Outdoor Adventures

Showing posts with label Paddling. Show all posts

Monday, February 27, 2012

7 Tips Before You Begin Rafting

Rafting at this time begin again become attracted many sporting activities. Most want to try to test the adrenalin in the rapids with a safe way to relieve fatigue than when it has undergone during the six days of work time. But before embarking on her Rafting or Rafting, try the following tips to know 7.

1. Find out about river
Before going to the rafting site, find out first information about the river you will pass. Information sought can be swift current, the length of the river to be impassable, types of rocks and zones - zones of extremes. This will help you to find out the terrain to be encountered.

2. Eat 2-3 hours sebelumber Rafting
Another thing to consider before air Rafting is filling the stomach. Rafting is a sport that will spend a lot of energy. So, if you do not want to run out of steam, eat first. But remember, do not eat right before you start your rafting because it can cause sickness - nausea and even vomiting. Eat 2 or 3 hours before starting.

3. Do Warming
During Rafting, there will be a lot of things happen. You may be required to jump or swim arrived - arrived. To avoid muscle injuries, do warm up 10-15 minutes before starting. It's important to flex its muscles.

4. Note the existing facilities
In addition to heating, you should pay attention to the correct fittings are used. Examples of standard equipment is that you should wear a helmet and life jacket. Make sure the helmet is also installed properly. Do not get off when you wade through the swift river.

5. Listen to the instructions correctly
Well, here's the most important, listen to instructions before rafting guides. Consider this - what should be done and should not be done. Do not get confused when you are in the middle - the middle of a fast-flowing river.

6. Don't panic when the boat overturned
Events that most often occurs when air Rafting is used inflatable boats upside down. If you experience this, do not trigger panic. Calm down for a float that will make you float charged. In addition, the attitude of panic issued can actually make your drifting.

7. Use a reliable guide
Each activity Rafting usually use the package provided by certain agents. Well, make sure the agent used is a professional agent and you already know the quality of work. If there are local residents that offer Rafting package, you should still use the official packages or agent who has been entrusted. This relates to the comfort and safety during activities Rafting takes place.

Source: http://www.belantaraindonesia.org/2012/02/7-tips-sebelum-memulai-arung-jeram.html

Friday, October 7, 2011

The Outdoor Adventure: One Man Epic: On An Egyptian Adventure

In 2010, we followed Australian adventurer Tom Smitheringale on a solo attempt to reach the North Pole, a journey during which he suffered frostbite while struggling with the grueling demands of the arctic. Now, Tom has traded in those frigid conditions for a decidedly warmer adventure, this time taking on the Sahara Desert in Egypt.

A few days ago, Tom set out on a 2500km (1553 mile) journey that begins with him paddling the length of the Nile River, starting at the border of Egypt and the Sudan and continuing to the Great Pyramids in Cairo. From there, he'll travel to Luxor, where he'll join a Bedouin tribe as they enter the Western Desert in a camel caravan, following an ancient trade route that will eventually end at the famed Siwa Oasis. That portion of Tom's journey will be 1300km (807 miles) in length, taking him into the deepest part of the desert with the people that know it best.

You'll be able to follow along with Tom's journey through his blog, which he has already updated several times, or by joining his Facebook page. Setting out from the temple of Abu Simbel a few days ago, it has already been a challenge dealing with heat and long days out on the water, yet he writes about the people who live along the river, many of whom come out to wave at him as he passes by.

Tom is undertaking this expedition in support of the Starlight Children's Foundation of Australia, a non-proft that works to help make the lives of seriously ill children and their families, better.

Having traveled through Egypt, and along the Nile where Tom is currently paddling, I can tell you that it can be incredibly hot there. One of the days that I was in the Aswan area the temperature soared above 125ºF/51ºC. On top of that, the sun is very intense, and if you're not use to the heat, it can be extremely draining on your body. But that said, it is a fascinating place to visit, as their are settlements scattered along the banks of the river, and ancient ruins throughout the journey as well. Egypt is a magical place, and it should be interesting to see it through Tom's eyes as he continues to make progress.

The Outdoor Adventure: BelgiKayak Update: Reaching The North Sea

Belgian adventure Louis-Philippe Loncke has completed his BelgiKayak expedition, which sent him on a 600km (373 mile) journey around his home country, exploring its waterways and measuring their health, while filming the experience as a way of documenting what he saw along the way. What he found was incredible beauty that is threatened by man.

I received a note last night from Lou-Phi giving me insights into his expedition which ended when he reached the North Sea this past weekend. Traveling along Belgium's idyllic rivers, he discovered a number of smaller tributaries, often hidden behind foliage, that when entered, allowed him to get close to nature like never before. Anyone who has paddled a calm river has probably experienced something similar. Since kayaks make virtually no noise, it is easy to paddle up on unsuspecting animals, providing some fantastic experiences that are hard to have while traveling on foot.

When he first started this journey back in July, Loncke had very limited time inside a kayak. In fact, he only had an hours worth of training before setting off on in his Seabirddesigns boat. He freely admits that he didn't know how to pull of an eskimo roll and was completely afraid of capsizing in his first few days out on the water. But after hours of paddling, he became more comfortable and experienced, and is now looking forward to more paddling adventures.

Logistically speaking, there were some hurdles to overcome along the way. For instance, he had to navigate a series of 50 locks which help regulate water flow along the river. Those usually involved a portage, although he did pass through some that are on the UNESCO World Heritage List that have been in operation since 1888. He also paddled into Brugge, a city that is sometimes called the "Venice of the North," where kayaking is only permitted one day of the year. Loncke contacted the local officials before his arrival however, and they granted him permission to paddle through their fair city, something that sounds spectacular.

One of the things that I love about this expedition is that it was often conducted on weekends and during what ever spare time Lou-Phi could find. It is an example of how we can all find ways to put a little adventure into our own lives, even close to home, and maybe even discover some wonderful new places that we didn't even know existed. This could easily be a blueprint for other weekend expeditions, and I'm sure we could all find similar opportunities close to where we live. Well done Lou-Phi!

Thursday, October 6, 2011

The Outdoor Adventure: 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.

Monday, October 3, 2011

The Outdoor Adventure: 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?

The Outdoor Adventure: Might Journey: Another Stand-Up PaddleboarderCompletes 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!

Sunday, October 2, 2011

The Outdoor Adventure: 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.

The Outdoor Adventure: 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.