The Zambezi

Victoria Falls

So its been a while since iv been off on a Playboating trip so i decided to head to the Zam. I heard nothing but good words about the river but i never expected it to be as good as it is. Everything about the river itself is amazing.

Rapid Number 5

So when i arrived i was dragged with in 2 hours of landing off the plane on a booze cruz and by 11.30 that night i was fast asleep in bed looking forward to my first day on the river. So the next day i was on the river and running down from 1-7. My first experience of the river was amazing big waves, big holes and lots of down time which to me was just fun as hell.

Porter carrying sandys and my boat

As a kayaker on the Zambezi river It is hard work, you walk in and out of the gorge you spend the day kayaking on big water and you have to walk out. I was working for and kayaking with thezambezi.com and i have to say the porters they have working for them are just unbelievable they can run up and down the gorge with 2 kayaks in the amount of time it takes me to just get out.

The wave 7b

My favorite play wave on the river had to be 7b, i wasn't lucky enough to have got 12b but i am really happy to have experienced this wave. It was a fast steep glassy wave with all moves being possible. The buzz of kayaking this wave and throwing big moves was just mind blowing.

The boys pulling a big trailer up the hill

While i was there i was lucky enough to have got a job working as the safety kayaker on the multi day trip on the river. It was 4 days running down to the rapid called ghost rider and sleeping under the stars in some of the most beautiful places on earth. During our ride home our truck wasn't able to pull the trailer so we had to unload and carry everything up the hill with help from the porters, well, it was more like we tried to help the porters.

The wave 7b

Greg on the uncontrollable wave on rapid 8

Will trying out the new Pyranha Molan and going big

Lower Rauma

Well It was my third time in Norway and i finally got it done. I have heard so many story's about the Lower Rauma some good some bad but i knew it was going to be fun. It was an epic day with some good lines and some bad lines ill let the video do the talking.
Paddlers Tom Bannon, Dom Pipper, 3 English lads and me.

Mickey Mouse run

Paddlers. Dom, Ted, Tom and Me

Iv made a short little video of the mickey mouse section that we did. We where lucky enough to have plenty of water for your first 10 or so runs on it. When the water drops the run still goes but the 4-5 meter drop gets really hard to boof and it only lands on a foot or 2 of water. This river has the most fun kayaking packed into 800 - 1000 meter section ever. The great thing about this river is that when your finished you can walk back to the put in and do it again. Enjoy. Oh Ya keep and eye on the blog as im going to have the footage of our lower rauma day up soon.

Norway Fun

Scouting the first rapid on the driva gourge

Well its Been 3 weeks in Norway and its been nothing sort than an adventure. The getting up at 1 in the after noon and paddling till 11 o clock at night and hanging out in Statoil is still going on but its worth it for the kayaking we are getting done.

Main drop on the Mickey Mouse run

We have Been paddling in many areas and hitting up as many runs as possible. The Driva Gorge the upper Rauma the upper Valdala ect have all been nothing short of fantastic runs that we have done.

Mickey Mouse run Valldal

First slide on the upper Jori

The Run I have run the most and have enjoyed the most is the mickey mouse Run Im not sure how to spell the real name so im not going to try, It is like Disney Land put much better

Tom and Colin have fun on the Driva

Austria

Its been a while since my last post but its only because its imposable to find any wi-fi here in Austria. We left for Austria last Monday and arrived Tuesday. We managed to hook up with the Waterford lads that night (Tony,Keven and Brian) and made a plan to hit the Venter Ache, Upper and Lower Oetz. The day on the river as great with mostly clean lines and no epics. We then polished the day off with some crazy golf and a visit to the Aqua Dome. Heading to Norway on Sunday for some steep creeking.

Upper Oetz

Me,Keven,tony and Brian on the first rapid of the Upper Oetz

Crazy snooker

France

Well im after making it to france after a few months of hard work. Its a great place for a warm up before heading to Norway. Its been non stop the whole time, kayaking in the morning and biking in the evening or as rob likes to call it fat camp. The water levels are high but dripping out here with the classic runs like the Guil and Durance been great fun.

Kick ass rock slide on the Guardian Angel Gorge

Back Hammer on the Fernel

Getting ready

Its just under a week to go to the race and im getting in the last

bit of training before it starts.

I managed to get a day out in the mountain running section

on Sunday just to check out the route.

It starts with a very steep climb then its all ridge from there.

Knowing that ill have two running stages and the kayak stage

to do before that it will be hard to know how it will go.

My training partner on the ridge if only he could bike and paddle

Iv managed to get myself a bike for the race at long last, hopefully it will work out. Its very light and i wreckon will be very fast

Lapierre Race 500