In the mix with the Palm Mac Monkey

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