On the 15th and 16th of January I’m going to be talking at the London Boat Show, focusing my presentation on looking at feasible ways in which paddlers of all levels can improve their white water paddling. It’s a common misconception that leading paddlers always have access to the best white water… not necessarily the case. So I hope that this talk will leave viewers with a clear vision of how they can move forward towards their goals, whether they have access to white water everyday of the week or are struggling to fit practice around a day job. I’ll be using my own experiences alongside that of other white water paddlers to make this a talk that applies to all, from top end freestylers to beginners.
From the 12th of January through to the 16th there will also be daily freestyle kayaking shows by current members of the GBR Freestyle Team, who are internationally ranked amongst the top competitors in the world. It’s going to be a great showcase of the sport, which has been put together by a great team of organisers and is not to be missed. I’ll be at the pool talking newcomers to the sport through the moves these guys are pulling. If you book before the 24th December you can save £7 on your tickets, making them £11.00, call 0871 230 7140 and quote L89, or use on the promo page ticket site.
So I’ve been stuck here in the lovely UK for a while now, technically a student again, but pretty much working a full time job as a teacher. With the exception of a few cheeky runs in Devon and South Wales, the paddling season hasn’t been the busiest. The brutal cold has now briefly let up, but with the rain gods still not offering any proper rain, I’ve found myself longingly looking back at this summer’s adventures. Here’s a recap, I hope to have something new and exciting as soon as some more of the wet stuff comes around…
Here are some of my favourite pics from the season to inspire anybody else who’s cold and can’t paddle. Enjoy!
Hang time on the Gronda – if you hit this one right you can fly!
Throwing down on the Egua – Look out for the Gene17 Freeride cup, coming this spring…
An epic trip down a very short section
Something new in the Heart of Norway – A hike is worth the reward.
Hugh ‘Huge’ Graham steps up and straps on…
My Favourite River – Pocket sized fun for all the family.
The first time you run this one, you’re not allowed to look – follow the rules and you’ll be rewarded!
Another pocket sized classic, and one of Fleming’s ex homeruns – the Bygdelva
Always time for some soul surfing on the Sjoa playrun – this, for me, is why we kayak.
Some more shots from Satu V.W. – an Evening session at Jolgens, back again this year!
Paddle throw – pushing the frontiers of freestyle.
The ever creative Finn B bringing back the old school:
My Vengeance – fast, spanky, and radical.
Hope you liked the pics, Here are some key lessons I’ve learned this Year:
1) Say yes to yellow – My colour scheme was on fire this year, but just wait for 2011!
2) Go for a hike, you never know what’s waiting for you!
3) Don’t always just pile on down after your mates. Better to take a little longer but make it look good: Inspect, and then throw down!
4) If you’ve got Gnarly Boots, put them on, it’s time to get extreme.
4 b) Before you put them on, make sure everybody knows about that cave.
5) Never underestimate the energising power of a soul surf.
Check out some excellent footage of this summer’s adventures in Norway, as well as excellent action from Iceland, Russia, Nam, Thailand, and some other parts too in Max Bilbow’s new film which premiered last month, available now from mopmovie.com, or your local kayak shop.
The annual Adventure Paddlers Weekend on the Dart provides Team Palm with an ideal time for a get-together. It’s wonderful to get the chance to all meet up, go for a paddle and have a couple of glasses of wine together.
Palm also brought along all of their exciting new gear. I was eager to see the new ladies gear after helping in the development process. I can’t wait to get out in the new buoyancy aid and cag – they are so comfy!
Janette modelling the new gear: rigid with excitement.
Big up to Simon Westgarth for organising APWE and massive thanks to Palm for great team support and providing us with lovely accommodation!
