Video: Running The Green River Narrows...Backwards!

Here's a fun little paddling video that's certainly impressive to watch. It features kayaker Pat Keller skillfully navigating his way down the Green River Narrows in North Carolina backwards. Pat's friend Scott Harcke followed behind in his own boat, capturing the action on GoPro of course, and they shared the fun with all of us as well.

I think we've all ended up paddling backwards at some point, but I've never gone this long nor did I manage to do it so easily and gracefully.



Dueling Directions on the Green River from FreemanDyson on Vimeo.

Freya Hoffmeister Paddles Around Cape Horn

Back in September, the queen of long distance paddling, Freya Hoffmeister, set out on an epic quest to circumnavigate around South America in a kayak. Starting in Buenos Aires, Freya began paddling south, following the Argentine coast, and over the past few months, she has continued to make great progress. Yesterday she reached a major milestone in the journey, as she rounded Cape Horn and turned her kayak north for the first time.

Anyone who knows anything about sailing or geography knows that Cape Horn is one of the more treacherous regions in all the world. The area is well known for incredibly bad weather, and the waters, which mark the boundary between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, are frequently turbulent to say the least. It is for that very reason that Freya chose to start her journey in Argentina, timing her arrival at the Cape with the austral summer, which is when the weather is at its calmest and most predictable.

Having now successfully navigated what is likely the most challenging and dangerous portion of the journey, she can now concentrate on the incredibly long distances she still has in front of her. The entire journey is expected to take about two years to complete and will cover more than 24,000km (14,913 miles). That means she still has roughly 20 more months of paddling ahead of her, but considering she has already kayaked around Australia, I don't expect she'll be put off by the challenge.

Thanks to Outside Online for sharing the news of Freya rounding the horn.

Video: Kayak Crashes!

The gang over at Canoe & Kayak magazine are winding down 2011 by taking a look back at the year that was. You can check out their Top 10 stories for 2011 by clicking here and then watch their "Salute to Carnage" videos here. One of those videos, which features some of the most epic kayak crashes you're likely to see, can be viewed below. It is definitely one of those videos where you'll likely laugh out loud a few times, but then be thankful that it isn't you in the situation as well. Enjoy.

Nat Geo's Adventure Travel Destinations For 2012

As 2011 grinds to its inevitable end, it is now time to start looking forward to 2012 and making plans for our adventures in the year that is ahead. With that in mind, the National Geographic Adventure blog has shared their picks for the top destinations and activities for 2012.

Some of the places earning a spot on the list include Mammoth Mountain in California, which is famous for its great snowboarding and skiing. Those looking for a different kind of mountain experiences are encouraged to travel to Bosnia and Herzegovina for a mountain biking adventure or visit China to take on the 7498 meter (24,600 ft) tall Mustagata. Paddlers will have plenty to choose from as well, as the list provides kayaking opportunities in Idaho and Rhode Island, as well as an epic canoe trip through the Allegheny Mountains of Pennsylvania.

All in all, a pretty great list of suggestions for making plans for next year. I'll be writing my own top ten travel list for Gadling.com soon, and this year I'm going to take a slightly different tact. Instead of listing a specific destination, I'm going to list a specific adventure from a specific travel company that can help you get the most out of your travels. So, rather than saying go to Nepal because its great for the following reasons, I'm going to instead recommend trekking the Annapurna Circuit with a specific adventure travel company. This is just an example, but I'll be sure to share my list here once it goes live over at Gadling too. I think you'll like some of the suggestions.

Until that time, be sure to read Nat Geo's list, as it does have some great suggestions, not all of which will destroy your bank account.

Video: Big Wave Kayak Surfing In Canada

Every spring the winter run off swells the rivers in and around Quebec, creating some of the most amazing conditions for freestyle paddlers to surf some very big waves. This past spring, kayaker Tyler Fox took is video camera along to shoot the action, and as you'll see below, the results are nothing short of spectacular. The water really is huge and that allows these talented athletes to really show off their abilities.

After you're done picking up your jaw, head over to Canoe & Kayak where you can read an interview with Tyler, where he talks about the experience of being out on the water in these conditions, as well as the "biggest, most gnarly wave ever surfed."


Spring Fever - Big Wave edit from Tyler Fox from Tribe Alliance on Vimeo.

