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Home,
Home is Home. There is always the sense of excitement I get when I come home. Anxiousness to get home and have that famed cup of tea. See them familiar faces that makes coming home even more better every time.
But there is one thing I dont understand, it's that people in this country don't realise what an amazing country they live in. Of course it is good to take breaks, get focused, re-energised. But this country has got so much to offer, all it involves it getting out of your house. Going hiking in the Wicklow mountains, Surfing in Lahinch, Sea Kayaking around Ireland's eye, a revitalising swim in the Irish sea. Even nights out in Dublin are some of the best around. Hitting up templebar for a wild night and waking up without any cash. Visiting landmarks like New Grange in Meath.
It's all about discovering and finding a means to enjoy this life as you only got one life. Enjoy it!

Surfing Infusion wave, at Mundaca

Paddle guiding Puente a Puente

So I finally arrived home on the 26^th of March after a strenuous journey but happy to be home. I’ve been doing some editing on the footage I accumulated over the course of the futaleufu season. Finding work here so I’m occupied doing some freelance work here and there. So times are good. Also some house work, cleaning the windows of the house which was some of my most constructive work in the first week.

I got a little working holiday back in the emerald Alps of Slovenia for a week. Coaching and guiding the Shackleton guys, which was good fun because they were so motivated and keen to get out kayaking that it was super enjoyable on the river. This was the course I came through and to see the standard and interest in kayaking was incredible. These guys were charging and good times were had.

I love the Soca, It’s an incredible place and river.  I spent two seasons there and every season I spent away from that valley and I loath to go back. But as a wise man once said never dwell on the past. But its good to return and see good friends and paddle a quality river.

We spent a day in Venice, Italy. The choice was to stay in a hostel or sleep in the airport. Some of the hard core folk spent it in the airport. While I, Rob and Pat roughed it in a tiny hotel room. But it was probably the cheapest accommodation in Venice at €25. I was here before with my folks and relations a good few years ago, so it was good to refresh the memory of this ancient town. It was a Saturday so we went out on the lash that was an expensive affair. Surprisingly enough there isn’t a lot of places to hit up in Venice. We talked up the chicks that were there to be talked up to no joy but good night and a fair few good stories. Good thing about hitting it up the night before we were wrecked on the plane so slept right through. 

Few things to remember while visiting Venice. Its Expensive. So it helps to be absolutely loaded in this place with nothing but money to throw away. The average price of a beer is between 6-7 quid. This is definitely a town for the rich.  And you can’t sit down in St. Marks’ square for 5 minutes without being told to stand up. I think they don’t like the idea of people sitting around like rubbish on the ground. Which is understandable because who does want to see and kind of wasters’ hanging around a fairly big tourist attraction. And enjoy the local scenery!!   

So with Slovenia out of the way, I got back to working back home and the rain has come.

And Norway just around the corner I can feel a summer filled with work to make some wedge and get some amazing kayaking done in the Creeking paradise of Norway.

Here's just some late photos I never got around to putting up. 

Pura Vida

1Adventure Life

Portaging Zeta

Chris Spelius leading the instructing, with a mysterious brown?!

Milton and myself

About to get eaten by Mundaca

Racing at Futafest

Myself and Julio, good times

Thanks to everyone that took these photos!!
Muchas gracias!!

The Beginning of the End.

Like everything in life, there is an end to everything good and bad. Which makes us stronger, more wise and more ready to face more of life's challenges.
This season has been a rollercoaster, to say the least!

So I have changed companies at the last hurdle, I am no longer working for "Futaleufu Explore" and now I am on a trial run for the forth coming Futa season with Chris Spelius's "Expedeciones Chile".

Looking back, I am glad of the experience and knowledge I have gained from working with Josh on the Futaleufu river. Being thrown into the deep end in safety cata-rafting and guiding almost from the get go.
Some people crumble under that kind of pressure and some people strive under it. Which I think I strove under this. Which is what Chris Spelius described myself as "Rough and hard" coming from the river and circumstances I came from. And a "Drunk bar fighting Irish man" which is what he also mentioned.

