By Richard Harpham

Bio

Richard Harpham, FRGS, is a human powered adventurer, coach and inspirational speaker who has completed over 11,000 miles of expeditions by kayak, canoe, SUP and bike www.richadventure.com

Richard runs the award winning Canoe Trail watersports and adventure business with his wife Ashley. Thanks to BAM Clothing, Paramo, Valley Sea Kayaks and SilverBirch Canoes for sharing the dream. www.canoetrail.co.uk

Foreword: Rich Adventure

Musings from my world of adventure and paddling

As lockdown eased, we have been blessed with a sense of freedom and some incredible paddling days with glorious sunny spring days, although sometimes with a chilly breath. We embarked on some ‘surf and turf’ days in the Lake District, embracing van life as only paddlers can. It made us feel alive exploring some of the iconic lakes by SUP, canoes and kayak joining the thriving paddling community who also came to lap it up. We endured endless sunsets, and shimmering waters and plenty of wildlife from kingfishers, mergansers, otter scat, deer and also had a fly-by from the RAF on a training sortie. Heading home, we diverted to paddle the River Ribble in Lancashire, which proved to be a classic canoe trip well worth the detour.

We were truly sad to hear of the passing of HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, who we met on several occasions at the Palace supporting his incredible legacy, the DofE Award Scheme. He was always charming, witty, and he shared a joke and took an interest in the young people he met. I still find it touching that he wanted to hear updates on my paddling adventures each time we met. His vision in 1956 lives on, and I am sure it will continue to convert thousands of more young people to paddling and adventure. We salute you.

Congratulations to Dee Patterson on her election to President of British Canoeing, and well done to Ivan Lawler, outgoing President and the team, for growing the reach of our sport. Dee was part of our club, Viking Kayak Club, before heading southwest and is undoubtedly passionate about messing about on the water. I have continued my journey of attaining ‘provider status’ for different qualifications, this time the FSRT which again was superbly delivered by BC tutors Dan and Alex. It is great to see shared learning, best practice and professional standards especially given the demand from the increase in paddling folk.

I am excited to reveal I have been catching up with Steve Backshall to deliver an interview with Steve about his expeditions series, which has been captivating to watch on TV. Due to a forthcoming issue, you can hear some of his first-hand close shaves, sources of inspiration and even a random quick-fire round. I interviewed Steve and his wife, Olympian Helen Glover, in a previous edition about their Devizes to Westminster race and racing together.

For years I have been fascinated by the concept of synchronicity and the connections we make through the journey of life. This evening whilst finishing off this muse, I flicked on the TV to find great river journeys covering the Hudson River in upstate New York. It reminded me of my NY Spare Seat Kayak expedition from Niagara Falls to the Statue of Liberty in 2012 following the eerie Canal and the Hudson River. It was an incredible journey connecting with the communities, and each day a stranger joined us in the spare seat.

It was my first real experience of the SUP phenomena meeting Cody White, who paddled with us for a few days by SUP. Perhaps more bizarre was our story got picked up and shared with over 200 million people, and we were hosted by Mayor Jennings in Albany, who had welcomed President Obama the day before. Not bad for two smelly kayakers!

A few years later, Cody and I attempted to circumnavigate Mallorca, coinciding with the worst storms in 30 years with huge waves and wind. It began my love affair with SUP’ing, and I have shared my eclectic experiences of SUP micro-adventures in my article. Enjoy!
Happy trails and stay safe.
Rich