Video: First Descent of 90' Noccalula Falls in Alabama

In late November, kayakers Pat Keller, Isaac Levinson, and Chris Gragtmans traveled to Noccalula Falls, located in Alabama to scout out the possibilities for making a first descent of that waterway. They found the river swollen from recent storms, running fast, and in good condition. So, all three proceeded to drop over Noccalula and capture it all on video. The falls are 90 feet (27 meters) in height and look scary as hell, particularly from the helmet cams, which capture the "oh sh!t" moment oh so well.

Technically, Keller went first, but his mates weren't far behind. Check it out below.



Noccalula Falls Full Edit w/ POV from Isaac Levinson on Vimeo.

Video: Kayaking reIMAGINED

The talented gang of filmmakers over at Five 2 Nine productions have released another excellent paddling video that is filled with fantastic shots of big drops, raging rapids, and crazy whitewater. At nearly 20 minutes in length, there is plenty to watch here, so crank up the sound, put your feet up, and enjoy.



reIMAGINED from Five2Nine on Vimeo.

Video: Tandem Kayak Attempts To Punch Through A Hole

Thanks to a lot of snow, which continued to fall well into the spring, some of the rivers in the western United States had record whitewater in 2011. That meant that the rafting and paddling season was a very good one, although some of those waterways were quite dangerous at times.

In the video below, which was shot on the South Fork of the Payette River, a pair of kayakers in a tandem boat attempt to punch through the "Seemore" hole in Slalom Rapids. The results are quite scary, and while they ultimately made it through, and survived, I couldn't help but hold my breath when they hit those waters. One of the men was knocked completely out of the kayak, while the other was eventually forced to bail out as well. Crazy and scary at the same time.

Dutch Adventurer Explores Remote Siberia

Dutch adventurer Yuri Klaver recently competed a 45-day, 1000km (620 mile) solo journey through a remote region in Siberia. Along the way, he explored the Indigirka River between Oymyakon and Belaya Gora, not far from the Arctic Ocean. Klaver also spent a lot of time climbing in the Porozhny Mountains, exploring a part of the world that is seldom visited by westerners.

Yuri has started to post updates on his website, sharing his experiences from this journey, which began back in August. During his time in Siberia, he embarked on the first solo descent of the Indigirka River. It had been years since anyone else had traveled that direction, so Klaver was unsure of what to expect on the river, which featured dangerous whitewater, along with plenty of rocks and debris. He also discovered the region had unpredictable weather and plenty of wild animals, including regular encounters with wolves and bears.

The Dutch explorer intends to make a documentary of his adventure, sharing plenty of footage from his time in the wild. You can get a sample of that in the video below, which was shot in the early days of the expedition, but still gives you an idea of the conditions there and how beautiful and remote the region truly is.



Part 1 An early surprise at Suntar River from Yuri Klaver on Vimeo.

Video: Descending Brazil's Rio Mambucaba River

Earlier this year, expedition kayakers Ben Stookesberry, Chris Korbulic, and Pedro Oliva set out to take on Brazil's treacherous Mambucaba River, a powerful run that drops more than 4000 feet over a distance of 20 miles. The three men made the first descent of the upper portions of the river, discovering massive drops, nearly impassable jungle, and rugged, remote terrain that turned the experience into a mix of both canyoneering and whitewater paddling.

In the video below, you get the team's report on what they found along the Mambucaba and a glimpse at a part of the world that few ever have the opportunity to see. This is kayak exploration at its finest and it is an amazing thing to see.


Mambucaba Report from Ben Stookesberry on Vimeo.

Kayak Sessions Mag Announces Finalists For Short Film Of the Yea Award

Kayak Sessions Magazine has announced the finalists for their picks for the 2011 Short Film of the Year Award, giving a nod to some of the absolute best paddling videos to come out this year. Amongst the nominees are: Just Water by Twelve Production; Whitewater Grand Prix by Tribe; Dane jackson on Detonator by Rush Sturges; Rain Drop, by Stef Pion; Biluti River - Siberia by Tomass Marnics and Mitsasini River - Quebec by Bomb Flow TV.

Some of these videos have been featured on the Adventure Blog in the past, but the crew over at Kayak Sessons put them altogether in one fantastic video for us to enjoy. Check it out below, but be sure you have time to enjoy. The whole video runs nearly a half-hour in length.

On November 1st, you'll get the opportunity to vote for you favorite video on the Kayak Sessions website, so choose wisely!



The 2011 Short Film Of The Year Awards from Kayak TV (Kayak Session Mag) on Vimeo.

