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06
Oct

Dipper Creek BC

Dipper Creek is an amazing run in BC that is a tributary of the Squamish River.

Last week a team of six of us including three Team Pyranha paddlers (Ali Marshall , Cody Howard and Ben Hawthorne), paddled its second descent and ran alot of first descent falls in it.

This river is VERY physical.

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05
Oct

2009 Whitewater Symposium

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      First, I would like to say ‘thanks’ to Zoar Outdoors and the Zoar staff for helping create this year’s whitewater symposium.  The 2009 Whitewater Symposium was the first I ever attended.  If you have an interest in whitewater sports and it’s continued growth in the future,  this is an event you definitely should consider attending next year.  Personally, I instructed a creeking class and presented ‘Demshitz The Movie.’  I had the opportunity to learn from several presentations covering current issues ranging from creating media in the sport to conservation and access issues concerning our endangered rivers.  I leave this event with greater knowledge of how to build our sport as well as the work involved to keep our rivers open for business.

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02
Oct

Allan and Liz’s Summer local.

Myrkdale-aug-2009-05The summer is fading away, new snow is appearing on the hills round Voss and a new season approaches!

Right now it feels like it has been raining since June, sun seems a luxury once indulged in, back in June, but overall I would say it has been a great summer.  Our rivers have been feed well most of the summer by good snow pack from last winter, but then, just as we thought low water was in, bang, 0 – hero and every things in flood!

In the last month the local river around Voss have gone from low water to full flood about 4 times and counting.  The Raundal river goes has gone from 13 cumecs to over 200 in an evening of rain, then back to 50 or so 24 hours later.  Needless to say this keeps you on your toes and keeps you guessing where you should head next.
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02
Oct

It’s Hard being Georgian. Part 2.

We continued East towards the Enguri, which I’d heard a bit about. It was clear to see why it was labelled as such a big project and would be beyond our small team at this time of year. We paddled a couple of tributaries of this mighty river, the Nenskra & the Mestia, with completely mixed fortunes on both. The first had a good big volume feel to it, getting progressively harder towards the confluence. We decided to get out about 1 km from the end, before it became walled in class V+ & VI, but having descended some tough rapids in front of the whole village. The second had some bedrock gorges every few kms, but each one of these that we scouted was impassable due to stuck trees. We did attempt a section, but this ended with a 40m climb out.

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29
Sep

Stikine

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In September this year,  three Pyranha team paddlers hit the Stikine including Ali Marshall , Si Tapley and Corey Boux.

This has to be one of the greatest rivers in the world and is one of the most amazing experiences you can go through.

The Stikine is back on the list of rivers to be damned so lets hope it doesn’t happen.

Ali

23
Sep

4 Months in Norway

The Bovra Gorges

 Martin Vollen the Sjoa local, spoke of these gorges describing them as scary, committing and full of must make, must run sections. Well with him as a guide and a strong crew who could say no?

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 The first run down was sweet! At a 90 on the gauge all was quite manageable but it was easy to understand the initial description. Having someone who knew the lines was key as scouting from 40 meters up didn’t give too much information.

 A week or two later we headed back that way only to find an extra 20 cm pushing through, and Martin saying it had only ever been done at this level once before and ended in a real nasty swim, but after a little thought we decided to give it a bash.

 Hearts were defiantly racing, especially after Matt accidentally caught an eddy above a sieve and I dropped into a hole just after, 15 seconds later I was feeling pretty relieved to be in the eddy still in my boat.

 After the first gorge was boxed off we soon reached the second where the volume triples here with the Leira feeding in. Unlike most of Norway sieves and boulder chokes are very much something to watch out for.

 It turned out to be an awesome day with a lot to talk about on the way home.

 

 A few pics of many of the Norway classics!

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Home run – Telemark

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Jordalselvi – Voss

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Teigdal – Voss

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Lower Myrkdal – Voss

23
Sep

After 2 years of waiting… Garb!

Fall has arrived here on the Ottawa River.  It is a time when I’m sad to see friends depart from a summer of fun on the river, but ecstatic that the lines ups are gone!   This past weekend was one to remember.  The weather was abnormally mild and the water was still very warm.  I headed to the city early saturday morning for a class, and was devastated when I found out the  river had dropped to Garb levels, and I was stuck in school.   I woke up Sunday morning to find out the river was still holding at a solid level .  A few phone calls later I had a photographer, and some paddling buddies.  We arrived at the wave to find a good size group with huge grins on their faces!  Unfortunate for Billy that he went on a canoe trip the weekend Garb made its first appearance in two seasons!

It’s been 2 long years in the waiting, and it was everything I remembered!   Big, foamy and fun :-) 

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22
Sep

It’s Hard Being Georgian. Part 1

Matt Bostock & I have recently returned from Georgia (that’s the country not the state) having been on a short but intense expedition to discover what this mountainous country has to offer.

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15
Sep

Last video from Pyrenees.

Hi guys,

I show you a video from the last summer in Pyrennees. Made by Stephanie Augras. She was with me in Cap vert to make own last film: Volcano Ride. The lucky boys may see it at the kanu mess or at the Adidas sickline.

Eric Deguil – Freeride Kayaker from stephanie augras on Vimeo.

See you in Oetz !

15
Sep

(No title)

Have just got approval to take 2010 away from my usual work and spend a year doing research on the value of (NZ South Island) West Coast whitewater to recreational users.  Will involve a methodical approach to kayaking every whitewater river in the area…and my shoulder is just about fixed too.  Will also need to talk lots to river users, so bring on summer and I hope to see a few people on the rivers here!

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