After the whole "Futa X" scene, I hung around and we went south to Cara del Indio for the "futafest".
Good party, good times. There was some competitions such as Rodeo, boatercross, sprint, long distance(Puente a Puente).
I competed in the Boatercross and Sprint, which started up above "Toro" and finished below "Mundaca". There were some big name paddlers in there too, with the likes of Ian Garcia, Tino Specht and Jakub Sedivy along with some solid peruvians and local kayakers too.
In the sprint I was against Ian Garcia and some local guys. Along with Pedro my friend from working in Mendoza last year. Was a good race. I was last until the guys hit Mundaca hole and some flipped which I took advantage of and passed them by for second place.

 Once the "FutaFest" was over I started working for Chris to prove myself for the following season. As an Interim, I work getting room and board for the two weeks, I was there. It all went well. I have a promising season coming up. For the first time in my guiding work, I have two season lined up before I even start them.
Working in Norway this coming May/June. Followed closely by another Futaleufu season.

When there's highs, there's also LOW'S!!!
Towards the end of my time there in Futa, I started booking future flights to go and visit my sister in Germany. With the knowledge that my Flight out from Buenos Aires was on the 21st of March(my mam's birthday) which is why I remembered.
Word of warning when your flight is really cheap and it seems to good to be true, IT IS. I booked with Edreams and for sure they changed my flight when I booked way back in october. They never gave me anyway notification a week or days before the flight. Which my return flight was last year in december.
If I was made aware of this by the company, this mess up would never have happened and I would be in around London now. I believe it is a money making scheme by the company and I am not the only Muppet it has happened too.
So now, I had to pay a new flight!! Fantastic. Now I am in debt and all the plans I had or was thinking of, have gone out the window. Oh well life goes on.

Now I am sitting in the Airport in Buenos Aires, after leaving Futaleufu on Monday evening and getting a 25 hour bus ride. Im kinda tired.

The definate plans are to fly to London. Then to Dusseldorf for a few days and eventually fly home to Dublin for a well deserved pint of Guinness that has been waiting for me for over 3 and a half months now. If I can afford it.

Photos are coming soon.... bare with my folks.

Also I will have alot of time at home so eventually we will see some footage my futa season..

Until next time.
Pura Vida
1Adventure Life!!

Patagonian Times....

There is a few things I love about living in Futaleufu, Chile.
I like the way the town is only 4 blocks wide and around 8 blocks long. Nothing is really too far away to walk. That sounds a bit lazy but its good when it comes to looking for people to go rafting on the street. Because its pretty obvious most of the time that there is no tourists.

I like the completos (Hotdogs) because its not just full of crap that you would find in a typical american fast food place or at home in Ireland. If they even sell hotdogs in any place at home. The completos are yes, a typical german "Frankfurter". But the completo is made up of fresh avocados, tomatoes, americana salsa which is a nice chopped up lettuce and onion in some nice sauce really(not sure of all the details but its pretty darn good). And the usual Mayonnaise, a nice savoury mustard and ketchup. Made by a really nice old lady for a thousand chilean pesos. Thats around 1euro 30.
And for a Six pack of beer its 2 thousand pesos. Although it is small, a little of over size cans its pretty good.
Coming from a company like "Splash whitewater rafting" that we had clients always coming in the door and we concentrated on the numbers to a company here in Futaleufu that we have to go and find clients and persuade them to go is another thing. Which I dont mind looking for people but depending on it in the town isnt the best business idea. As there is quite alot of competition for a town this size.

Looking for Clients. 

So I think the season has being going pretty well for us, Futaleufu Explore. Alot of guides have left, not wanting to work anymore with certain people within the company but despite this I've kept going as I believe I can tolerate alot of shit from people which is patience, right?
So I have been working alot. Since the start of January almost every single day, bar 3 or 4 days up til now. It started out with alot of safety kayaking and now I am mainly Safety kayak and a good bit of Rafting guiding aswell.

Action Shot at Pillow

Watching the flip and ready to work at Mundaca

Surfing the Cata Raft on Magic Carpet. 

