A European Summer (Part 1)

After finishing my final university exams I flew out to Valsesia to join the Pyranha Team Van for its annual European Tour. I had heard that levels were low, but landing in Italy in the pouring rain realised we were in for some high water! This meant we could get on some of the classic rivers at sick levels, firstly the Sesia provided some bouncy big volume, then we headed to the Sorba slides. With plenty of water this felt more like Norway than the classic low volume of Valsesia!

The annual Valsesia River Festival kicked off with some good fun racing and a big party. With Baino winning the boater cross on his 21st birthday we were certainly celebrating, perhaps a little too hard! The sun came out, and after a quick run of the Middle Sermanza (one of my all time favorite sections) we began the drive to Slovenia.

Arriving in Slovenia we were all grateful to Blaz from Positive Sport for providing us with some awesome accommodation, complete with a proper kitchen and shower! We were all stunned by the scenery, both on and off the river. The Soca is the most fun river you can imagine! The water is a brilliant blue color, and every rapid has a choice of boulder moves.

Over the next few days we managed to smash a few laps of the siphon canyon, meeting some of the local kayakers in the process. This section has a fearsome reputation but is actually great fun, as long as you are in the right place!

Our final day was the day of the Soca Boater X and of course the after party! Limerick University canoe club made sure the party continued until the early hours, leaving us feeling fresh and ready to go for the long drive to Croatia the next day...

After picking up some new team members we headed over to Croatia with mixed feelings about what we would find. We had been told at the party before that recent floods had washed land mines into the rivers. We were greeted by some local raft guides, who fed us some of the local Rakia, shortly before telling us that drinking it sometimes made you go blind! Luckily we met some local kayakers who showed us around the best rivers in the area, with not a land mine in sight.

We headed towards the border with Bosnia, and after a short tense discussion about driving with no shirt on we were given a police escort to the river! We were shown to an awesome set of waterfalls, starting with a 50 footer (I swam), followed by a great set of rapids. The river formed the border between Croatia and Bosnia, despite very clear instructions from our friendly police officer not to go to Bosnia, some members of our team still nearly managed to get arrested.

All too soon our time in Croatia was over. Although we had to say goodbye to our new Croatian friends, we were excited to be back on the road. We were headed to Austria and had heard levels were big!

Check out some of the videos from Italy, Slovenia and Croatia here: Slovenia, Italy, Croatia

Written by Barny Prees with photos by David Bain, Barny Prees and Oisin Mchugh

Delights

At the moment, as the sun shines and frost is hard on the ground the Xmas holiday traffic is sure to make moves slowly home, I am left finding comfort in the memories of rivers run in the past and plans for the future. Its has been many days housed in the many years that I have always dreamed of the next river. I should be content with the exploring that I have done, India. Europe, Pakistan and many more but I suppose that is not the be all and end all.



I just love showing people the delights of the river, the joy of sleeping next to the water as it swirls in flat pools or the thrill of chasing the waves. Our journey here at Pure Land Expeditions has taken us from the creeks of the UK and Europe to the dirt roads of Canada. Along the way we have explored the sunny coast of the UAE and the magic of Tibet. We have run rivers in Kashmir and plotted descents in Alaska. Although it is Nepal that has become our second home. We have been with Robson paddles and the sister brand Lightning for this time and we are so pleased.

Hurley Light Club - never forget the first rule!

Zambezi High Water

Most people will have seen footage of the Zambezi and it’s famous huge volume pool drop rapids.  Of the many facets that makes the river so special a significant one is its variation in flow. Victoria Falls is Approximately mid way through the 2500km course of the Zambezi and with natural flows rising during the rainy season or ebbing during the dry season. This means that over 12 months the White Water section below the Falls is always either rising or falling with a vertical cycle of over 8 metres in some places in the gorge.

The result is that the world famous run occurs at the low ebb of this cycle but as rains bring it up the upper section (rapids 1-10) become commercially un-runnable. There are two reasons for this. Mainly because the pools disappear and the raging, thunderous volume of water causes huge boils and whirlpools that would swallow rafts and paying clients. Specifically because the level means that the one portage (rapid no 9) can now no longer be portaged. Putting in at rapid 1 commits you to a class 5+(++) rapid.

