Download or read book Kayak Across France written by Nigel Foster and published by Nigel Kayaks. This book was released on 2021-09 with total page 242 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sea-to-sea kayaking adventures on the French canals and rivers, by tandem kayak. For a little contrast, and so you can laugh a little at others' misfortunes, Foster has included stories from his 1978 journey across France from the English Channel to the Mediterranean. This crazy spur of the moment escapade, in late winter, inspired the second. The main story is about crossing France in balmy late summer, through wine country, from the oyster farms of the Mediterranean to the oyster markets of the Atlantic Ocean.Imagine floating, shaded from the September sunshine by an avenue of plane trees that arch overhead. Reflections of breeze-tickled-leaves, and pale dappled bark, flicker on the water. Here is a waterside café for coffee and croissants. Nearby, an open market for fresh produce. Located enticingly close beside the canal: vineyards, and wineries, and chateaux offering wine tasting. Cafes and restaurants serve local cassoulets and flans. French cheeses and fresh-baked baguettes are just a stroll away. As the evening light mellows, there is time to find a cozy camping spot right beside the water before the sun sets, glowing between the trees. The warm creamy sandstone of the canal architecture glows. Soon, owls call from the trees beneath a fat moon.The Canal du Midi, built in the 1660s, follows an ancient overland route, later paved by the Romans as the Via Domitia and Via Aquitaine. The area oozes history, from Phoenician to Roman, from the Medieval crusade against the Cathars to the punitive chevauchées of the English Black Prince. There are cities too: the medieval fortified town of Carcassonne, the rose city of Toulouse, and the pearl of Aquitaine, Bordeaux. Join Nigel Foster and Kristin Nelson as they climb, lock by lock, from the Mediterranean to the parting of the waters and descend to the Atlantic, in an adventure both charming and insightful.
Download or read book The Packraft Handbook written by Luc Mehl and published by Mountaineers Books. This book was released on 2022-01-12 with total page 406 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "A staple for paddlers.... [The Packraft Handbook has] now become the bible for outdoor recreators taking their inflatable rafts into the backcountry." ― Anchorage Daily News 2021 National Outdoor Book Award Winner in Outdoor Adventure Guides 2022 Banff Mountain Book Competition Guidebook Winner Alaska-based author is a leading expert on wilderness travel Emphasis on skill progression and safety applies to wide range of outdoor water recreation Vibrant illustrations and photos inform and inspire The Packraft Handbook is a comprehensive guide to packrafting, with a strong emphasis on skill progression and safety. Readers will learn to maneuver through river features and open water, mitigate risk with trip planning and boat control, and how to react when things go wrong. Beginners will find everything they need to know to get started--from packraft care to proper paddling position as well as what to wear and how to communicate. Illustrated for visual learners and featuring stunning photography, The Packraft Handbook has something to offer all packrafters and other whitewater sports enthusiasts.
Download or read book Paddling France written by Anna Richards and published by Bradt Travel Guides. This book was released on 2024-03-08 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Bradt’s Paddling France is the first practical guidebook to explore the whole country by SUP (stand-up paddleboard), canoe and kayak – waterborne activities enjoying a popularity boom. Experienced paddleboarder, travel writer and local resident Anna Richards has toured the country’s rivers, lakes and coasts to handpick 40 outstanding itineraries for water-based exploration that suit all abilities from novice to expert, enabling readers to experience Metropolitan France as never before! Suggested routes extend from Brittany to the Spanish and Italian borders, and encompass some of France’s best-known tourist attractions – from the châteaux of the Loire Valley and Mont Saint-Michel to the Pont du Gard and Dune du Pilat – as well as less familiar destinations such as Der-Chantecoq Lake, Txingudi Bay and the Glénan Islands. Itineraries occupy dramatically varied landscapes: choose between paddling past coastal cliffs, small islands and steepling gorges, across twinkling lakes and down sparkling rivers, through wine regions, and even around urban surprises such as Lille’s five-point citadelle. Compared to the UK, paddleboarding is in its infancy in France, but hundreds of paddleboard clubs have opened in recent years. Join its members in experiencing a new take on France. Enjoy spectacular views of some of the country’s grandest châteaux; spot seals, beavers and griffon vultures from the water; and choose between paddling a lake in a red landscape that will make you feel you have landed on Mars, or gawping upwards at chalky-white cliff arches. Whatever your level of confidence on the waterways, there are suggestions for you: from free paddles without a fixed route, to short routes and routes taking a full day. Routes are marked on maps and illustrated by photos, and complemented by cultural, historical and geographical titbits. Accompanying information and advice is geared towards the independent traveller, covering travel logistics, equipment rental, accommodation options and food, plus handy vocabulary and need-to-know sections. Building on the intense commercial and critical success of Bradt’s Paddling Britain, this brand-new guidebook to Paddling France is a unique almanac that equips any watersports enthusiast travelling to or around France with all the practical knowledge necessary to plan their adventure.