There's never been a dull moment working for Futaleufu Explore. It keeps things interesting in a way most raft guides dont like. But sometimes you just gotta try and make it work. And to a certain extent it has, more or less. But the river is incredible. You just simply can not get bored of this river. Because it is something different everytime. Some times anticipating flips to happen and other flips suspiciously happening. Its good because Josh my boss doesnt condemn flips. He thinks they are great. Because most of the time people want to flip then tell everyone which brings us more business.
Here in Futa, I like that there is no rush for doing things. Most of the time we make clients wait which isnt good in my books, especially coming from Scotland and my boss there Muzza saying specifically "Clients dont wait, as they've paid money." So we should be on time. But things here happen differently, Patagonian style. As usually a round trip to and from Futaleufu takes around 5-6 hours. And we usually provide a quality trip but its vertically impossible not to on this river. And not have any client smiling from ear to ear.

Scouting Throne room

Running Throne Room

In Futaleufu its good because there always seems to be something happening in the town. 2 weeks ago there was a weekend of Rodeo. So bull riding and so on. Lots of gauchos getting drunk and trying to lasoo a bull. .
There was a really good vibe to the Rodeo. Not like your typical American Bull riding show. Where the guy riding the bull is only on for 5-10 seconds.

Rodeo in futaleufu

Some fella giving it socks on the bull

This guy got a standing ovation for his ride. 

Future plans are that I have secured a job in Norway for the next European summer which I'm well happy to get and looking forward to kayaking alot in Norway and getting to know the people and culture.
Then for here in South America, the plans seem to be after Futafest that there is a group of us heading to the Rio Baker. So Im trying to find a boat for the excursion which is interesting because this river is about to be dammed in the next year or two.
After the Baker trip I think I'll probably go to Mendoza and see some friends and then on the Buenas Aires to fly to Germany to visit my sister in Dusseldorf.
So alot planned, so I'll see if that actually materialises.

Thats all for now on valentines day. Enjoy some more photos
Pura Vida
1 Adventure Life

Entrance rapid in Canyon del Infierno

Take out at Puente a Puente section

Scouting the Entrance Rapid to Canyon Del Infierno

The Futaleufu Explore crew with some Clients

A Christmas and New year in Chile.

The season here is starting to move along now.
We've had quite a few trips and just finished our multi-day trips with 2 groups of clients.
It has been good times here in the Futa. The weather has been amazing and I'm hoping it says like
this for a good while.
We've ran the whole river by now, theres been some good lines and some bad lines. I think the bad lines
out-weigh all the good lines that I've had. But all has been good on the river. Learning all the rapids and
rowing has been good. Guided the Bridge to Bridge section a few times. Spilled some people, they had a big swim but then on the other hand I've also not spilled anyone.

Christmas day was a fairly hungover day. So it was relatively slow. We could have worked but Josh decided against it as we were all in a bad way. So we jumped in the van and headed to Aren and Sarah's place on the Rio Azul for an asado. And it was Epic!

Asado, Bbqing the lamb. 

Aren and John cutting up the lamb. 

 

 

 

 We ate like kings, it was some of the best meat I've eaten along with some good salad. What I like about here is that I've pretty much known where all the food has come from. When it comes to the lamb, you ask a local farmer that has lamb for sale and tell him what day you need the lamb for. The only thing is, you need to
kill the lamb yourself. Which is usually in a humanefull way. The locals usually drink the blood from the lamb with lemon and some herbs. After a long time digesting and a good few beers later, some of the guys went playboating on the Rio Azul in a play hole with good eddy service.

The guys lining up. 

Aren throwing it down

John throwing a loop. 

 

 

 

 

 

 After christmas we had two groups coming in for a few days. The plan was to run the whole river with them but before hand Josh thought it was a good idea not to run the canyon as it was a bit high.
We did run the rest of the river with the group and I believe that everybody had a good time. For the guys at the end of the trip, we had a asado for them down below at the lodge at the take out of the Casa de Piedra section.

The group at the put in for the terminator section. 

