Helen Skelton begins epic Amazon kayaking adventure
 

Blue Peter presenter Helen Skelton begins epic Amazon kayaking adventure


Blue Peter presenter Helen Skelton is aiming to become the first woman to kayak 2,010 miles down the Amazon river.
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Blue Peter presenter Helen Skelton

A terrible thought crosses Helen Skelton's mind. "I am going to need seven bottles of shampoo," she says, aghast.

It is indeed scary news for the 26-year-old Blue Peter presenter, but not perhaps the worry that would be uppermost in the minds of most people setting off on a world record-breaking ordeal.

Her task over the next six weeks is to kayak solo for 2,010 miles down the Amazon. No woman has ever done that before, let alone one with no paddling experience.

On route she can expect to encounter 20ft anacondas and shoals of piranhas; hideous blisters and sores are guaranteed.



:emotions16: This is friggin awesome! Good for her, gutsy and tough and she CAN do it. Whaddya say Silver Belle?

Re: Helen Skelton begins epic Amazon kayaking adventure
 

And then there is 22 year old Katie Spotz paddling the Atlantic.

http://rowforwater.com/media/

Links to articles, interviews and other news coverage.

Katie Spotz, 22, To Row Solo Across the Atlantic
Talk of the Nation, December 17, 2009

One 22-year-old woman, two oars, three months worth of dehydrated food and 2,500 miles of open water. Tomorrow, Katie Spotz leaves her home in � home state of Ohio for Senegal, where she plans to launch her 19-foot row boat into the ocean for a solo journey across the Atlantic some time around New Year�s Day. If she makes it, she becomes the youngest person to row across an ocean alone�

Re: Helen Skelton begins epic Amazon kayaking adventure
 

Wow, another one! Looks like she's doing well, making decent time, 1/3 of the way there. Doesn't look like an easy boat to row either. Thanks Tecumseh! Longest paddle I ever did was the Yukon river, about 400 miles of it anyways. Always wanted to finish that trip.

Re: Helen Skelton begins epic Amazon kayaking adventure
 

Wow good for you Brio. When I was a younger man I gave some thought to floating down to New Orleans from up here in Ohio - thought it would be a fun way to spend a month or so of summer. Not as scenic as the Yukon but an interesting float. Maybe someday when I retire...:bear_rolleyes:

Re: Helen Skelton begins epic Amazon kayaking adventure
 

She is gonna wish she checked with Ben "Coach" Wade from CBS's Survivor. The guy was kidnapped by the canabalistic pygmmies of the Amazon while on his kayak tripe only to barely escape with his life.:wink: Just imagine what they will do to her. Poor thing I fear for her safety!!

http://www.realityblurred.com/realit..._28_coach_lies

If you don't watch or did not see Survivor that season, all I can say is WOW. What a duchebag.

Re: Helen Skelton begins epic Amazon kayaking adventure
 

He was a first rate duchebag but Richard from season 1 takes the top honors.

There have been some decent likeable people on the show, this season is the allstars, I'm hoping they bring back Rupert, he was my favorite out of all the seasons.

Re: Helen Skelton begins epic Amazon kayaking adventure
 

On a more serious note, good for her. Love the whole river life.

Honestly though, it is a little irresponsible for her to be doing this with no paddling experience (even though she is not alone, she has a team of doctors and observers with her). Rivers are no place for rookies to learn on the fly. But then again my observations are coming from the veiw of someone that loves extreme whitewater stuff with lots of big Class IVs and Vs and little flat water.

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You whitewater kayak teedub? :36_1_32v: I did that until i had the daylight scared out of me on a nasty river in flood, never ever ever again. Traded in Stubby for a 14' Necky and stick to lakes and easy rivers. Paddling a class I is easy (isn't the Amazon class I?) she'll be learning an awful lot about rivers though, even the easy ones can be treacherous for those inexperienced.

Re: Helen Skelton begins epic Amazon kayaking adventure
 

Your wish is granted - watch this!

Re: Helen Skelton begins epic Amazon kayaking adventure
 

Hell NO!!! I whitewater on rafts with guides. Those rubber rafts are tanks compared to the kayaks and the hair on my neck still stands on end when I am in a raft. While I want to start kayaking lakes and small rivers in Indiana, I ain't got any desire to do the Gauley River in West Virgina in a kayak.

Re: Helen Skelton begins epic Amazon kayaking adventure
 

It was rafting that got me into whitewater kayaking but the difference between a raft and a w/w kayak is the same as the difference between a mattress and a 2X4. I was offered a job as a (permanent seasonal) river rafting guide so i signed up for my swiftwater rescue only to be told the outfit already had all their guides. Thinking I knew what's what I got into w/w kayaking :haha: I'm wiser now.