Download or read book Best Canoe Trips in the South of France written by PETER. KNOWLES and published by . This book was released on 2018-08-15 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the second edition of the popular paddling guidebook, "White Water Massif Central" - newly researched, completely updated, and given a more focussed, title. It is written for the recreational canoeist, kayaker, or stand up paddle boarder going on holiday to the South of France. Rivers include the famous Gorges du Tarn, Gorges de l'Ardeche, Dordogne and Lot, besides some lesser known jewels such as the Allier, Herault, Orb, Vezere and Cele. The Massif Central is renowned for its canoeing and the rivers in this guidebook are some of the best in the world for canoe-camping. This guide book targets those rivers that have easy white water and assured water levels in the summer months of July and August, when most families have to take their holidays. New dams, reservoirs, and guaranteed water releases means that canoe tourism is now huge in the Massif Central and this guide covers over 800km of class 1-3, with all the details needed for a fabulous and truly escapist, holiday. There are two new rivers, 22 detailed colour maps, updated river descriptions, recommended campsites and lots of inspiring photographs.
Download or read book Kayak Across the Atlantic written by Pete Bray and published by Amberley Publishing Limited. This book was released on 2015-07-15 with total page 161 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Pete Bray provides a first-hand account of the first ever single-handed crossing of the North Atlantic.
Download or read book Paddling Through Depression Era Europe Eight Countries by Canoe Kayak written by J. Stannard Baker and published by . This book was released on 2019-12-03 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "You paddled across the Atlantic?" Exclaimed a French villager upon learning that this young American couple had just paddled up the raging Rhone River. This was a typical encounter for J. Stannard Baker (Stan) and his wife Fran. It was 1931, and they were on a four-month-long paddling adventure through eight countries in depression-era Europe. They paddled their Canadian canoe through France and Switzerland. For most French it was their first encounter with a canoe, and they thought these Americans were crazy. When the canoe was accidentally destroyed, they bought a German folding kayak and joined Germans in their kayaking adventures. They then continued padding through Austria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Holland, and Belgium. This book recounts their adventures in fascinating detail--leisurely canal paddling, hitching tows behind horse-drawn barges, enduring terrifying whitewater and having a nearly fatal steamboat encounter. They camped on river or canal banks, in farmers' fields, stayed in German canoe club hostels, and explored villages and cities. All provided humorous encounters with locals so richly described here. Baker and his wife captured stunning photographs and took copious notes. They recorded every fact, figure, and engaging encounter. This remarkable and historically important first-person account, takes you back in time and deep into the hearts of the peoples of Europe before transatlantic encounters were common. It is now available to the public for the first time.
Download or read book Through the French Canals written by David Jefferson and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2021-04-15 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Through the French Canals has probably tempted more people to explore the beautiful waterways of France than any other book. First published in 1970, it's been the key authoritative title on cruising the French canals ever since. The revised new edition is the essential comprehensive planning guide for anyone wanting to cruise through the French waterways or take their boat from the English Channel through to the Mediterranean via the inland route. It includes: over 50 routes fully described and illustrated, with positions of locks, towns and villages through routes from the English Channel and Atlantic to the Mediterranean, plus distances, and assessment of suitable boats for the canals. It also provides dimensions of locks and operating times, details of bridge heights, canal depths, fuelling points, waterway signals, a guide to the cost of living, shopping and stores, sources of weather information, haltes for overnight stops, and ports de plaisance. As well as new photography, the new edition is updated throughout with new information on local facilities, new haltes and ports de plaisance, new VNF License fees, revisions to cruise hire companies, updated references to holding tanks, the availability of diesel and costs of cruising and much more.
