The Paddler ezine WW kayak collection 2013 | Page 195

Driving had been grinding me down as I was the
only driver for the tour but each time we got in
the van to leave somewhere, we were both so
high on adrenaline, a great natural stimulant that
can keep you going for days knowing that your
going somewhere even better than the last. It’s
strange how some journeys that are around five
hours seem to last forever and some that are over
nine can seem so short. I got this feeling many
times this summer with the abundance of
journeys we were undertaking. Our week in
Briancon was cut short due to the weather
conditions. The rivers in France were at a 50-year
high. Most of the university students were stuck
at the camp unable to paddle on anything other
than on the lake. Those who did venture out
returned with a tales of woe.
We spent three days coaching those who were left
on site. The slalom course running next to
camp was huge. Colossal holes, waves
that dwarfed kayakers and eyes that
popped out of paddlers heads
frantically trying to find a

line down that did not result in heinous down
time and a swim that would equal the distance of
the English channel. Not cool for chase boaters,
that durance was shifting with large trees floating
through, not to dissimilar to what I imagine a
tsunami to look like.
We spent a good bit of time repairing kayaks and
replacing broken parts. Once the word got out,
people were coming over in droves to see what
we could do for their battered boats. We had fun;
it was a good chance for us to have a rest before
embarking on our fourth and final mission of
the Tour, Norway. As soon as the student race was
over, we packed up started the drive North. The
race was spectacular. A ‘grand prix’ style mass
start from the top of the slalom course to the
large peninsula just beyond the bottom.