I’ve been meaning to write this for a while but sometimes you just don’t get around to things for a bit. It’s actually sort of fitting as I’ll be turning 30 soon (this puts me well out of the being a kid range at least in the strictly age category) which means I’ll have been kayaking for 23 years and paddling in general for 28. Several of my friends have young children of there own have asked me how my parents got me interested and got me to stick with kayaking. I think that on some fronts I had some pretty special/lucky circumstances as far as where and who I grew up with. However I do think that my parents did some pretty key things that have a lot to do with why I chose kayaking over basketball. Keep in mind that this is from my perspective looking back so its not necessarily how it really went but this is what I remember. I’m thinking I’ll try to follow this up with an interview with my parents so I get both sides of the story in there:)
The biggest thing I remember is I felt and still do that kayaking was always my choice. Now I doubt that this is totally accurate, pretty sure my parents pushed me at least a little, but what I feel is important is the fact that I remember it like this. I don’t remember my parents ever pushing me towards kayaking or once I started trying to get me into any one particular area (like slalom, freestyle, or working). At each critical junction of my paddling career I remember being the one to decide “yes I want to do this”. The fallout of this, at least in my opinion, is that I’m still paddling 20 years later cause in a selfish sense its what I want to do.
20 years later on the Grass River, NY
The other part along these lines is I don’t remember feeling like my parents really wanted me to start kayaking at a specific age or point. Both of my parents took both me and my sister rafting and canoeing from the get-go (my Mom swears she had me in a raft at around 6 months) but even when they bought us both kayaks they were always there as more of toy. We played with them in the lake almost like pool noodles or something. We also went camping from the canoe’s and rafts. On top of just having fun being outside this also just got me familiar with the river and the concepts of paddling so this wasn’t a new concept once I did get into my own boat. In short I feel like we did a lot of activities that had to do with being on the water but that was only part of the equation.
My friend and Anne and her son Port enjoying a bit of an afternoon paddle. Getting used to being on the water at a young age in a mellow way made me the kayaker I am today.
My stepmom and little sister. Again keeping it fun and just getting out on the water!
Once I did start to kayak my parents were pretty quick to put me into some classes. I think the biggest thing I got out of this was to learn and hang out with other kids my age. Don’t get me wrong I paddled a bunch and learned a ton from my parents but not learning everything from them especially at the beginning was a pretty good thing in hind sight. I think all parents would agree that teaching their children things can sometimes present interesting challenges.
In addition to putting me in a position to learn from others my parents also did an amazing job of letting me continue to kayak with other people. This is one area I feel like I was very fortunate in because there were lots of people that my parents knew that could and were willing to take me paddling. But I’m sure its hard as a parent to let go and send your kids off with other folks especially as I started to run harder and harder things. The only thing I really ever remember them saying is that they trusted me to make good decisions. As a young teenager this really meant a lot to me, although I’m sure that it was occasionally terrifying for my parents when I told them some of my stories. I feel that this ability to let go in a sense and trust me was really important in my early years of paddling. No again I have since been told by folks that I paddled with that it wasn’t always that smooth but again that’s how I felt:)
As I’m finishing this up I’ve kinda of realized that for me it all boiled down to a two things really. I feel that above all my parents always kept it fun and they really did let me make a lot of my own decisions. I’m sure that’s harder to do than it sounds but I’m really grateful that they did this because kayaking is a huge part of my life and continues to be something I really enjoy doing with all of my family. I would really encourage parents to take this laid back approach because I feel like that’s why I’m in the position to make my children fourth generation paddlers!
My stepmom, dad, and little sister keepin it fun and a family activity
I was lucky enough this week to be joined by good friend and fellow paddler Chris Charlton, along with a group of first year degree students from UCLAN (University of Central Lancashire) who were studying a mixture Outdoor Leadership and Adventure Sports Leadership. We were based out of Ty’n Dwr Hall in Llangollen North Wales.
We had spent some time discussing our aims and had decided that a journey on Bala Lake was going to be the order of the day. It was a cold and frosty morning as we loaded the boats and sorted the kit, and this cold theme was to continue throughout the day. After a short drive through a wintry landscape, we arrived in Bala and made a quick stop for the all essential brew kit, chocolate biscuits and marshmallows to accompany our Kelly Kettle. Chris and I had introduced the group to and given them a few top tips and handy hints on how to light it the day before whilst paddling at Ellsemere.