It can however be run by a kayak. And after finding myself in the Zimbabwe for a shoot it’s too hard to pass up a run on this upper section. Unfortunately I can’t find any one to go with me. Most of the river staff are working in other countries as the commercial rafting is closed due to the level and the locals are perhaps just too wise.

It’s always a dilemma deciding to solo. But sometimes opportunities like being next to the Zambezi are just too good to pass up, curiosity outweighs wisdom and I know this section too. So on the 18^th July I put in at rapid one on my own. The Porters who carried my boat in wish me luck and wander off squabbling over the fist full of Kwatcha notes I’ve given them.  I know their look, they can’t quite work out if I’m mad but they’ve seen me here before so are expectant that they’ll at least earn some more money carrying my boat out of the gorge at the take out.

These huge flows mean I can’t even see the falls as I push away from the boiling pot as spray 350ft high drifts though from the cascade to the head of rapid one. It’s a quick hop across the cushion wave at rapid one and I’m on my way, buoyed in confidence by the feel of the warm water across my face and the rainbow formed by the mist from the falls. There are major hurdles along this run, rapids 5, 7, the narrows at 7and a half, but at every stage of this run Rapid 9, the commercial portage is at the back of my mind. If getting there is a challenge, then certainly rapid 9 is the gauntlet.

It’s clichéd, but life is nothing without taking risks and finding challenges. And none are more valuable than calculated risks based on years of skill, experience and the odd arse kicking. Today I run Solo but I’m with everything I ever leaned, I’m carrying all the confidence from years of paddling with a huge array of paddlers on diverse runs around the world. Today we’ll find out if that’s worth anything.

To see how it went …watch the footage from my head cam on the short film ‘Solo’ at

http://vimeo.com/47919375

Scotland Road Trip

Me and a few friends set off to Scotland in one of their Hymer Camoervans, I do say it is probably the best paddle wagon in the world....

 The Water levels weren't great but the usual dam runs were very fun including a higher than normal level Morriston due to the dam being repaired. Other rivers paddled included a nice level sunset run of the Etive as well as a technical run of the Meig-proper ditch boating!

After a few days it was time to head back home to reality but first we enjoyed a lovely cooked breakfast by the river, well actaully, on a cliff face next to a waterfall...It doesnt get much better than this...

A Review- Robson Hells Bells

Robsons new innovation to the paddling scene in Flowtek technology has been so successful that recently we have seen other companies taking on similar ideas! The Robson Hells bell is just one of the many different designs Robson do, with a wide variety of blade sizes and feels available. This particular review is on a 191cm , 0 degree cranked shaft set.

For Freestyle

The massive blade surface area offered a stable platform to help initiate moves such as cartwheels without the effort required with a smaller sized blade. It also felt comfortable for the longer play boating sessions many people do.

Me and Kev Griffiths battling it out on the Cafe Wave at the Tryweryn, testing the real strength of the hells bell ;)

For Creeking

Whilst on the river, the Hells bell gave support when needed as well as giving a good amount of power to help initiate those much needed boof strokes as well as helping your desired boat get up to the speed required for that particular rapid. Although I would not personally recommend a zero feathered set of paddles for river boating, it gained no discomfort at all whilst on the river. However, personally I would prefer a longer length shaft if I was to use these paddles for Creek Boating alone.

Overall

The Robson Hells bell was a great alternative to a full carbon set of paddles, with the main difference being that it added a lot more durability and a longer lasting life to your blades, another selling point is the colourful blade design which is not only nice to look at, but makes it easier to spot in the event of a swim and loss of paddles. In a freestyle session it offered a lot of support to help initiate moves as well as being comfortable. On the river the large surface area aided boof strokes and it also enabled you to really pull on the paddle for increased pace and speed. However, the large surface area of the paddle is not for everyone as some people find it a little too large but luckily the Robson flowtek range offers a lot more sizes for you to choose from ;)

See you on the river,

Charles Blyth

Hurley Summer Sessions

Teva Outdoor Games – Valchiusella

Week before last my self, Tom Wakling, Joe Morley and Jen Chrimes headed out to Northen Italy for the 2012 Teva Kayak Race.