 Our new years was not the most exciting night I've ever had. We went out the eve before new years so we were hungover on new years and we had engine problems along with a flat tire so we stayed at the lodge after the rafting trip. Went to bed pretty early. So fairly quiet but a good one.
Not alot else to report, Just enjoying life here in Futaleufu

After the cold weather got this shot of the mountains behind the town

 Thought I would leave you with that one.
Happy New Year to all
Enjoy

Pura Vida
1 Adventure Life

First week in Futaleufu

So it was a long journey getting here...
Three plane rides, a good bit of waiting around followed by a 26hr bus ride to the south of Argentina.
To a town called Esquel, where I stayed the night in a friends hostal, Casa del pueblo, for some much
needed rest.
The next day, I got the bus from Esquel to Futaleufu, Chile. The weather was really good, around 30degrees.
Here I am working for "Futaleufu Explore". I was met with a note from Josh, the boss, to make myself at home and to try and sell some trips for rafting. So straight into work it was. Later on in the day, I got my first run on the river. We did the bridge to bridge(Puente a Puente) section and then continued on to run Mas o Menos and Casa de Piedra. I quickly realised that the style of paddling here on this river is different. You can go with the flow on this river and do alot of bracing.

There havent been alot of trips so far. Not alot of people around but hopefully things will pick up. We've done a couple of runs on the bridge to bridge, training in the raft with oars. And yesterday we ran Infierno Canyon, Look for the edit of that run. Its a sweet run. The water level was quite good and alot of big waves. We did some scouting as we'll be running this section a little bit later in the season.

Life is good here in the Futaleufu valley, very laid back lifestyle. Which is a good change from Dublin and its fast pace lifestyle. I'm working with two other guys from the UK. Adam, who is learning the trade. His first season is here in futa. Which is really good for him. And Kurt from Scotland. I didn't think I would run into a guy that is from Aberfeldy. The last place where I worked. But its a good coincidence.

Thats all I have to report so far on this season. Hopefully more good times to come!

View from the river

A early Happy Christmas and New Year to everyone.

Pura Vida
1Adventure Life

Rafting, Rapid Magic Carpet

View from Josh's land on the Rio Espolon

After the first run, after Casa de Piedra

Working safety and getting too close to the raft! 

Magic Carpet

View from the bus, on the journey down. One morning

Outside the company and the amazing view in Futaleufu

At the take out of Bridge to Bridge

Having lunch after the trip

Bienvenida Argentina!

Bienvenida Buenos Aires!!!

Where to start??
Well after three flights, alot of waiting around and in between losing my phone and paddle.
I have made it to the sunny side of the world. Yesterday was an incredibly hot 30C, which
was a change from Ireland's 0C.

As I said I lost my phone on my Aer Lingus flight, as I'm an idiot for doing so, but got it back
thanks to staff in Gatwick airport not being a bunch of muppets. When I arrived in Buenos Aires
only my bag came through, my paddle was originally attached to it. So I was quite surprised and
disappointed but kept good faith in Air Europa's customer service. Suprisingly the little spanish I
had paid off and the girl at the desk understood me and I kind of understood her.

Here I am staying with my friend Lu, she is kind enough to give me a bed for a few days. Today we
located the paddle and it will, hopefully, be delivered to her mam's house as we are going there for a
asado.(BBQ, only meet) so I will have a good feed.

Heading South on Saturday towards Esquel and getting the bus to Futaleufu on Monday.

Pura Vida
1 Adventure Life

View from Lu's apartment. Tv place opposite it. Ideas del sur

The bar last night, Antares. Full of its own brand beers

Arrived in Ezeiza, Buenos Aires

Asado, the best meat. Chorizo(Sausage), molleja( From the heart), Morcilla(Black Pudding), Chinchulines(Intestines), vacio(type of steak) and bondiola de cerdo(the shoulder of the pig)

The professional at work, Asado

Lu's garden and a nice pool to relax

 

Clare Glens short edit

Clare Glens

Click above and check out the video.

Pura Vida
1 Adventure Life