Foreword
Rich Adventure
Musings from my world of adventure and paddling
As lockdown eased , we have been blessed with a sense of freedom and some incredible paddling days with glorious sunny spring days , although sometimes with a chilly breath . We embarked on some ‘ surf and turf ’ days in the Lake District , embracing van life as only paddlers can . It made us feel alive exploring some of the iconic lakes by SUP , canoes and kayak joining the thriving paddling community who also came to lap it up . We endured endless sunsets , and shimmering waters and plenty of wildlife from kingfishers , mergansers , otter scat , deer and also had a fly-by from the RAF on a training sortie . Heading home , we diverted to paddle the River Ribble in Lancashire , which proved to be a classic canoe trip well worth the detour .
RICHARD HARPHAM
We were truly sad to hear of the passing of HRH Prince Philip , Duke of Edinburgh , who we met on several occasions at the Palace supporting his incredible legacy , the DofE Award Scheme . He was always charming , witty , and he shared a joke and took an interest in the young people he met . I still find it touching that he wanted to hear updates on my paddling adventures each time we met . His vision in 1956 lives on , and I am sure it will continue to convert thousands of more young people to paddling and adventure . We salute you .
Congratulations to Dee Patterson on her election to President of British Canoeing , and well done to Ivan Lawler , outgoing President and the team , for growing the reach of our sport . Dee was part of our club , Viking Kayak Club , before heading southwest and is undoubtedly passionate about messing about on the water . I have continued my journey of attaining ‘ provider status ’ for different qualifications , this time the FSRT which again was superbly delivered by BC tutors Dan and Alex . It is great to see shared learning , best practice and professional standards especially given the demand from the increase in paddling folk .
I am excited to reveal I have been catching up with Steve Backshall to deliver an interview with Steve about his expeditions series , which has been captivating to watch on TV . Due to a forthcoming issue , you can hear some of his first-hand close shaves , sources of inspiration and even a random quick-fire round . I interviewed Steve and his wife , Olympian Helen Glover , in a previous edition about their Devizes to Westminster race and racing together .
For years I have been fascinated by the concept of synchronicity and the connections we make through the journey of life . This evening whilst finishing off this muse , I flicked on the TV to find great river journeys covering the Hudson River in upstate New York . It reminded me of my NY Spare Seat Kayak expedition from Niagara Falls to the Statue of Liberty in 2012 following the eerie Canal and the Hudson River . It was an incredible journey connecting with the communities , and each day a stranger joined us in the spare seat .
It was my first real experience of the SUP phenomena meeting Cody White , who paddled with us for a few days by SUP . Perhaps more bizarre was our story got picked up and shared with over 200 million people , and we were hosted by Mayor Jennings in Albany , who had welcomed President Obama the day before . Not bad for two smelly kayakers !
A few years later , Cody and I attempted to circumnavigate Mallorca , coinciding with the worst storms in 30 years with huge waves and wind . It began my love affair with SUP ’ ing , and I have shared my eclectic experiences of SUP micro-adventures in my article . Enjoy !
Happy trails and stay safe . Rich
Richard Harpham , FRGS , is a human powered adventurer , coach and inspirational speaker who has completed over 11,000 miles of expeditions by kayak , canoe , SUP and bike
www . richadventure . com
Richard runs the award winning Canoe Trail watersports and adventure business with his wife Ashley . Thanks to BAM Clothing , Paramo , Valley Sea Kayaks , Palm Equipment and SilverBirch Canoes for sharing the dream .
www . canoetrail . co . uk
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