ThePaddler.co.ukThe International digital magazine for recreational paddlers

Eight weeks of jungle clad world-class white waterBUKE EXPEDITION

toVENEZUELA

Into the Ice FjordGREENLAND

iceCAP

Ajawaan Lake, Prince Albert National Park GREY owl

CABIN

Arctic GreenlandBy Phil Eccles

Florida 1By Jill Langard

Florida 2By Melinda Mack

VenezuelaBy Robert Moffatt

Symonds YatBy Steve Richardson

Russia to JapanBy Sarah Outen and Justine Curgenven

MaineBy Scott Edwards

CanadaBy Jody Dymond

Up to the gradeBy Stephen Richardson

Shark fishingSimon Everett

Issue 2

ContentsOctober 12

EditorPeter Tranterpeter@thepaddler.co.ukTel: (01480) 465081Mob: 07411 005824www.thepaddler.co.ukhttps://www.facebook.com/ThePaddlercoukhttp://www.linkedin.com/pub/peter-tranter/36/bb8/134

Advertising SalesAnne EganTel: (01480) 465081advertising@thepaddler.co.uk

Front cover:Phil Eccles at Upernavik Ice Fjord. Photo: Jo Eccles

Huge thanks to:Phil Eccles, Leslie Sleight, Nigel Gill, Jill Langard, Melinda Mack, Robert Moffatt, Steve Richardson,Sarah Outen, Justine Curgenven, Scott Edwards, Jody Dymond, Sally Retallick, Stephen Richardson,Simon Everett and Andy Grimes.

Not all contributors are professional writers and photographers, so dont be put off writing because you have no experience! Thepaddler.co.uk magazine is all about paddler to paddler dialogue: a paddlers magazine writtenby paddlers. Next issue is November 2012 with a deadline of submissions on October 31st.

Technical Information: Contributions preferably as a Microsoft Word file with 1200-2000 words, emailed to submissions@thepaddler.co.uk. Images should be hi-resolution and emailed with the Word file or if preferred, aDropbox folder will be created for you. ThePaddler.co.uk magazine encourages contributions of any nature but reserves the right to edit to the space available. Opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those ofthe publishing parent company, 2b Graphic Design. The publishing of an advertisement in ThePaddler.co.uk magazine does not necessarily mean that the parent company, 2b Graphic Design, endorse the company, item orservice advertised. All material in ThePaddler.co.uk magazine is strictly copyright and all rights are reserved. Reproduction without prior permission from the editor is forbidden.

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Issue 2

Arctic Greenland04

Florida24

Russia to Japan54

Maine60

Canada68

Venezuela36

-Where weve been4 Arctic Greenland

Into the ice fjords on the edge of the Arctic Circle.By Phil Eccles

18 Other Greenland storiesTwo from the archives.By Leslie Sleight and Nigel Gill

24 Florida 1Paddle Florida: an international destination for nature-based recreation.By Jill Langard

30 Florida 2Paddling paradise in south Florida.By Melinda Mack

36 VenezuelaThe British University Kayak Expedition.By Robert Moffatt

48 Symonds YataPark and play!By Steve Richardson

54 Russia to JapanThe kayaking part of Sarah Outens London2London expeditionBy Sarah Outen and Justine Curgenven

60 MaineThe diversity of paddling opportunities.By Scott Edwards

68 CanadaPaddling to the Grey Owl cabin.By Jody Dymond

76 Other Canadian StoriesTwo from the archives.By Sally Retallick and Lesley Sleight

78 Up to the gradeKayaking as part of a GCSE course.By Stephen Richardson

80 Shark fishingKayakers helping shark preservation.Simon Everett

Regulars20 Coaching

LeadershipBy Andy Grimes

50 Testing, testing 123Ego HD camera, Coleman Micro Quad Lantern, Incredisocks, Paramo Grid Technic.

Jonny Hawkins, Salto Sakaiki, Venezuela

By Robert Moffatt

Into the Ice FjordAn expedition to the edge of the Greenland Ice CapBy Phil Eccles

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FEELINGON TOPOF THEWORLD

Anything you fancy for the summer holiday, Jo?Mmm my wife pondered, Maybe a quiet beach somewhere with abook to read She laughed. She knows Im not wired to sitting still in oneplace for very long and as the summer holidays roll around each year Ineed to be off on some sort of adventure, preferably a journey on theedge of uncertainty.

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Main photo:Crossing to Angmaussarssuaq

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Greenlandspiritual home of the sea kayak

Lango

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It took us the best part of three days to fly fromthe UK to Copenhagen and then on to our finaldestination of Upernavik. In Greenland we hadto take two internal flights on wonderfully smallplanes that flew at around 8,000 feet. The viewsfrom this height in the clear northern air weremesmerising. The Greenland ice cap seemed togo on forever. The exciting broken coastline ofthe west coast was, in places, guarded byimmense cliffs that dropped a couple ofthousand feet straight into waters littered withicebergs. The tundra was bleak and void ofhuman habitation. Vast tracks of wildernessstretched as far as the eye could see. It was a wildand empty place. Perfect.

From the air it looks as though a bulldozer hassimply flattened the roof of the island andpushed surplus debris down the hillside. Itcertainly made for a white-knuckle landing. Afterthe weeks and months of hopes andexpectations, after hours of looking at maps andphotographs we had finally arrived. At long lastwe were in Arctic Greenland with its uniquelanguage and culture, its massive wilderness anda land for adventure. Greenland spiritual homeof the sea kayak.

Upernavik had the feel of a frontier town.Whilst the influence of the west, and specificallyDenmark, was clear, it was also evident that traitsof the Inuit culture were strongly rooted. For howmuch longer it is impossible to predict. Thissmall island has only a few short and dustyroads. Understandably, cars are few. Most peopleseemed to walk to their destinations. Because ofthe freezing winter temperatures, domestic wateris delivered to homes or collected from smallshed-like buildings that are dotted around thetown. Even though this speck of an island has anairstrip, a small hospital and a shop there is nohotel not even a restaurant or a caf. It is notgeared up for any sort of tourism though

occasionally cruise liners stop for a few hours.Younger people favoured westernized clothes.Many walked around the town with bottles ofCoke whilst talking on mobile phones. A coupleof pieces of graffiti acclaimed English Premierleague footballers whose antics, no doubt, werewatched on Sky TV. Whilst the Inuit cultureclearly had strong roots here, the irrevocablemarch of civilization had, without a doubt,reached this northern Arctic outpost.

She knew I was yearning to get back to the Arctic after my trip to Baffin Island in 2008. Sincethat fabulous trip I had regaled her with all sorts of wondrous tales and now she was keen tosavour it at first hand. A thousand years ago Eric the Red needed to attract new settlers to theenormous land he had discovered. To do that he called it the Green Land ideal for Scandinavianfarmers! Fortunately, Jo didnt need such a tall tale to attract her.

The airstrip on Upernavik must surely be one of

the worlds most precarious. It is 400 feet above the sea on the top of a small island that has steep ground on all sides.

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foot, gaze on extraordinary scenery, sleep in amazing places and be as self-sufficient as we could.

The colour in the land was both

beautiful and surprising. Small clusters of purple flowers grew tenaciously in the crevices and cracks of glacier split rock gardens.

Our hopes and aspirations were to paddle andexplore the sea and land in the area to the eastof Upernavik. Our map revealed a myriad ofoptions and permutations with dozens ofislands, big and small, intersected by both wideand narrow watery passageways. We had noplans to paddle huge distances but simply to behere and explore small parts of this vastwilderness. We wanted to expedition in thetrue sense of the word. We wanted to explorethis far-flung corner of the planet by kayak and

The highlight would be to paddle into theUpernavik Ice Fjord. Here, the icebergs calvestraight off the Greenland Ice cap then drift withthe tide and the wind for miles and miles all theway to the open waters of the Davis Strait. Thisyear, we were told, the Upernavik Ice Fjord wouldbe a magnificent, if not disconcerting, sight asthere would be far more floating ice thannormal. We were also warned that even a slightshift in wind direction could blow the iceonshore making it impossible to get back ontothe water. Entrapment by ice is always a concernfor anyone who ventures out in small boats onArctic waters. This year the whole fishing fleet inthe town of Illulissat, way south of here, hadbeen unable to get out to fish because the ice isblocking the way for up to a mile offshore.

Within 24 hours of landing at Upernavik, wemanaged to eat, sleep, buy stove fuel; pack themountain of kit into the Scorpios and launch.We were on our way in golden sunshine and on aflat calm sea. Icebergs dotted the horizon. Within15 minutes, the small settlement was behind usout of sight and the real adventure had begun.

Once we had started the trip we had no access toweather forecasts. Every day brought a freshconcern about the possible strength anddirection of the wind, whether there would berain or even snow. As we paddled along thecoastline to the next unknown destination wementally checked possible places to land, wherethere might be a supply of water and whether itwould be possible to pitch a tent. With no

Right:

Reflections - North Coastof Augpilatog.

Above:

Jo in the Black Diamond Midi tent.

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information about the exact nature of thecoastline and with only a basic map we wereanxious about finding suitable places to land andfind shelter. To be without the comfort ofelectricity, solid shelter, guaranteed warmth,security, sustenance and the knowledge ofimmediate help and safety are some of theaspects that make for a real adventure. Theuncertainty allures.

