A short drive brought us to Val Aosta. We had lunch at the Chiusella, but after a scouting mission decided there wasn’t enough water so went elsewhere and walked the very short distance from the road to the start of the Ayassse. This wasn’t a long section but had some cool slides, drops and finishing with a series of drops the first being on the large size.
Photo David Fairweather
After a random meal out, the next day feeling on top form, we headed for the “Best Run in the Alps” (quote SW & others) Soanna. We put in at the top and started down, finding the river amazing we carried on the full 10km to the town to do the lower section as well.
Again Dave’s brilliant photographs
This river wasn’t without excitement, where I ripped a rather large hole in my deck and thanks to Dave’s sewing kit I repairs that, I cracked a set of stikines and I sent my mates over the drop of doom, resulting in Dave, Pat and I swimming out of the hole at the bottom.
The highlight of the trip was at the rapid called ‘Land of the Giants’ and paddling through you can see why Dave C named it so.
Photograph the work of Tom Laws
So finally my return to the UK, and more revision.
The first morning, we made the short trip from Campatongo to the Egua. The river started with a gutter and a nice drop and continued for another 2km of greatness! The day was rounded off on the Sorba slides for some low volume high gradient sliding!
Catching my breath!
Egua fun!
From this point on-wards it rained constantly for about 3 days, this saw the rivers rise a fair amount and made another call to the Gronda and Sorba slides, this time a completely different monster with lots of water.
Nick styling the 2nd Slide on the Sorba.
Pat!
The Semenzini had been a bit high but had dropped enough to get on during a break in the rain, and we saw a cracking day’s boating here. The ‘Cave Drop’ saw Nick nail a sweet line and then it swallowed me and my boat whole, for what seemed like ages!
Looking down ‘cave drop’
Face of terror as I fall to DOOM!
I’d given Tom a lift back from the Tryweryn on Sunday evening, after he passed his Level 3 assessment (well done!) and I had been working. We drove back to Coventry and spent the evening chilling out at Angie’s, who cooked amazing curry for us.
Cartoon Impression of Sunday Dinner
The next morning we all popped to PaddleSport, and had a cup of tea in the shop with Angie trying to talk Tom out of spending £130 against me trying to talking him into it!
Now the plane was due to leave around 1900, check in opens at 2 hrs before and I wanted to use all this time as I was travelling with the baby Burn and it was a 2 hr drive to Stansted, meaning we had to leave around 1500.
At 1200 I sat down to start and finish the design of a concrete slab assignment, at 3 o’clock I was still working and not packed so we left leaving a bit late.
We were met at check in by a most friendly guy who was asking us about our tea hoodies and Shaun Baker. We watch my boat get loaded into the plane and I had an ice cream as a start of things to come in hot sunny Italy.
Arriving at Turin airport I let Tom and Nick deal with the car, and they came back with a Passat slaloon – nice car but no roof rails for the large chunks of wood we had brought with us. With some smart seat movement the Burn fitted in with the back seats down and we were on our way.
They gave this car to 3 students! Fools!!!!
We arrived at the camp site at around 3am and woke up to a beautiful view.
Better than waking up and looking over Coventry - thats for sure! (photo from Tom L.)
Coming Next …We go boating!
