Just a couple of last minute courses i am squeezing in before its off to the Sunny Alps for the summer

Next Step grade 3/4 skills course 23rd-24th June 2012 cost 140pp

4 Star Leader Assessment WWK 16th-17th June 2012 cost 140pp

Both courses just a click away on my courses page.

Cheers Andy

After 2 previous visits to Corsica in 2010 and 2011 i was quite happy to run a commercial trip for 2012 (the first UK provider to do so) and having advertised the trip at Christmas places was soon snapped up and the trip was on come April. With only 8 days to go Kayak Session dropped a bombshell saying there was no water in Corsica and they was cancelling the festival. So now it was a nail biting time for me as we was only now relaying on rain to make the trip worthwhile. With only 1 day to go i made the call to go and risk it as rain was predicted on the Tuesday and we arrived on the Sunday.

With a international team (1 kiwi, 1 Italian, 1 Nigerian & 3 Brits) we arrived in Corsica after 2 ferrys and a 12 hour drive to be met by my other leader who had already spent a week out there with friends.

We knew that the first couple of days was going to be low water as rain wasn’t predicted for another 2 days so the first day was a lazy start and a trip down the Travigneno grade 3+ which blew away the cobwebs and gave the team a taste of what was to come. I soon realized that the team was pretty solid boaters so day 2 we stepped it up and went up to the Upper Golo (grade 4) which despite lowish was a fantastic run in its deep canyon with bedrock slides twists and turns and waterfall drops.

Being situated in the West of the Island day 3 was going to be a bit of a drive to the Taravo on the East but the team decided that a skills day was required and wanted some boofing and flareing action. So it was back to the Golo for a technical skills day and after many hours of myself drilling in the key strokes to them they came away very satisfied and more confident in themselves for the big stuff to come.

Day 4. At last we had rain as predicted so being close to the Fium Orbo (grade 4+) it was on and what a fantastic day we had. The team absolutely nailed all the perfect slides, flares and drops with just keep on coming at you until you are looking up at the wonderful stone bridge in the bottom lake. It looked like the skills day before had payed off. The day wasn’t over though we still had time for another run so half the team decided to chill and the other half went for a run on the Lower Veccio grade 3+. The idea was that myself or Stuart ( the other Leader) would run with a couple of the team while the other shuttles the bus, but when we arrived it was running at 170 on the gauge and looked stonking so neither of us wanted to miss out on such a high level so sod it we both ran and fetched the bus after.

Day 5 was going to be a River Asco day but after a drive up there there just wasn’t quite enough water, the rain obviously didn’t drop in the North so it was back to visit the middle Veccio which turned out to be a bit of a adventure. I was a little worried about this as i know that although its never desperate (grade 4+) it does require quite a lot of inspecting, protecting and portaging due to blind horizons, bolder chokes and syphons. After about 2km in a couple of the team members decided it was too much like hard work and decided to walk out. The rest of the team wanted more so we carried on and after a few hours later with lots of looking at boat pinning chokes and umming and aaring if they went or not we arrived at the take out satisfied that the river had gave us a good workout. The Veccio is certainly a river that require respect and be prepared for a little graft.

Day 6. The big one Travo day (grade 4/5) with its world famous teacup drops. We drove over to the Travo in torrential rain and all i had on my mind was flash flooding but when we arrived it was still on a lowish level so it couldnt have been raining long and knowing you can escape at the teacup drops and 500m below them in case it did rise suddenly. We went for it.

The Travo  lived upto its reputation of being one of the worlds best creeking rivers. This is what the team came for and it didn’t disappoint i think for some of them it was the run of there lives and hopefully with stay with them for a long time.

Corsica has got to be one of the best destination i have been to and although its pretty serious and some rivers require a lot of inspection and portaging don’t be put off you will have a trip of a lifetime.

This may not go to plan

See you all next year Cheers Andy (-:

 Cevennes (Central massif) was the destination and with myself, Ian (the other leader) and a crew of 5 all excited about some late Alpine water. Now i have already visited the Cevennes previously and Oct/Nov seems to be the most favorable month with the most amount of water dropping. So a few weeks before the trip i was looking at the levels on the on line Gauges to see what was happening. Which wasnt a lot, With only a few days to go i was already thinking of a alternative destination rather that cancelling the trip, however a glimmer of hope arrived with rain predicted for 3 days in the Cevennes which would bring the levels up. So the trip was on.

So Friday night arrived i picked up all the crew, a late ferry and 11 hour drive later we arrived at our destination which was Florac a small town in the middle of the Cevennes national park. We was also meeting up with another paddler out there called Ray who was going to join us for the week.  It was evident when we got there that the rivers looked low, too low and also Ray informed us over a pizza that night that the rain that was predicted want going to materialize after all. However i did have a plan with some low water options including the Allier and the herault which both are dammed controlled and always have compensation flows.

The next day it was off to the Allier to do the Classic middle section grade 3/4. only to arrive, unload the boats, put our kit on to be told that access closed the day before.  Bollocks i thought there goes 3 days of paddling leaving only the river Harault in all the Cevennes left to do. So with a minibus full of discruntaled paddlers we headed bact to our digs.