We went out a week in advance to train on the course and of course paddle some other rivers.

On arrival we met up with the Pyranha Team van being driven by Anton Immler and Andy Butler. Our first day was spent on the Chiusella paddling the whole run not knowing which part would be in the race. I immediately liked the style of the river with small technical drops allowing pacey sprints in between.

The following days were spent doing more training on the Chiusella as well as running the Atassa River in the next valley along. This was a really nice run with more technical drops than the Chiusella and a big 200foot slide to finish the run. The photogenic bridges over the river again amazed me as to how they still stand up, and how an earth they managed to built them so symmetrically across the steep gorges.

Coming to race day I felt I knew the race course well, and with low levels felt confident that my light weight would be an advantage for this run.

My first run left me in a strong top ten position but with aggregate scoring I knew I would have to do a good second run as well. My second run turned out to be 4 seconds quicker than the first putting me in a solid placing.

Next day was the team events. First we had the creek race which was held on a lower section of the river. Predominantly flat with 2 main drops, however these drops turned out more difficult than expected. I made a mistake on the first drop that cost the team some time however we picked up the pace and nailed the final drop finishing in second place behind the Kewi team. The Team slalom was held in the evening, where My self, tom and Joe raced as the GB representatives.  We had some issues on the first run, but so did everyone else.  Our second run was great, and finished us in first place and first place over all in the team event.

On the last day of racing we had the Individual sprint slalom and Boater X races. I again finished in a solid top half position with my second run including a role! Over all this put me in Tenth place, a position I am happy with being my second international extreme race!

We still had 2 more days in Italy before heading home so we went to Valseisia to run some more rivers. Without a guide book we really had no idea where to paddle so we got on and inspected each drop well.

All in all I had a fantastic trip, and it was great to see Andy and Anton out there whilst on the Team tour.

Cheers,

David

Lightning strikes on The Futaleufu, Chile. From Alex Nicks.

Deep in the heart of Patagonia in southern Chile, Condors still circle the thermals high above the azure Futaleufu River. Way below in the valleys Kayakers play and hope not to provide carrion for these vultures…
Of all the places I’ve traveled to and Kayaked, The Futaleufu remains one of the locations I’ve returned to the most. Large, long powerful rapids, dotted with spectacular play waves and the odd monster rapid will always keep me returning when I can.
Two rapids stand out for the butterfly factor, rapids that make you consider your line, your equipment and your ability long before you reach them, while your stomach progressively tightens and knots. On the upper section of the river soon after the infamous inferno canyon the Futa drops through two very large and commercially unrunnable drops, first Zeta and then The Throne room.

The first is a funneling of the river before a sharp 90 degree right turn through a slot and a final sharp left hand turn, literally a Z shape, hence Zeta the Castillano for Z. While the slightly less technical of the two drops Zeta poses the greatest risk through its lack of forgiveness, less than a slightly perfect line will deposit you in places that could cause you to swim, and a swim is unthinkable here. The line is simple: hang onto the inside of the first right turn and drive through the slot, this runs against the grain of the whole drop which is driving left. It’s a simple line at its grade you just have to keep driving right and allow no interference from the rapid, easier said than done. As with all big drops you have to be in exactly the right place on entry but a solid horizon line means it’s hard to tell until the very last minute and so my line up to that point is mapped out by a sequence of tiny ripples and diagonals that will lead me into the right entry point, the key to success. I splash my face, forget all distractions and now become the line.

Just half a kilometer downstream the river plunges down a long steep wave train into a house-sized boulder, The Throne. The current peels heavily off either side, on the right into a horrible slot called the Toaster and on the left (the preferred line) into a window by a very large hole. The Throne room is probably the less perilous of the two runs, but is probably the harder line technically. The route drops you though a long wave train before the cushion wave on the Throne. It’s a game of nerves because if you go left too early two diagonals throw you back onto the pillow in way that you’re more likely to drop into the toaster. So leaving the push to the left until the very last minute allows you to avoid the diagonals and a better chance to go left for success. But I bungle it, in my eagerness to stay away from the Toaster I hit the first diagonal early, I’m up on my tail and as I hit the second diagonal it smacks me over. Using the flow of the water under the pillow as I hit it, I roll fearing that I’ve dropped too far right but slammed up by the water I can see I’m still on The pillow wave. Immediately I edge downstream, surf left and am out of the maelstrom and thru the window, I’m through, until the next time.

