With the typical ‘British summer’ rolling on [rain, rain, sun oh no more rain!], it was time to head to the French Alps in the search for cyrstal waters, good food all washed down with pleanty of fine wine…
 
 
We almost didnt make it! A group of experienced [old boy’s] all arranged to skive of work early on the friday for ‘the race’ across France, but were hampered by London traffic and trying to get kayaks through a high security allert at a ferry terminal. It was close, very close, my car was the last one allowed on the night sailing across the channel! some 10 hours later and over enthustuastic driving over alpine passes, and were sat in the sun with fresh Coffee and Crossant’s
Briancon, is the usual British Kayakers summer retreat and none of us had been here for a a good few years. About 10 seconds after getting on the Guisanne we all realised how much we had missed the alpine way of paddling, about 10 seconds after that we realised the error’s in using a guide book thats 15 years out of date and river knowledge that’s a very hazy 5 years out of date! Every day’s a school day…
 
 Needless to say, we looned around, running a fairly big river tally 17 river trips in 6 days even finding some new stuff to go and play on.  Then when the water eventually ran out, some of the guy’s headed off to Lyon for the wave, where as we played in go karts and took in the french version of a hen do!? lets just hope it wont be another 5 years before we go back…
Ben