Re: Helen Skelton begins epic Amazon kayaking adventure
 

I'm a paddler, and I love getting the word out there on kayaking...but in all honesty, I find the whole Helen Skelton trip to be a disservice to serious paddlers everywhere. Another TV stunt for ratings. The only good thing about this trip is that this is being done for charity.

First and foremost...the woman is clueless and unprepared. She had never even had her butt in a kayak until summer 2009 and admits that she had only paddled once before this big adventure. Unbelievably stupid, in my opinion.

Thank goodness she has the support boat. I would give credence to a serious paddler doing this sort of a trip -- but not yet one more TV personality trying to play survivor. Definitely all about ratings. Says so right here...

"So this year, when Blue Peter decided to stage a stunt to raise awareness for Sport Relief, Skelton wanted even more of a challenge."

Next...she is not paddling solo. Solo paddling is done without a support boat and a camera crew and side shopping trips to Colombia to buy jewelry. This is a joke. If you want to read about serious solo paddlers, there are many blogs to be found on the internet. Real people who really paddled long treks solo. Just the paddler, his or her kayak and tent, a digital camera, lots of supplies, distress and navigational tools and LOTS of preparation and emergency preparedness planning.

Anyway, if the paddler was actually a serious paddler, I'd be thrilled to death about this adventure. This, though, is going to set folks up to go out there unprepared and be caught surprised by the weather or the waves, currents, tides and conditions. (She had never paddled in the rain until she encountered a storm on about Day 12 of this trip. She commented that it rains a lot there. It's a rain forest...who would have thought?)

In contrast to this little misadventure...

I'm planning a camping/kayaking trip to Alaska this year with four friends -- all of whom are veteran sea kayakers and primitive campers -- and even though we have all been paddling for years, and paddle year round and almost daily in the summertime, we have been training for this trip like nobody's business. We are not leaving until June, but we have been checking and preparing gear for months, planning for every possible emergency (and we will still probably not think of something, I'm sure) and are all working out daily to ensure that we are in tip top shape for our adventure. We will be paddling about 30 miles per day -- taking some time to enjoy the scenery. We have paddled in all types of conditions -- hot and cold weather, wind, tides, currents -- you name it (yep...even rain) -- but we know that we will encounter things up there that we have never encountered paddling here. If it was someone like Brio, or Osprey or teedub, or any of the other SERIOUS paddlers here doing this quest for charity -- then I'd be all over it. However, it's just a perky, blonde, clueless 26 year old reporter who thought it would be a fun adventure. Sheesh!

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Re: Helen Skelton begins epic Amazon kayaking adventure
 

Darwin is giggling right now...

Re: Helen Skelton begins epic Amazon kayaking adventure
 

I've spent my fare share of time in the Kern River (California) in a Kayak. Not saying I'm good or anything, but I trained - a lot - ahead of all my trips, and I was still wrecked (as in, very very sore muscles) from just doing 10-20 miles a day. Without proper form - without proper training - I cannot even imagine going down the amazon in a kayak.

That alone shouts cajones and bravery. As always, I'll wish her the best, but in my heart I'm thinking she should have stayed a little closer to home.

Re: Helen Skelton begins epic Amazon kayaking adventure
 

Wow Silver Belle. Are you ever going to have an adventure. :adore: I'm jealous. I hope you plan to keep a journal of your trip. Reminds me of this book I read a few years back, true story of Victoria Jason paddling the Northwest Passage. 'Kabloona in the Yellow Kayak'. I laughed and cried and raged and couldn't put it down.

Re: Helen Skelton begins epic Amazon kayaking adventure
 

Thanks, Brio...I am so excited about this trip! What started out as a trip flying up to Ketchikan for 10 days of paddling has now become a Thelma and Louise type road trip adventure (with a less dramatic ending, hopefully) of two 51 year old women driving cross country and camping (mostly in the yards of family and friends) and paddling along the way. Right now we are thinking we will be gone for a month! Our kids are grown, so between that and being schoolteachers, we have the luxury of being able to get away for our big adventure. (I will owe my daughter big for that month, as she will be tending the farm solo while I am away.)


Two of us will be driving 3000 miles cross country to catch the Alaska Ferry out of Bellingham, Washington. From there, we will ferry up to Ketchikan and meet the rest of our group of friends (who don't have the luxury of time off that we have). We will paddle for about 10 days, then spend a few days in Ketchikan before catching the ferry back. On our way back, we already have invites to paddle with family and friends in Puget Sound, the BWCA and the Apostle Islands. We are going to have way too much fun...and no camera crews, no support boats, no jewelry side trips to shop...just us and the grizzlies and the orcas and humpbacks and everything else that is up there...and lots of quiet solitude. In fact, we have been told that we will likely not see another boat or any other people for the first half of our trip. Somehow, I don't think we will be getting bored with the scenery along the way.

