularity all the time andmackerel are a popular quarry. Garfish areoften caught when fishing for mackerel,these snake-like fish with their serratedbill are terrific scrappers and becomeacrobatic, tail-walking and dashing aboutall over the place.

VenomousMany mackerel and garfish are caught withthe intention of using them for bait forbigger fish, people tend to use a variety ofmulti-hook rigs, colloquially known as‘feathers’, these can also be attractive to anasty little fish called a Lesser Weaver.These spiny fish are actually quitevenomous and you need to be familiarwith their recognition features.

If you catch one, do not touch it; insteadremove it from the hook using pliers orother tool, over the side of the kayak. Wehad one angler touch one and the venomcaused him to go into anaphylactic shockand he had to be medi-vacced off thewater, it was a real Mayday situation,thankfully he and his friend had attendedone of our safety courses the week beforeand his friend immediately put in a

Mayday emergency call on his VHF, againstressing the importance of this vital pieceof safety equipment!

Astounded Recreational paddlers are often astoundedat the size of fish kayak angler’s target,with tope, conger and even the mightycommon skate being caught regularly, thelargest yet recorded in British waters beinga leviathan of over 200lbs by Doverangler Laurence ‘Lozz’ Taylor at a mark inloch Crinnan on the west coast ofScotland. This mark means anchoring thekayak in water nearly 400ft deep and witha 1 knot current running.

This kind of extreme kayak fishingrequires sturdy gear, proper preparationand solid technique. It is probably bestnot gone into here as anchoring is an artin its own right, it is probably the mostdangerous aspect of kayak fishing,because if the kayak gets beam on in atide flow whilst anchored a capsize isalmost immediate, but to give an idea ofthe predatory nature of the commonskate, use a hook the size of your handand a 2lb – 3lb pollack as bait.

Tope are another species fished for atanchor, again in a flow of tide, oftenstronger at 2 knots or a bit more on a springtide. The advantage of the tope though arethey are very shallow, between 15 feet and100ft deep.

Early in the season, which starts in April,a whole mackerel is the preferred bait. If

ThePaddler 96

So, havinggot kitted up what is there tocatch and howdo you go about

catching it?

We had one angler touch one and the venom caused him to go into

anaphylactic shock and he had to bemedi-vacced off the water

the tope are picking the bait up, runningoff with it but not getting hooked thenmaking the bait smaller often works andthe mackerel are cut in half, so you gettwo baits from each one.

Tackle for tope need not be as strong as forskate and a rod rated 12lbs class issufficient. The reel needs to have sufficientcapacity and a smooth, reliable drag todeal with a fish that can run off 100 yardsof line in one go. This is the attraction ofthese fish, their sporting prowess is secondto none and they are fairly evenly spreadaround the coast.

The rough skin of the tope requires theuse of a 100lb rubbing leader of around10ft in length, I use a tapered leader meantfor beach casting as an easy transitionfrom the thin braid on my reel to the thickmonofilament line for the rubbingprotection. The final 14” of the trace is80lb wire to prevent bite offs and aminimum of a 6/0 hook, I like Gamakatsuhooks or Sakuma Manta extras as they arestrong but incredibly sharp.

Fishing for tope is dead easy, it is simply amatter of dropping the bait to the sea bedand waiting for the first knocks that thenmetamorphose into the first run as thefish takes the bait and swims off with it,let it go and then set the reel in gear andstart winding, your drag should be alreadyset to allow the fish to take line against thecurve of the rod. Little I say can prepareyou for that first searing run of your firsttope hook up – enjoy!

ThePaddler 97

Black bream Mackerel, garfish

Mackerel Tope

Bass Cod

The venomous Lesser Weever

ThePaddler 98

It isn’t all just about big sport fish though;

Flounder

fish turn up in the early spring, the biggest fishfirst and can then be caught right through thesummer months. They can be a real nuisance attimes when fishing for other species, shreddingyour bait in seconds of dropping it down, if thishappens the only thing you can do is move.

Bream shoal in such numbers over reefs andbroken ground that it isn’t difficult to catchdozens in a session, so restraint needs to beshown for the future of the stocks. A self-imposed limit of five fish is plenty for anyone,especially if they are big ones of 3lbs or more.The best bait for these very hard fighters is asmall piece of mackerel, or a squid strip justhooked at one end on a size 2 hook. Use finefluorocarbon for your trace of 16lb breakingstrain for better presentation and more success.

ThePaddler 99

catching fish totake home for the table is all part and parcel ofthe game. Pollack and cod are mainstays of thetable fish, with whiting and gurnards featuringstrongly too. The cod family will all happily takerubber lures fished close to the seabed and cangrow to a good size. Just recently a friend of minecaught a Pollack of nearly 14lbs from the reef offLizard point and fish around the 6lb mark arecommonplace, a good fish by anyone standards.

Flatfish, in season are a welcome treat andfortunately the humble flounder can be found insheltered estuaries and harbours through thewinter, caught by using peeler crab for bait or abunch of ragworms fished right on the bottom,sometimes in no more than a few inches of water.Plaice are a fish of the spring and summer oversandbanks or a clean, sandy, gravelly bottom.

One of the most famous marks available for thekayak angler is the Skerries bank in Start Bay,Devon or the seafront along from Southsea to Lee-on-Solent. Given a chance both these flatfish canbe great fun and surprisingly sporty. Light tackle isall that is required and a spinning rod and reel willcope with any flounder or plaice that swims.

It isn’t all just about big sport fish though;

Another summer species that is both fabulous to eat and catch is the black bream. These migratory

it isn’t difficult to catch dozens in a session, so restraint needs

to be shown for the future of the stocks

Various baits

ThePaddler 100

For those who are confident of their kayakhandling and angling skills,

has to be one of the most exciting fishing tripsthere is. Congers are found right around thecoast wherever there is cover of some kind. Rockyledges such as those along Dorset’s JurassicCoast, breakwaters like that across The Sound atPlymouth and wrecks will all hold conger eels,some of enormous size. The best bait for aconger is mackerel or a couple of whole squidpresented on a large, strong hook like those usedfor tope. Although conger have no teeth theyhave immense crushing power and hard bonyplate that will make short work of your trace if itis less than 150lb breaking strain. Once hookedconger fight very hard all the way to the surfaceand they are the only fish that can swimbackwards as fast as they can forwards. A tusslewith a conger is a tug-of-war in the vertical planeand it will test every piece of your tackle to theutmost. Once on the surface they will often spin,going round like a rubber band motor on a toyaeroplane. Once you can grab the trace and getthe head out of the water they then tend to calmdown and can be carefully unhooked. Barblesshooks make this task easier and if you want to trycooking one, they are best used in aBouillabaisse. Other fish taste better, but fewfight as well.

If you are fired up to try your hand at kayakangling, rather than just a bit of mackerelbashing, then the Angling Trust run dedicatedkayak fishing safety courses which provide morethan just the basics, plus techniques on how toanchor safely and using a drogue to drift morestrategically. You can find details on their websitebelow.

Tight lines and stay safe.

catching conger eels in t

www.anglingtrust.net

ThePaddler 101

the pitch black of night

Manufacturers Holidays Watersport Jobs Courses & Quals Watersport Centres Equipment Retailers Canoe Club Finder

News/events Expeditions Kit Reviews Used Stuff Coaching Disciplines Video/Blogs

www.thepaddler.co.uk

The world of canoeing and kayaking at your fingertips

ThePaddler.co.ukOnline digital magazine for the recreational paddler

This is the last page of over

100 pages on paddling!If you have

enjoyedthis,

then please leave a

‘Like’on our facebook page