Alex Nicks, 18.April.2012

New Mega Phantom Surf Kayak

The new Mega Phantom has just been released! I had a few sneaky surfs in it before it was released, you can read my review of the Phantom on its very own facebook page!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/​Mega-Phantom/​351584818204320?sk=wall

Check out the promo video for the Phantom as well!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-r-JJ7dOfs

Philip Watson

Surf Kayak Best Photos 2011!

The best surf kayaking photos of 2011 as selected by the news team at kayaksurf.net have just been announced! Some really great photos from all over the world were featured, I was really pleased to be representing the UK up there in third place! The shot was from a big wave session that was over an offshore sandbar, requiring a ride on a powerboat to get to! Congratulations to Bernie Huigsloot with a great barrel photo for the win.

3rd place - Best Surf Kayak Photos 2011

More at:
http://www.kayaksurf.net/news.html


Philip Watson

tight and twists

It is hidden from view, cuts deep in a gorge. Sharp banks go from left to right, undercuts and blind bends. Bad landings and good lines. Hidden falls, steep and not deep, snow, hail, rain, portages, slides, pocket siphons, undercuts, wood. This is the river that will live in my memory for years to come. Its in no classic guidebook. A true Welsh expedition. Upper Upper Conway.

8848

On 16th Dec 2011, after an online vote at Berghaus I became proud to be given funding for a solo kayak descent trip to Everest.

Everest cries two rivers of tears into Nepal, the Dudh Kosi and Arun Gorges, both remote and challenging white water rivers. It is a matter of respect, personal dreams and hope. A challenge, one man, one mountain – to show that Everest, goddess of the earth, is more than the mountain alone, more than the foot steps; these well-worn tracks cry.

These rivers have seen few descents. In Tibet the Arun is named the Rongbuk as it arcs from the plateau. Its name changes as it crashes from the top of the world carving away from Everest. None except myself have paddled all these rivers and in the spring of 2012 I am setting out again to challenge the raging rapids of the tears of Everest. In the spring it is intended that I will make a solo unsupported descent of these rivers, back to back. A solo duo combination, never attempted, a further notch for the only kayaker to have descended all the rivers that flow from Everest and k2.

For the trip I will be trusting my moves and my life with Lightning gradient paddles. I love these paddles. They offer power and reach like no others that I have used.

For more info on the expedition please click

David Bain 2011

Free Fall Nepal

For many years kayakers in Nepal who had a thirst for waterfalls had no choice but to make a walk from the road head up to the Modi Khola in Nepal and then to the Burundi Khola. Now with the advancement of the road working past the trekkers town of Birithanti these waterfalls are a simple 2hour drive from Pokhara. Although you are in the 'park' and have to buy a trek permit its all worth it. Clear waterfalls, cheeky vistas, cake shops and unique 'Nepal Experience'. This makes a great day trip and for those you sit in Pokhara watching the paragliders; it is a welcome distraction.

Charles Blyth Secures A Place in the GBR Freestyle Squad

Team member Charles Blyth just received the news that he has secured a place on the Great British Freestyle Team as a squad member for the 2012 season. Charles got a place by competing in a series of selection events held at different locations around the country.
Here is a picture of him with a set of the Robson Hells Bells and the brand new Titan Genesis!

Robson Apex Review

The Robson Apex is the brand new touring boat brought to you by Robson Mega Sports. From the moment I saw it I knew this was going to be a very fun boat to paddle. The innovative lines on the rail and the smooth hull profile made for such a slick boat on the water the only thing which made me get off was the end of the river!
Outfitting
The layout of the interior has been well thought out and although simple, it definitely works. After 4 people  massively ranging in weight and size tried it, it was clear that this boat can accommodate the larger paddlers as well as the smaller.
The grab handles of the boat were very user friendly making it less of a pain to transport to the water.
One thing I was really fond of was the skeg system which without fail did what you wanted it to do, unlike other brands touring boats which are vulnerable to falling down once raised.