You would think that water supply would beplentiful in these parts but thats not the case. Ona couple of occasions we had to paddle furtherthan we had intended simply to find a place tocamp close to drinking water. We stayed at mostof our seven different campsites for more thanone night so we could explore the interior. Wehiked across the rock-strewn tundra. The low,rough shrubs must be the epitome of hardinessin the plant world. The colour in the land wasboth beautiful and surprising. Small clusters ofpurple flowers grew tenaciously in the crevicesand cracks of glacier split rock gardens. Sky-blueHarebells nodded softly in the breeze. Arcticcotton grass bordered boggy pools of rainwater.The land may be bleak, but in summer it

certainly isnt barren. There are no trees forhundreds of miles. Slabs of multi colouredgranite, littered with boulders large and small,were a pleasure to walk on.

Whilst the kayaking was the major part of thistrip we relished finding outstanding places tocamp. Stepping ashore after a day of paddling toexplore new territory brought a tremendousfeeling of discovery. Invariably, it was not easy tofind places flat enough to pitch our two tents the Macpac Minaret for sleeping in and the BlackDiamond Midi for cooking in and stashing kit.

We wanted to explore this far-flung corner of the planet

by kayak and foot, gaze on extraordinary scenery,

sleep in amazing places and be as self-sufficient as we could.

Left: 2000' cliffs in To

rssut S

ound

..

travelling in the landof the polar bear it's good practice to avoidgetting the smells, scents and flavours of foodonto your clothing and anywhere such as yourtent and sleeping bag where you are going tosleep. For this reason it's best, if possible, to keepthe cooking tent and the sleeping tent well apart.

Setting up a comfortable camp gives me greatpleasure. I enjoy making all those little decisionslike which way to pitch the tent, which view dowe want as we cook, finding small boulders tohold down the guy lines. And what pleasure tofind a comfortable rock with a backrest whereyou can down a hot cup of tea as the midnightsun dips but doesnt set towards the horizon.Despite the fact sea kayaks have a finite amountof space in which to carry equipment, it alwaysseems to me that people I know manage to findsome small cavity into which they can cram aluxury. How many sea kayakers secrete a bottle oftheir favourite tipple right down in the pointed

end? Jo is an avid reader and managed to stownot only the Travel Scrabble, but also fourcarefully chosen paperbacks. She would readthirty or forty pages, rip them out and pass themto me. Then they would be used around camp toclean the grease off the pans and to help light thedrift wood fires. One evening as we read ourbook in the evening light of an Arctic summer Iteased, Well here we are everything you wantedfrom a holiday quiet beach and a book to read.

On the island of Augpilagtoq, we walked abouttwo miles from our campsite to a small Inuitsettlement. It proved to be one of the highlights ofthe trip. As we crested the last small bluff on theoutskirts of the little village we looked down onaround 70 small and colourfully painted houses.From afar the picture was quite pretty. Smallfishing and hunting boats bobbed at the watersedge testament to the way of life here. However, aswe walked down the steep ground and betweenthe homes towards the sea it was a different story.

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Trav

When you are

Below: Jo on the north coast of Atiligssuaq.

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avellinglight

Friends of ours had paddled in north west Greenland in 2010. They had used some P+H rotomouldedScorpios and they had left these fine boats in the care of a fledgling hire company on the small island ofUpernavik that sits at a latitude of almost 73 north. After a number of phone calls and emails we hadsecured the use of these kayaks for three weeks in August. In theory, all we had to do was prepare andpack some kit, step off the plane, load the boats and go. Of course, its never as simple as that and inreality it took us a full six months to get ourselves prepared. We spent considerable time working outwhat equipment was essential and what we could manage without. We upgraded and replaced severalpieces of kit. Jo had a shopping bonanza checking out everything from a new drysuit to titanium cookingpans, from Werner paddles to a she-wee. Then, of course, we tested it all on various outings well inadvance of our trip to the Arctic.

Very cleverly, Jo prepared the food for our expedition by cooking and then dehydrating everything shecould. It then only needed rehydrating and heating. Should our two stoves fail, we could rehydrate andeat the food without reheating. Using these home-dehydrated foods, the saving in fuel usage was quitesurprising. With hot drinks and food at breakfasts and in the evenings plus frequent extra hot cups of teawe only used 2.5 litres of petrol in the MSR stove over the whole duration of the trip. This was despitehaving to use quite dirty petroleum that we had bought in Upernavik. The weight of 16 days worth offood was considerable and our baggage allowance was surpassed by around 25 kilograms. There was ahefty cost implication but we preferred this course of action to the alternative which was to ship foodand equipment out much earlier in the year.

Above: In a survival bag on thecoastline of the Ice Fjord.

and yet more dogs. It seemed as though everyhouse had about ten dogs. They were chained upand redundant at this time of year waiting for thesea to freeze when they could be used to pull thehunting sleds across the ice. Every imaginablehousehold item of one sort or another wasdumped on the land between the houses. Piecesof meat were hanging out to dry. Theomnipresent yellow plastic bags that contain thehousehold sewage lay by the path ready forcollection and disposal. The effluent ispragmatically dumped in the sea on the edge oftown and the plastic bags are burned. There wasa well-stocked store in this settlement, like asmall supermarket where you could buyanything from frozen muskox meat to a rifle withno need of a licence. The settlements get suppliedby ship a couple of times every year. As wewalked around this small settlement we wereaccosted by a handful of giggly kids who thoughtwe looked very funny. That small number ofhumans were the only people we saw throughoutthe whole expedition.

The ever-present threat of attack from polar bearswas uppermost in our minds. In Upernavik and

in Augpilagtoq there was plenty ofevidence that these huge

carnivores

frequented the area. Skins and skulls hung onrails next to homes of Inuit hunters. Two daysbefore we had left the United Kingdom there hadbeen a tragic and fatal incident in Svalbad wherea young person had been killed by a bear. Atnight, when we were deeply ensconced in ourwonderful down sleeping bags, it seemed thateven the slightest of sounds resounded likethunder in the still air of the High Arctic.Icebergs collapsed. The flysheet of the tentoccasionally flapped. One of us breathed heavily.Every noise could be translated into theapproach of a hungry bear. In Upernavik we hadhired a rifle and I carried it in a dry bag on mydeck. It was surprisingly heavy. Our wildlifesightings amounted to three types of seals, manyflocks of black guillemot, fulmars, eiders,cormorants and a small Arctic fox, who cheekilyinspected our campsite as we ate but, thankfully,we saw no bears.

Halfway through the trip we reached theUpernavik Ice Fjord. The sight before us wasotherworldly. Icebergs of all shapes andsizes floated on the flat calm,dark grey sea. The

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The sight before us w

Icebergs of all shapes and siz

Therewere dogsClose to

Upe

rnavik

reflections in the water were as clear as in the bestof mirrors. As I watched Jo go gliding by, it seemedas if she were paddling in the clouds. Thebrightness of the ice dazzled. On the far side of thefjord rose the mountains of Puguta. I wonderedhow many times they had been climbed or if,indeed, they had been climbed at all. This wasawe-inspiring scenery of the highest calibre.

There is a prominent American author renownedfor his writings on the Arctic whom Jo had hearddeliver a lecture in 1976. Quite incredibly, andby pure chance, we met Barry Lopez at the end ofour kayaking when we returned to Upernavik. Inhis book, Arctic Dreams he says, The Arcticreminds one of the desert not only because ofthe lack of moisture and the barrentopography, but because itputs a strain onhuman life.

As weentered theice fjord Isensed

that strain with absolute clarity. Here we were onthe north coast of Augpilatoq Island. We felt soisolated in this vast wilderness and humbled bythe magnitude of our surroundings. It felt asthough we could have stepped out of the kayaksand walked all the way across the five-mile widesound hopping from one massive piece of ice tothe next. Those unstable towers of ice seemedrestless as they jostled for position, remorselesslypushing their way to unknown destinations.Every now and again deep resounding boomsshot through the air as an iceberg collapsed,broke into pieces or ground itself onto theseabed. Occasionally, an iceberg became sounstable it bobbled and then rolled completelyover, crashing in the water with a deafening

roar. Having had a close shave in Alaska afew years ago we watched for tsunamis thatcan result from collapsing ice.

At one point around midday - the windshifted noticeably through about thirtydegrees. Suddenly, it was blowing directlyfrom the north and hitting us at a low butsteady speed. As the air drifted across theice fjord the temperature plummetedsignificantly. Despite our layers ofprotective clothing this wind was quitebiting, cutting through us withunnerving ruthlessness. The lowcloud suddenly became a cold greyfog. The sea and sky began tomerge into a grey oneness. Iwondered how much and howquickly the weather woulddeteriorate. During theprevious week we had

paddled in quitebenign

ThePaddler 13

was otherworldly.

zes floated on the flat calm, dark grey sea. The reflections in the water were as clear as in the best of mirrors. As I watched Jo go gliding by, it seemed as if she were paddling in the clouds.

conditions and suddenly everything had changed.Jo shouted over to me to say that she was gettingvery cold. Another iceberg crashed and thegreyness thickened. You could almost cut throughthe seriousness of the situation with a knife.

The immediate shoreline offered possiblelanding spots but no obvious places to pitch thetent. Last nights campsite was some three hoursbehind us. We had enough water for about a dayand a half. Some easy angled granite slabsappeared around the next little headland.Grasping the opportunity we jumped out of theboats and into survival bags. Soon, the stove wasroaring and the hot drinks brought welcomerelief to the tense atmosphere. The weatherabated, the sea remained calm and we made thedecision to press on. The gods of the ice fjordwere smiling on us, allowing us to view theirgems but with a reminder that we should notlinger long.

