Mexico 2010 -2011

I arrive to Mexico the 4. november, looking for paddling big staff. 

I´m hoping to find a good team, not just good paddlers, but good people as well.

I know allot of kayakers traveling to this country, so I´m not scared of not getting new friends.

Aniol Sarasoles is here, so I try to contact him as fast as possible.

Bad luck, he is injured. 

But luckily I know some friends of me are here, and I find them, in Tlapacoyan.

Mino, Txomin and Eneko are good guys and good friends, and I know they love class 5. Of course I contact them!

From the beginning of this travel in Mexico, I can see how the people want to help me to travel with my kayak. Everybody is very friendly and simpatical.

So I arrive to Tlapacoyan with no big problems. 

Tlapacoyan is a small city between mountains and forests of banana trees. The rivers by the rode look very stip.

I meet with my friends and we make plans for next days.

In the same moment they introduce me to Rafael Ortiz, the best paddler in Mexico.

He is very friendly and very happy to show us the reversion the area.

We start by paddling the Rio Alseseka ,tablazo section/roadside section.

The next days we been paddling full of sections. My favorite is big banana!

Everything is very steep.

I need to learn to fly in waterfalls, so we go to San Pedro; 13 m and Trutxa ; 18 m. The next day to the Tomata1; 23 m.

I don't have all the time very good fly, but I´m learning  fast.

My friends are leaving, but I find new ones from Germany and we decide to go to paddle in Valles area in Rio Mikos.

It´s not that much action in this area, but the rivers there are wonderful!

After a week of paddling with the Germans we find Aniol in Valles and decide to come back to Tlapacoyan.

The Germans continue their travel by plain, direction Chile.

Chao new good friends.!!!! See you soon.

Aniol is not totally fixed from his indjure but we still paddle allot. There are also some very good french kayakers arriving, they are good guys and we do allot of paddling together.

Rafa Ortis is studying so he come to Tlapacoyan just in the weekends, but soon he will be in holidays. So…. big class 5 section; we arrive !

 
Cascada San pedro Perfect for start to learn how to fly     Foto: Seppi Strohmeier.

This is very cliché, everything is not like this in Mexico, but sometimes its exactly like that.

It's not allways easy to find the rivers. The machete, the lokal big knife, is not to much to carry in your boat.

Rio Mikos, beautiful but with allot of caves  Foto: Seppi Strohmeier.

This is Mexico Hiiiijjjaaaaaaa.                                           Foto By Netta Haansnar

Foto by Netta

Ok, in this picture in the far right, I did try to boof off a small drop. I miss my boof because I scratch the bedrock.

Upside down I got recicled behind the curtain of the drop, and ended up in a cave that was big like an elefants ass.

Trying to roll I feel like I'm in a bad situation, so when I see a rock I grab it and pull my spread deck.

Luckely it's not deep everywhere, but it's still dificult to hold on to my kayak because the current push it to a undercave.

I also lost my paddle, or Permins paddle actualy.

The german kayakers don't take the same line as me and when they don't see me in the end they look for me everywhere. Nobody in ower team know it's a cave in this place, so after 15 minutes they start to think they lost me.

Me, I am in my cave and trying to think how the hell show the others that I'm behind this very thick curtain. I tried screaming and whisteling, but no chance.

So I take my rope and attached it to my kayak. I throw my kayak in the curtain and hold on to my rope.

In this moment I thougt it was the best thing to do for show my position. But when my kayak crossed the curtain and got full of water it  became dificult to keep holding the rope, so I decide in the moment to jump with the rope pulling me through the curtain.

When I have my head out of the water, I see full of people on the riverbank and Seppi is pulling my rope to help me.

I'm allways going to remenber Permins happy scream.

I hope nobody is going to have this experience, but I write about it, so if it hapens, this will maybe help some kayakers.

Sorry to my Germans friends and to Netta for scare them!

Netta, myself and the German friends; Anne, Permin and Seppi

Rio Alseseca Tablazo `Road side section´ .You boof or you surf.

In this one I don't want to surf

It's a great river to practice the boof.

Before the s

La S, the mian rapid in the Tablazo section. In this section it is the race, against the dam-program, the 15. january.

For shure it's going to be allot of action.    Fotos Tablazo by Aniol Serrasolses

Boukaki in Rio Jalacingo. It's not allways easy to make good lines in this one. Foto: Seppi Strohmeier.

Cascada de la tomata Alseseka 23 m, in Mexico we say; Fuck Gravity  !!!!    Foto By Netta

Norway 2010

The last 4 summers I have been working in Norway as a raft guide, in Skjåk and Sjoa.
It´s amazing how much water you can find in this country. There are rivers everywhere.
A paradise for slides and drops, and the kayakers we are coming from everywhere.

Working in Norway it´s not like working in France and Spain were it´s full of trips every day. You have maybe a couple trips in the day, but often just one.
So, I could paddle allot!

In Skjåk and in Sjoa you have some campings were the owners are kayakers as well, and very good guys.  And of course it´s full of creaking in this area.

In the spring is often pretty good weather and it´s daylight 24 hours long. Perfect for paddling different rivers or to go kayaking after work.
When the summer arrive the waterlevel is going down, but for some upper sections it´s perfect.
Even in the fall you find some very good kayaking.

