It has been brought to our attention that counterfeit Palm products are appearing on internet auction sites. We would like to confirm that these items are substandard copies, made with inferior materials and components.
They will not perform to the high standard of genuine Palm Equipment products and are not tested or approved to European Certification.
Palm does not condone or endorse the selling of these counterfeit products.
We would like to reassure our customers that we are doing everything we can to shut down these unlawful sellers.
After our first polarbear encounters a couple of days we have now met a total of 14 during a 2 day period. Most we have met while we paddled by, while 3 have been while we were on land at our camp a couple of nights ago. Those we met while in the boats gave us the best opportunities to get quite close too them. It is incrdible to watch these animals casually strolling or swimming totally relaxed in their turf. In contrast, we are very aware that their environment can be deadly to us in a few minutes as we have already seen with the seas, wind, cold that continue to change in minutes.
After 2 days of many bear sightings we were on higher alert and had found a camp site with several hundred meters of open ground to give us plenty of warning of approaching bears. We also decided to have one of the team on bear watch all night. The first bear made an appearance several hundred metres from camp an hour after our arrival. Per Thore and Petter headed out in his direction and sent him away with a warning flare.
It was then decided that we were possibly camping on a popular path for the local bears, and that if we had another bear visit we would pack up camp and move 25 km’s across the fjord. Sure enough a couple of hours later (12.30am) camp was woken by bear watch and another bear was heading our way in the other direction from the first. The boys sent the second bear away, but he needed more convincing than the first (1 flare plus several warning shots overhead). So at 2.00am we paddled out from camp under blue skies and an oily sea.
We had an amazing 4 hours paddling under the midnight sun. We were visited by many seabirds, a couple of seals and a pod of minkie whales before making camp just just inside Widjefjord.
When we woke 8 hours later we got news from home that a couple of fellow paddlers who were attempting to circumnavigate the whole Svalbard group had been rescued about 250 km’s further east after one had been attacked in his tent and dragged 30 meters before being shot by his mate. The latest is that he is in a serious but stable condition in Tromsø hospital. Our thoughts are with these guys and mood in our camp is a little subdued. We are in an unforgiving environment.
We write this update while taking shelter in a hut 30km’s inside Widjefjord as 15meter/second blow from the south. We’ll be here until the wind drops.
Petter Thorsen sent us this update from Day 8 of their Svalbard Expedition, including their first polar bear sightings.
Team ‘Lost’ have been Found!
Since we last sent an update we have been taking advantage of continual talewinds and paddling up to 40 or more km’s per day!
After leaving Longyearbyen on July 20th we paddled west before reaching Forlandsund the following day. It was a strange and lonely feeling knowing that we were heading north, away from civilisation and into a wilderness area that is both beautiful and extreme. The dark sky towards the north didn’t help!
In the last few days we have paddled up the entire western side of the Svalbard Islands, past hunting huts and grave yards of polarbear, whale, seal & fox hunters dating back 500 years. We have paddled past more glaciers that I can count, and been caught in wind squalls that sprung up from nowhere and nearly flattened our tents.
“Lost” had a bet the the first to predict which day we would sight our first polar bear would win a bottle of whiskey…but I and sorry to report that no one won. We all expected to see a polarbear in the first week of the trip…but none materialised…..UNTIL TODAY (day 8)!!!! And not only did we see one, but 8!!! With the last 2 being a mother and baby walking along the sea shore less that 50 meters away from our kayaks. What incredible animals…and there are only about 3000 left on the svalbard islands.
We have got into a pretty good routine for each day now; beginning with dried cereal which we just add water to make a super energy meal that keeps us paddling for several hours without stopping. We then check the weather forecast via satellite telephone to decide when we paddle and where (if any emergency stops are) as the weather changes quickly and with potentially dangerous consequences. We then break camp, take down the polarbear trip wire flares, pack boats and get on the water. We are using Aleutian dry suits from Palm, which we always wear on the water with up to 2 layers of clothes underneath. The secret with staying safe and warm is to manage your body temperature so well that you don’t sweat, or if you do; paddle yourself dry afterwards. And we have found that these dry suits have been amazing at breathing without letting water in.
Once on the water we usually try to paddle for 2 shifts of about 4 hours with a lunch break inbetween where we stop, boil water and eat hot lunch. At the end of each day we then send 2 of the boys on land with guns and polarbear flares to check none are in the area, before landing and setting up tents before we begin to freeze. Then its setting up of polarbear flares around the camp, drying equipment, eating, and sleeping!
