Mike in the ‘ whirlpool ’ Rio General , Costa Rica . Photo : Chris Walker

It ’ s a tough call , I know , with all the expeditions throughout the world you have undertaken - but does one stand out ? The trip that gave me the most rewarding experience was to the Teesta in Sikkim .

It was my trip from conception to completion . My 1993 trip was made possible by Ajeet Baja from Snow Leopard , based in Delhi . He did most of the hard work with the Sikkim Government . There was no information about the river , so it was a punt . The journey was as much fun as the paddling . We paddled at 3500m on the Lachung Chu and followed the river paddling what we thought was possible in the time we had . At one point , we lost a kayak ; the paddling was exceptional day after day . Some of our team decided to miss sections , but decisions were continuously supported and were fine for us . Bold paddling , and exciting rapids , set in the incredible scenery and , at times , remote , all enhance that feeling of success that was the reward for all the effort .

Any body of water you haven ’ t been to would be on your bucket list , and why does it flick your switch ? I recall reading about the 29-month ‘ Canoandes ’ ( canoe plus Andes ) expedition , credited with birthing the global whitewater expedition . Its highlight was the group ’ s 1981 descent of the lower section of Colca Canyon .

I wanted to do it . The nearby river Río Cotahuasi was first descended by Kurt Casey and crew in the mid- 1990s and has since held the aura of one of the best multi-day river expeditions in the world . The two seemed to make e fabulous challenge , but I could not bring a team together to go and try . Both are three or four-day paddles in deep canyons with bedrock and hard bouldery challenges . It is all a bit much to contemplate these days !

Do you have any favourite conditions for paddling , or are you happy with whatever Mother Nature bowls your way on the day ? Whatever comes along is just part of the experience . Clear water and warm weather are nice , but some of the best experiences come with more adverse conditions .

You ’ ve received an Outstanding Contribution Award by British Canoeing- how did that make you feel ? I have had two of these awards , one in 2002 , Where I was awarded a BCU Millennium Paddler award , and the Outstanding Contribution Award by British Canoeing in 2021 . In both cases , I was proud that my peers had sought to recognise my efforts by recommending me for these awards . I am not someone that generally seeks to be recognised . The first award was bittersweet , to be honest . This was mainly due to my river access work in Cumbria . I even offered to pull together an English Guidebook for the Millennium . However , various individuals at the BCU made things impossible , so I stepped down . I was awarded this first award after I resigned from my work with the BCU and access . The more recent Outstanding Contribution Award by British Canoeing was recognition for my work with Lakeland Canoe Club , which is so much fun and very rewarding , but also with Cumbria Canoeists .

What ’ s the longest expedition you ’ ve completed ? We took a float plane for an hour across the Manitoba boreal forts NE from Winnipeg and landed on Knox lake . It was too windy for the pilot to approach the shore , so we had to unload into our open boat with all our kit . As the plane took off , it just left two of left with our canoe . I recall saying to my girlfriend Andrea , ‘ scary isn ’ t it ’. It was her first multiday trip . 300km , 58 rapid , 24 portages , nine linings ; 20 days later , we reached Lake Winnipeg . We were so lucky to get warm sunny days until the last , but one day when the heavens opened , almost freezing rain fell for hours .