We left La Quiaca on bikes, towing our kayaks in trailers, and arrived 15 days later at the Bermejo River. The Bermejo River flows from the Andes Mountains, southeast to the Paraguay River. The flow rate is high during the summer season, so we started in late-April to avoid the highest water levels. The large annual discharge means the Bermejo changes its course from year to year. When the water’s high, big trees and large amounts of sediments travel down the river. You don’t always see the trees coming, they emerge suddenly due to the strength and speed of the water – not great for composite kayaks! Wildlife is always close at hand – the Bermejo is home to crocs, snakes, cattle, infinite numbers of birds, and of course… mosquitoes!

Leaving the Bermejo and entering the Paraguay and Parana rivers was a peaceful stage (the Paraguay and the Parana are huge rivers that lead to the sea). The Parana River is wide with lots of islands and sandy beaches – a perfectly tranquil backdrop for fishing Argentina’s highly-prized Dorado and Surubí.

Once we made it to the sea, everything changed. Big waves, big currents, and storm force winds combined to make a great sea kayaking stage. Paddling the east coast was amazing: unbroken cliffs and rock gardens lined miles of the shore. We had encounters with whales, dolphins, sea lions, elephant seals, penguins, albatrosses, and many other sea birds. We crossed the Magellan Strait – considered a difficult route to navigate because of the unpredictable winds and currents; waited for as good a weather window as possible, and hoped the unpredictable Patagonian wind wouldn’t pick up in the middle of the crossing.

After crossing the Magellan Strait we reached Tierra del Fuego, where the tidal range was up to 12m (39 feet). The Patagonian winds routinely blew above 30 knots, so we had to be endlessly patient and wait to take advantage of the moments when the wind was less strong. The wind never stops in this remote part of the planet – you just have to deal with it; one day a 60 knot wind broke our tent.

Tierra del Fuego has many stories to tell about shipwrecks, and many abandoned estancias (houses) that can only be reached by sail boats or kayaks. It’s a wild place with no human presence for hundreds of miles. The Andes corridor can be seen falling to the ocean, finally ending at the island Isla de los Estados. The climate is unstable, all four seasons can take place in one day. Our Kokatat Expedition dry suits and Ronin Pro PFDs were vital for success, and we wore them for 285 days.

Our last kayak port was Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world. We recorded our journey on film – photo and video – and we have many stories yet to tell. Most importantly of all: books, clothes and school supplies were delivered to the teachers of the Wichí community. Significant portions of the Wichí’s traditional land has been taken over by outsiders, and what was once their grassland has become desertified by deforestation, and introduction of cattle and alien crops. Our future efforts will continue to gather donations for them. To read more about our expedition visit www.decaralviento.com.ar.” - Diego Lamas, Agustin and Luis Garcia Albarido, Kokatat sponsored expedition members

Once we had purchased the necessary food and supplies we left the city behind to spend our last few days on the Selenga. In three days we reached the massive delta; at over 30 km wide it is a labyrinth of swamps and small twisting rivers. We kept to the left, and watched the river dwindle in size as it branched, the current slowed, forest was replaced by swamp vegetation, and lilies clung to our paddles. We came around a last bend, and there she was, stretching out to an endless horizon. A shot of vodka and a plunge into the world’s deepest lake celebrated our arrival at Baikal.

Days later we nibbled on smoked omul that an aged fisherman in his rowboat was kind enough to share with us. His skin wrinkled from a life in the sun, yet his eyes were clear as centuries. Earlier he had been a comical character, but as we readied to depart he looked us in the eye, and with an air of seriousness warned us that Baikal was not to be taken lightly, storms emerge suddenly, and we should never stray too far from shore. Inevitably he was right; nestled in southern Siberia, Lake Baikal is 636km long and 60km wide, big enough to be considered a fresh water ocean. Waves can build to several meters in height in the center of the lake. When the winds eventually blew, the waves rapidly grew and we were forced to wait out the weather. Baikal’s vastness makes us feel rather small in our little red canoes.” – Sarah McNair-Landry, www.expeditionvada.com

