Pilgrim Bandits 2014 Cockleshell Hero's Op Frankton

Ok. So a few days after our return I thought I'd write a little about the experience of joining this expedition.

The River : Girond
If you're a life long kayaker then looking at the Girond River paddle as done buy the Cockleshell hero's … Well, on paper apart from the horendous tide race at the mouth of the river it looks fairly easy , 90 miles , warm water, nice part of France etc. However, when I told kayaking piers what it was we were hoping to do with this expedition, everyone that stepped forward with details all offered information along the same lines “ It's not easy, there are significant hazards” etc.

It's not until you set eyes on the river itself that you truly appreciate the task of paddling it. I stood at the Cockleshell Hero's memorial site at the mouth of the river and looked inland towards Bordeaux and all I could see was water, sky and the curve of the Earth , there was nothing that resembled land in that direction.

 

This picture was taken 8 miles inland and it's looking inland towards Bordeaux

 

 

I whistled through my teeth and thought “Thank god I've trained, thank god we trained the guy's “Because this river is massive… Really massive! But it's size is only part of the issue. The tide is immense, I shoves in to Bordeaux like a freight train and sucks back out just the same way. Normally, that would be useful but the banks of the Girond are just soft mud. From the river mouth all the way into Bordeaux it's just soft mud held together at the high water line by vegetation . In practice this means there is next to nowhere to gain shelter from the currents, next to no eddy's , next to no access and egress places. If your fit and able bodied you can probably get around this with limited issues and a bit of luck. However, with a team that includes amputee's you simply have to get on and off the river at a place and time that avoids the mud problem. So our days were broken up to gain the best tide to mud ratio we could:

Day one : Verdon Sur Mer – Port de Goulee . Launch from the port slipway , 12 miles open water , tide races , tail winds and awkward water . This took immense physical effort to get through, Andy Reid's boat capsized about 10 miles in and whilst the rescue was quick and efficient the salt water caused his arm to blister on the remaining miles.

Day two: Port de Goulee – Pauillac . 20 miles The Mayor of Port de Goulee had the slipway cleared of mud for or use which was amazing enough on it's own. However, he topped this by opening sluice gates to raise the river level allowing us to get out of the port on the low tide. Love that man!! The exit from the Port was one of the strangest things I've kayaked as the river way 6 ft lower than the mud bank and high water line so it was like paddling through a biblical parted sea.The paddle was long but straight forward. As we entered the Pauillac port area we were in danger of being caught and passed by a huge cargo ship . But, rather than let it's wake knock us over the harbor authorities asked the ship to slow down and move across the river. The ship obliged – I'm lost for words!

Day three: Pauillac - Port D'Issan . 11 miles From a port – to a concrete slip way a comparatively easy paddle.

Day four: Port D'Issan – Bordeaux - Port D'Issan 15 miles there and 15 back . A significant hazard at Macau! A wall blocking the main flow and creating a wave train and whirlpools the size of dustbins all recalculating on to a mud shelf .

 

The river was high enough for us to get through the side of the wall .

It was 30+ degrees on the river and really exhausting especially on the return leg.

Day five: Port D'Issan – Blaye. 8 miles
A day of high winds going against the tides making big standing waves in the channel . When we scouted the river in the morning we were a touch perturbed to see a cargo ship mid channel with waves breaking all the way over its bow!! The wind did drop a bit for our crossing but it was awkward and real heart in mouth paddling . But no one capsized and the group worked superbly to get the crossing done and let the party begin.

How do I feel now?

To be honest I mostly feel really humbled . They are a completely lovely bunch of guys and an amazing charity and I felt included and part of the team . Always, right from the moment I walked into the waiting room at the first training session and tried to take in the sight before me.

 

But put these people in a kayak and you back on level terms and you realise just how fit , tough, resilient and skilled they are. Jimmy Wilson, Hari Budha Magar and Colin Hamilton were all just amazing through out the trip. However, seeing Andy Reid white faced in pain and carrying on , having his blistered arm doused in water , being told he shouldn't paddle everyday for the next four days and just saying “there's no way I'm not!” .... And he didn't.

Then Ben Parkinson totally exhausted , slipping down inside his boat every few paddle strokes but just pulling up and paddling on ------ and on--------- and on--------  like a clock work machine.. Making sure there was a giant great big F*** You ! to the people who said he'd never do more than sit up in bed, then tried to stop him doing this, then issued a gagging order to stop him talking on TV. Well, It was like watching a Rocky Film from the bit when he gets knocked over to the bit when he get's back up and you know he'll win .....But,  you watch it over and over again and it's no less inspiring each time.

Behind all these guys there was a fantastic safety net . A team, The Pilgrim Bandits that would do whatever it took if they were called upon . To be part of that ….. It was .........

 

Awesome! Thanks Pilgrim Bandits for letting me be apart of it.

To donate to this fabulous charity please click here

 

COCKLESHELL_ITV2000_Vimeo from ITV News Meridian on Vimeo.

 

Mud


This lady found and helped the  Cockleshell Hero's

The Frankton Memorial

Kayakingkit Pete.