Bala Lake or LLyn Tegid (Lake of Serenity) as its know in Welsh, is Wales’s largest natural lake and measures 4 miles (6km) long by a 1 mile (1.5km) Wide. It is crossed by the River Dee and its waters are famously deep and clear. Bala itself is located within Gwynedd in the Snowdonia National Park, partway between Llangollen and Betws y Coed and is easily accessed via the A5 which runs through North Wales.
It was going to be a chilly one!
As we arrived at our launch point I noticed the in car thermometer reading a cool -9 outside! Today was going to be a tad chilly. We had chosen to launch a short distance from the normal shoreline due to the ice on the ramp down to the water. Instead we had opted for a layby approximately 200m further down the road on the Western side of the lake. This proved easier access with only a short boat carry down some steps to the water’s edge. There is a launching and parking fee payable for using the lake, so its a good idea to visit the Lake Wardens Office at the Bala end of the Lake, above the public conveniences prior to launching. You can then be advised on where to launch, weather and any events etc that may be happening. There is also a Watersports Centre (Bala Watersports) based on the lake with hire facilities.
getting the boats to the water
The Chuckle Brothers - me & Chris
As Chris and I got down to the waters edge, the view was stunning and reminded me of the sort of thing you might expect to find on a Christmas card, very white and crisp. There was a mist hanging around over the water producing a very picturesque scene, with every now and then a quick glimpse of the sun. The students even commented on its resemblance of a scene out of Narnia. I have only experienced theses near perfect conditions once before on Bala Lake and it really is hard to try to describe them. I guess you would just have to have been there!
Jules, do I really have to go paddling? Its cold!
One of the many glimpses of the sun
Smiling faces and ready for a paddling adventure
Boats loaded, group briefed we set off into the mist and headed south down the lake keeping the western shore to our right even though we couldn’t see it! It really was cold as we paddled into the magical silence except for the occasional splash from our paddles.
As we paddled along there were more frequent breaks in the mist and glimpses of the sun all adding to the ambiance. During one of these breaks we caught a glimpse of a small cottage on the shore. This seemed like an ideal place for a leg stretch, some lunch and a brew courtesy of our Kelly Kettle.
Kelly Kettle’s always seem to go down well with groups. I tend to show people how to light them using Birch bark and a firesteel. My preference for a firesteel over matches or a lighter is that it will still work even when it is wet.
Lunch over with it was time to continue on our journey. So boats were packed, launched and we continued, but first we spent some time revisiting some of the core skills needed for paddling a canoe tandem.
I had chosen my two favorite deep water paddles for the day, both of which were hand made for me by a friend. I am hoping that in the new year he is going to educate me in how to make my own. So Andy if your reading this, big hint!
My deep water paddles. Otter tail (L) & Voyageur (R)
Both paddles are well suited to cruising on deep, flat water due to their low aspect. I suppose you could even consider them as your 4th & 5th gear, as opposed to a white water paddle being 1st & 2nd gear. The reason for the Voyageur’s distinct yet simplistic shape is two fold. Firstly it was easy for the Voyageurs to carve with its straight sides when on the trail, and secondly the obvious shoulders makes sure that any water drips run off here, rather than running down the shaft to the paddlers hands.
As we paddled once again into the mist the sun and blue sky was now becoming more frequent, and it wasnt long before we reached the eastern shore not far from Llangower Point. From here we headed North up the lake before finally heading back to our start point.
Once back safely on shore it was time for one last brew from the Kelly Kettle and an opportunity to finish off the chocolate biscuits and marshmallows.
A great ending to a great day, especially in those conditions. I shall leave you with my final view of the day as the sun set.
Looking back over Bala Lake as the sun sets
You can see all the photos from our day on the Voyageur Facebook page here.
