Two friends, one canoe, 5600 miles

Photo: A. Chervenak and G. Jones — Brazil 9000 Expedition

Gareth Jones and Aaron Chervenak are attempting a first. The two friends are crossing Brazil from north to south on a historical human-powered journey over 5,600 miles (9,000 kilometers) in length. More than a third of that journey is by canoe on the Amazon River and its tributaries. The rest of the journey—named Brazil 9000—is be powered by foot and bicycle.

“It’s a journey that has never been attempted, not even with the use of motorized transport,” says Jones. “By slowing things down to a human powered pace, like by paddling a canoe, it’s possible to explore some incredible places and connect with people and natural environments in a unique way.”

Photographing and filming their journey, the pair have presented a diverse portrait of Brazil and it’s people by visiting indigenous territories, deforested ranch lands, industrial ports, deserted beaches, fishing villages, pristine jungle and huge metropolises.

When Paddling This Month caught up with the duo they were 126 days and 1,457 miles into paddling through the Amazon basin.

Encouraging an eco-conscious, leave-no-trace travel mentality has become a focus of the trip, which the two share through their website and social media. Both men quit their day jobs to embark on the journey. “I love Los Angeles, but my life there had become sickeningly fast paced and schizophrenic, I wanted to change that,” Chervenak says.

While Jones grew up in the U.K. and Chervenak is a Californian, both credit family members for getting them interested in wilderness paddling as children. Jones’ father built a canoe from scratch and “that was when I first fell in love with rivers,” he says.

Paddling a folding Ally canoe on the Amazon River, they’ve been a curiosity for the locals for who adventure travelers are an uncommon sight. “Most locals living on the river think we are crazy, but a good sort of crazy that makes them curious and more open to share and swap stories with us,” says Chervenak. “Finding commonalities in life and trading stories and experiences with strangers is the best part of traveling down the Amazon.”

Of course, it isn’t always easy—the two have been mistaken for drug traffickers, had their canoe nearly sucked into the propeller of an ocean liner and battled foul weather on their daily 50-kilometer paddles.

But, the good far outweighs the bad, they both agree. “Countless nights we’ve paddled up to stilted riverside shacks with a storm and darkness rolling in, our safety relying on the understanding and kindness of the strangers gazing hesitantly out of the shutters at us,” says Jones. “If they were spooked by the two grubby gringos in a strange vessel, we’d be left paddling through the night. Luckily—and in testament to the Brazilian spirit—we‘ve nearly always been welcomed.”

Brazil 9000 is expected to conclude in the Brazilian city of Chui in 2014. Follow the journey online at www.brazil9000.com.

This story first appeared in Rapid Media’s May Paddling Magazine. Download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read it here.

Sjoa Valley Trip Guide: Norway’s Whitewater Paddling Paradise

Photo: Graham Genge — Sjoa Valley Whitewater

The world’s best paddlers migrate to the Sjoa Valley in the spring and summer to seek out the towering falls, endless slides and amazing Fresca-colored rivers that have made Norway a premier international paddling destination.

Situated 1.5 hours north of Lillehammer and 4.5 hours north of the capital, Oslo, Sjoa is central to nearly all of the country’s most outstanding whitewater. The valley itself is home to centuries-old wooden churches, bridge trolls and historic farms, as well as Norway’s largest commercial rafting operations and a seemingly inexhaustible supply of rivers, waves and steep creeks.

[ Paddling Trip Guide: View all paddling trips in Norway ]

Whitewater lowdown

Warm up on the middle Sjoa, a 6-km, mid- to high-volume Class II-III+ play section with safe, eddy-serviced holes and a world-class wave that boasts epic playboating status in flood. Upstream, the Aseng Juvet canyon is 14 km of read-and-run Class III-IV that makes for a thrilling backyard run. Downstream, Amot Gorge provides 2 km of big-volume Class IV+ falls that can be run in a playboat or creeker.

Over a dozen more runs—including the renowned Ulla Falls, Lower Otta and Lagan— are accessible within an hour’s drive from Sjoa.

Factoids

Population: 311

Average rent: $685

Number of gear shops/guide outfitters: 6+

Number of rafting companies: 4+

McDonalds: No

Cross-training

Mountain biking

Get dirty on Lilehammer’s world-class, lift-accessed bike parks and cross-country trails.

Hiking

Reach treeline in a matter of minutes on 400 km of marked trails in the adjacent Jotunheimen National Park. Tackle the classic, six-hour Besseggen circle route, which includes a stunning ferry ride on glacial Lake Gjende, and top out under the midnight sun among Norway’s highest mountains.