On The Water
The Apex picked up speed very easily and without effort which was a strong selling point in my view.
This boat is fast, and I mean fast. This would be the perfect boater x boat for whitewater paddlers whilst at the same time be the tool for Touring boaters who want to up their game, and because of the boats user friendliness and speed, up their distance.
One of my favourite things about this boat was the way that the Apex literally glided into eddies. Thanks to its edges and subtle progressive rocker it also boofed upon command. It goes where you want it to go, not the other way round. Considering the length of this boat, I was certainly surprised at this.

Overall I was really happy with the way this boat performed on the water as well as the thought out outfitting. This boat is the perfect accompliment  for almost any paddler whether it be hardcore class V creek boater to the calmer paddlers who love to paddle on a quiet summers evening.
I am now looking forward to taking it on some steeper water to see what other great features this boat has.
See you on the water,
Charles Blyth

More from Nepal

The rivers still flow and the sun sets on our daily adventure. But we know that we have more, each day, each hour a new adventure. The morning sun warms and our smiles our obvious. This season, whilst not finished, has already brought many trips – enough to light our fires. We have played on the Balephi and Bhote Kosi, adventures on the Sun Kosi our classic expedition always bring smiles. Then it was off to the Marsy, Trisuli and more. Lets not forget the waterfalls at Burundi Khola. What a ride, what a blast.

Back to Kathmandu and looking at maps, looking at new adventures, looking for freedom.

Be happy, Daz www.purelandexpeditions.com

Images are from over a decade of Robsons in Nepal...

Pyranha Fest

The annual Pyranha fest  is always a great show and this year was no exception. The robsons stand was set up in prime view of the infamous 'cafe wave' ( where we could witness all of the carnage) and the demo fleet was in constant use the whole of the weekend! There was a great turn out from the team including David Bain, Kev Griffiths, Josh Morrisesy, me ( Charles Blyth) and the infamous god father of the operation: Paul Morrissey! On the Saturday night after a presentation including a raffle with one of the prizes being donated was a Robson Paddle from the new recently launched range which was won by the Burne family..I am sure they will put it to good use :)
On sunday David Bain and Charles Blyth entered the 'pro' boater X race which contained 6 of some of the fastest paddlers around! Charles came in 3rd with Dave slightly behind due to the carnage at the jump in start.
Overall it was a great weekend for Robson Paddles and it is definite that the Robson range is getting good vibes on and off the water!
See you on the river,
Charles

Sick lines, Fast bikes, and a little gravy!

It always starts with a journey

Our trip started in Nottingham, where Tom and I live. A kit list was made and we left at midday on Friday. A quick drive and we arrived in London at the White Water Canoe Centre where Pete Scutt works. After an afternoon in the shop we headed to the local pub beside the Shepperton Slalom Site followed by a curry.

The next morning we were back in the shop watching the rugby, myself very over-excited about the coming week and not really knowing what to do with myself till 4:00. However, the time did eventually come and we began our trip to Dover and the drive to Europe, our destination, Sickline!

We arrived on Sunday afternoon with sore backs from the journey. After a quick inspection of the course we were changed and raring to go. This was the first time I had seen the Wellerbrucke section at race level, and to no surprise it still looked rather big. With help from all the GB guys here I had my line set in my head as well as following Graham, Pete and Tom down.

My first run was pretty clean, and filled me with confidence, I went straight back up for another few runs. We all got off the water buzzing with how we paddled. No huge beat-downs were taken and most of us felt really positive about the course. We then got some food and headed to Crazy Eddies.

Crazy Eddies

Crazy Eddies is possibly one of the coolest most random places I have ever been to. It is an old raft centre, where many raft guides still live. It’s comprised of a central building with a full industrial kitchen, of which only a small electric oven hob combo, and a fridge works. Another room with another walk in style industrial fridge is, again not working, and a table where we eat, chill and most importantly drink tea.

There is also an assortment of old train carriages, which are very Harry Potter style. You can even imagine the dementors coming down the corridor. These carriages have doors to each, converted “bedrooms” which have fold out bunk beds. The window seals are perished and doors squeal but still I really enjoy sleeping there for the quirkiness of the whole place.

