Early Expeditions

Alpine Sunshine

The long university breaks were spent on kayaking holidays.  I’m not sure where “holiday” ends and “expedition” begins.  For me, I think it’s the accommodation, but perhaps also the location.  The luxury of bunk houses for those first trips to the Highlands of Scotland, Ireland or even North Wales were always appreciated.  There is nothing as sobering as struggling into a wet wetsuit first thing in the morning, and while my kit leaked and I swam (more often) I was always glad of somewhere to hang my gear to dry. 

 

Aber Uni French Alps Trip

An easy introduction to the expedition lifestyle was our annual trip to the French Alps.  Despite the full days driving to get there the comforts of France are much like home but with good weather and cheap wine.  This was my first time paddling snow melt and it was a nice rarity to feel the hot sun on my face as I floated over crystal clear ice-water.  There is something special about paddling under a perfect blue sky on a blisteringly hot day.  It seems to improve ability, or at least give people that feeling and I found myself paddling some of the most difficult white water of my life.  I still enjoy the buzz in L'Argentière-la-Bessée and always bump into people that I haven’t seen for a long time.  Some I only ever see in the Alps.  The video above is from my first Alps trip.

 

Halloween in Scotland

In my second year at university I was elected president of the canoe club, and in total contrast to the Alpine sunshine I started a now annual trip, to bonnie Scotland.  Unlike the confidence booster of France, the black rock under black water flowing through dark pine forests with snow and ice capping the hills is certainly intimidating.  Even so, when the heavens open the paddling in Scotland can be world class with everything from steep creeking through the inescapable gorge of the Gleann Cia-Aig to the big crashing waves and bouncy volume of the Orchy.  From the wild toboggan runs like the Allt Glean A Chaolais to the tranquil beauty of the Lochy giving the paddler a chance to admire the scenery in the foot hills of Britain’s highest mountain.  I still make the journey as often as work allows.  This video is from my last trip in October where I was lucky with the weather and a good group, both on and off the water.

 

Pulling faces in Norway

For some people these trips were enough but I wanted to go further and push harder.  Through a friend of my brothers I was invited along on a two week expedition to Norway.  This was my first trip where we were constantly travelling around, and the first time I felt like I was living in the wild.  I had been once before, staying at a campsite but this time my skills were better and I had a lot more confidence.  In the fortnight I was there I paddled some of the most incredible white water on the planet.  This trip had a huge effect on me and afterwards I started recognising sections of river that I had done in almost every kayaking film I watched.  Now I started to feel like I could keep up with the big boys.

Bottom of the Ulla Slides

A few years later I booked a last minute trip to Northern Italy.  A small team of three proved a productive number and we had an action packed trip.  A real highlight was driving the dirt track up the Gronda as far as we could and walking for another 2 hours to the top of the big gorge.  We didn't know if this had ever been done and it turned out to be a long and exhausting day, but hugely enjoyable and very rewarding.  After getting home we found out that the gorge had been paddled before, on numerous occasions, but for me the feeling of paddling into the unknown was unbeatable.

 Piedmont, Italy

By the time I had finished university I had led trips or expeditions to Wales, England, Scotland, Ireland, France, Austria, Slovenia, Switzerland, Italy and Norway.  My insatiable appetite for adventure kept driving me on to bigger and better things so I decided to return to Norway, but this time it was going to be like nothing I have ever done before...