Following on from the successful 2009 Below and Beyond Machu Picchu Expedition (http://belowandbeyondmachupicchu09.wordpress.com/) to Peru, the team were looking for another destination that would offer excellent whitewater, adventure and a break from the British weather. After some research we had a destination that fitted all of our criteria – Kenya.

The destination gave us everything we were looking for and a lot more beside – In the course of a three week trip we achieved 6 first descents, and paddled some of the classic rivers that Kenya has to offer.

http://belowandbeyondmountkenya11.wordpress.com/

Check out our blog for a more detailed account of the trip, and stay tuned for details of the lecture tour in the New Year.

In August and September Thomas Motz went with his frinds for 2 month to the USA. After some nice Runs in Washington they drove to Boise where they paddled the North Fork of the Payett. On their way up north they also did the Wenatchee. A really great experience was the decent of the Homathko.

So just shy of 6 weeks was this summer’s stay in Uganda.

Sam Ward, of Love it Live it fame, wanted me to run a couple of trips for him in Uganda. And even though I was very busy setting up my video production company (Rattle Media) back home, I still (selflessly) managed to drag myself down to Manchester airport and catch that flight.

When I first ran one of these White Nile trips with Sam, in 2006, it was a joint venture for my own company, Liquid Satisfation. In the years that followed, I was finishing my final year at Uni before heading off for 9 months, kayaking in Norway, Zambia and Uganda… I didn’t really have the time to push the whole coaching thing.

So that year Sam set up Love it Live it and when he was successful enough, I told him, that he needed to hire someone to run the odd trip, I would be more than happy to.

So that’s what happened. Liquid Satisfaction became my avenue for peddling low-budget kayaking movies – like Means of Production and the NSR Movies – on the white water community and running LiLi trips seems to becoming a very welcome addition to my calendar.

This time I was even obliged to go with the clients to Merchison National Park and see the falls.

I have a varied collection of photos attempting to capture the sheer madness of this wonder… But it’s pretty hard to get across the feeling of seeing the white water features you understand blown up to an obscenely senseless scale; such that the water no longer seems to behave in the way you’d expect.

Nick, Tom, Alex and Ed at the top of the falls.

Gotta love Nile Special, of course

Colin Wong throwing another huge Panam!

Me doing something as well.

And did I mention the rafting?

Some of my boys raft guide at Holme Pierrepont… So it was only fair I gave them a taste of Nile Rafting!

One long surf on Nile Special Please…

Incidentally, everything in these photos is still there, and will always be there, despite the Silverback dam. In fact, with the help of Sam and a few other people in Jinja, we shall be making a sequel to ‘A Dam Shame’ (which was a film about the rapids now gone); a film about all the wonderful white water, among other things, that still makes Uganda one of the best kayaking destinations on the planet.

Ah, Uganda, I shall see you again soon…

This autumn i had the best trip to the famous Ötz Valley ever. Even when i didn´t have the chance to participate at the Sick Line Race it was worse to drive 600km each way to the Austrian alps. The weather was so perfect with blue skys and temperatures like in summer time.  We paddled Wellerbrücken, Heilig-Kreutz and the middle Section of Ötz river and had great times on the water.

Greets Timo

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I feel really lucky to have paddled whitewater for 17 years and remain injury free.  Last Saturday it all changed.  I sustained a shoulder dislocation while paddling the Moose River during the annual Moose Fest.  I wish I had a better story than, I ran a big rapid, braced wrong. and it just popped out.  I’m off the river til spring, but I’ll be back hungrier than ever.  I learned three things from this experience and I’d like to share them. 

• Do Your Rotator Cuff Exercises-if the smaller muscles around yor shoulder are strong you are less likely to have a dislocation. 
• Keep Your Hands Low-Even if you think the rapid is easy
• Educate Your Friends and Yourself About Shoulder Reduction-A lot of pain and damage can be avoided with a prompt reduction.  This was not the case with me. 

Below is a photo of Team Member Ryan Mooney sending the rapid that got me…Crystal

 

“Never, pass up a trip on the Grand.” 

All the mantras often parroted when the topic of the Grand surfaces in conversation can certainly bore those of us who had never been down.  Yeah I totally get it, sounds awesome.  Three week desert run with incredible scenery, history, rapids and the opportunity to sit on a groover and be amazed how everyone’s poop always looks exactly the same.  A dream come true. 

“Will you take me?”  “No” 

Will they show you pictures and tell you how cool it is?  Yes. 

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The British Universities Kayaking Expedition team have been back for a little over a month now, and here´s a short video of what the team got up to in Venezuela over the summer.

BUKE 2011: Venezuela

River notes are also now on the teams website.

After the debuted at Gauleyfest, it made its way around West Virginia with some team paddlers. Then I got my hands on it, paddled it, and gotta say its the sh@#. So easy to pull thru on anything and went huge in holes and waves. I cant wait till this boat hits production. Here is a little teazer of the boat.          The new Jedeye