The Scandinavians, true to their reputation, were very nice. I was invited to use the facilities in many places I visited, and enjoyed warm welcome wherever I landed. Although I started in Copenhagen and finished in Norway, most of the trip was through Sweden. The northern part of the Swedish coastline is characterized by hundreds of small and tiny islands. Navigating my kayak around them was truly something else! I like to paddle by myself, and let my mind drift to other places, and for that to happen I need to be located in nature, away from everything. Although I saw civilization every day I could avoid it during most of my paddling days, and enjoy the isolation and refuge I wanted so much. To read more about the trip please visit my site.” – Alon Ohad, Kokatat sponsored expedition member

The 4 islands of the northern group; San Miguel, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz and Anacapa along with the northern-most of the southern group, Santa Barbara make up the Channel Islands National Park. In addition to Santa Barbara Island, the islands in the southern group include Santa Catalina (commonly know just as Catalina), San Nicolas and San Clemente. The latter two are under the control of the US Navy, and this is probably the main reason why to the best of our knowledge no-one has attempted this challenge before. It is not lawful to land on either San Nicolas or San Clemente, so the team will have to paddle to and return from each of these islands without getting out of their kayaks, covering distances up to 80 nautical miles, which will take in excess of 20 hours.

They will be raising funds for the Channel Islands Park Foundation, which is dedicated to enhancing the awareness and understanding of the California Channel Islands. You can support our efforts by donating here.

The decision to attempt this challenge in early fall was based on this period typically has the best potential for good weather, fewer foggy days than summer, and hopefully less wind. There will also be less daylight, so it will be necessary to paddle at night during some of the longer crossings.

The basic plan for the route is as follows: leave Gaviota and cross to San Miguel, paddle down through the archipelago visiting each island (Sean will attempt to circumnavigate), cross back to mainland from Catalina to San Pedro (Sean will return to Gaviota via the northern islands). You can view the proposed route on Gmaps Pedometer here.

About the Team:
Sean Morley originates from the UK, and is now a resident of Marin Co. (CA). He has been kayaking for 35 years. He took part in his first kayak race in 1978, and has competed in many disciplines of paddle sport since then, including white water slalom and downriver racing, marathon, sprint, wave ski, surf life saving and surf kayaking with success at national and international level. He began expedition sea kayaking in 1996, and in 1998 set a record for the fastest crossing of the Irish Sea in 11 hours 6 minutes. In 2004 he achieved his childhood dream by completing the first solo circumnavigation of the UK and Ireland by sea kayak – the first ever to include all of the inhabited islands. The 4500 mile expedition took 183 days and is the longest kayak journey ever undertaken in British waters. Sean raised over £10,000 for charity, and was nominated as the Royal National Lifeboat Institute’s ‘Individual Supporter of the Year’. In September 2008 Sean attempted to break the record for the fastest circumnavigation of Vancouver Island. He completed the 700mile (1000km) circumnavigation in 17 days, 4 hours and 49 minutes taking over 6 days off the previous record. He is also an ACA Level 4 Coastal Kayak Instructor, Level 3 Surf Kayak Instructor, and owns River and Ocean LLC, a personalized paddlesports coaching and guiding service. Sean is also the founder of Expeditionkayak.com a worldwide kayak adventure community.

Bryant Burkhardt has been an avid kayaker since his first day on the Pacific a decade ago, paddling the swells off Catalina Island in Southern California. He is an ACA Instructor Trainer in both Whitewater and Coastal Kayaking. He has headed the UCLA Sea Kayak Program and was the Valley Program Director for California Canoe & Kayak. In 2006 he captained the U.S. National Kayak Polo Team at the World Championships in Amsterdam, Netherlands. In 2010 Bryant produced his first paddling DVD entitled Paddle California and now works full time as an instructor and film-maker. He has paddled to six of the eight Channel Islands, including a six day, 180 mile tour of the four northern islands (San Miguel, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz and Anacapa) and a paddle out and back to Santa Barbara Island from the mainland. In 2009 he completed a 300 mile solo circumnavigation of Moresby Island in the Queen Charlottes, BC.