World Rafting Championships Update

The World Rafting Championships that I was lucky enough to attend this past weekend in Costa Rica,  wrapped up the final day of competition on Monday with the long distance, Down River event. That final rafting discipline followed three other days of racing that featured sprints against the clock, head-to-head races, and a test of agility through a slalom course.

Heading into the final day, the championship was still up in the air, and there were several teams that had a legitimate chance to win the competition. In the end, it was the young team from Japan that not only won the Down River, but wrapped up the men's championship as well. They were followed in the point standings by the Czech Republic and Slovenian teams. For the ladies, it was just as good of a competition, although the standings at the top were revered. The Czech team took first place, with Japan coming in second, and the Netherlands claiming third. (Both the men's and women's American teams finished in seventh place overall.)

I've also uploaded some photos from the event so you can get an idea of what was happening there on the lovely Pacuare River near Turrialba, which is an outdoor/adventure sports playground in Costa Rica. You can check out my gallery of images by clicking here.

The WRC was definitely a lot of fun to attend, although it could benefit from a bit more organization. That said, considering the remote nature of the event, and the unpredictable conditions, I'd say the event organizers did a good job overall in keeping things running along as best they could.

Congrats to the winners of course, but to everyone who raced or put the event together. And thanks for hosting me while I was there!

Off To The Rafting World Championships in Costa Rica!

As I write this, I'm finishing up preparation to leave for Costa Rica today where I'll be attending the World Rafting Championship. The event kicked off this morning and races begin tomorrow, with teams from 35 different countries on hand to take part in a head-to-head competition that should be a lot of fun to watch.

The event is being held in Turrialba, which is widely considered one of the top rafting destinations in the world. I'm told that the town is nestled snugly into the jungle, and the nearby Pacuare River has Class IV+ rapids to run, which should provide the perfect setting for this competition, which will include sprint races, slaloms, and more.

I'll post updates and photos from the event when I get the chance, and share more thoughts on Costa Rica as an adventure destination as well. This is my first visit to the country, but I've heard great things, so I'm looking forward to checking it out for myself.

I'm only there for an extended weekend however, so regular postings will resume on Monday and if I have the opportunity, I'll post some images while I'm on site. It should be great fun and this will be my first stamp in my newly renewed passport! Yay!

Epoch Expedition: 10,000-Mile Human Powered Adventure

A few days ago I received a note from Chris Crane, a member of Team Epoch, which is about to launch new expedition that will send the four person team on a 10,000-mile long odyssey completely under their own power. Chris, and his teammates, will mix in some of our favorite activities along the way, including rowing, cycling, paddling, and hiking.

The journey will begin with a row across the Atlantic Ocean as part of the Woodvale Challenge, which gets underway in early December. That race begins in the Canary Islands and ends in Barbados, roughly 2933 miles.

That would be enough of an adventure for most folks, but at that point, Team Epoch will be just warming up. From there, they'll get on their bikes and ride to Alaska, which they'll follow up by kayaking the Inside Passage. Finally, they'll cap the entire expedition with a thru-hike of the Pacific Crest Trail, which is considered one of the true classics of long distance trekking. The PCT is more than 2600 miles in length and can take months to complete on its own.

All and all, a very ambitious adventure to say the least. Be sure to stop by the Team Epoch website to read about their preparations leading up to their departure and following their progress along the way.

Good luck!

Currents Welcomes First Descents To Canada

First Descents is a wonderful program that offers young adults, age 18-39, who are fighting or have survived, cancer, a week-long outdoor adventure experience, primarily around, but not limited to, whitewater kayaking. The program is free, and it has helped hundreds of young men and women to learn to deal with the illness and show that they are stronger than it is.
Recently, First Descents went to Canada for the first time, and Five2Nine Productions was there to capture the experience for the latest episode of their Currents web program. You'll find the video of the event below, which is a great combination of information about the FD program and some good paddling as well.
Currents v2_4: First Descents Canada from Five2Nine Productions on Vimeo.

Nat Geo Adventure Interviews Kayaker Jesse Coombs

National Geographic has posted an interview with kayaker Jesse Combs on their Adventure Blog today, in which he talks about making huge drops off waterfalls, such as 96-foot Abiqua Falls, which he went over in April. The video for that drop has recently shown up on websites once again, despite the fact that we featured it here on the Adventure Blog just days after it happened.

In the interview, Jesse talks about what the experiencing of making a big drop like Abiqua from the moment he gets into his kayak to the moment he breaks the surface after the drop. He also touches on the dangers of running these big falls and the injuries they can bring on, his dream kayak trip, and the best paddling adventure he's ever been on.

