Tristan Kennedy braves the rapids for an immersion course in kayaking
I never learned to eskimo roll. Honestly, righting a kayak using only a paddle wasn’t a life skill that I thought I’d need. But as I found myself barrelling down the Bhote Kosi river in Nepal, having been flipped upside down in Class II rapids, I found myself wishing that I’d paid more attention on my school canoeing trips to the River Wye.
Luckily, I managed to locate the handle on my spray deck, and free myself relatively quickly. Even more luckily, as I bobbed to the surface in my buoyancy vest, I managed to grab hold of both the boat and the paddle – otherwise, I would have really been up sh*t creek without a proverbial. And my third piece of fortune (because good luck always comes in threes) was that the rapids were relatively short. The tempo quickly dropped from raging whitewater to gentle eddy. By the time I had dragged myself to the bank, I was laughing, rather than spluttering. Still, the experience was instructive. Kayaking, I learned, can be a pretty extreme sport.
In hindsight, I could have guessed as soon as we met our guide that this ‘taster’ day of whitewater kayaking would be tough. With his long, grey hair, beard, and wraparound shades, Darren ‘Daz’ Clarkson-King looked like the kind of person who might go BASE jumping just to relax. It turned out that he was something of a legend of the sport, and had quite literally written the book on whitewater kayaking in Nepal. A gruff Yorkshireman, Clarkson-King was one in a long line of gruff Yorkshiremen who’d dedicated their time to chalking up ‘first descents’ of the country’s un-paddled rivers – stretching back to Mick Hopkinson and his colleagues on the 1976 British Everest Canoe Expedition.
Back then, of course, infrastructure and access were a little more limited. The gear was different too. Hopkinson and his colleagues were one of the first generations to benefit from glass fibre kayaks that made rocky river descents possible. But the boats were still bulky and heavy, and airlines weren’t used to carrying them. So the British team of five paddlers, whose aim was to make the first descent of the Dudh Kosi river, drove the 4,500 miles in an old Ford Transit. Hopkinson joked that Ford stood for ‘fix or repair daily’, but they made it to Nepal. With the help of local porters, they then carried their 15 kayaks (a few brought along as spares) all the way up to Everest Base Camp at 5,300 metres, and ‘put in’ close where the Dudh Kosi springs from the base of the Khumbu icefall.
The descent was long – at the time, the longest descent in terms of altitude ever achieved – and dangerous. Thirteen of the boats were destroyed. But Hopkinson and the team leader, Mike Jones, managed to paddle the remaining two down to the river’s end, and none of the team lost their lives, so they chalked it up as a success. Then they set off again for the six-week journey back home.
Of course, my experience of whitewater kayaking in Nepal was incredibly tame compared to the adventures of Hopkinson and co. This had a lot to do with my lack of ability as a kayaker. As previously described, I could barely handle Class II rapids, let alone the consistent Class IV and V that the 1976 team faced down the length of the Dudh Kosi. But it also had a lot to do with improvements in gear.
Today’s whitewater kayaks are built of polyethylene, the same tough-as-nails material that wheelie bins are made from. They’re designed to take a pounding, even when paddled inexpertly into rocks by amateurs like me. The boats also tend to be shorter, with snub noses, making them easier to manoeuvre. Inflatable, fold-up kayaks have become increasingly common, and the other essentials you need for any kayaking trip – from a gentle, schoolboy cruise down the River Wye to a multi-day mission in the Himalayas – have become lighter, and more effective.
The basics might be much the same. Paddle. Helmet. Spray deck. Dry bags, dry suit, and accessories, such as sunglasses and noseplugs. But the materials these things are made of has changed irrevocably since the mid-1970s. These developments have allowed today’s top paddlers, such as my guide Darren Clarkson-King, to push themselves harder, and venture further into the mountains than ever before. The world record for a waterfall drop, set by American kayaker Tyler Bradt in Washington State, currently stands at 57 metres. Few believe it will stop there.
These equipment developments have trickle-down effects which benefit the majority of kayakers too – those who don’t tackle crazy river rapids, or huge waterfall drops. As the kit’s improved, kayaking has become easier, more accessible, and generally a whole lot safer. Kit like this is what makes it possible, even for inexperienced idiots like myself, to dip my toes into Nepalese whitewater, and get a taste of the extreme end of the sport. It still helps if you learn to eskimo roll first, though.
Wishlist – Three items that will make kayaking better
The Surprisingly Useful: McConks Floating Sunglasses – £65
If you’re going to flip over while kayaking – and let’s face it, there’s every chance you might – it helps to have a pair of sunglasses that won’t end up in Davy Jones’ locker. This pair, designed by the family-run British company McConks, will bob to the surface, making them easy to scoop up if they fall off. Not that they’re likely to, because McConks have also designed them with sprung hinges, helping them fit tight to your face. The frames are made of bamboo and layered wood – both more sustainable materials than plastic – and the polarized, UV400 lenses are designed to block out water glare and 100 per cent of ultraviolet rays. Best of all, the brand is now offering these as part of a discount bundle along with their excellent dry robes and bobble hats – everything you need for a day out on the water. mcconks.com
The Luxury: Red Paddle Co. Adventure Waterproof Backpack – £114.95
It might sound odd to list a backpack as a luxury. After all, if you’re going on a kayaking trip, you’ll almost certainly need something to carry your kit. But this fully waterproof rucksack from British brand Red Paddle Co. not only looks fantastic, it also has a lot of high-end features, making it a ‘nice to have’ as well as extremely practical. The shell is made from a highly resistant fabric by the brand called Armour Tech. This material is fully recycled. The roll top means it can serve as a drybag, while an internal laptop sleeve makes it just as suitable for city commutes. red-equipment.co.uk
The Essential: Aqua Marina Halve Inflatable Kayak – £799
For most kayakers, the invention of the inflatable kayak has been a complete game changer. Having a boat that you can pack down to the size of a backpack – in this case, a backpack weighing just 7.4kg –makes travelling with your boat a million times easier. Suddenly, all manner of adventurous put-ins become possible. The Halve, from established watersports brand Aqua Marina, is built of super tough TPU material. Designed for two passengers, or a maximum payload of 140kg, it’s ideal for everything from gentle river or coastal cruises to longer, multi-day tours. aquamarina.com