The ice fjord is a place where the kayaker has tothink with clarity, act with prudence and makevery circumspect decisions. There is little roomfor error.

After over two weeks of paddling and exploring,we landed for the last time at the same spotwhere we had first launched. We acknowledgedhow fortunate we had been to have experiencedmainly dry weather with calm winds andmagnificently clear views. We had been totallyself-sufficient and had achieved our goals ofkayaking in the great ice fjord, camping inamazing places and seeing some awesome Arcticscenery. It was satisfying to have used about everypiece of kit that we had brought except the first

aid kit, the repair kit and the emergencyequipment such as the GPS, McMurdo Fastfinder,split paddles and hand held pump.

The rotomoulded P+H Scorpios were a delight.They were stable and sure with ample space inthe four hatches. We packed our kit, whichincluded five and a half litres of stove fuel andsixteen days worth of food, with ease. By the endof the journey, when we had eaten our waythrough much of the load, it was a simple task topack the kit. These Scorpios were fitted out withrudders and skegs. The kayaks tracked so wellthat there was no need to use them. All of ourlandings were on rough, broken, rockyforeshores and with only two of us to handle theweight we were glad to have plastic boats.

The ice fjord is a place where the kayaker has to

think with clarity, act with prudence and make very circumspect decisions.

There is little room for error.

As we hauled the kayaks from the sea forthe last time we felt a wave of relief thatour expedition had ended safely. However,with that relief there was sadness that ithad come to an end.

Ri gh t: Ph il U

mn ia su gs su k. .

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Back home here in The Lake District, England, it feels as though a magical adventure dream ha speed through my head. After all those months of preparation and planning, our trip has com quickly. Fortunately, our photographs anchor me to the reality that we had made a wonderful the worlds most fascinating environments. Russell Farrow of Sweetwater Kayaks in Florida on People go the Arctic for many reasons. They tend to go either once or man

If we have the resources and the opportunities, we know well be back!

Phil looking towards Puguta

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Thanks to :P+H kayaks www.phseakayaks.com

Werner Paddles www.wernerpaddles.com

Nicolaj Sorenesen of Kayak North, Upernavik.www.kayak-north.com

Blizzard Survival productswww.blizzardsurvival.com

Nige Robinson www.seakayakguides.co.uk

Jo for going along with my madcap ideas!

To see a map of the area visit:https://maps.google.com/?ll=71.756752,-54.393311&spn=4.25204,15.3479&t=m&z=7

Upernavik

as flown at lightning me and gone so journey in one of

ce said to me, ny times.

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South Greenlandice cap solo

By Nigel Gill, BCU Level 4 Sea Kayak CoachIt sounded like a high-velocity rifle shot.Two seconds later, I saw a block of ice,the size of a car, shear off the icebergand slew into the water. A plume ofspray shot out, showering the boat.Now unstable, the berg began to topplebackwards. As it did so, it levered-up itsunderwater plinth of ice, which burstout of the water like a submarinesurfacing. Then PANG! VAROOSH! Itbroke off, crashing back into the water.Eyes wide, heart pumping, I shot into alow-brace, as a shock wave coursedtowards me. Nigel Gill shares histhoughts on a trip that had somemoments of excitement!

To read further visit:

www.thepaddler.co.uk/expgreenlandsouth.html

A journey toremember

By Lesley SleightYouth kayak expedition to westGreenland. Sixteen students from QueenElizabeth II High School aged 15-18 weresplit into two groups. Each group spent10 days kayaking, paddling a total of412kms in which was the first ever youthgroup to explore the area of Maniitsoq.

The journey was from Maniitsoq Islandvia Kangaamiut to the far end ofEvighedsfjorden and back again. The wordManiitsoq means uneven in the Inuitlanguage where high mountains and longnarrow fjords make this landscape quiteunique and completely different fromother places in Greenland. There are4,000 inhabitants in the community with3,000 living in the town of Maniitsoq.

To read further visit:

www.thepaddler.co.uk/expgreenland.html

Right lets start with breaking down river leadershipinto four simple golden rules.

COMMUNICATION: Keeping communication isvital to be sure that all important information isbeing relayed within the group and insuringeverybody is OK. A good example ofcommunication being used on the river when wecant speak to each other is hand signals.

LINE OF SIGHT: It is always important that as aleader we have a visual line of sight of our group atall times this is to ensure that nobody in the groupis left behind or left in trouble without our knowing.In my opinion if we are leading from the front weshould be aiming to look behind at our group onaverage every 15-20 seconds.

AVOIDANCE: This simply means trying to thinkin our head about avoiding any actual danger orpotential situations that could develop into futureissues for example not protecting a rapid that is atthe groups limit of paddling ability. The old sayingavoidance is better than cure is very useful here solets be proactive rather than reactive.

POSITION: As leaders we need to placeourselves in a position of most effectiveness for ourgroup to protect them from any potential dangersand provide the fastest and most swift assistant asand when required.

Coaching by Andy Grimes of Fluid C

For me paddling downrivers is an exciting and fun-

filled experience full ofopportunities to visit new

places and meet newpeople.

Running rivers demands acertain set of skills for us tobe safe and productive andgive us an opportunity to

enjoy the amazingexperience of paddling

rivers.

For most people a naturalprogression in running

rivers as a member of agroup is to take more of a

leadership style role as theybecome more experienced

and knowledgeable.

In this article I hope to uncover some areas andstrategies that we as riverleaders should be made

aware of and always keep inthe front of our mindswhen paddling with a

group.

CommunicationLine Of SightAvoidancePosition

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Chapter 2: NO SIGNAL - NO MOVE

LEADERship

Signal 1 Signal 2

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If we use and abide to these four golden rules of CLAP we have noreason to get into any form of trouble or difficulty on the river andshould at no point need to break any of these rules. If for any reasonany of them are broken we should aim to stabilise the currentsituation and regain control of all four rules again before continuing.

River signals are a regularly used method of creating communication inthe river environment over large distances or in environments thatverbal communication is not possible throughout the group. Belowwe can see a sideshow of the most regularly used hand signals.

Signals 1 is the signal to come to me (tappinghand palm down on head).

Signals 2 is the signal for eddy (pointing in theair and moving our hand in circular motion)this is normally followed by pointing in thedirection of an eddy we would like membersof the group to go to.

Signals 3 is the signal for stop this instructs allthe group to stay where they are until furthernotice!

Signals 4 shows a picture of a paddler using apaddle signal. Paddle signals should be avoidedat all costs because this suggests that we havelost line of sight and have positioned ourselvesbadly to manage our group and have brokenone of the golden rules of CLAP.

On steep gradient rivers where line of sight is difficult to keep, weshould have somebody stood out of their boat on the bank allowingline of sight to be kept between the leader and the rest of the group.As a whole we should make sure our group are aware of one mainrule when it comes to signals on the river:

NO SIGNAL - NO MOVE.

Combinations Kayak Coaching and Guiding

Signal 3

Signal 4

x

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One at a timePaddlers move down a rapid or stretch of water one at a time whileothers provide safety or are waiting in an eddy for the signal to move.This strategy works very well on harder rapids and avoids lots ofpaddlers coming into difficulty at the same time rather than a moremanageable single paddler.

Last man goThe last paddler highest upstream in the group moves down stream toan eddy they require that is situated within the rest of the group whichthen allows for the next highest upstream paddler to move down.

All togetherWe paddle one behind the other with about 3-4 boat lengths of spacebetween paddlers, on occasions though this gap can increase to allowus more space to move around in. This strategy works well on simpleopen stretches of water where it is easy to see a long way ahead andavoid any issues.

Eddy hoppingThe group are spread across a rapid in different eddies, when it is clearand safe to do so the lead paddler furthest downstream leaves theireddy to go to the next downstream eddy. As this happens the paddlerupstream of them leaves their eddy and goes to the eddy that the leadpaddler has just left from. Having received the signal to move by the leadpaddler before he left his eddy the signal is passed back through the restof the group so all paddlers can begin to drop down an eddy then waitfor the next signal to move on their arrival in the eddy. This strategyworks well on steep gradients or rivers with lots of tight bends.

In my opinion the hardest skill when it comes to the four river runningstrategies is the knowing of what strategy to use and when to use it.The only way to get better at this is by having lots of practise and timeon the water. However, just remember ,if in doubt there is no doubtits better to be over cautious than dangerous and gung ho! I would alsorecommend something to you all known as the rule of two! If you cansee two or more obtainable eddies for the group in front of you itshould be clear for us to continue down stream along as the eddiescontinue. If we can only see one eddy further downstream we should bepulling over and making a decision to either position ourselves to abetter location so we can see further downstream or get out andinspect further down stream to see if it is clear to continue. Neverpaddle round blind bends! Its just not worth the risk.

Andy would like to thank his sponsorsSystemX and LiquidLogic Kayaks.

Andy is the managing director of FluidCombinations Kayak Coaching and Guiding.Further information and courses please seewww.fluidcombinations.co.uk

River Running Strategies

See Andys first coaching feature at:www.thepaddler.co.uk/coachbalance.html

EquipmentWhen it comes to what we carry on the river weneed to ask ourselves one important question:What is appropriate for the situation andenvironment. This basically means asking ourselveswhat we are carrying and why! If we can justify thereason for the kit we carry we can be sure wewont unnecessarily overload ourselves and areonly carrying what we need and use. Below is aphoto of some equipment that we should considertaking or choosing a selection of items from for aday on the river.

