We have recently returned from Mount Ruapheu where we had the added bonus of 7 days of awesome weather for our first trip to the snow this Winter…the first of many!

Whakapapa

Whakapapa

There are a number of differences between skiing in many of the European resorts and here on the sides of an active volcano sitting on top a plateau on the North Island of NZ in splendid isolation; well almost splendid isolation as Mt Ngauruhoe (Mt Doom) and Tongariro and in close proximity to the North and Taranaki (another volcano is visible to the West), including exposure to weather and in particular wind and a lack of trees and an abundance of rocks.  Often due to the exposure of the volcano weather can be issue in closing lifts and the rocks definately make the wearing of helmets a good idea! However when then sun shines for  a week the place is stunning and Mt Ruapehu offers an abundance of skiing at Whakapapa and Turoa, both of which have easy access to any type of off piste skiing, with the top of the volcano where you can look into the hot crater lake surrounded by snow and then ski down from, only a ’short’ hike up with your skis / board form the top lifts.

Next time we head down and up and across and down to Ruapehu we will hopefully get some bigger and better shots…with Ruapehu only being a drive away we can get there after work on a Friday for a weekend…yippee!!

So with the relative  proximity to the snowfield plus the surf on our doorstep we have plenty to do, and that’s not even starting on the many rivers to explore…bring on the good times!!

ONe of numerous beaches up the East Cape

well I have now been in New Zealand teaching in Gisborne on the East Cape for 2 months, and I thought it time to finally get around to ‘putting pen to paper!’ In addition the added impetus has been the arrival of Fran.

I still have no river boat so I have not the opportunity to paddle and rivers since being here. However mine, and Fran’s, creek boats and gear is scheduled to arrive this week after being freighted out form Ireland over 6 weeks ago….so it shouldn’t be too long before we get out on a river or two…even more options to take up time what with kayak surfing and snow sports etc!!

In the meantime I got myself a second hand playboat to use in the surf, which is working on a consistent basis; Gissy being one of the prime spots in NZ for surf.  Although the playboat was (and is) lots of fun in the surf I decided to get a proper surf kayak and managed to get my hands on a Random Evolution Surf Kayak from Australia. When Fran arrived we also managed to get a Tsunami Waveski  for her to use.

Now Fran’s here we can start to get some photos and start putting up more posts and more photographs of our adventures in New Zealand, be they on land or water…

Although there are plenty of surfers here, along with the few wave skiers and even fewer surf kayakers there are so many breaks and beaches within a few km’s of Wainui, there is always plenty of wave space for everyone!

The new throwbag from Liquid Logic, aka the Speedloader, was billed as the best thing since the wheel with regards to the speed and ease of repacking the bag after use. After Colm at I-Canoe got a shipment in, I got a chance to put this product through it’s paces on a number of Swiftwater Rescue Courses I ran in March and April of 2010 in Co. Wicklow and Co. Clare.

As I run a number of SRT courses and thus use a lot of throwbags in demonstrating and instructing throwbag techniques I try to expose students to a variety of throwbags so they can make informed judgements about various pros and cons of the different bags; thus when a new bag comes on the market I try to ensure I have it for the next course. In the past this was the case with WRSI Hail Mary Bag and, now is the case the the LL Speedloader Bag.

Well, returning to the story: how does the bag fare in trials? In my personal opinion, like all throwbags and most gear I have used, it has its plus points and its minus points.

The most important factor in any bag is how well it throws and how accurately and true it sails to its intended target, and how well the rope tails out of the bag. On this I found the bag threw reasonably well, both underarm, sidearm and over arm, and true in comparison to most of the other bags used, yielding an average score of 7.5 / 10.

Turning to the major selling point of this bag the speed of repacking (hence the name: Speedloader) how good is this bag in comparison to most other bags? My answer is good but not as good as expected, yielding a score of 8/10. It was quick, and certainly far quicker and easier than most bags, but not much quicker than for example the HF Weasel. Maybe with more practice the speed maybe increased, but I found that you had to place it on the ground to reap the maximum benefits of a fast repack, whereas I could repack the HF Weasel almost as quickly still standing up.

The thickness of the round rope for me is the biggest drawback as it is not very user friendly, yielding a score of 6/10; it is a bit like handling cheese wire when the load comes on in comparison to some of the thicker and flatter ropes. However the thinner rope allows a greater length to be packed in a compact bag which means a greater range of people can more easily throw the bag to its full length; which is after all the most important factor. On the plus side the rope, for its diameter, seems stronger than some of the alternative bags with flat ropes, as well as some of the ‘larger’ diameter ropes giving larger, more unwieldy bags. On the negative side this rope is quite pricy, especially if cost is an issue, in comparison to some throwbags and this may be a deciding factor for some paddlers!

Overall I would score  this bag 7/10; it is a decent alternative to some of  the bags out there and is worth considering, especially for people with smaller hands as it’s lightweight, compact design means that it is easy to throw and easy to pack.

In the future I would like to see developments such as a thicker rope, although not at the expense of a too large a bag (there is a fine balance!) and a waist mounted belt system.

SRT or RSR? Well I guess there are a few considerations to weigh up such as cost and international recognition for starters, along with any qualification prerequisites; however when the large lady sings at 11.59 it is your choice…

Anyway I am looking at organising another SRT before the end of March….if anyone is interested get in touch with me asap. Thanks. This, in all probability will be the last ‘open SRT’ I will be trying to run for a while in Ireland, due to other things taking precedence…

Here is a small video of our fantastic trip back to the Grand Canyon this Janaury. We launched from Lees Ferry on Janaury 2nd 2010 and took at 226 miles downriver, at Diamond Creek, on Janaury 14th. What a trip and what an awe inspiring place to visit.

I have never been to the Grand Canyon during the hot summer months but after 2 winter trips I can only say that winter is a fantastic time to do this trip. The temperatures may be colder and the daylight hours less but on the plus side there are no issues with food and coolers, less water has to be drunk, the sun still shines and has some warmth, and even better you can go days without seeing another group and there are no issues with camping spots. as opposed to the the busy hectic summer months when commercial trips predominate and can turn the Colorado River into a version of rush hour!

Here is a slideshow of some of the many photographs that were taken by the group; this selection is just of photographs taken by myself and Fran. Enjoy them and I hope they convey how special and awe inspiring this place is to be in for a few weeks; as they say a picture paints a thousand words!

A week or more has passed since we touched back down in Dublin after a fantastic and, another, memorable two week winter trip through the Grand Canyon. Upon reflecting this has to be one of the best ways to spend New Year and to start off the year: the peace and solitude away from the madding crowds that are to be found here in the Summer more than outweigh the colder temperatures and shorter days; after all we launched on January 2nd and took out at Diamond Creek, 226 miles downriver, on the afternoon of January 14th and still managed to have 3 layover days for hiking and rest and recreation!

What more can be said about this place? The white water is fun and big and bouncy and safe, the scenery and surroundings are awe inspiring, humbling and difficult to comprehend and the weather, so far in my experiences, has been more than manageable with plenty of warm sunshine.

Keep posted for a more in depth post with more photos and video clips. In addition a larger selection of photos will be posted onto my flickr photostream, and a video will be posted onto vimeo at some stage.