Cominco: What a day yesterday

The day started fine as I finished the Volvo Ocean after 9 months of Virtual sailing and things were going well. I had a pretty good day when PC problems arose and I have been very busy trying to fix these things. It worked but I lost some stuff. I can get this back easy enough it just takes some time. For some unknown reason,  I lost my windows operating system and had to re-installl everything. This took a while to figure out.and I am glad I made the disc as requested when I first bought the machine with out them I would have been lost. Once I install Open Office I will ave everythingback except some e-mail addresses.

Freeky: Southamerican Style

[caption id="attachment_28" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="runing the last section of this amazing canyon"][/caption]

Time for our next one, this time it was another classic, Lågen river and its Rusty (I like to call it like that) canyon. We put-in at medium to high water this time, which made things to look very different from last year. As soon as you put in you will start with a nice grade III section to warm up, and not far from there you will have the first big one, which was looking like a big monster at that water level, with two main possibilities: a left line, just avoiding the biggest $%”#$# or right in the middle of it, trying to paddle through a big diagonal first, then a huge crashing wave, to end up by punching a big hole at the bottom….full on!!

[caption id="attachment_30" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Diego runing the left line @ first rapid"][/caption]

Diego went first and took the safe line by the left, then Miguel fired up the center big-balled line and he just did it like a pro, so that gave the rest of us some extra motivation to hit the same line. Silvio took a smooth stroke by the big diagonal and then went into the big stuff….

[caption id="attachment_31" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Miguel showing some southamerican style"][/caption]

So, as I was getting in my kayak to run it I just thought: “that is easier than what I thought!” then, I lined up my kayak to take exactly the same line than Silvio and Miguel, but this time, I went too relaxed to hit that diagonal, so, by the time I went into the big wave I was in the wrong spot….got surfed, and then , into the hole without any speed at all…

[caption id="attachment_32" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Big line, wrong spot!"][/caption]

surfing again, but this time, for quite a long time, though, swimming was not an option, a waterfall (portage at that water level) was waiting for me just about 70 meters from where the hole was playing with me. Luckly I managed to get out from there, and we kept our run going as we enjoyed the rest of the run like kids in a candy-store! Enjoy the pics!

[caption id="attachment_33" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="where is the way out of this hole!!!!"][/caption]

El próximo, esta vez era otro clásico, el río Lågen y su cañón rusty (me gusta llamarlo así). Entramos al río con un nivel de agua medio-alto, factor que hizo verlo muy diferente a la última vez que lo corrimos el año pasado. Tan pronto como uno se echa al agua, el río desciende formando un rápido largo y contínuo clase III, un muy buen comienzo para ablandar…

[caption id="attachment_34" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Half the way.....silvio"][/caption]

No muy lejos de terminar con esto, aparece el primer grande, un rápido que hace ver los kayaks de creek como si fueran playboats. Dos posibilidades: tomar línea segura por la izquierda y evadir el mounstruo que había por el centro, o simplemente tomar la línea del centro rompiendo una diagonal, para luego cargar sobre una ola rompiente con mucha fuerza (pero una ventanita en el medio) y luego un hueco bastante cerrado al final….

[caption id="attachment_35" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="once you are sure you can´t help it....just padlle hard..."][/caption]

Diego corrió primero, eligiendo la línea de la izquierda, y luego Miguel, quien estaba inspirado, tomó la línea del centro para probar que sí se podía, muy bien! Luego Silvio hizo lo propio y demostró lo que hacen los años de experiencia con su kayak. Cuando me metí en mi kayak pensé “esto es más fácil de lo que esperaba” entonces remé hacia la diagonal con demasiado relax…pum!! La diagonal era muy fuerte! Para cuando pasé la diagonal, me di cuenta que estaba en lugar equivocado, no iba a alcanzar la ventana que me permitiría mantener la velocidad para golpear con fuerza el último hueco; en cambio, después de que me detuvo por completo, me dejó sin fuerza para atacar al hueco, entonces ya se imaginan lo que pasó…

después de una larga surfeada en el hueco, logré salir un poco exhausto pero felíz, ya que si hubiese nadado, muy probablemente el río me hubiese llevado gentilmente hacia el próximo rápido; una cascada que a ese nivel de agua era portaje!!!

Después de esto seguimos remando y disfrutando de este río como niños en una tienda de chocolates!! Disfruten las fotos!

Re:LiquidLogic Biscuit (pic 4029)

the biscuit looks a sik boat but that carbon project offfttt :D

Gear: Re:What Kayak???

Thanks guys. The nearest place to demo one or any boat really is in Birmingham, Alabama. I'll try to make it there eventually. We are thinking about going on vacation in eastern TN, so I know I could

Gear: Re:Full face: WRSI or Shred Ready?

definitely go sr, the wrsis are flimsy and fullface doesn't do much good. the srs do a better job of not sliding around on your head too which is supposed to be wrsis big thing. I own a wrsi but ha

Gear: Re:Need some input on choosing between a few kayak

i've got a ZG its a great boat go with that

FS - Europe - UK: Re:necky vibe for sale

FS - Europe - UK: Re:All my kayak kit for sale

FS - Europe - UK: Kayaking T-shirts and Hooded tops great quality .

FS - Europe - UK: Re:For Sale: AMOEBA CARVER