In Summary If we abide to the river leadership analogy of

CLAP we have no reason to get into troubleon the river.

If we lose control of one of the rules of CLAPwe must not continue any further until wehave regained control of all four again.

The use of river signals must be kept clear andsimple so all the group can understand and usethem. Avoid paddle signals as this suggests youhave lost line of sight and broken a rule of clap.

We must practise as much as possible all thedifferent river running strategies so we can gainthe knowledge and experience to know whichstrategy works best and in which environment.

Choose kit that is appropriate for theriver/group that you know how to use and is asminimal as possible.

If you wish to learn more about leadershipthen we recommend that you attend aBCU 4 Star training course. Fluidcombinations run these courses all thetime so check out the website for furtherinformation.

1

Group/Leader kit

23

4

56

7 8

9

10

11

1. W

arm clothes; 2. First aid kit & pho

ne; 3. Throw

line;

4. Group shelter; 5. W

arm hat ; 6. W

ater ; 7. Emergency food

; 8. Basic boat repair kit ; 9. H

ead torch & glow stick;

10. Split padd

les.; 11. D

ry bag to

the put kit in.

Manufacturers Holidays Watersport Jobs Courses & Quals Watersport Centres Equipment Retailers Canoe Club Finder

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ThePaddler 24

Paddle Florida: an

Suwannee.Withlacoochee.Wekiva.Ochlockonee.Bahia Honda.

What do these exoticsounding names havein common? Anyonewhos gone on a PaddleFlorida trip knows, astheyve canoed orkayaked on or besidethese rivers, springs,and keys.

Pelican reflection in th

e Florida Ke

ys,

In our first feature on Florida, we look beyond theboundaries of Floridas popular theme parkswhere lies a treasure trove of natural beautyunlike anywhere else in the world. From coastalmangrove island habitats to spring-fed riverswinding through hardwood hammocks, Floridaoffers nature lovers year-round outdooradventure opportunities. Paddle Florida capitalizeson that by staging annual paddling trips in each ofthe states five water management districts.

The concept for Paddle Florida was born in 2006 when four friends enjoyed a 10-daypaddling trip together on the Suwannee River. Around the campfire, they talked abouthow river camping might attract more people to Floridas beautiful waterways if itwere easier to carry gear and plan meals.

ThePaddler 25

international destination for nature-based recreationBy Jill Lingard Vice President, Paddle Florida Board of Directors.

In recognition of their conservation efforts, theFlorida Society for Ethical Ecotourism awardedthe group its prestigious Silver Level Certificationthis past June, citing, Paddle Florida hassuccessfully demonstrated its commitment toecological sustainability, natural and cultural areamanagement, and delivery of quality ecotourismexperiences.

Since their first trips in 2008, over 400 paddlersfrom 27 states have gone on Paddle Floridastrips half of them come from outside Florida.Patty Pape, a Michigander who spends winters inFlorida, completed a 10-day trip in the Keys lastJanuary. I had 15 friends from Michigan who camedown to paddle with me so that made it special, sheexplains. In Michigan you can walk on water in thewinter, so they were eager to escape the cold and snowand come to the Sunshine State for a few weeks ofpaddling. Paddle Florida was a great way to meet

new people from other parts of the country. With allthe work of meals, campsites, route planning, andhauling gear all done for you, it made the trip easyfor us.

To further illustrate that last point, 10-year-oldKayla Smith joined her grandmother for a week-long paddle of the Suwannee River in 2009. Bothladies had a grand time, with the elder able topoint out to the younger important landmarks ofher childhood in the Suwannee River Basin.Describes Kayla in her journal of the trip, Ourcampground has a beautiful spring right next to ourtent. There is an underwater tunnel under a rockplatform. When Grammy was younger, she wentswimming in it! After supper tonight, there was awonderful sounding woman singing with her guitar.It was a bundle of fun!

The environments visited by Paddle Floridapermit paddlers an up-close view of nature.Winding through North Floridas springsheartland, the Suwannee River Wilderness Trail ishome to the greatest concentration of springs onearth, some 260 springs releasing over 2.8 billiongallons of water per day! This uniquely Floridafeature supports all kinds of interesting wildlife

The idea for supported trips was developed andPaddle Florida launched its inaugural trip inMarch 2008 with 163 participants paddling 123miles of the iconic Suwannee over a week.Paddlers were provided with three meals dailyand their tenting gear was transported for themto each evenings camp spot. Artists, musicians,authors, and naturalists local to the regionprovided Florida-based entertainment andeducational programming each evening alongshorelines.

From that first trip on the Suwannee River,todays Paddle Florida has blossomed into a non-profit organization which stages five multi-daytrips per year in each of Floridas watermanagement districts. Their paddling schedulehas grown to include three to 10-day trips on thePeace, Wekiva, St. Johns, Ochlockonee,Withlacoochee, and Rainbow Rivers, as well as in

the Florida Keys. To date, Paddle Florida hasstaged 16 paddling trips and is preparing tolaunch its third full season this fall.

Non-profit status was awarded to Paddle Floridain May 2011 with a refocus of its mission topromote state-wide water conservation, wildlifepreservation, springs restoration, and waterwaysprotection. This mission emerged as a result ofwhat the organizations staff saw happening tosprings in North Central Florida and water policyin general. Paddle Florida staff have re-imaginedwhat their events can achieve and now theirannual paddling trips have become the vehiclefor promoting their ecological mission.

On each trip, Floridas rich cultural heritage andnatural history is promoted by featuring some ofthe states most talented artists, musicians,authors, educators, and historians for theirevening programmes. Water district managers arealso on hand to explain what they are doing tomake water available and clean in their regions.Paddle Florida also coordinates voluntary clean-ups of each waterway they visit. Previous years'volunteers have collected and removed over1,000lbs of rubbish from Florida's rivers.

For more information on Paddle Florida and trips available for the 2012-2013 season, visit http://paddleflorida.org/

Fun facts:Florida has more than 11,000 miles of rivers, streams and wat Longest river: St. Johns at 273 miles. Largest lake: Lake Okeechobee at 700 square miles. Number of lakes greater than 10 acres: Approximately. 7,700

ThePaddler 26

above and below the water's surface frombrown speckled limpkins to prehistoric-lookingsturgeon and manatees seeking winter refuge incrystal clear springs which average a year-roundtemperature of 72 degrees. The warm, turquoisewaters of the Florida Keys support the nationsonly barrier coral reef and a rich diversity ofunderwater life. Daily itineraries leaveparticipants with the freedom to trade theirpaddles in for a mask and snorkel to take a closerpeek at the abundant river and sea life theyrepaddling over.

Paddle Floridas staff likes to joke that, they takeof everything but the paddling on their trips. Alltrips are scouted in advance to ensure waterwayconditions and shoreline camping spotsmaximize comfort and showcase nature's bestview. Partnerships with local outfitters providepaddlers with canoes, kayaks, and other gear torent as needed. Meal plans and gear shuttlingeliminate the need to weigh boats down withfood and camping equipment. Lead and sweepboats guide paddlers on each day's journey. Withthis level of support, paddlers of all ages and skilllevels can enjoy an extended adventure inFloridas outdoors.

Morning m

ist on the Suwannee River,

aterways. 0.

ThePaddler 27

Suwannee River Wilderness Trail is home to the

greatest concentration of springs on earth, some 260 springs releasing over 2.8 billion gallons of water per day!

ThePaddler 28

Campsite at Bahia Honda State Park,Florida Keys Challenge.

A limpkin along the banks of the Wekiva River.

Enjoying an oyster roast on the banks of theOchlockonee River, Dam to the Bay trip.

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Manatees congregate in Blue Spring off the St. Johns R

iver.

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Paddle Florida 2012-2013 scheduleIts no accident that trips are scheduled during the optimal time of year forpleasant temperatures and minimal mosquitoes. The 2012-2013 paddlingschedule features these three to six-day trips:

October 26-31: Suwannee River Wilderness Trail (65 miles)

November 30- December 3: Wekiva/St. Johns River Ramble (30 miles)

January 18-21:Florida Keys Challenge (35 miles)

February 13-18: Wild, Wonderful Withlacoochee (60 miles)

March 16-22: Dam to the Bay, on the Ochlockonee River (76 miles)

I am excited about our slate of trips for theupcoming season. Were returning to somefavourite destinations and breaking in newwaterways with our first trip to theWithlacoochee and Rainbow Rivers. In this timewhen water issues have become a feature of thedaily news, its also great to be able to involve ourpaddlers in good stewardship of Floridas mostprecious resource. Bill Richards, Paddle Floridas Executive Director. http://paddleflorida.org/

Wekiva/St. Jo

hns RiverRam

ble, April 20

12

Does

stand up paddle kayak fishing, com

Padd pa

By Melind

ThePaddler 31

In our secondfeature on Florida,we are welcomedby South FloridaCanoe Kayak Clubto highlight thesouth of Florida.

