Seeing all those cold looking paddling pictures from England in this blog for a while I think it is time to let the spring come in! So let´s start: I was spending five awesome weeks in Corsica coaching kayaking. After having a “low water year” in 2102, the Ile of Beauty rewarded us for coming back each spring with a great amount of water this time. We got numerous runs done which haven´t been run since a while, so even after travelling to Corsica my 6th year in a row I got some little adventure feeling form tiome to time.
Back from the Mediterranean I didn´t stay home for a long time – so I got myself back on the road and headed south again. This time my destination was the beautiful Ticino and Piedmont. Arriving just after some rainy days we found super sweet waterlevels all around and the sky cleared up to bring us another five beatiful paddleing days around the Lago Maggiore.
All photos by Michael Sommerauer, River: Verzasca (SUI)
Arkangel Chemical Weapons Facility (Aka. Verzasca Dam)
Hello there, so I’ve just returned from a beautiful week in the Italian and Swiss Alps. After spending a day on the middle section of the Verzasca, we stopped off for lunch on its unfeasibly large dam, before heading to the rarely run Loana and Basso for an epic day’s hiking, kayaking, and some gnarly portaging (see Tim’s post).
Your truly in a cheeky flair move on the Middle Verzasca
Simon Boofin' on the Basso
Having previously only experienced Valsesia during the monsoon, it was a revelation to arrive there in glorious sunshine. Although levels were still slightly too high for many of the steeper runs, we spent a thoroughly civilised few days enjoying the high water, relaxing in the valley’s gelateries, and arguing over how to pronounce stracciatella. Fot those stilll unsure, it’s pronounced ‘Stracciatella’.
Matt Tidy plugging hard on the upper Gronda
Relaxing at the bottom of the Gronda racecourse
Dropping in on the Sorba Slides at 'man levels'
Tim in the meat. Sirloin I believe.
The Mastallone river is not considered by many to be one of the classic runs in the area, however when the water is high and the sun is shining it makes for a grand day out, offering some fun bouldery rapids, an incredible pristine gorge, and if you head a little further up the Valley a cheeky Park ‘n’ Huck on it’s lesser trib the Landwasser. On this occasion we were lucky enough to catch a fish.
Jared Meehan and Jim Cummings: Park 'n' Fish 'n' Huck.
Simon on the Landwasser drop.
Dave Carrol from above.
On my last day in Valsesia, Simon and I entered the Valsesia River Contest downriver sprint, which due to high water on the Sermenza was to be held on the Sesia at Piccolo Canada rapid. The sun shone, we paddled hard, and despite a moderately controversial choice of line on my part, Simon and I won first and second places respectively in the ‘International’ catergory.
The Sesia in high water
Yours truly, sporting the victory bling. Solid Silver.
All in all a cracking week in one of the world’s greatest paddling destinations, and a sweet warm up to what looks to be an incredible season. I’m now back in the UK, preparing for further adventures in France and then Norway. I can’t wait.
Safe paddling, see you on the water!
Nick
Next week, Tim Trew, Palm’s new boy and Mac Magician comes with sick kick Nick Horwood to the mighty Ticino. Over the last few days Matt Tidy and myself have been lining up a few runs to consider for this photo shot and general huck fest for the office boy.
To date, the research into the wider Piemonte and Ticino granite areas of Italy and Switzerland, has been extensive, and I do promise a guide book or something alike at some point. Still what is great about this season is the amount of options, as the snow pack is high and the weather stable of late. The base flow has been ideal for hitting all the runs. Now today the Gene17 trips are over for Valseisa, and we’re about to go to the Sessera for a research mission, and will do the Lower Strona tomorrow, before pick up the guys in Milan on Monday evening.
As we are nice, we’ll go for a warm up day on the might Verzasca, this is a pristine valley, set high into the mountains be hide Lago Maggiore, images of this run have littered the paddling press for the last 15 years, so its a great spot for getting the images done on the first day. Check out a few from last year…
After the warm up day, we’re off to Ribo for those Park n Huck shots and then the Loana and its side creek Alpe Basso. Now I have been a few times up here, but never found the water, however for this year, I will hope its all very different. The following is a description of these runs, translated with Google from they source, first Alpe Basso
Since walking on the path traced along the valley for about 35 minutes. Boarding is after you cross the path with a farm, the trail is level on a beautiful meadow with a little cabin on the upper right. Descend towards the river and embark on the slide.
Description Series of slides, in 2 km of descent, we counted 3 / 4 rapids with rocks the rest on a bed of rock. Attention to a jump of 4 / 5 m with possible shallow basin (Boof).
Sounds just prefect, hike to a slide and get on, and the bed rock is about 2Km long!!!! Now the Loana,
Many steep cataracts remain in our low water with some impressive bedrock chutes. The exit in the usual combination of waterfall and not the scenery is around the track wonderfully wild and lonely.
Warning barrier after the rapid hard and a cascade of 30 m in 2 jumps! Reconnaissance!
Sounds great, and with a plum waterfall at the take out. Here is a shot of the Loana….
After that we’re head in the Toce valley for the Dèvero and may be back to Strona. A real favourite of mine, and a river that rarely runs…
As you can see, there is a lot to get done in a week, and a race next weekend in Valsesia, but I’ll keep you posted on how Tim does…
PS I forgot to mention, we’ll be trying to complete filming of “My Ticino”, another short film from Gene17 about our lifestyle as kayakers, I hope to edit in October and show the film at Gene17′s Adventure Paddler’s weekend in December in Devon, UK
