Since my first year of university I’ve always wanted to get out to the Italian Alps. Unfortunately the creeking season out there is usually in May which just happens to be university exam time. Finally, leaving uni and getting a proper job has it perks (besides the pay cheque).
Italian Alps – May 2013 from Mark Mulrain on Vimeo.
Dave, Russell, Ben and me headed out earlier than most groups. The early trip combined with a huge snowpack for the year left us a little nervous that river levels would be too high and that we would miss out on the classic runs of the area. We all breathed a huge sigh of relief when we arrived to find everything on the high end of good. Perfect levels!
Val Sesia, was a great location. Lots of high quality rivers in close range. A great campsite with a big social area under cover incase it rained. Fantastic food from supermarkets or the restaurant on site. Some rivers even have ice cream shops at the take out!
My new supermodel drysuit and klingon empire deck did an amazing job of keeping me dry. It’s hard to believe how light the new supermodel suit is. Great fabric and an intelligent fit.
Towards the end of the trip, we ventured over to Switzerland to seek out some new runs on rivers such as the Ribo and the Verzasca. We couldn’t have timed this any worse, as a huge front of rain descended upon the whole European Alpine region. After possibly the wettest night of camping ever (and that is coming from a Scot), then finding the Ribo at 7 times the recommended level, we retreated back to Val Sesia. The familiar runs and guarantee of at least the undercover social area were just too tempting.
I thought Val Sesia was one of the best destinations for kayaking I’ve ever been to. I am a little bitter that we missed out on the Swiss rivers, but I could definitely see myself returning to that area in the future. If anyone is planning their own Italian adventure then this log of what we did and all our costs may be useful – Italian Alps 2013 Log
There’s also plenty of useful little tips of things my group thought would be useful to know.
Big thanks to Tom and James for giving us free food. I used that mayonnaise on all my sandwiches! And also Tom Parker for paddling with us, giving us a shuttle to save us walking and sharing some invaluable knowledge of the rivers. If anyone is looking for a guide or some coaching I can’t say enough good things about Tom. Check out his site – Tom Parker Coaching
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