Welcome toSouthwest Florida,a paddlersparadise! Bringyour passion forthe water toSouth FloridaCanoe Kayak Club,situated on theGulf of Mexicohalfway betweenTampa and Miami.

boarding, recreational paddling, wildlife viewing, mpetitive racing, or surfing

the ocean on your surf ski peak your interest? Then Southwest Florida is the place to be!

ling in aradise

a Mack, Executive Director, South Florida Canoe Kayak Club

ThePaddler 32

A region

Bird sightings along the blue way include

leggy herons, blush-coloured roseate spoonbills, aerodynamickingfishers and plummeting pelicans

ThePaddler 33

The Beaches of Fort Myers and Sanibel inLee County is host to a myriad of waterways. Youcan explore the Great Calusa Blueway PaddlingTrail, more than 400 miles of canals, theCaloosahatchee River, the Gulf of Mexico, andthe Estero and Imperial rivers.

One of Southwest Floridas greatest treasures is theaforementioned Calusa Blueway, which meanders190 miles along the back bays and wildlife-ladenshores near Sanibel and Fort Myers.

Easy to identify markers guide canoeists andkayakers away from powerboat traffic andthrough calm areas that often are only a foot ortwo deep, according to Betsy Clayton, waterwayscoordinator with Lee County Parks andRecreation. Bird sightings along the blue wayinclude leggy herons, blush-coloured roseatespoonbills, aerodynamic kingfishers andplummeting pelicans. More than 300 species ofbirds live in or migrate through Lee County.Paddlers encounter dolphins, manatees, seaturtles and river otters. Snook, redfish tarpon andother game fish abound.

The Blueway is named after the Calusa Indianswho dominated South Florida for centuriesbefore the arrival of the Spaniards in the early16th century. The trail is perfect for everypaddling adventure from short novice level tripsto day-long or overnight trips. Anglers,birdwatchers, photographers, day-trippers,families, archaeology lovers and geocachersenjoy the Blueway. Every autumn, the CalusaBlueway paddling festival celebrates the trail andits cultural attractions. The 2012 dates areNovember 1-4th at the Sanibel Causeway.

The trail and all of Lee Countys waterways iseasy for newcomers and visitors to use.

Along with the posted signs paddlers can use freemaps and or GPS coordinates, both of which areonline at www.CalusaBlueway.com. You canrequest a free map from the website or pick oneup at area outfitters, parks, government facilities,marinas, chamber of commerce and welcomecentres. The website includes put-in sites, whereto rent boats and how to find guided tours. Areaoutfitters offer variety, from moonlight trips andghost tours to eco-trips and fishing adventures.Theyre along the trail from Northern Point inPine Island Sound to its southern end on EsteroBay, as well as inland on the CaloosahatcheeRiver and its tributaries.

If you like gadgets and your smart-phoneconsider this: The Calusa Blueway is among thefirst water trails in the country to have a state-of-the-art smart phone application that users candownload for free to more easily navigateSouthwest Florida waters.

It provides real-time GPScoordinates and navigation, aninteractive trail map with places ofinterest identified, boating tripsand regulations a brief history ofMound Key inhabitants and a keyto the islands flora, fauna andwildlife. Find more informationand a link to download the app atwww.LeeParks.org/BluewayApp.html. For thetrail website, visit www.calusablueway.com.

If youre planning a visit, youll want to check outthe Lonely Planet guide book to region:http://fortmyers-sanibel.com/forms/order-free-travelers-guide. Or you can download its smart-phone app from the iTunes store for a mobileversion of the guide.

known as

interactive trail map

www.LeeParks.org/Bluew

ayApp.html

ThePaddler 34

you will have theopportunity to visit the newly revitalizeddowntown River District where shopping,dining, art museums, music and nightlifeabound. Festivals include Artwalk, Musicwalk,bike nights and more. Check out the downtowndistrict at: http://www.myriverdistrict.com

Of course, you wont want to miss the SouthFlorida Canoe Kayak Club when you come.

The club has a comprehensive vision for LeeCounty, which includes a Para Olympic trainingsite for canoeing and kayaking as well as aninternational training centre for flat water sprintathletes. We dedicate ourselves to all forms ofpaddlesport and connecting our community tothe abundance of water with which we aresurrounded.

Floridas climate, water temperature andenvironmental surroundings makes it the perfectplace for exploring nature through paddlesportor learning to gain that competitive edge inracing. We look forward to your visit here andwill make sure you have an unforgettableexperience. Visitors are welcome to contact usand join our activities year-round.

For more information on planning yourpaddling holiday to Southwest Florida you canvisit our website at www.sfckc.org and find uson Facebook at S.F.C.K.C.

For further information or questions, contactExecutive Director Melinda Mack atMelinda.mack@sfckc.org.

While on holiday here

Floridas climate, water temperature and

environmental surroundings makes us the perfect place for

exploring nature through paddlesport

When you go Where: Southwest Florida

Why:Home of the South Florida Canoe KayakClub, The Great Calusa Blueway Paddling Trail andThe Beaches of Fort Myers and Sanibel

When: Sunshine year-round; annual paddlingfestival Nov. 1-4, 2012.

Call: Visitor bureau toll-free, (800) 237-6444.

Online:www.sfckc.org for club;www.calusablueway.com for waterways;www.fortmyers-sanibel.com for visitor guide.

ThePaddler 35

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C

ThePaddler 37

Crashin

g

intoVen

ezeula

British Universities Kayak Expedition

As the team for the British Universities KayakExpedition to Venezuela we had so far enjoyed agreat two weeks paddling and exploring the steepmountainous rivers of the far north eastern tip ofthe Andes. Our journey began in a car park at theairport in Caracas, exchanging large amounts of20 and 50 Euro notes on the black market for aneven larger amount of Bolivars. Spirallinginflation and a lack of confidence in the Chavezregime has led to a healthy illegal trade inforeign currency which will see you earn almosttwice as much local dinero compared to using anATM. Having been forewarned of the dangers ofCaracas we were understandably a little nervous

at one by one stepping out of sight with asecurity official to hand over large amounts ofcash, fortunately he turned out (as we soonlearnt was typical of many Venezuelans) to beentirely honest and happy to do business. Cashin hand it was time to load up our Land Cruiserand make a break for the mountains.

Our first stop was the rafting centre on the RiosSiniguise and Acequias near Barinas. Catering toa growing contingent of Venezuelans in Caracasand other major cities wishing to experience thethrills (and spills) of the river, several raftingcompanies have set up base along the river.Spending a few nights with the local raft guidesprovided us a great source of information, foodand hospitality as well as some excellent sectionsto warm up on. Not that everything ransmoothly; it was only day two when we foundourselves having our first epic walking outthrough dense jungle for 10km in the dark, aftertorrential rain caused the river to rise by fourmetres in just 15 minutes!

One of our main objectives for the first part ofthe expedition was to complete the first descentof the Upper Aricagua before the second descentof the lower sections. After driving up and downthe valley and gathering wisdom from the locals,we came to the conclusion that the only route tothe river was down a narrow, steep and rockytributary. The remainder of that day was spentscraping over rocks, portaging through the densejungle and roping down steeper sections in whatresembled a canyoning expedition with heavilyloaded kayaks in tow rather than a kayakingexpedition. As night began to draw in we hadcovered only 300m and were faced with what

appeared to be an even steeper section ahead ofus. Ten minutes of light pruning with a machete(running around like maniacs, hacking away atthe undergrowth) provided us with a small patchof jungle in which to hammock up for the night,unsure of the scale of the task that awaited us thefollowing day.

After a fitful sleep and a quick scout of oursurroundings we realised what we were upagainst. Downstream the river entered a steepgorge, which we couldnt scout, where theground was too steep to portage and the riverunpaddleable. Unable to continue downstream,and unable to hike up to the road we were leftwith one option retrace our route. If theprevious day had felt like hard work, what wewere faced with now was a colossal challenge canyoning upstream is hard work, doing it withsix heavily laden creek boats is soul destroying.After a long day, we had made it back to the roadbridge, with just enough energy and time left toswing wildly (though somewhat less

ThePaddler 38

Spending a few nights with the local raft guide food and hospitality as well as some excellent

raindrops hitting thetarp above my head, the rushing sound of the river nearby and theincessant background noise of the jungle all around me. Under manycircumstances this would be a lovely start to the day. Not so this day.This was day four in our small campsite shoehorned into a space we hadcleared in the jungle with our machete.

This was the day that we wouldrun out of food!

I awoke to the sound of

es provided us a great source of information, t sections to warm up on.

We encountered continuous white water,

surrounded by jungle and with two committing gorge sections

to keep us on our toes

Sandra Hyslop, Yurani Rapids

Joe Rea-Dickins, Playa Puy

Joe Rea-Dickins, Salto Aponguilao

ThePaddler 40

ThePaddler 41

Pui

Sam Sawday, Rio Canagua

Joe Rea-Dickins, Yurani Rapids

Arthur Norton, Rio Orinoco

Jonny Hawkins, Yurani RapidsSam

Sawday &

Jonny Haw

kins, Rio C

anagua

ThePaddler 42

Once recovered from our jungle ordeal, we were again

We headed to the Orinoco for a week playing on the big

Sand

ra H

yslop, Salto Sakaiki.

ThePaddler 43

enthusiastically than the previous night) at thejungle to clear another campsite. Having used thesatellite phone to leave a message with our driverand guide, Ulysses and Roque, we were confidentof being picked up in the morning, ready for abeer and a good dinner.

The nights are pitch black under the jungle canopyand, given our proximity to the equator,indefinitely long, but when the morningeventually arrived there was no message on the satphone, and no sign of our driver. As the day drewon we tired of checking for messages and, havingspent most of the day in our hammocks shelteringfrom the cold incessant rain, the novelty wasbeginning to wear off we were cold, hungry andeverything was thoroughly damp. Sandras 21stbirthday came and went and we were still stuck inour small campsite in the jungle, living off thesupplies wed bought for the river trip,hypothesizing as to why we werent being rescued.