Middle Oetz and back to the Venter Ache

In the morning we headed up to run the Middle Oetz with Seth as our guide. It was a really fun run, with nothing too difficult at this water level. It certainly kept you busy though as the rock-gardens were super long and tight. After this we went up the valley to the Venter Ache, my favourite run to date. Unfortunately I had only ever run it in spate, and at normal water levels it wasn’t anything overly special. It was still great to paddle through the deep gorges in the sunshine, and there were enough features to make it enjoyable and a fun run.

We finished the day back on the Race course on the Oetz with a few quick runs down, and an unfortunate snapping of my paddle just above the two largest drops on the course. A bit of C1 down the drops had me on a nice clean line though. Thankfully.

Race Prep is Important.... But so is relaxing

After a having to abandon a plan to run the Risbach we had to decide what to do with the day. The thought of a day just on the race course was not so appealing, therefore we went to the local bike hire, and rented some Giant DH and free-ride bikes. I had not been on a DH bike for a few years, since I sold mine. We got the ski lift up, and had our first run down, a definite walking track. It was super steep and not really wide enough for a bike. We ended up finding some single track road, then nailing it down the mountain roads overtaking cars. The second run down we found some fire road tack where even the open corners seemed tight due to a lack of berms. Towards the end we found a nice little section of DH which really got the adrenaline pumping. A few minor crashes were had within the group but nothing major. The day ended, again with a few runs down the race course.

The reality of racing

So it came to Thursday, as I awoke the race nerves came apparent. It was a strange feeling knowing that this was actually a world champs. We had a short paddle in the morning including a run down the Infamous upper Wellerbrucke, which is one rather scary dirty run. The evening had some nice lines going down from all the GB paddlers. We had a race meal that evening which consisted of numerous pieces of meat and a few potatoes. I got an early night and started psyching myself up for the next day.

Qualification

The prep leading up to the race for me was pretty thorough. I had not done much training on the qualification course due to the top being so technical, a mistake on my part as I had not understood how challenging qualification was going to be. Anyway, with advice from Pete Scutt, Craig Aires and Rob Harris, I thought I knew my lines well. I waited in queue for the start, eagerly awaiting my time to climb down the steep bank to the small eddy by the start beam. I sprinted off the start, and as planned hit the hump of the first drop nailing the boof and landing on the left pile, I sprinted towards champion’s killer. I hit the right boof and landed perfectly and powered through the small gap below. At this point I had thought the hard work was over and it was just keeping to the “easy lines” however through the middle section I made contact with a few rocks which slowed me down significantly. My time had me 3^rd in 1^st qualification.

Second qualification was very much the same again hitting the same rock. I rushed up after my times to watch the other GB competitors. Tom Wakeling, one of the fastest GB paddlers unfortunately backlooped on champion’s killer therefore this year did not have the chance to race in the final. Congrats to Pete and Anton who also made it through along with myself.

Finals day!

The moment I had been waiting for, sitting at the top of a 6 meter seal slide looking down upon the swirling waters below. A cameraman was placed just where I wanted to be at the top of the slide, which meant I had to just hope that I would be ok sliding further right. The light went green and I shifted my weight over the edge, the boat began to slowly tilt, then speed down the rock towards the small yellow plank. I shot off down the river as my hull boofed nicely off the flat surface below. I knew this was the first key part to my race. I then picked up the pace through the first section flowing with the S around a rock then a hole, a quick boof and I was on to the flat section in the middle of the course. I sprinted towards the compulsory left channel. I hit it with a nice line and then paddled for the middle route where you come all too near to the undercut that has claimed so many peoples runs. I got the double boof and then sprinted towards the second to last drop. I hit the hump and again, as in quals landed on the flow and gripped it. On approach to champion’s killer I was just praying that it went to plan. Unfortunately it did not and I backlooped. I finished 8 seconds behind the Russian I was against, who went on to win the quarter final stage.

I finished 34^th, very happy with my performance in the race. I can’t wait after another hard years training to go out again and hopefully get a better seeding!

Thanks for reading,

David

p.s. The party was Epic!