If you go to this country you shouldn´t miss Voss. It in the vest, it´s a little bit warmer and between mountains and the sea. Grate place to paddle with full of waterfalls and tuff sections.
If you have the chance to go to the extremesportweek, you should, you´re gonna have a very good time. Filled with different extreme sports and good parties with allot of friends.

This are the places I´ve been most of my time in Norway, but the country has much more to offer you, both in views and rivers.

If you lake to eat in the restaurant and drink beers in the pub you should probably rob a bank before you arrive to Norway...
Even without robbing banks, and with some good thinking, you can travel in Norway and without spending all your money.

For the respect of the nature, please don´t forget that in this country there is one parasite in some rivers that is killing the salmon.
Ask to the locals and clean your boat and staff between paddling different rivers. This is important for don´t spread the parasite.

Look this pictures and soon I will make and add a movie as well.
While waiting that, take a look at this great movie by Santiago Lo Greco, where we had very good times:  que VOSSTA credits

The River Sogndalselvi     Foto Will Hartman

Ula Slides        Foto Gigo Castillo

Ula falls       Foto Will Hartman

  This is the way to don't use to much money in Norway.

                                                                                                                                                                       

Nosebreaker in Voss             uuuuuuuhh!!!!!! Powerfull one!

Foto by mister Santiago Indalecio Lo Greco

                      

In Voss with Santi

Finna River with Full of water ....to much is enough
Foto Olivier Villebrun

Upper Sjoa Ridderspranget
Foto Olivier Villebrun

Rauma River                               Hiiiijaaaa!!!!

Third slide  in Rauma

Relaxing

Fotos by Jenica Andersen

Chile 2009

Here is a video of myself paddling some of the amazing and spectacular rivers of Chile and Argentina. Enjoy!

Video

Chile is a paradise for kayakers, with full of rivers every were.
Pucon is the center of the paradise. After I was working in Peru, a friend of me
asked me to come to work for him in the Futaleufu river. I said YES, Of course !!!
So i took my kayak like my bag and said: "let´s go to Chile".
I didn´t use to much time for paddling allot different rivers on my way, because they were waiting for me in Futa.
Anyway I took my time to stop in Pucon to paddle some of the classic rivers and sections.
Pucon is a big village with foll of kayakers and raft company's. If you are a paddler, it´s a big chance
you gonna find a friend you haven't  seen in a long time.
It´s like the worlds meeting place for paddlers.
After a week full-on in Pucon, I left for go to Futa more south of Patagonia.
This year it was raining allot, so the river was even bigger than normal.
I stayed in Futa working as a safety kayaker for 3 month, but it was a quiet season with not allot trips in the weeks. So we spend the time kayaking just for fun.
In the end I finished my travel in the mythic Rio Baker. I will never forget this river and I look forward to paddle it again.

                                      Rio Puesco

                                      Saltando Ojos

                            Fly Gorge en Futaleufu

          La Cocina de Fly Gorge    Fotos By Netta Hånsnar

                 Rio Trancura   Foto Arnaud Thomas

                 T.N.T   Rio Futaleufu

                Where I am ? ...    Trono in Futa

                        Entrada del Infierno Futa

                      Rio Baker      Foto : Jakub Sedivy




Gael Caride Alvarez

Apurimac Peru 2009

The Apurimac river in Cuzco is one of the most famous rivers for rafting in south America.
I was working 4 months as a safety kayaker in this river.
The guides I did meet in this place are all very good rafters and kayakers.

The trip in the river is 3 days, so the guides know to do everything; like cooking
or to make the perfect camp in all kinds of weather.
All the time joking makes the days go fast, but the work is really tiring.

The name "Apurimac" is in Mapuche, the local culture, and the translation is "God speaking".

Peru has allot of rivers all over the country. You can paddle all year around.
Very good country for expeditions and also for first decent.

The Apurimac river is runable from mars to october. To much water in this canyon is not good.
The Abismo section is just for kayakers asking allot action. Its a long section, so you´re paddling for 2 days.

Cuzco close to Machu Picchu is the city of party. You should drink something!!

I have a movie from this, I will show you in Mars.

Rapido Dolor de Mouela. La entrada y no lo mas facil.

 

El Jilder y yo en la caminata para salir del abismo.

Me duelen los pies solo pensandolo.

El Abismo. Buenazooo

Camp en el Abismo con cocina improvisada.

  El tim de Mayuc unos tan locos como los otros.

Estas fotos son de Tio fico y Leo

colombia 2008

Most of the people are scared to travel to Colombia. But this country is very beautiful and the people living there are amazingly friendly. Of course some places are not recommended to go to, but this is really not a big part of the country.

Allot of  rivers to paddle and allot of things to discover. 

Between kayak sessions you´re going to find many nights for learn to dance salsa and many people for laugh.

The place were you find allot kayakers is in San Gil, a couple of hours from Bogota. The best rivers I did run in that place are Suares and Mogoticos.

In the north of the country I couldn´t paddle, but I know it is allot to do. In the south of the country, Rio Naranjo and Rio Magdalena has many different sections. Easy ones and full adrenaline ones.

I didn´t take pictures and movies, but I will come back to this country one day.

Have a good time if you think to go.

                                          Rio Negro
                         Entrance of the canyon very good section close to Bogota.

                                    Rio Mogoticos. Preparando mi buf            

Los amigos despues del primer descenso del alto 

Mogoticos.

                                 Fotos de Mark Hentze y Kees Van Kuipers