Pedro Frigola has been an avid sea kayaker for nearly 20 years. He has paddled extensively in California’s Channel Islands, visiting all of the publicly accessible islands. His memorable trips in the area include a week-long tour of the Northern Channel Islands (including crossing to and circumnavigation of San Miguel Island), and a weekend crossing to/from Santa Barbara Island and the mainland. Pedro has also enjoyed extended trips in the Pacific Northwest, where he has kayaked in the San Juan Islands, Canadian Gulf Islands, Desolation Sound, and Tofino. Other paddling destinations have included Canada’s Georgian Bay, Lake Powell, Yellowstone Lake, Florida’s southwest coast, French Polynesia, and the Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands. Originally from Cuba, Pedro has spent most of his adult life in Southern California, and enjoys a variety of outdoor activities, photography, and occasionally even work. He shares his photographs at pedrofrigola.com. Photos by Bryant Burkhardt and Pedro Frigola.

Teaser Hotel Charley 5: First Descent from Kokatat Watersports Wear on Vimeo.

This trip was the first descent of that turns out to be the deepest canyon in North America: Barranca de Piaxtla. Having completed the most difficult portage of our lives, we were then faced with a box canyon gorge that was over 8,300 feet high on both sides. Check out the final segment of this adventure on our blog!” – Jesse Coombs, Team Kokatat.

The following day, the weather had eased off just slightly. We enrobed ourselves in our Kokatat dry gear, tightened our hoods around our faces, and faced the storm. The headwinds blowing against the current whipped up swells – often splashing into the canoe, although comparatively this was of little consequence given the quantity of rain. The Trans-Siberian train rolled passed on the bank, honking loudly upon spotting us. The passengers from their window seats were guaranteed to see four people dressed in red, in matching red canoes going nearly nowhere.

This was indeed Siberia’s welcome to us. After two days of paperwork to get our canoes through customs, our time spent paddling through Mongolia now fades into past memories. As we head further into Russia, we slowly leave the steppe behind. Forests blanket the tall hills that parallel the river, gers (Mongolian yurt) are now replaced by small log cabins seen sometimes along the river banks. We slowly approach Lake Baikal, Siberia’s weather cauldron.” – Sarah McNair-Landry, www.expeditionvada.com

Kokatat continues to support Northern Lights Expeditions, a project seeking to establish links between children of isolated indigenous communities of the Arctic and children of the U.K., as they are preparing for phase two of its three-part service project. Kokatat has provided the team with the necessary products for this expedition, such as the GORE-TEX® Expedition Dry Suit and Ronin Pro PFD.

Northern Lights explorers Richard Smith and Craig Mathieson founded the project to help develop the children’s confidence and self-reliance through what Smith and Mathieson have coined “inspiration of exploration.” The participating schools are developing online projects exchanging ideas and media through projects covering areas of global warming, song, dance, and social cultural comparisons.

During July and August 2009 Smith and Mathieson kayaked between remote Inuit settlements of Eastern Greenland forging links with Scottish schools and delivering donated laptops to assist with connecting children from different cultures. Since returning to Scotland, the team has toured the Scottish schools, training the children and teachers how to develop and participate in online projects to exchange ideas about global warming and socio-cultural comparisons. A BBC Radio 4 documentary about Northern Lights is currently in production and set to broadcast in the coming year.

In August 2010, the team will travel back to Greenland with the teachers to make introductions to the Greenlandic schools and to ensure that all required health and safety assessments are in place prior to the exchange visit of the pupils. During the winter, pupils from schools in Scotland and the French Alps will participate in a mini-expedition by dog sled across the sea ice of the South Eastern coast of Greenland.

Northern Lights intends to expand the program to involve other indigenous communities from Arctic countries in the future, making first contact again by kayak.

The expedition will cover a distance of roughly 1150 kilometers and includes the Inside Passage with it numerous channels, rips and tidal rapids, as well as the outer coast with the full exposure of the northern Pacific Ocean. The goal is a 16 day paddle around the island. Joe will be using a SPOT Messenger for daily location updates and will be posting a full trip report upon completion of the expedition. The kayak of choice for this expedition will be a Nigel Dennis (Seakayaking UK) Greenlander Pro. Other sponsors include Kokatat,Wavelength magazine, Joe O’Blenis Paddles.