Actually previous narrative and artwork can be found here and here.
Pictures speak a thousand words, give or take - so here's some to publish of my summer travels mid 2006. With the aim of seeing what there was to see and doing more than there was to do, I set out to fill my vacation with anything but the usual office job. I traded a desk for the back seat on a raft, a PC for a guide stick and a suit for some watersports apparel - no pin-stripes or cuff-links here. I met some amazing people, worked with many more, bumped into people I knew and many more I didn't - each memeroable for very different reasons
Strathy Bay, N Scotland, Jun 06 - Credit: Ian Sherrington
There shouldn't of been surf that weekend, but to Thurso we went anyway, and after the inaugural Friday evening gruelling behind the wheel, we arrived to a hollow Thurso East. 1ft at that, maybe bigger on some sets, if was hard to tell squinting across the river entrance in the twilight. Unfortunately we hadn't belittled it from a distance, it really was that small and the light soon faded, but hey - when you've travelled all that way. The photos above came about from local knowledge that can only come about from getting it wrong like we did 50 times before. With a bit of thought to swell direction we found the best facing beach at Strathy and enjoyed some surf, it wasn't big but we sure felt clever.
Lynn of Tummel, Perthshire, Jun 06 - Credit: Lee Kelly
Arh well, best to get it wrong early on in your rafting career - a professional gumbi move like this costs in beer fines, hence the photographer's keeness to capture it. Unusually high levels were enjoyed on the Tummel this season, usually half the 20 cumecs goes through the hydro, and half down the river. For a lot of the season, work on the dam meant all the water was diverted down the river - and sometimes more. I had the pleasure of kayaking it at an estimated 5 or 6 times normal flow, an invitation not to refuse.
Upper Pitzbach, Austria, Jul 06 - Credit: Andy, Wouter Wynberg
Who would of thought that amongst the common rivers of the Landeck area, a gem like the Upper Pitzbach could be found, and gets barely a mention in the guidebook. From picture postcard alpine scenery to continuous graded whitewater, this was some two days. After bushwacking through thick undergrowth or just sleeping with something that can bite that night, my left leg bloomed as if full of jelly so I took a rest day the day after. Robin, Andy and Wouter did the last section above Wenn but were forced to turn around by the sight of a downed forest hatching across the ever steepening cascade. A great trip, nice to have the pleasure of paddling with James, Nic, Gav, Nia, Robin, Andy and Tom.
Powerade Games, Weisse Lutschine, Switzerland, Jul 06 - Credit: outdoorgames.ch, Wouter Wynberg
A little extension to the mainland Europe roadtrip, the Powerade Games in Interlaken, the home of the Jungfrau, Wengen and surprisingly a lot of Koreans. A fantastic event, socialising with other nutty people and racing over a crazy course - a kayakists evolution selection event - a matter of survival. 200m of fast flowing flat, a 6m waterfall, huge boils tipping over into a river wide pourover before the rush of more Gd4 - 4+ rapids. My energy levels weren't right with the informally diagnosed local blood poisoning and the lack of preperation. I ended up crashing nose first into bedrock after snapping my paddles - I still have the souviner blood stained race vest as further humiliation. All in all a great event and some fantastic competitors across all the sports, thanks to the organisers for laying on all the trimmings and seeing the event through slickly.
Laggan, Raundalsalva, Sjoa, Jul 06 - Credit: Rich Brimfield, Colin Chadderton
On the way back from Les Suisse, I thought I'd stop off in Norway for a while, the festival was on so it seemed like a good excuse. I loved it, I loved the place, the people, the paddling, the trolls, the sunshine, the relaxed atmosphere and the crazy adrenaline junkies. Brett and Shane, two Americans who'd flown over and been day-light-robbed flying with their boats represented Portland, Oregon well. Tom, Paula, James, Colin and Bertie did old blighty proud, not forgetting Rich and Pat who were living the lifestyle nomadic style. Oystein the underwater hockey champion (!) and base-jumping legend, Gunvor, Big Chris and Bjorkjoff (sp?) were fantastic in their hospitality, they did Norway proud.
Work days, Aug 06 - Credit: Toby Saxton, Lee Kelly
Hossegor, Biarritz, France Aug 06 - Credit: Tim Harvey
More here and here (+ vids). Hossegor apparently gets good surf due to a deep sea channel that funnels the ocean's swells that way. They collapse on steep beaches creating as hollow-as-can-be waves, which are fine when you're riding but can hurt when you're falling - if you follow the links you'll see what I mean. But there's nothing like the feeling of hanging in on the wall, you see the lip in front just curling over and your fins seem to be complaining with the effort not to slip. You make the line or have to carve off early, for the close-outs are heavy. In the euphoria of the last ride you forget where you are - where's the rip? where's the peak? where are you difting to?, and here comes the next wave, hit after heavy hit. But persistence gets you though, and the positioning game starts with the other twenty-five boardies all looking for the same ride.
I love the sport, sunride sessions, midday and sunset, all searching for the best rides, the best filming conditions and the least crowds. It's a quest worth wild bivis and early starts, aching muscles and a couple of injuries - notwithstanding sharing with others, cheers Chris, Andy, Tam, Dan, Tim, Adj and others.
