Another season flown by!
Posted By: Peak UK Published: 09/05/2016
Skiing through the Vallee Blanche
I can’t quite believe it’s April already! The winter seems to have been and gone so quickly. Although saying that, it is currently snowing outside!The winter started off pretty good, as I was down in Devon for a few rainy weeks, enjoying the great rivers on offer down there. These mostly included the East Lyn and the Upper Dart, two of my favourite all time runs. With good water levels the East Lyn is an absolute classic, providing continuous smooth flowing rapids in a beautiful location. This season I got several high water runs, which were pretty exciting!The Upper Dart is another well-known section in the area, starting up in the moors and running through many enjoyable rapids. I spent quite a lot of time here ( many thanks to Mark Allen for putting me up! ), most of which would be mid-week when there weren't always many other paddlers around. However, this worked out quite well as I ended up doing several solo laps each day and really working on my skills.
Upper Dart fun. Mainlining ‘Euthanasia Falls’
The Upper Dart is a great section for this as there are many different moves and lines available on every rapid, keeping it interesting and challenging every time. Here is a link to a short video I made whilst paddling the River Erme this winter, not too far away from the Dart and well worth it!When the rivers eventually dried up, I packed my bags again and travelled over to Chamonix, France to learn something very new - skiing. I started learning on the resort slopes, progressing to off-piste and touring. Ski touring brought about many new experiences, challenges and some amazing adventures. I think I may have caught the skiing bug! Here’s a short video I made of one particularly great day out with Erin.Now Iʼve had a few weeks back in the UK, itʼs time to start planning the next adventure! Thank you Peak UK for the continued support and great gear.
