Karen Darke | Athlete | Speaker | Author

Skwooshing by…

June 17, 2009 01:09 PM

The last month seems to have gone with a skwoosh! (check out http://www.skwoosh.com if you never want to get a sore or numb bum again – brilliant products that I’ve used loads this month for kayaking and biking - thanks Skwwosh!). Spent a week in Italy for the ‘Bibione sea kayaking event’, which started with a fantastic carnival atmosphere at the Venice ‘Vogalonga’ – a tour (or race if you feel like it) around the canals and islands of Venice for any non-motorised boats. There were giant gondolas with teams of gondoliers, rowing boats, dragon boats with drums beating, and amongst all that some small fry kayaks and canoes. Sadly it was the wettest / windiest weather ever known to summer in Venice (and a heat wave in the UK), and only 600 of the 2000 boats entered actually started…and 50 of those capsized (luckily we weren’t one of them). If you like water and boats of any description, it’s a great event, and happens every year.

Bibione Kayak week is in its second year (see http://www.bibionekayak.com), based on a fantastic campsite an hour or so east of Venice, on a small peninsula between the Adriatic Sea and a lagoon. So whether you like surf and sand, or grass and calm blue waters with a network of channels to explore, it’s a great event for water lovers, ice-cream and food lovers alike. There were plenty of kayaks to choose from – mainly by Sweden’s Point 65 and Italy’s CS Canoes, and the foldable Klepper boats from Germany too. There are some great designs out there for anyone in a wheelchair to paddle, with more stability – for example the Point 65 Double Shot (2 person kayak), CS Canoe single kayaks have a great range with good stability, and Klepper have a new ‘XXL’ design that even fits a wheelchair in it, and still handles really well.

Early June also saw the first bike race of the British Para-Cycling series. A pretty good turn out (about 20 riders I think, including about 12 handcyclists), and a great tarmac loop specially designed for cycle racing, at Salt Ayre in Lancaster. I averaged 16mph, so not bad for a ‘weeble’ and came in second. It was interesting to see how disability bike racing works. We all got a ‘handicap’ allowance, and were set off at intervals depending on this (calculated in relation to each persons disability and level of function). It meant a couple of us were like rabbits being chased by the greyhounds – an intimidating bunch of guys with bulging muscles and a fair number of tattoos, trying not to be lapped too many times. All good fun.

Roll on more summer.

Toured Out

May 04, 2009 06:42 PM

This week is the last date of the ‘If You Fall…’ tour I’ve been doing – ending in Caernarfon. Touring some of Britain’s arts centres and theatres has been a great way to see family and friends around the country (a special hello to Luisa and Joel who I sadly haven’t managed to see), but I’ve definitely had enough of the UK’s trains, planes, motorways and dodgy hotels. It’s been very rewarding hearing from people who’ve got something from listening to my tales, though it’s pretty strange talking about yourself for a few hours at a time. By the way, on the topic of latest adventures, the BBC Scotland programme about Andy Kirkpatrick and I sea kayaking in Patagonia is on air the evening of Sunday 24th May…at least that’s when its scheduled for just now. Not sure if it will be on BBC i-player or make English TV yet.

Back to the tour, the things I’ve enjoyed about it have been re-connecting with old friends, meeting some lovely and inspiring people, getting nice emails from people, and seeing some hidden corners (and cafes) of Britain.

Not so good things? Dull hotel rooms, lumpy mattresses (there’s nothing like your own bed hey), listening to a Sat Nav for hours each day, and the pre-show nerves. Oh and there was being ill and losing my voice in Poole and London, then having to cancel Kinlochewe. Serious stamina is needed by those bands that go on year long tours.

So after trying to squeeze in some training on the back alleys behind theatres, its back home now, and training as much as my little arms will let me, for the first hand-bike race of the summer series – June 7th in Lancaster. Better get off to the gym…

Quality not quantity

April 07, 2009 10:04 PM

Tired out after my first time at touring theatres, we decided to head west for a day out. It was only two months since we sea kayaked through Patagonian seas, but two months off the water felt like a lifetime. The weeble that I am (with no muscles that work below the chest) felt very wobbly as I nosed my way out of the jetty in Laide - a west coast Scottish village, its sands gleaming in the rare sun. Within the first kilometre, my back support had slipped down and I watched Andy, the not-so-long-ago novice kayaker, skilfully powering his way into the distance.

We reached a rocky point, and I was surprised how fast we were covering ground. But rounding the corner, a series of headlands fingered into the horizon, telling me I’m got it all wrong. I’d been forcing the coastline to fit the map. We’d only done 5 km, so there was still a long long way to go.

“Andy, I think we should turn round”
“What for? Let’s carry on”
I should have insisted, persuaded him otherwise, pointed out we’d be there at sunset, if we were lucky. But it was windy, and I was too tired to debate. So we paddled on.

Tendonitis from the Patagonian paddling adventure kicked back in, and my wrist creaked with each stroke into the wind.
At the next headland,
“Andy, can you put me on tow?” I needed to ease my wrist.
At the next headland.
“We’ve only done 10km? Still 25 to go?”
On we went, eager for the kilometres, straight-lining from point to point, no time to explore and enjoy. The sun sank low. We paddled faster, chasing the headlands before dusk ate them up.
Lured by the day’s bright sun, it had been easy to forget it was still March, the air still raw with winter, the water icy cold, that darkness came fast.

In Loch Ewe, we paddled exhausted in darkness, towards shore-side silhouettes, eager for a place to land…too tired to appreciate the stillness of evening, too numbed from straight-lining the day. It had been a long day out.

The best parts of being out adventuring are exploring, noticing, enjoying good friends, and having good times. Quality not quantity…sometimes its good to turn around. 

Promo vid

February 17, 2009 02:51 PM

Here’s a little promo for my tour which starts next week.

Patagonia Pics

February 12, 2009 06:46 PM

Patagoina pics can be seen at my Flickr site…Back from the wilds of Patagonia to the much colder wilds of Scotland. Minus twenty this week…haven’t seen anyone paddling. Looking back, we can’t quite believe we managed to get to the San Rafael glacier in Patagonia (see previous posts), given injuries and our short ‘window of opportunity’. The effort and intensity involved shows in our lack of good pics! There are a few though - see http://www.flickr.com/karendarke and here are a few to give you the idea.