2010 Year in Review

It has certainly been a great year!  Here are a few photos and pieces about 2010....

CHILE....

Right at the beginning of January I managed to get some time off from servicing skis in St Anton to head to Chile.  I had been dreaming of Chile for many years and it really did not disappoint!

I just love this shot!!  David and his son Felipe at the take out of the Rio Maichin.

In April we got ourselves some new boats and a new sponsor with Wavesport UK.

We then headed to Slovenia!

In between finishing off some coaching courses we managed to paddle a couple of sections of the pristine Soca River.

It was then back to Austria to wait for the weather to warm up.  The snow was still falling on our house in mid-June!

As soon as the sun came out the snow started to melt and with a few days of rain the River Inn was the biggest I have seen it in many years. 

Then came some of THE highlights of the European kayaking season..

AUSTRIA...

Andy, John and myself dropped into the Rosanna Gorge in St Anton am Arlberg and it caused quite a stir in the German speaking kayaking community.

The Lech River was also explored.

Upper Lech above the ski village of Lech.

Upper Lech Gorge

The Lower Lech Gorge has to be one of the best rivers I have kayaked in the world.  An Alpine classic, the water level is critical but when it is in, there is nothing better around!

Between kayaking around our local rivers we set up a kayak school in the Arlberg.  Here are some shots of the beginners on the lake.  Again the Alpine surroundings are stunning!

 

 

A selection of shots from our local river the Rosanna..

Upper Rosanna

Section from St Anton to Flirsch.  Check out the ski lifts of St Anton in the background!

With the European season coming to an end.  We headed out in Autumn to India.

 

Though not as popular as Nepal it still has some special places and some great rivers.  This year we headed up to Rishikesh and the tributaries of the Ganges.

Alaknanda

We stayed with Shalabh and his family on the banks of the Alaknanda.  A super chilled place it was just what we needed to finish off our year and to prepare for the madness that is winter here in St Anton.

 

Budi our guard dog was getting more and more used to the affection and forgetting about keeping the leopards at bay!!

Our last sunset in Rishikesh looking over the Ganges...

We are now back home, the nights are long, the wine is good our wood fire keeps us nice and toasty and the maps are coming out ready for an adventure in 2011.

In the meantime, the snow is falling and its time for some powder!