The interview is a good one and offers some insights into the world of paddling these big falls. The current record for a big drop is 186-feet, but Coombs says he believes someone will try to break that record soon.

And it case you missed it the first time, here is the video of Jesse going over Abiqua Falls in April.

Kayaking Video: Rider of the Year

We seem to have a bit of an aquatic theme going today, but the kayakers amongst us will be happy to see this one. Below is a video of the winners of "Rider of the Year" awards courtesy of Tribe, a company that specializes in making active clothing for whitewater kayakers. For the second year in a row, they've handed out awards to their picks for the top paddlers around in categories such as "Best Male," "Best Female," and the always popular "Best Drop."

The video below highlights those winners in grand fashion and I thought it was fitting to include it amongst the stories on stand-up paddling today, just in case we forgot what traditional paddling looked liked.



Rider of the Year II Awards Video from Tribe Rider on Vimeo.

Might Journey: Another Stand-Up Paddleboarder Completes The Mississippi

And yet another stand-up paddleboarding story today.

A few weeks back, Dave Cornthwaite completed his SUP journey down the Mississippi River. Turns out he wasn't the only one attempting that feat this summer. On June 8 of this year, Matthew Crofton waded out into the headwaters of the Mississippi and started his own 2400+ mile journey down that waterway, following the same path that Dave had taken. Yesterday, Matthew finished up his expedition, arriving at the Gulf of Mexico at long last.

His story is a bit different from Dave's however. While the Mississippi paddle was the latest leg in Cornthwaite's Expedition 1000 project, for Matt it was a celebration of life and living it to its fullest. Last year, he was stuck down with a rare disease known as Histoplasmosis – a fungal disease, contracted from bat guano and most likely picked up while Crofton was spelunking. When the disease set in, it put Matt in a coma, with the prognosis that he had less than 48 hours to live. His family was told that if by some miracle he did manage to survive, he would need a liver transplant and daily dialysis for his kidneys.

The miracle did happen, and not only did Matthew survive, his liver began to regenerate and his kidneys started to function at full capacity again. He did spend three months in the hospital recovering, and another three months learning to walk again, but as a part of his rehab, he took up stand-up paddling.

Almost a year later, Crofton set out on his journey, hoping to set a new world's record for the longest stand-up paddle. Along the way, he also manage to inspire a few of us as well.

Congrats and well done Matthew!

Battle of the Paddle California Results

As I've mentioned before, stand-up paddling continues to grow in popularity, with more and more outdoor enthusiasts joining in on the action all the time. The sport has grown to the point that there are now major SUP competitions taking place on a regular basis, with one of the bigger ones, the Battle of the Paddle, taking place in California this past weekend.

The event is a race in which the stand-up paddlers take to the water, catch a bit of surf, and use their paddles to power their way through a simple course which includes making some turns around floating buoys. There were a couple of qualifying heats before the real competition got underway, and in the end it came down to a neck and neck fight between a trio of top competitors, with 17-year old Conner Baxter of Hawaii claiming the victory in the men's division. For the ladies, it was Candice Appleby who crossed the finish line first, putting a considerable distance between herself and her closest competitors.

SUP Connect, a website dedicated to stand-up paddling, has more details on the event, which you can read by clicking here. The video below also gives good insights into the race and the men and women who competed in it.

I have yet to give SUP a try, although I see people doing it on a regular basis here in Austin. Anyone tried it yet? Are you a convert?

CheapTents Interview: Adventurer Leon McCarron

The gang over at CheapTents.com have posted another one of their excellent interviews today, this time with adventurer Leon McCarron. If that name sounds familiar to you, it may be because he is one of the two men who are planning to walk from Mongolia to Hong Kong, a journey of 3500km (2175 miles) that will commence in November.

In the interview Leon discusses a previous cycling adventure, during which he rode more than 22,500km (14,000 miles) from New York to Hong Kong, passing through a number of countries along the way. He also gives insights into the inspirations for going on these adventurers, and his favorite pieces of gear as well. Perhaps most of interest however, is his thoughts on the upcoming Mongolia to Hong Kong expedition, how he is preparing for it, and what he expects that trek to be like. As someone who has cycled more than hiked (and paddled) he thinks it could be a real struggle at first.

Leon also happens to be a filmmaker, and he has used that skill on his previous cycling journeys, so I would expect we'll see some interesting videos from Mongolia and China once he and his traveling companion, Rob Lilwall, hit the road in a few months.