PADDLER 38
I used Fuji HDM as it has a large screen , so it was less likely to get drops on the front of the lens . In the early days , we were using film or 35mm slide film , so you could shoot a roll of 36 , wait weeks for it to be developed , and still get little reward . I learnt what makes a balanced photo and got good at anticipating when a good shot might arise , and I became more able to predict when it might go wrong . Nowadays , it is so much easier with digital . I use an Olympus Tough and a Go pro .
What motivated you to write your book , ‘ Just Around the Next Corner : Adventures with Kayaks ’? I have always taken many photos on trips and made notes about what happened . I wanted to share some of the incredible places I have paddled , which may inspire others to explore . Having all this sitting around seems a pity , so I started bringing it together in the 1990s . Work and other adventures didn ’ t allow me time to make progress , and it was tricky using the technology available at the time to put it together in a timely manner . So the book project was on pause . When Covid came along , time was available , and the technology was better , so completion became attainable .
And we understand this is not your first book . When I moved to Cumbria in the 1980s , Barry Howell wrote a small purple guidebook ; it included only 11 rivers . I thought there must be more , so I went looking . In 1988 I published ‘ Rivers of Cumbria ’ which contain info on 19 rivers and notes on another 10 . Then in 1992 , I added four more rivers in north Lancashire .
You take some cracking photos . Do you use any specialised kit ? I have always found that the guys I paddle with are keen to enjoy paddling the rivers . No one wants to stop to set up photo opportunities .
Tell us about how you managed the risks in such remote locations . A tough question ! Risks ! So many . Plan ahead . Take the right team and kit and practice using it before you need it . Recognise when a similar situation occurred before . Be prepared to deal with the unexpected . Don ’ t be overly risky ; if you need to get out and look , do so , even if it becomes a pain . We learnt to recognise portages quickly and get on with it . You must be bold to paddle a hard rapid on the say-so and a few words from another . Here is where trust comes in ; you know the info is reliable , and combined with self-confidence in your ability , we developed this over the years so that we ’ re able to complete a good section of harder river in good time .
If you could capture just one ‘ feel good ’ moment in your times of paddling – which would it be and why ? Paddling the falls of Lora in Norway , It is in my book , a long slide with a bend and then a fall .
I launch from the eddy and force a way into and across the swiftly moving water ; large standing waves hide the route – but over them , as the gradient steepens , I aim left of middle , steeper again , over a slight bulge in the waves and its free fall for what seems like ages .
The water is so aerated it ’ s difficult to tell when the air stops and the water begins . On down and down until I feel the boat rotate . It seems to hold for a while , still , motionless , amongst all that energy , a delicate balance of gravity with falling versus buoyancy with lifting ; a surreal experience if there ever was one .
My senses are so clear and acute ; I open my eyes with clear , green water ; all I can see is bubbles everywhere , no noise , deadly quiet , just the feel of bubbles trickling across my face . It must be like this inside an aero bar . Seeing bubbles , where is up ?
“
WHEN YOU PREPARED FOR AN EXPEDITION IN REMOTE LOCATIONS , WHAT QUALITIES DID YOU LOOK FOR IN A FELLOW TEAMMATE KAYAKER ?
On expeditions , I prioritised having a good team of friends I knew . We were not necessarily the best paddlers , but we got on well and worked safely as a team . We knew each other ’ s strengths and weaknesses and could rely on each other emotionally and technically and deal with any problems we encountered . Success on expeditions builds strong bonds .
”