I promise to journal and take extra camera batteries...can't wait!

Re: Helen Skelton begins epic Amazon kayaking adventure
 

I hope you document your trip here silverbelle. I am very into this sort of human endeavor. I have never paddled before in my life, but in parallel you could say I am doing things that are adventurous in my own way. When I read first hand accounts I relate well and get more encouragement to push the limits of life.

I think that is the point.

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Silver Belle, what a fabulous way to spend a summer! You'll be so glad you did. Don't mess around with grizzlys though, please. I mean, I know you won't mess around with them or anything, but be careful. Take two pepper sprays each (not the pocket size either) because after one is used (or even tested) once you can't trust it to work again, and if you have to use it chances are the bear will be back, trust me on this I know. Not trying to scare you but i spent quite a few years working alone in the bush in grizzly country and an extremely healthy respect for them can't be stressed enough.

Re: Helen Skelton begins epic Amazon kayaking adventure
 

I think you are absolutely right, Bee.

I know what you mean about getting encouragement from the first hand accounts of others who have taken the chance to have a big adventure. I have been reading every blog I can find about folks who solo or small group paddled the Inside Passage (maybe someday -- but not quite ready for that this year), a guy who solo paddled the Rio Grande, and anything else I can get my hands on. The travel adventures I love the best are those of people just like me -- middle aged, regular people just doing what they love and, as a result, absolutely loving life!

Growing up I was never athletic or adventuresome -- more of a bookish, scholarly introvert who was painfully shy and lacked self confidence. Once I finally became comfortable in my own skin (it took me until I was almost 40 to get there) I blossomed into a confident middle aged woman who absolutely loves life and doesn't give a rat's arse what other people think of her anymore.

If I want to grow my own food, live off grid in a little cabin in the woods, and paddle to my heart's content...that's what I'll do. And...so far...it is working out quite nicely, I must say! :wink:

Re: Helen Skelton begins epic Amazon kayaking adventure
 

Alaska in the summertime is paradise on Earth. I was there last summer and did some rafting on the Mantanuska river...we kept going until the sun set at midnight. Coolest experience of my recent life.

Re: Helen Skelton begins epic Amazon kayaking adventure
 

great stories.

Re: Helen Skelton begins epic Amazon kayaking adventure
 

Not to worry about us taking stupid risks, Brio, I promise...and thanks for the great advice! I hand picked this group of friends because they are strong paddlers, people I could stand to be with day in and day out for a few weeks, and sensible people. A lack of any one of those three areas would be the recipe for an awful trip, I think.

We are only used to the occasional black bear in this neck of the woods and they scare away pretty easily if you encounter one (except if it's a mama with cubs nearby, of course), but I know that grizzlies are a way different creature.

The closest I am hoping to get to a grizzly will be viewing them from a good, safe distance when I am out on the water. If looks like a risky area when we get ready to camp, we will keep paddling until we come to a spot that looks safer. I will definitely pass on the double pepper spray advice to the rest of the group. Thanks a bunch!

Re: Helen Skelton begins epic Amazon kayaking adventure
 

You'll be sensible i know :hugs: oh, and don't camp on islands in the middle of rivers or inlets, that's where the bears cross. I'm not trying to be know-it-all or anything, just passing on a couple things I learned lol.

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Thanks...and don't worry...I certainly don't think of you as a know it all...I think of you as a wise woman who has experience in this area that I don't. Now...if you ever want to know about raising turkeys...LOL...I'm your girl to come to for advice. :)

As of tonight, I may be pushing my trip back by one week. We have used up all the snow days for our school year and there are more storms on the way. I grew up in the Upper Midwest and we had a lot of snow (not like you probably get up there...but a fair amount, for sure) but we didn't shut down for days every time it snowed. We only had school one day last week and we are already off for tomorrow because they just don't have the equipment down here to handle it, I guess.

Anything you can think of...just keep the advice coming! It is greatly appreciated.

Re: Helen Skelton begins epic Amazon kayaking adventure
 

Confirms my suspicions...

Re: Helen Skelton begins epic Amazon kayaking adventure
 

Darwins giggle.... just turned to laughter....

Re: Helen Skelton begins epic Amazon kayaking adventure
 

Katie Spotz finished - landed in Georgetown Guyana this morning.

http://rowforwater.com/