28 days

So la, after a super canoe course in Sault Brenaz I headed to Wallis in Switzerland to do a river survey for the Kanton, Richi and I spent an enjoyable few days being offical experts.

Inspecting things and making fotos, what experts do best. Photo by Richi

An intro to whitewater canoeing course for KanuschuleVersam on the Vorderrhein was next up on the program. 3 days of really nice work, introducing enthusiastic paddlers to moving water is a very rewarding way to spend my time.

Good canoeists are happy canoeists. Photo by Me

6days off, the only thing to do with a 6day holiday in the middle of April is to load up the wagon and race down to Corsica. Kayak Session organised a superb week of paddling action and entertainment, I caught up with loads of people I hadn't seen for a while, paddled a load of sweet rivers with great friends and made a possible first descent of the Middle Vecchio in an open canoe.

Travo Friday, I love the Travo it's great. Photo by Richi

ARRRRHHHH! I am getting married in August and before all good weddings there must be a good stag weekend, my best men Dave and Lee did not let me down. Pirates from several corners of Europe headed to the Loire valley south of Paris to swash and buckle 'til it hurt.

Cruising like pirates on the high seas of the Loire. Photo by Bill

I want to compete in the Freestyle canoeing world championships in Thun this year, and to do that I need to be a memeber of a National team, next up on the mission list for April was to train for a place in the Swiss team, since I have lived in Switzerland for more than 2years I am officially allowed to surrender my English international status and take up a place on the Swiss team.

Photo by Beat

The selection event was held at Bremgarten on the river Reuss, made famous in 1866by John "Rob Roy" MacGregor in his book A Thousand Miles in the Rob Roy Canoe. I had so much fun in my freestyle boat, scoring spins, shuvits, cartwheels, roundhouses and back roundhouses.

Photo by Beat

Through a combination of luck and judgement I scored enough points to qualify for the world champions, and to be crowned Schweizermeister Swiss national champion.

Photo by Beat

Next up on the list of things to do was attend a breathing apparatus course in Feuerwehr Zentrum Thusis. I joined Atemschutz troop of Versam Valendas volunteer fire brigade this year, the course was very interesting, the highlight was putting out a training fire in the burning house where the temperature reached over 500degreesC! It was very interesting to take part in a cousre for a change, and I learnt a great many interesting things.

In the fire container. Photo Unknown

Straight off the back of fire brigade it was time for another training course, this time a Rescue 3 SRT 1 course at KanuSchule. I hope to complete my training to become a Rescue 3 Instructor this summer and one of the prerequisits is to revalidate my SRT 1. Rescue training is never a bad thing and I thoroughly enjoyed the 3days of knots and swimming, big up Alex and Kasi for running a superb course.

Wow! That was a busy 4weeks, so now a 1week pit stop and then on back on the road for another river survey, the Cboats European Armada in Lofer, Nookie Creek Dayz and more fire brigade training.

Live life with style and a smile,


James