In all we spent four days waiting for salvation, buteventually Roque did return. It wasnt until we hadfailed to show up at the take out after three days asprearranged that Ulysses and Roque began toworry and drove back up the river a short way toget phone signal. Completely unaware of oursituation they had been living by a lake, drinkingbootleg liquor and waiting for us to show up!

Once recovered from our jungle ordeal, we wereagain able to explore some of the rivers of theAndes, recording at least a couple of seconddescents including a return to the Aricagua tocomplete the second descent of the lowersections. As we were promised by the first descentteam, we encountered continuous white water,surrounded by jungle and with two committinggorge sections to keep us on our toes. The uppersection still awaits its first descent, and if itsanything like the lower section, the luckypaddlers will be in for a treat!

Following on from our month in the Andeanstates of Barinas and Merida, we headed to theOrinoco for a week playing on the big volume(30,000 cumecs!) rapids and waves where wenearly commandeered an old Soviet era militaryhelicopter for filming purposes. From here wedrove east to the Gran Sabana in search ofwaterfalls and finally to the beach to enjoy thePacific surf for the last few days before most ofthe team flew home. In all we spent two monthsin Venezuela, a country beset with politicalproblems and security issues. All that weexperienced was the generosity of the manyVenezuelans who welcomed us into their homes,the magnificent beauty of the country and thefabulous variety and quality of white waterkayaking to be found there.

n able to explore some of the rivers of the Andes

g volume (30,000 cumecs!) rapids and waves

Joe Rea-D

ickins, Yurani Rapids.

Sandra Hyslop, R

io Orinoco.

Sam Saw

day, Rio A

ricagua.

ThePaddler 44

Visas: To enter Venezuela, a passport valid for six months on arrival isrequired. Visas for Venezuela are not required by US, UK, CanadianAustralian of EU nationals with the exception of Latvia and Cyprus.

Safety: The 1,000-mile (1,609km) long border between Venezuela andColombia is notorious for the risk of violence, kidnapping, smuggling anddrug trafficking. Visitors should give the border region a wide berth.

Language: Spanish is the official language of Venezuela.

Electricity: 110/220 volts, 60Hz. US two-pin plugs are general..

Geography: Venezuela has a territory of about 916,445 square kilometerswith an estimated population of 29,105,632. There are four distinctive regions inVenezuela. The Venezuelan Highlands in the west of the country. Here is thehighest point of Venezuela, Pico Bolvar, at 4,979 metres (16,335 ft). TheMaracaibo Lowlands, occupying the northwest part. The central plain of LosLlanos around the Orinoco River and the Guyana region, south of the OrinocoRiver, including Amazon rain forest and the Guyana Highlands, home to theworld's highest waterfall The Angel Falls (Churun Meru).

Seasons: Venezuela has in general a tropical, hot and humid climate, but theweather varies depending on the altitude. The climate is moderate in highlandsand alpine in the higher parts of mountains.

Money: Venezuela's currency is the Bolivar Fuerte (VEF), which replaced theBolivar (VEB) in January 2008. The revaluation means that Bs. 1,000 becomes BsF 1. It is divided into 100 centimos. US dollars are the most favoured foreigncurrency so it is best to have cash and travellers cheques in US$. Foreigncurrency and cheques can be changed at bureau de change offices found inmost larger cities and tourist destinations. Some banks (e.g. Banco Mercantil) willnow buy US dollars for bolivares or sell bolivares against a foreign credit card;some major hotels will also swap US dollars for bolivares. Banks are usually openMonday to Friday. It is best to obtain local currency where possible beforetravelling, and bolivars should be exchanged before exiting Venezuela. There areATMs in the cities (however some travellers have experienced problems usingthem), and most credit cards, including MasterCard/Eurocard, American Expressand Visa, are accepted in major cities. Diners Club has more limited acceptance.Visitors are also warned that there is a serious problem with credit card fraud.

Health: There are no vaccination requirements for Venezuela, but those whoplan to travel in areas outside the main cities should be immunised against yellowfever, Hepatitis A, and typhoid. Some airlines travelling to Venezuela will insist on ayellow fever certificate before boarding the plane, and travellers are advised tocheck with their airline before travel. There is a risk of malaria, particularly injungle areas, but prophylaxis is not necessary for travel to Caracas or the coastalareas. Medical advice should be sought at least three weeks prior to departure.Insect protection measures are vital to avoid both malaria and dengue fever,which is on the increase. Mains water should not be drunk, but bottled drinkingwater is available. Venezuela's hospitals offer free emergency treatment, howeverthe private hospitals are better quality, though expensive. Public hospitals sufferfrom a shortage of basic supplies, as do private hospitals and clinics outsideCaracas. Health insurance is advisable.

INFORMATION

https://maps.google.com/?ll=7.231699,-66.577148&spn=20.704703,19.973145&t=m&z=6

Venezuela

http://uniyaker.co.uk

Jonny Hawkins, Yurani Rapids

By Robert Moffatt

ThePaddler 46

What is the British Universities Kayak Expedition?

In its current guise, the BritishUniversities Kayak Expedition wasformed in 2005 when a group of Britishstudents formed a team anddisappeared to Kyrgyzstan, exploringand documenting the white water theyfound. Since then, it has become abiennial event, with subsequent teamsbeing formed from selection weekendsheld in Wales before planning andundertaking their own expeditions.Siberia and Mongolia played host tothe second expedition in 2007, before2009 saw a team venture to Vietnam.

How do I get involved in BUKE?If you are a student at a BritishUniversity and would like to beconsidered for the selection process,keep an eye on the website(www.uniyaker.co.uk) where details ofthe application process will be postedprior to each event. The selectionprocess takes place between Septemberand November of the year before eachexpedition is to take place. If you areinterested in supporting the expeditionin any other way, then please get intouch through the Uniyaker website orby contacting any of the previous teammembers.

Thanks toThe team would like to thank everyonethat helped make the expedition happen:Tim Burne for organising the selectionevent; Dave Manby for conceding thatVenezuela might be a suitable alternativeto Iran; Roque Duarte, our Venezuelanguide; Alejandro Buzzo, our raftingcontact; and all of our sponsors(Pyranha, Canoe & Kayak Store,Alpkit, DD Hammocks, CotswoldOutdoor and the BCU). For moreinformation about the 2011 BUKEexpedition to Venezuela, check out theteams website: www.kayakvenezuela.co.uk

BySteve Richardson. Photos:Jamie Prout.

Symonds Yat

Fancy getting wet? A fairly normal start to most paddling trips. This is often followed by a discussion thathas the following elements in: Where has any water? Whos paddling? How far do wehave to travel? How much of a hit is my beleaguered bank account going to take for

what will be a paddle in the UK in the middle of summer?

ThePaddler 48

UK DAY

S OUT

all the brilliant articles about faroff places on the other side of the world, but let's face it mostof us have neither the money, time or permission to paddleon some of these exotic paddles.

I know the world has become much smaller and everythingin theory is open to everyone but a touch of realism isneeded for a sunday morning paddle.

Boats on the roof, kit (well some of it) in the car and off wego. Michael has grabbed some school friends and shoe hornsthem into a small three door VW polo, while we have the restof the kit and loads of space in a Land Rover. Is my taste inmusic really that bad!

Everyone on the water and off down to play on the smallwave train and odd feature. The river is fairly busy with anumber of other paddlers. Some just here to play, others justpassing through. There is even a small group lower downjumping in and throwing ropes at each other.

The water is a little low but some nifty work with a large diggerhas made the best of it. In fact someone (I think

lots of someones) has really made afantastic job of this section of the river.

Time to cough on where we are. Weare on the mighty Symonds Yat!

The fantastic work done in improving the site hasnt turned itinto a southern Tryweryn or indeed a natural version of theCardiff artificial course, but it has created a small section ofwater that runs most of the year. Its been designed by peoplewho paddle who have made the features work for us. Thechallenge is not in conquering a technical Grade 4, its ingetting the most from whats there. It can be really hard workto get just the right amount of lift, control or squirt from thefeatures. It also allows the experienced paddlers to playalongside new ones, practice skills ready for the winterseason, try new kit and generally have a nice wet day.

It also offers clubs like ours the chance to drag severaldifferent sections out together. Open boaters and tourers canmake a day of it while the park and play mob can well parkand play! Theres a great little paddle shop, parking and foodon site.

So next time youre scratching for a local where to gotomorrow, I strongly suggest you give it a look.

Many thanks to Jamie Prout for the great photos, who gavehis very expensive camera to Michael to carry across to theisland to get the shots. A heart in the mouth ferry glide!

Further info: http://www.yatrapids.co.uk

Video: http://youtu.be/M6jUfKZqMkc

ThePaddler 49

Its fantastic to read

Following on from the companys wide range ofgoggle-mounted cameras that capture footage fromthe shooters point of view, the new Ego camera canbe can be clipped on to various sports equipmentand angled to take photos or video of the user aswell hence the name Ego.

There are three shooting modes in the Ego withthe default capturing 720p video at 60 frames persecond, where the high frame rate is perfect forsports involving plenty of motion. One tap up topswitches to 1080p video at 30 frames per second,and a second to still image shooting at up to 12

megapixels. A front coloured LED tells youwhich mode you're in, depending on the

colour: blue for 720, green for 1080p,red for 480 and purple for stills up to12MP.