Grub, pub and hubbub

Sjoa Kayak Camp is the place to meet other boaters and settle in for cheap camping. Gear up and get river beta at Strie Strømmer—Norway’s largest kayak shop. Sjoa itself doesn’t offer much in the way of food or drink, but with the high price of grub in Norway, the local Statoil gas station’s sausage and endless free coffee (with the purchase of a mug) start to look pretty good.

[ Also read: 50 Of The Best Whitewater Towns To Visit Before You Die ]

Fifteen minutes down the road, Otta is the regional service center and the place to stock up on supplies. Don’t miss the annual Sjoa Kayak Festival, held in July when the water levels and weather are perfect, and there’s no shortage of paddling partners.

This article originally appeared in Rapid‘s Spring 2010 issue. Subscribe to Paddling Magazine’s print and digital editions here, or browse the archives here.

That’s brisk, baby: Sjoa’s glacial whitewater. | Photo: Graham Genge

Weekly Kayak News, June 13, 2013

Photo: Monterey to Hawaii Kayak — Weekly Kayak News, June 13, 2013

California to Hawaii Crossing Ends 4 Miles Offshore

Retired military veterans Clay Biles and R.W. Hand have aborted their attempt to paddle from Monterey, California, to Maui, Hawaii, in two tandem sea kayaks just five days after their official launch. According to patchy reports on the team’s Facebook page, Biles’ boat was damaged and he had to be rescued by Coast Guard Monterey just 4 miles offshore, suffering from mild hypothermia. Hand managed to paddle in and discovered a cracked hull on his boat at the dock. “There was boat to boat contact when Clay was trying to retrieve RW’s sea anchor and began taking on water,” states a June 9th update on Facebook. The expedition was being taken to raise awareness for the Navy SEAL Foundation and the Wounded Warrior Project. Both men were reputedly seasoned paddlers, inspired by Edward Gillett’s 1987 Pacific crossing to become the third team in history to attempt the 2,200-mile journey by kayak. Biles and Hand announced earlier today that they will be postponing the expedition until next year, while repairs are made to their boats. www.montereytohawaiikayak.com

National Paddling Week June 15-23, 2013

A new event kicks off this weekend, promoting fun and safe skilled recreational paddling. National Paddling Week is a joint effort between Paddle Canada, Rapid Media, Canadian Canoe Museum and Transport Canada Office of Boating Safety along with paddlers and groups across the country to raise public awareness and just excite people to get out in small boats. “This week has been created to boost awareness of our national recreational paddling sports, safety measures, skill development, and heritage!” says Paddle Canada executive director Graham Ketcheson. “National Paddling Week seeks to encourage Canadians to get into a canoe, kayak or onto a board and be counted during this week to show our national commitment to the fun, the benefits, and the challenge of paddling!” To learn more or find a National Paddling Week event near you, visit www.paddleweek.ca, or follow on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/NationalPaddlingWeekCanada.

Port Austin Sea Kayak Symposium

Another paddling event, this one in charming Port Austin, Michigan, kicks off next week, June 21–23. Veteran PASKS attendees describe the event as a “smaller, more personalized symposium” at the tip of Michigan’s Thumb. The venue provides both calm waters within a breakwater, and the possibility of rougher waters among the carved rocks of Lake Huron. Favorite symposium day trip destinations include the historic, 19th-century Port Austin Reef Light. In addition to skills workshops and classes, a unique offering will include an overnight Expedition Class to Port Crescent State Park covering gear, packing, on-water group management, coastal paddling skills, compass/map skills and backcountry camping skills. Visit or call Riverside Kayak Connection to learn more and sign up: http://riversidekayak.com/events-lessons/port-austin-symposium2-2, 734-285-2925.

Daily Photo: When Darkness Falls

247b6f95024acacb9e1c80decc27ce13_XL — Photo: Sander Jain

Sander Jain photographed a sea kayaker gliding along the cliffs of Grice Bay’s Indian Island on a dark, unnaturally still January day. “The bay is a popular feeding ground for grey whales, and the Scandinavian homes on Indian Island are a local landmark,” say Jain, whose Tofino home is just minutes from the put-in.

Location: Clayoquot Sound, British Columbia

This image originally appeared in the Spring 2013 issue of Adventure Kayak. To see more beautiful paddling images, download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read it here.

