Day 96 Kayak School (Day One)

We all gathered for eight am in the lounge of the lodge to intrdouce ourselves and set out our expectations for the course. Not before Mere gave me the Maori greeting of touching noses called "hongi". Mere whose partner Glen is on the course also has a Scottish granda who sounded a bit of a character. With that it was onto the nearby swimming pool for our first rolling sessions. The school strives to be the best in the world and their teaching technique is terriffic. They break it down to easily remembered stages and take video so you can learn to self critique yourself and correct your mistakes now and in the future. I'm glad they began with water familiarisation capsising us and getting us to do various excercises like watching them walk round the kayak while you sat submerged upside down in the water. Fairly got my confidence going which is just as well as your under the water a lot and will be righted by your instructors many many times over the coming days.

In the afternoon we headed out onto the river to learn to rail (edge the kayak onto its side as art of changing direction), paddle staight (it helps), sweep stoke and sooty (just kidding) stroke, enter and exit eddies (calm bits of water outwith the current) and attempt rolls outside the comfort of a nice clear warm swimming pool. Many a time our instructors Spanna and Matt would have to roll us back over!

We were told at the outset of the course no fancy diets and I could see why. If there were any horses nearby they would get eaten with the appettite from all the fresh air, water and excercise after a long days training.

Now for the surprise to the course and a measure of the modesty of the kayak school owner Mick Hopkinson. We watched a dvd of the first ever descent of Eversts raging river the Dudh Kosh by a British Expedtion in 1976 in fibreglass canoes with wooden paddles and none of todays modern clothes technology. Who should we see leading rapids in the dvd and at one point almost lose his life trapped against a rock but Mick himself. It was aired on tv at prime time on boxing day 1976 and was the first of its kind in the world of sport at the time. It went on to win twenty five awards across the world, What was also incredible was Mick and his team drove the whole way from England to the himalayas as well.

Mick would join in the instruction during the pool sessions and stop in regularly at the lodge to get a laugh with us and see how our day on the white wtaer had gone. I have to say the Mick was a true inspiration to us all on the course and its a shame Britain does not celibrate the courage and achievements of these pioneers.