The max 135 degree field ofview gives a wide-angle look tovideo. The quality of videocaptured is very good with alittle over saturation insome colours but the levelof detail is very good. Itoffers no light source inlow light conditions,where it becomes noisybut then this isn't really acamera intended for afterdark.

Our test model came witha fully waterproof casing,

which would cost an additional

40 and is good for a depth of 100 metres. RivalGoPro models come with removable waterproofhousing as standard, however a similarly-speccedGoPro, costs well over 200.

It comes with a basic stand with some adhesive padsfor the bottom, but with a standard threaded porton the rear, it will screw into camera accessories.

The Ego can now be turned into a wi-fi hotspot forlive streaming to smart phones, tablets andcomputers with no external wi-fi attachmentsrequired. Download the free Action Connect appand you can control the cameras settings from anyiPhone or Android device. This reveals more optionsthat you can access on the camera itself. You canchoose the field of view, resolutions and othercommon image settings. Theres also microphonesensitivity control.

This additional control is the main point of the app,but it can also be used to remotely see through thecameras eyes, albeit with a two second delay butyou can take photos and start capturing videodirectly from the phone - and even use digital zoom.When taking video on the camera itself, the live feedis then cut off.

Visual control of the camera itself is through a smallLCD screen mounted between the two controlbuttons on the top. it is a little fiddly and in brightconditions the shadows cast by the casing make itvery difficult to see - thats the drawback for havingsomething so small.

The Ego can take a Micro SDHC card up to 32GB(memory cards are not included), which recordsthousands of photos and hours of HD video. Filescan then be downloaded to a computer with thehigh speed USB cable provided or with the SD cardand the Egos internal battery provides over twohours of life before recharging.

All I can say is grab one!

ThePaddler 50

Testing,

Available in red, blue, black, yellow and whitewww.liquidimageco.com 159.99

Liquid Image Ego HD camerahttp://www.liquidimageco.comhttp://www.youtube.com/user/LiquidImageCoWe are smitten with this great looking and feeling HD camera.

Stand with some adhesive pads for

the bottom.

FrontLED indicator

light.

LCDscreen.

Optional fullywaterproof casing.

Coleman LED Micro QuadLanternhttp://www.coleman.comFour for one and all detachable.The Coleman LED Micro Quad Lantern is a sturdy, bright, fun andfunctional lantern in its own right. the clever bit are its four detachablemagnetic micro-lights that can be fixed to metal, hung or clipped ontoyour tent, clothing or whatever for hands-free lighting.

Contained within the base are four snap-on colour lenses - green,blue for map reading, yellow and red for night vision.

Coleman claim the lantern has up to 38 hours run time, with themicro-lights up to 9 hours 45 minutes. The micro-lights contain tworound lithium batteries that conveniently recharge each time you fixthem back to the base unit. The main lantern itself is powered by4xAA batteries.

A very nice touch with the micro-micro lights is the rubber strap thatencircles each of them, which can be unhooked it from itsgroove and you can use it to hang thelight or, most usefully, grip it in yourteeth.

This is a real quality productand has more uses than youcould possibly think of with areasonable price.

Weight: 266g without powersource, 362g with powersource

Usable light around 20 feet.

Light output: 77 lumens, eachindividual micro-light has 16lumens.

Available in redhttp://www.coleman.com 20-25.00

ThePaddler 51

gTesting, testin ThePaddler.co.uk test station. If youwantyourproductremovedanditwillbeofinterest to paddlers - email us: reviews@thepaddler.co.uk1, 2, 3Contained within

the base are four snap-on

colour lenses.

Magnetic plate and

charging clips for the

detachable micro-lights.

Detachable micro-

lights with rubber strips for

hanging.

Stretchy and comfortable base layerIdeal for layering or used on its own on warmer days, the Paramo Gridbaselayer material will prove a very useful and stylish addition to youroutdoor wardrobe. It features a stretchy grid material that provideswarmth and plenty of breathability, whilst remaining light at just 200gms.It also has a lovely soft touch to the gridded fabric called Parameta Gthat makes it so comfortable to wear, which enables easy movement.

It has a neat tailored female fit with thumb loops to keep the sleeves inplace for extra hand warmth when needed and a zip neck for the all-important temperature control. When covered by a windproof orwaterproof outer layer the grid structure of the fabric creates airpockets for increased warmth, whilst decreasing the warmth of thegarment if worn on warmer days without a top layer.

Paramo has partnered with Remploy, to produce the garments infactories at Clydebank and Stirling in Scotland.

The Paramo Ladies Grid Technic is a truly high performance longsleeved base layer for year round outdoor activities.

NewpaddlesWave Sport EthosThe new Wave Sport Ethos,pioneers the river trekking categoryin the Wave Sport family of boatsand offers confidence-buildingperformance for whitewaternewcomers and comfort andreliability for seasoned paddlersembarking on longer trips.

Introducing the river trekkingcategory to the Wave Sport line,the Ethos is a stable, forgiving,crossover platform. The Ethos offersa confidence-building introductionto paddling in up to class IIIwhitewater. The hull ismanoeuvrable in rapids, yet trackswell on flat water with the help of adropdown skeg system. The Ethosoffers excellent comfort on long,multi-day river treks due to theroomy cockpit and sizeable gear-storage space.

Key performance features includea full whitewater auto-adjustingfoot brace system, an adjustableleglifter, a whitewater-focusedrocker profile and a progressivechine that helps beginners learnthe feeling of edging in a stable,reliable design. These featurescombined with the river runningstyle peaked bow allow the Ethosto punch rapids, resurface quickly,and move swiftly downriver.http://www.wavesport.com

Available in dolphin and black. Sizes: XS, S, M, L, XLhttp://www.paramo.co.uk 55.00

Incredisocks are available in black, white and greywww.incrediwear.com 19.95

ThePaddler 52

Incredisockshttp://www.incrediwear.comIncredible claims on comfort, blood circulation and sweat reducing capabilities.

Reading the press release - I was sceptical of some of the claims of this so calledsuper sock!

They have been shown to increase circulation quickly resulting in anincreased blood flow allowing moreoxygen to the tissues. probably downto the tight weave resulting in astrong quality to the sock. I couldnthonestly say that I noticed any realdifference in performance but thenagain I am no elite athlete!

We lose something like 250ml ofwater each day through our feetresulting in infamous nasty,damp and foul smelling sweatysocks! Now I dont haveparticularly bad feet in this area

but the socks more than stood up to theirclaim after a 5k run. My feet were perfectlydry and there was no smell! So withoutwashing I used them again the next day for

the very same thing and once again they were absolutely fine. They are alsovery comfortable and have a very nice warm feeling to them, which shouldmake them ideal for winter paddling.

Generous

length to protect the

lower back during all

activities.

Paramo Ladies Grid Technichttp://www.paramo.co.uk

Carbonized charcoalanion technology.

Zip neck for

variable ventilation with zip

garage for comfort.

Thumb loops to hold

sleeves in place when required,

reducing any gap between glove

and jacket in order to maintain

hand warmth.

Distributed in the UK and ROI by Surf Sales Ltd. Phone 01303 850553 | info@surf-sales.com | www.surf-sales.com

A new level of flexibilityPoint 65 Kayaks Sweden presents the take-apart Martini! A rigid high-perfor-mance kayak that you can carry with a smile on your face, easily stow on your boat and transport in the trunk of your car.

Go solo, go tandem go triple - go bananas! The Martini snaps apart and re-assembles in seconds. Snap in the mid-section and your Solo transforms into a Tandem. Add another mid section and its a triple! Keep adding mid sections to create the perfect team-building excercise.

www.point65.com

Plas y Brenin, Capel Curig Conwy LL24 OET Tel: 01690 720214 Email: info@pyb.co.uk www.pyb.co.uk facebook.com/plasybrenin

ThePaddler 54

Its nearly one in the morning and Im satin my tent listening to sand being blastedagainst the walls. I am absolutely zonked.Having cycled thousands of miles acrossEurasia I am fit but my body isnt used topaddling. My shoulders feel like cement,my hands are blistered and my backsqueals regularly. The transition fromHercules to Nelson has been gruelling forboth mind and body, and I am only three

days in

FromRussiawith blisters

ThePaddler 55

FromRussiawith blisters

Sarah Outen

London2London expeditionPhotos by sarahouten.com

and Justine Curgenven (cackletv.com

)

It was a hugely challenging leg for me in allrespects, not least because of the physical andmental challenge that the change from bike toboat and back again posed. I had beenpunching hard every day since leaving Londonand we needed to maintain the pace to getdown to Honshu, Japan within all the weatherand visa windows. On one days cycling Ipedalled continuously for 19 hours throughdriving rain and bitter cold to reach mydestination, arriving in the early hours themorning after I had left my tent. As I often joke its an expedition, not a holiday.

Its all about integrityThe five week phase involved three open watercrossings of between 15 and 24 miles whichstrong currents multiplied to distances muchgreater than I had paddled before. The crossingfrom Sakhalin to Hokkaido turned out to be amarathon effort 11.5 hours in the boat

ThePaddler 56

When I first started

Getting to Japan from mainland Eurasia involved the volatile and impossible Koreas or the

cauldron of risk that is the East China Sea

First p

addle in N

elson at D

e-Kastri, Russia, heading up the coast b

efore crossin

g to Sakhalin.

planning my London2London journey twoyears ago, I picked out the Russian island ofSakhalin as a stepping stone down to Japan. Themap showed a tiny gap between the mainlandcontinent and this little-heard-of island, with a25 mile strait in the way of Japan.