Download or read book Through the French Canals written by David Jefferson and published by A&C Black. This book was released on 2014-04-24 with total page 330 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Through the French Canals has probably tempted more people to explore the beautiful waterways of France than any other book. A bestseller for many years and now in its 13th edition, it is the essential planning guide for anyone wanting to cruise through the stunning scenery of the French waterways, or take their boat from the English Channel down to the Mediterranean via the inland route. - Over 50 routes described and illustrated, with positions of locks, towns and villages - Through routes from the English Channel and Atlantic to the Mediterranean, plus distances - Suitable boats for the canals, and dimensions of locks and operating times - Bridge heights, canal depths, fuelling points, waterway signals - Cost of living, shopping and stores - Weather information, haltes and portes de plaisance - Port plans for Paris, Dunkerque and Strasbourg Packed with appealing photographs and updated information on local facilities, distances, bridge heights and depths, tunnel lengths, costs of cruising and shopping, it also discusses the local wines of the region.
Download or read book Paddle to the Sea written by and published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. This book was released on 1941 with total page 68 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A small canoe carved by an Indian boy makes a journey from Lake Superior all the way to the Atlantic Ocean.
Download or read book Encounters from a Kayak written by Nigel Foster and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2012-11-20 with total page 267 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What makes travel special? Perhaps the chill realization that a polar bear's eyes are fixed on you. Maybe it is the chance meeting with a man who buries sharks in a beach, only to dig them up months later, not out of morbid curiosity, but for food. Perhaps it is the undulating wing-beat of a dark shell-less gastropod in the canal of a 17th Century French sea port, or the criminal history of a rusting ship with a tree growing from its hold.Encounters in a Kayak brings the reader along on the magical experiences that surround sea kayaking. It’s about the animals, people, and special places around the globe that have grabbed the attention of renowned kayaker and writer Nigel Foster. His irrepressible curiosity drives him to tease out the unexpected stories hidden behind his subjects. These nuggets from around the world are bound together by water and a centuries-old form of sea travel: kayak. The result is a book of broad appeal for those interested in kayaking, traveling, and adventure.
Download or read book Paddle to the Arctic written by Don Starkell and published by McClelland & Stewart. This book was released on 2000-03-25 with total page 345 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: After his astounding 12,000-mile canoe trip from Winnipeg down to the Amazon (recounted in his bestseller Paddle to the Amazon on page 48), Don Starkell decided to paddle a kayak from Hudson Bay 3,000 miles through the Northwest Passage. This is Don's diary of this journey from Churchill, Manitoba, to Tuktoyaktuk, close to Alaska, a voyage by kayak (paddled on water or dragged on a sled over the ice) that took him three Arctic summers and almost cost him his life. Through this compelling book we find ourselves sharing his blazing, driving determination to reach his goal, as he closes in on his destination, with his supplies running out and his ocean highway freezing over, making death a near certainty. Armchair travel at its best.
Download or read book Sticking With It written by Rowland Woollven and published by Troubador Publishing Ltd. This book was released on 2014-01-02 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Looking around the room, through something of a deafening haze, I realised that of the 17 or so people who had paddled around the British Isles at that time, no fewer than half were here. And so, in that moment, the idea was born. One day I was going to join that club.” This is an account of the 19th circumnavigation of Britain by sea kayak – by the oldest paddler to complete this, the premier sea kayak expedition in British waters. In 2008, Rowland Woollven and Cath Tanner set off from Ilfracombe in North Devon with the intention of returning there – via Cape Wrath and Dover! – later that same year. Things did not quite go according to plan, however; beset by bad weather and other delays, it was not until 2012 that Rowland, now accompanied by Wendy and Barry Bramley, paddled back into Ilfracombe Harbour. Sticking With It is the intensely personal story of how one man’s dream unfolded, reaching a successful conclusion after epic adventures around more than 2,000 nautical miles of Britain’s stunning coastline. Share the lows and highs of an extended expedition – from days spent wet and cold, stormbound, in remote locations, to the views and experiences of the coast open only to those who adventure in sea kayaks. Although they combine to complete one overall voyage, this is an account of three very different expeditions, each with its own personality. What does it feel like to have to paddle for one’s life – and how does it feel to finally accomplish a long sought-after dream? Sticking With It is Rowland’s fascinating story, and will appeal to fans of travel writing, in particular sailing and kayaking.