In the summer of 2011, Jan-Gunnar Winther and John E. Guldahl of The Norwegian Polar Institute will paddle and walk from where Fridtjof Nansen had to give up during his 1893 Arctic expedition, to the North Pole. The purpose of the trip is research on the changing ice conditions at the pole.
The best equipment is essential for the success of the trip and the team have chosen Palm Aleutian Suits which they’ve already been putting through their paces. The photo below is from training near Tromsø this spring.
Best of luck to the team as they train for the expedition. We’ll keep you updated on their progress.
More information Norwegian Polar Institute – Norway’s central institution for research, environmental monitoring and mapping of the polar regions Alfa Fritid – Tromsø based sea kayak specialist also offering courses and kayak rental. Sponsoring the expedition.
We travelled out to Norway last week for the annual Ekstremsportveko. Established 10 years ago by a group of adrenalin nut-jobs, Extremsportveko has grown to become of the worlds largest Extreme sports festivals. With two kayak races (one head to head on class 3 and one full-on class 4/5 time trial) and some of Europe’s best whitewater paddlers to contend with, I flew out to fancy my chances.
It turns out that Europe’s best are pretty fast and big holes seem even bigger when you’re racing! Needless to say I didn’t come home with any medals but, for other aspiring racers out there, here’s my top tips for (a bit more) success:
No 1: Train
Training’s not cheating. Forget the gym though, try timed laps of Cardiff whitewater course or some flat water sprints. You’ll be thankful for it on race day when you’ve still got energy to punch through that last monster hole.
No 2: Practice the course
Whilst it’s tempting to put your poundings off until later, the more confident you feel on the course the more in control you’ll be when you have to do it at speed.
No 3: Don’t look back (& don’t fall over)
Do no.1/2 better than everyone else and you might find yourself out in front. Don’t turn around and congratulate yourself. It will line probably line you up perfectly for the slot/pin/hole, and last place!
No 4: Aggression
Everything goes as long as you keep your hands on your paddles. So take no prisoners!
No 6: Never Give Up
Don’t underestimate other competitors’ abilities to mess it up as much as you. There’s always a chance to pull it back if they get pushed off line.
No 6: Don’t forget to smile.
Could do with some practice. Check out these classic paddling faces!
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The next races (both at the end of September) are the Sickline World Champs in Germany and, closer to home, the Etive River Race in Scotland. So get training, hopefully we’ll see some of you there.
Tim
Images: Fri Flytt More Images http://www.friflyt.no/index.php?pagenr=22&collagenr=18234&picturenr=1&fromarticle=0
After months of preparation and hard work The Big Paddle finally arrived, and we’re glad to say was a huge success!
People flocked from all over the UK and further afield to come and join us for paddling and fun at the beautiful Symond’s Yat on the river Wye.
There was lots to see and do, and fun was had by all, from Masterclasses and ‘have a go’ sessions, to Guided Nature tours, and of course Saturday evening’s party. A huge number of people got out on the water in all manner of craft, from first timers to seasoned veterans, to enjoy and celebrate paddling in one of the UK’s most beautiful locations.
The event also saw the return of the chaotic and hugely entertaining Cardbard Canoe World Championships, which involved a hard fought race between several of the paddling industry’s leading manufacturers. Naturally Dagger Europe’s chief engineer Bob Slee came out on top, leaving the competition soggy and sunk.
A huge thank you goes out to everybody who came along and got involved, and also to everbody who worked tirelessly to make the event such a success, we couldn’t have done it without you.
Here are some pictures from the event, thanks to Paul Wilkinson. Enjoy!
Click on a picture to see the full image.
If you made it to the event then please feel free to leave a comment below and let us know what you thought!
The Big Paddle, taking place at Symonds Yat on the 15th and 16th May 2010 will play host to the return of the Cardboard Canoe Race, an event long absent from the paddling calendar. The event, sponsored by CKUK Magazine involves a race down a short section of whitewater in a craft constructed only from cardboard and tape, be it kayak, canoe, or other…
The race, open to Big Paddle ticket holders, will take place at 17:00 hrs on Saturday the 15th May at Symonds Yat rapids.
Prizes will be awarded for engineering prowess, style and originality, as well as performance, so if you want to race then get your thinking hat on and build yourself a lean, mean, recycled cardboard racing machine!
For more information, race rules, and tickets to the Big Paddle, visit: www.thebigpaddle.com.
