"Welcome to Humble Kingdom Nepal"

Here's some shots from last month, all over Nepal.
There's more travellers pics that kayak shots this time!

Overland from India. Next time I fly, this is the good bit,
overnight on-top of a bus came after this!

Karnali river - not bad
work!

Up the Marsyandi river

Walk in to river

Dam on the Marsyandi, still 3yrs off completion, and
allegedly its been kayaked straight through!

Down the Modi Khola valley from
Machapuchare base camp, early morning

Local game, somewhere between table hockey and pool.

Machapuchare near...

...and far

Back for christmas, tinsel town London

Thanks to Streamlyte paddles for their support

Uttarakhand Continuous Kayaking

Dave, Kahan-Singh and I headed up valley to the Pindar and Upper Alaknanda, both had been topped up with some rain the night before (the first in two weeks!), and both were excellent!!50km of the Pindar the first day, 26km the second!! Photos by Dave Prothero.

1 Jeep and Driver, two hotel rooms, several meals and 500km of petrol, 30 poounds, bargain!

Dave on the Upper Alaknanda

Kahan-Singh, Pindar


Pindar River

Pretty continuous!

Namaste!

I'm in India, up in Uttarakhand province, where the holiest river, the Ganga, emerges from the Himilaya onto the plains of India. Working for Aquaterra.in, I've got to know the area in the last month, but with all types of people coming to me, I've learned far more about the rest of India! There's no two India's!!, I'm sure of it, what an amazing place!

An Ashram in Rishi

Camp Silver Sands.

My new friend!

Bishnu and Tom settling things like a man

Where there's Indian's, there's cricket, did you hear they won the 2020??!

The Ganga (Ganges) in Rishikesh

Basque Country Kayak Surfing

In the nook of the Bay of Biscay lies an area of coastline absolutey awesome for surf kayaking. The spanish area is north facing with bays, points and reefs. The french section is west facing with extensive beaches directly in line with the Guaf deep ocen trench, directing any waves there. Wouter and I were unlucky to get flat seas for most of the trip, seems like summer came late to Europe this year! but the last week offered some waves. (that sparkly thing is my new surf kayak too, it rocks!)

The best line ups we had

Sunrise session

Classic europe big wave spot, not that day! Guethary.

Went sight-seeing to the Gugenheim instead, Bilbao

Crowds

...a great place to go, with a lot of culture. The Basque guys are certainly unique, no better seen than when we went to see the final of their local game of Cesta Punta; cross the concept of lacross and squash, play with a melon sized golf ball and you ahve a fair idea what it's all about!

Looking back a month ago, I was just coming to end of my stay in Norway. What a stunning country! Thanks must go to Statoil, who on many a rainy day allowed you to get free refills of coffee at their stations, we didn't know whether you were supposed to buy fuel as well! Also, Chris, Rich, Eddie, Guy, Matt and the DUCC guys which I did some great boating with. Without their help, I would of been stuggled to get all my stuff sorted. Also thanks to the Voss guys, Gunvor, Froda, Hendri, Taboya for their hospitality. At the centre, I learnt alot from the guys that had been there, done that, got the T-shirt, Mikey, Al, Andy and all the other guys there which make the centre what it is. Greg, Benji, Christie, Roberto, Jose, Anita, tak fur toren! Lastly, in this oscar style thank you speech, a mention to the Raundal, Myrkdal, Straundal and Brandseth rivers, which without, Voss wouldn't quite be the same place :) Some of my now favourite sections of river are around there now; it was an absolute pleasure to share them.

Arty or blurred?

See above

"Show me the money"

Photo: Hendri C

Short story - we went, we saw, we hucked.
Short history - this so called 'no-brainer' waterfall on the Straundalelva got it's name 'money drop' after a cash prize was offered to anyone who dared run it, during extremesportveko, -an annual festival here in Voss. Since the first decent in the late 90's, it has been run at many water levels, usually paying out but not always. Paddles, kayaks, it has eaten them all!

Don't Celebrate too early!

Boofing 'Marthe', low water on the Straundal. (All photos: Dave Annear, VRS)

Levels did drop here in Voss, so we moved across to the Raundal. A pretty full on river to raft; drops, long rapids and places you really don't want to go! Here's some recent pics. It's been raining for the last couple of days so we're back to the Straundal and more rains coming, summer has missed norway this year.

Staff training on the Raundal, where the client's don't get top go, Timber Hole.

"Just hold on, you'll be fine"

Rapid 'Trouble' - Raundal. Yes it did end in tears, but got rid of their hangovers...

Always tie your cow up, a little anecdote!

We thought we were on to a winner, Hendri, Birger and myself, when we were asked to retrieve a cow last week. It had found it's resting point on an island in the middle of the Vosso. The cow was dead of course, but it hadn't been for long. All its parts were still intact but, by balderdash, it smelt! We were able to name our price to the local kommune, who'd asked us to remove it, so reluctantly we offered high, which they happily accepted, bonus! When we got there the job was easier than we'd expected too, the cow was a calf and the dead weight was filled with gas, so it floated. With a simple lasso and kayak to tow it, we had it across the river in a jiffy.

A couple of days later, our boss, Froda, received a phone call to say that our cow had gone missing! It was definitely dead, it smelt so, so it didn't go anywhere on it's own. The river had risen though, Sherlock could of worked out what might of happened here. Or alternatively, it was left to rest near the local fishing club's boat, so they might of picked up the bounty for themselves? Eitherway we're now left, having pulled hard labour, with no product of service to invoice for, so in limbo as to whether we'll get paid. That's why you should always tie up your cow!