Download or read book Ultimate Canoe and Kayak Adventures written by Jason Smith and published by *Wiley Nautical. This book was released on 2012-10-15 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A stunningly illustrated book detailing the world′s most breathtaking on–water adventures Whether it′s paddling down mountain chasms or exploring rugged coastlines, navigating a canoe or kayak counts as one of life′s indescribable joys. And in this memorable collection of 100 extraordinary on–water experiences, armchair adventurers and avid water sport enthusiasts are given a taste of canoeing and kayaking in every climate, condition, and geographical location. From the frozen wastes of North America, the rivers and seas of Europe and Asia, to the stunning waters of the Far East and Australasia, each paddle stroke is brought to life. With something for everyone—from the white water adrenalin junkie to the extreme sea kayaker—Ultimate Canoe and Kayak Adventures offers true–life adventurers useful, detailed information telling you exactly how, where, and when to attempt any on–water expedition yourself. The three co-authors are highly experienced paddlers from both sides of the Atlantic. Eugene Buchanan is editor-in-chief of Paddling Life, Jason Smith is editor of Canoe & Kayak UK while James Weir is a prize-winning paddler and journalist who still leads extreme paddling expeditions worldwide. Striking full–page photographs are matched with lively text that bring 100 adventures to life Offering a rare, inside look at living the life of adventure in every climate and latitude, this spectacular album of memorable canoeing and kayaking experiences is an ideal gift and a must for those who wish they′d been there—and those who already have.
Download or read book Fearless written by Joe Glickman and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2012-01-24 with total page 211 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Like the instant classic The Last American Man, Fearless is the story of a remarkable individual who accepts no personal limits—including fear. Freya Hoffmeister, a forty-six-year-old former sky diver, gymnast, marksman, and Miss Germany contestant, left her twelve-year-old son behind to paddle alone and unsupported around Australia—a year-long adventure that virtually every expert guaranteed would get her killed. She planned not only to survive the 9,420-mile trip through huge, shark-infested seas, but to do it faster than the only other paddler who did it. As journalist and expert kayaker Joe Glickman details the voyage of this Teutonic force of nature, he captures interminable days on the water and nights camped out on deserted islands; hair-raising encounters with crocs and great white sharks; and the daring 300-mile open-ocean crossing that shaved three weeks off her trip. For 332 days Glickman followed Freya’s journey on her blog—along with a far-flung audience of awestruck, even lovesick, groupies—as she took on one terrifying ordeal after the next. In the end, he says, “her vanity and pigheadedness paled next to her nearly superhuman ability to master fear and persevere.”
Download or read book France en Velo written by Hannah Reynolds and published by . This book was released on 2014-04 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this beautifully illustrated guide to travelling across France by bike you will discover hidden lanes, stunning gorges, amazing places to eat and stay, plus the best of French cycling culture.
Download or read book Cruising the Canals and Rivers of France written by Tom Sommers and published by Eurocanals Publishing. This book was released on 2013-11 with total page 144 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A guide to all canals and navigable rivers in France. Descriptions, maps and data tables with waterway dimensions for 90 waterways throughout France; 17 regional maps and 59 detailed maps of individual waterways. The detailed maps show locations of towns, locks, marinas, mooring places and rental-boat bases. Suggestions for through-routes and loop-cruises. Maps showing the location of vineyards along the waterways. This fifth edition(2018) has been updated to show the latest locations of ports de plaisance, haltes and rental boat bases. (These items change on occasion even though the basic canal and river routes do not.)
Download or read book Live a Life To Die For written by Roger Davies and published by . This book was released on 2021-06-20 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "I had the pleasure of sharing Mount Everest with Roger and his lovely wife Lesley on yet another challenge Roger had undertaken. He is a great man with a remarkable story and I was massively inspired by his determination and drive and his never say die attitude. I am honoured to share a Guinness world record with Roger and have no doubt he will continue to inspire us all!" - Shane Williams MBE "Roger is "hard wired" for success. (If he can beat cancer, he can easily beat the Channel!)" - Jock Wishart From the icy wastes of the North Pole to the vast expanse of the Sahara, from the stormy reaches of the Atlantic Ocean to the dizzying heights of Mount Everest, Live a Life to Die For is an adventure like no other. Roger Davies has rowed, trekked, raced - and played the odd game of weird rugby - across some of the most inhospitable terrain on the planet, and his epic story is packed with spills, thrills, high comedy and personal tragedy. But this book is much more than a great outdoors adventure; it is the story of one person's struggle to throw off the shackles of alcoholism, to come to terms with the after-effects of brutality and trauma, and to leave the grey margins of the criminal underworld behind him. Along the way, he meets an extraordinary cast of characters: the good, the bad, the heroic and the plain crazy. Join Roger on his quirky, unique journey, from small-time thug, to charity worker in Africa, to record-breaking adventurer; and find out how he overcame the burden of his past and learned to Live a Life to Die For.