Daily Photo: Heritage

Photo: Flickr user Hackworth — Heritage wooden canoe

A wooden canoe and replica Tudor barge (behind) sit at the Thames Boat Show in Beale Park.

This photo is was taken by Flickr user Hackworth and licensed under Creative Commons. Want to see your photo here? Send to [email protected] with subject line Daily Photo.

Paramount H2O Canoe Review

Photo: Dan Caldwell — Paramount 16-6 by H20 Canoe Company

This review of H2O Canoe Company’s Paramount 16-6 was originally published in Canoeroots and Family Camping magazine.

When looking at sleek lakewater boats like the Paramount 16-6 from H2O Canoe Company, speed comes to mind. This is a fast canoe, but when was the last time you were in a rush in the back country? Marathon paddling aside, canoeing is rarely about speed at all. It’s about efficiency and the Paramount’s lay-up and hull design offer exactly that.

The H2O line of canoes consists of resin-infused composite boats. This molding process uses minimal liquid resin, producing boats that are both stiff and ultra-lightweight. The Paramount we tested is at the premium end of the line-up, in H2O’s carbon-Kevlar lay-up. Ours came in at a svelte 42 pounds—impressive, considering the use of gelcoat. H2O has managed to shave off pounds by using a clear-coat epoxy from the gunwales down to the waterline. While lightweight, hulls finished entirely in clear coat are less abrasion resistant so H2O applied gelcoat where durability is most important—the underside. The result is a signature eye-catching two-toned look.

As another means of weight savings, designers reduced the Paramount’s surface area. There is little volume at its extremities and sheer lines are low, requiring less build material.

“We started the company concentrating on classic canoes,” says H2O founder and designer, Jeff Hill. “We wanted to make sure the modern boats we do make perform well across all fronts.”

By modern, Hill means asymmetrical. Unlike the Prospector or Bob’s Special found in H2O’s Heritage Series canoes, the Paramount’s widest point is aft of center, a design attribute that improves acceleration and glide.

The first thing I noticed about the Paramount was how effortlessly it travels across the water, exceeding expectations based on its weight and hull shape.

At 16 feet six inches and with little rocker, it has a long waterline eliminating any need for a keel. Few stern finesse strokes are needed, leaving both paddlers free to maintain momentum and take full advantage of the boat’s top speed and glide. Despite the straight-tracking nature of the canoe, the two and a half inches of bow rocker left me pleasantly surprised by the boat’s maneuverability.

Confident paddlers will appreciate the secondary stability afforded by the Paramount’s gently rounded hull. Limited initial stability could leave novice paddlers a little wary when paddling it empty.

With the refined hull, low freeboard and trim placement, this canoe is better suited to weeklong trips than expeditions.

All H2O canoes come with classy cherry seats, yoke, aft kneeling thwart and carry handles complete with finger grooves. Rounding out the beautiful trim package and true to clever weight-saving design principles, the carbon-Kevlar lay-up comes with H2O’s Integral Composite Gunwales—inwales integrated into the canoe during the molding process. On the outside, aluminum outwales are bonded to the hull to maintain strength.

Paddlers looking for a premium canoe can expect to pay a higher price for H2O boats, especially the carbon-Kevlar lay-up. Given that the Paramount’s hull shape is designed for intermediate to advanced paddlers, cost should be less of an issue. These are canoeists who are never in a rush but always have a discerning taste for efficiency.

H2O Canoe Company Paramount 16-6 specs

Length: 16’6”
Width at waterline: 32.5”
Width at gunwales: 35.5”
Depth at bow: 22”
Depth at center: 14”
Depth at stern: 20”
Weight: 42 lbs (in carbon-Kevlar)
MSRP: $3,295 CAD
www.h2ocanoe.com

This article originally appeared in Canoeroots & Family Camping, Spring 2013. Download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read it here.

The Raft Guide’s Lexicon

Photo: Robert Faubert — Whitewater rafting

This article originally appeared in Rapid magazine.

According to an Outdoor Industry Association report, roughly 20 percent of the 4.5 million Americans who went rafting in 2010 were firsttimers. That’s a lot of fresh confetti. But don’t despair; the following is a must-know inventory of rafting idiolect (no, that isn’t an insult—look it up).

Pushing rubber (v.) Raft guide’s job. 

Oar whore (n.) Seasoned raft guide who is reliable and good enough to row for different companies on different rivers, a rare and dying breed.

GORB (n.) Good Old Rafting Buddy. 