So where else in Europe is there water at the moment time to consult the internet. After a search the only place with enough water was Austria and having spoke to all the crew it was a goer. After another 12 hours and 600 miles the next day we arrived in Landeck in Austria and having spoken to a friend of mine the owner of Sports camp Tirol he rented us a very nice Alpine stlye chalet on the former Sports Tirol campsite. He also mentioned that they had had a dump of snow a few days previously and they was getting snowmelt at the moment that was topping up the rivers. Great news decent White Water at last.  

Hannah on the Sanna

First day it was off to the imst gorge on the River Inn for the team to experience some big volume fun, then a afternoon run on the River Sanna on a good meduim flow. A good meal lots of beer and chat we soon forgot about the 2 days of traveling we had done. Second day with a bit of overnight rain it was off to Germany to do the Loisach a classic grade 3/4 run, 6km of pure bliss.

Spence leading on the Loisach

 Third day Back to the river Inn and onto the Tosens section which was almost on full release very big volume class 4 with some huge holes to avoid. This river has at least 3 class 4 sections one of them is around a 800m, Not a place to swim especially with over 200 cumecs of volume. Next run on the cards was the Landeck Section having drove past the dam to see all 3 gates going it was going to be more big volume class 4. that only took us 50 minutes to run. Yes its that fast.

Last day it was off to the River Oetz to do the classic Lower section. That time of the year it has lost its power but was still a great grade 3/4 run. afterall the Sickline race had been on there 2 weeks before. We was suprised to see a load of Dutch boaters on there who said that they go every year in October as you can combine Kayaking with Sking. Wow what a great idea i think i will take my Snowboard next year.

So after lots of beers a curry, more beers and a lot of reflection that night it was off to the Morriston for the first day of the WWPF. This is a great class 4/5 river allthough it is quite short it has everything from big drops to technicle twisting rapids. No dramas today although 1 of our crew members was not “feeling it” and only went for 1 run. For myself i must admit it took me ages to warm up and i ended up missing a boof stroke on the middle drop which resulted in me landing in the belly of the beast, so after some wrestling and acrobatics it finally let me go much to the amusement of about 30 paddlers who gave a huge cheer watching my beating. But hay i was happy i held it.

Sunday we opted for the Etive as its on the way home and again a fantastic day. Again took me a while to warm up but soon got into my stride and nailed some great lines and boofs, So another great long weekend up Scotland and meny thanks to the rest of the crew for there quick thinking and experience on the first day (the proof is in the pudding with paddling with a good experieced crew) and for the great boating, banter and lots of beers over the weekend.

So the oylmpic course was next and after a little side surfing moment in a hole (wish i used my Diesel now instead of the creeker) it was make so meny eddys on the course and some high crosses over holes and a thumbs up from the Assessor, my assessment was done. But it wasnt all playtime for me as i now went into coach mode and spent the next 2 hours back on the Legacy course doing some developement coaching with my long term studants who have been coaching for the last 6 months. God they are getting good!!! they soon be coaching me. Well done Tony, Meg & Peter keep up the good work and self belief.

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Andy boofing the weir on the Gyronde

 My first trip was to the french Alps in the trird week of June and as you can see levels was great, even though Alpine regulars was saying it was going to be s**t this year as it didnt have the snow like its had in previous years, Oh how wrong they was. This first trip also coincided with the slalom world cup being held on the Argentere Slalom site and to keep the course running at a good level they was realeasing the Barrage at Prelles all week on the perfect medium level which of course goes down the famous Durance Gorge class 4(5), Bonus  we did it twice which is quite a rareaty unless you have the right higher levels for realease. Also the Guil, Ubaye, Gyronde was all going at great levels.

2 visits to Austria/Germany was also included in my Alpine Season this year, and i must say a huge thank you to the Southampton boys & Tony, Meg & Andy for making this trip very special. It wasnt just the Fantastic paddling but the social crack in the evenings was great (Thankyou for feeding me 6 shots on the last night, my head really appreciated it the next morning) 

The Austria crew July

My Final 2 trips was back in the French Alps for 1 and although stuff like the Gyronde and Durance Gorge wasnt on the Guil and Ubaye was still running well where we spent most of our time on. And the last trip was in Austria which had better levels in August than earlier in the  year, We arrived in Austria to 2 days of heavy rain and everything in the Landeck area went massive with most rivers off the gauge, However a trip into Germany for 2 days was a excellent call with the Loisach, Rissbach and Isar all running on a medium to high level, Who would have thought the Bavarian runs going well in August, usally they would be dry. Luckily the rain subsided and the sun came out and we finished the week off on the Sanna, Tosens, Scuols, Gairsun, Landeck and Imst Gorge. Cracking…. roll on next year

 

So Whats next? Well its off to the Wet West Paddle Fest in Scotland in September, Ohhhh cant wait will keep you all posted.

 

Hi world, Well I have finally bitten the bullet and gone with the advice from my awesome website designer and started Escape To Adventure’s first blog. Over the next months and years I hope to entertain you all with all the adventures we have and give you a insight to ETAs courses and trips and also a look at what I do when i’m not in work mode and throwing myself down something silly somewhere in the world whith my paddling crew.