Given that the other options for getting to Japanfrom mainland Eurasia involved the volatileand impossible Koreas or the cauldron of riskthat is the East China Sea, it was an easydecision. On paper at least. The logistics and redtape involved in getting kit, kayaks to the edgeof Russia with a view to paddling out to Japan(they are not friendly neighbours) was huge.The plan was that I would use a mixture ofkayaking and cycling to make my way down theisland. I was joined by two of my team one ina logistics role and the other, the marvellousJustine Curgenven as my support kayaker andcamerawoman.

ThePaddler 57

clocking my biggest continuous kayak slog yet 38 nautical miles. The extra was partly due tocurrents pushing us away from our destination,but mostly the extra 13 miles we paddled backinto Russian waters once we had been stampedout of the country. We did this to intersect withour path from the previous day thus ensuringmy human powered loop of the planet wasmaintained. Its all about integrity.

My favourite paddling of the whole journey sofar was along the coast of Sakhalin firstlydown the north western side and later down thesouth eastern edge to the mysterious Cape

houses young conscripts on lookout.

Wild & windyOur coastal journey allowed us to glimpseSakhalins untamed beauty and the lives of thepeople and animals that depend on the sea.This is a harsh and unforgiving environment stunted trees grow a shocked crown at angles tonorm, as though screaming eastward with thewind, and giant logs lie in awkward places highup the beach and shoved into rocky gaps likegraffiti.

Krillion, where bunkers and rusting guns tell tales of wars gone by and a Russian military outpost still

Crossing La Perouse Strait from Sakhalin to Hokkaido, Japan.

About to launch going up the coast from De-Kastri then over to Sakhalin.

shipwrecks on the shallow northwest coast, gentlegiants rusting quietly as they wait for forever toarrive and swallow them into the sand. Along thatstretch we had a few days of mad and not-very-helpful wind before one still day, when our kayakssliced through glassy calm seas as we hugged thelow coast, watched by lazy seals dozing in thesunshine. A few tiny wooden villages perched at theedge of the sea, grey and brown boxes set against avibrant background of thick forest and framed byblue skies and seas. A few wide-eyed fishermen inlittle boats, goading at the size of their expectedcatch, quizzed us as to where we had come from. Igot the impression they are seldom joined by twolone paddling girls in Gore-Tex!

After I returned to my bike Hercules and cycled thefinal 600km down the island, mostly on mudtracks and through thick forest and swampland,Justine and I got back in the boats to paddle to theend of it. Happily, the wintry weather that hadmade my cycle south so punishing left us in peaceand we enjoyed a touch of sunshine, albeit with anip in the morning air. There were hills at this endof the island and far fewer people little fishingoutposts rather than full villages. Said fishermenwelcomed us in for tea and always warned us ofthe bears who were now feeding up for a winterof hibernation.

Bear hugThe following sunny afternoon we were treated toa spine-tinglingly brilliant show as one suchfellow, a young brown bear, sat on his haunchesand munched happily among the tidelines on thebeach. Justine and I paddled to within twentymetres without causing him any alarm the feistywind blowing our scent and noise downwind. Inow understand why we have teddy bears helooked very huggable until he stood on his hindlegs to check to see if anyone was watching. Hewas beautiful and I was glad for that moment after three weeks in Russia I had been starting towonder if I would ever see a bear. We had seen afew huge clawed footprints in the sand at ourcampsites but never the owner. I am glad of thattoo, for a few days later we were taken to visit twocaptive bears kept by a village on the south westernedge of the island. One had been orphaned as acub and the other had come from a circus on themainland. Both had sadness in their eyes and I leftthem with a huge sadness in my heart.

It was with mixed emotions that I left Sakhalin excited on the one hand to be heading to countrynumber 12 but sad to be leaving new friends andwonderful wild places. The remaining paddling tobe done was to Japans northernmost island,Hokkaido, across La Perouse Strait and then aftercycling down its coast a final paddle between the

nationwide famous Tsugarustraits. For me, those crossingswere all about endurance.Mind and body exhausted, itwas a battle to stay awake attimes and I landed onHonshus northern tip ofAomori, happy to have madeit and almost too tired tothink. It was to mark the endof an era the Far EasternQuestion so long a beaconof logistical trickiness andexpedition intrigue, Sakhalinhad been a beautiful steppingstone in my journey homeand one which will be hard tobeat for its epic wilderness,warm people and breathtakingwildlife encounters.

ThePaddler 58

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About the author:British adventurer Sarah Outen is currently on a unique expedition toloop the planet using human power travelling by rowing boat, bike andkayak across the North Pacific and North Atlantic Oceans and threecontinents. Sarah started her epic journey by paddling under TowerBridge on April 1st 2011 to France. After cycling across Europe, Russiaand China, and kayaking across to Japan via Sakhalin, she made her firstattempt to cross the North Pacific Ocean in May this year. However,Tropical Storm Mawar had other plans for her as the storm bashed andbattered her and her boat Gulliver for days, causing irreparable damageand Sarah was left with no choice but to call for an emergency rescue.She is now back in the UK, planning to do battle with the North Pacificagain in Spring 2013 and from there continue on her London2Londonexpedition. In 2009 she became the first woman to row solo across theIndian Ocean. Twitter @SarahOuten

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he looked very huggable

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ThePaddler 59

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Go on, give us a like on our Facebook page andbe entered into a free draw to have the chanceto win a pair of tickets to The Outdoors Show at:

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ThePaddler 60

Kayaking opportunities are abundant on the other side of the pond, but, in my estimation, no single place offers you the diversity of paddling

opportunities than the state of Maine.

MagicalMAINE

Kayaking opportunities are abundant on the other side of the pond, but, in my estimation, no single place offers you the diversity of paddling

opportunities than the state of Maine.

From the most challenging of white water runsdeep in the majestic mountains inland, amyriad of flat water experience on picturesquelakes and lazy rivers, to an abundance of what

has been called the finest sea kayaking in the country, Maine offerssomething for paddlers of every persuasion. There are also many trips thatoffer a combination of the two. You need only to look at a chart and/ortopographical map to see what trip strikes your fancy.

The resources for paddling in Maine are as abundant as the cornucopia ofexperiences awaiting you upon arrival. There are many outfitters who will rentboats and necessary kit for your entire trip, books and websites galore. One ofthe first to visit online is www.kayakinginmaine.com.

One thing to be aware of if sea kayaking is your choice, the water off the coastof Maine at its warmest, which would be early to mid-August, is only 15degrees centigrade; even though air temperatures can be significantly warmer,always dress for the water temperature when heading out offshore. Again, theInternet is your best source for water temperatures;www.nodc.noaa.gov/dsdt/cwtg/natl.html is a good place to start.

On my most recent trip to Maine I was fortunate enough to be there when thelocal Appalachian Mountain Club (www.amcmaine.org) was planning anouting to one of the islands off the mid-coast of Maine, offering a beautifulpaddle, a stop for lunch, a hike around the island and a paddle back. It wasapproximately a 19km paddle with a 1.6 kilometre hike thrown in for goodmeasure.

It was a beautiful day as we set out from the public launch at Sawyer Park,which put us in the tidal New Meadows River, in the town of Brunswick.There was only a slight head wind and the tides were in our favour, makingfor easy paddling. When one paddles in Maine, one of the things you cancount on is the plethora of wildlife that can be seen.

On this particular stretch of water I have seen, Bald Eagles, Osprey, GreaterYellow Legs, Least Sandpipers, Tree and Barn Swallows, as well as a verycurious and playful Harbour Seal.

Kayaking in Maine, East Coast USA

By Scott Edwards

ThePaddler 61

MagicalMAINE

62

offers accessto a great many parts of the mid-coast of Maine,around many islands, through Thomas Bay andeventually emptying into Casco Bay. The coast ofMaine is a treasure trove of thousands of islands.Some are private and some are public. One ofthe finest resources for paddling in Maine is theMaine Island Trail Association (www.mita.org).They are the shepherds of these treasures ofnature and some of the islands are accessibleonly to members. Outside Magazine recentlyvoted Maine Island Trail as the Best Water Trail.

The group headed off down the river, past privatehomes and larger boats moored in the river, tothe sound of Osprey calling overhead and waterparting as we paddled. This was certainly apaddle that was open to any skill levels, as we didnot have to make any open water crossings andthe conditions were ideal. As we made our wayfurther away from the put in the amount ofhuman encroachment lessened and the scenerysoon was all around us. You do not have topaddle far in Maine to feel like youre the onlyone on the water. Smaller islands dotted ourpath, and Great Blue Herons fished the shallows.

One of the most memorable parts of any paddlethroughout the coast of Maine is just how cleanand clear the water is. You can see right down tothe bottom, allowing you to view naturalwonders like the starfish preserve located on thebackside of one of the islands in Casco Bay.

After a leisurely paddle, enjoying the sights andthe beauty of the water, the group pulled into thenorth end of Merritt Island for a lunch break andto hike the circumference of the island. The tidewas out, so the group hauled their boats upabove the high tide line and everyone wasdiligent in securing their kayaks to logs or trees.The tides can rise and fall very quickly andnothing puts a damper on a day more than eitherhaving to swim after your kayak or have anotherof your party go rescue your boat as its taken out