Get down (v.) Move to a more secure position on the raft floor, typically above a drop where there is a high probability of falling out. If you blow it, you’ll be thankful for the…

Chicken line (n.) Perimeter line on a raft, grab it after falling out. Grab it if you’re chicken.

High side (n. & v.) 1. The tube that is pushed upward when a raft comes up against a rockor hole sideways. 2. The act of crew jumping from the low side of the boat to the high side—when executed in time, this can prevent a flip or wrap.

Taco (v.) When a raft folds around an obstacle. AKA: burrito, wrap.

Dump truck (v.) When everyone except the guide is ejected from the raft. AKA: bus stop.

Clean plate (n.) When everyone including the guide is spilled out but the raft does not flip.

Yard sale (n.) Colorful assortment of swimmers and gear following a flip. AKA: confetti, garage sale.

Sweep boat (n.) 1. The last boat in a group of rafts, the sweep brings up the rear and makes sure no one gets left behind. 2. Large, commercial cargo boat used on the Middle Fork and Main Salmon rivers.

Groover (n.) Metal box that holds solid human waste on a river trip, most often used in the arid Southwest.

Groover duty (n.) Chore typically assigned to the lowest ranking or least popular member of a river party, involves setting up the groover at camp and cleaning it post-trip.

Snakebite (n.) Small hole in a raft that can be heard but not seen, detected by the hissing of escaping air.

SPORT (n.) Stupid People On Rafting Trips. See also: GORB.

Bow puppy (n.) Person riding in the bow of an oar rig, does not assist with paddling or steering.

Speed bump (n.) Kayaker who doesn’t get out of the way of a raft.

Baptism (n.) Raft guide’s first swim.

Thanks to all those who participated in  our Facebook poll.

This article originally appeared in Rapid, Spring 2012. Download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read it here.

Video: Freestyle Kayaker

Videos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68012504

Few people have pursued Whitewater Kayaking for as long with as much passion as Bryan Kirk. Bryan discusses how he continues to experience the rivers draw while paddling the New River Dries in Fayetteville, West Virginia.

Starring: Bryan Kirk

Directed/Edited by: Kelsey Thompson

Daily Photo: Morning Calm

f3936a34196075e664661d8cca9d22c7_XL — Photo: Alan Lukala

Alan Lukala is a familiar face to paddlers at kayaking events throughout the upper Great Lakes. An avid amateur photographer and student of Greenland-style technique, when he isn’t practicing traditional rolls or planning his next wilderness trip, Lukala is shooting kayaking images. At Ontario Greenland Camp 2011, he awoke at dawn and hurried down to the water to get this shot: “A few paddlers were up before the day’s events and quickly disappeared into the fog on the small lake.”

Location: Muskoka, Ontario

This image originally appeared in the Early Summer 2013 issue of Adventure Kayak. To see more beautiful paddling images, download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read it here.

Scoop Rescue Kayak Technique

Skills

Photo: Virginia Marshall — Scoop Rescue Kayak Technique

This skills Q&A article was originally published in Adventure Kayak magazine.

What’s the easiest way to get an injured paddler back in their boat after a capsize?

Portland, Oregon-based American Canoe Association instructor and British Canoe Union five-star leader Paul Kuthe uses the scoop rescue get a swimmer with a shoulder injury back in their boat. This rescue, which involves floating a swimmer into an angled, flooded cockpit and then levering the boat upright, is also Kuthe’s last-resort means of getting large paddlers and those with limited upper body strength out of the water. While it’s a “wet” rescue (unlike the classic assisted T-rescue where the cockpit is emptied before the swimmer climbs aboard), the scoop is fast and requires little effort on the part of the swimmer. “It’s also the only way to rescue an unconscious or completely disabled paddler,” Kuthe adds.

He breaks the rescue into five stages. First, the swimmer’s boat is aligned parallel to the rescuer’s boat and tilted away to partially flood the cockpit. Second, “float the swimmer’s legs into the cockpit first and be sure to cram as much of their body as possible into the boat, including their hips,” says Kuthe. Then recline the swimmer’s torso against the back deck to position their center of gravity closer to the axis of rotation. The next step is to push down on the near-edge of the swimmer’s boat to lever it upright. Kuthe says it’s often necessary to combine forceful downward pressure with a strong yank on the swimmer’s PFD shoulder strap or clothing. Finally, raft up with the swimmer to pump out their cockpit.

This article originally appeared in Adventure Kayak, Early Summer 2013. To watch a video demonstrating the scoop rescue, download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read it here.