Paddlesport Expedition Symposium

This exciting weekend is a fantastic opportunity for paddlers with an interest in expedition paddling at any level. Whether you're thinking of organising your first expedition, you've been on a few trips and you'd like to expand your horizons a little, or you're an 'old hand' who'd just like to find out where others have been and what new opportunities are out there - this event ticks all the boxes.
Dealing with all kinds of boats, locations and techniques, the symposium is packed with workshops, talks and clinics covering all aspects sea, white water and open canoe expeditioning.

The exact details are still unfolding as guest speakers, workshop presenters and trade-representatives confirm their commitments but here is a list of workshops that are planned for the weekend.

Interactive Indoor Workshops

Deciding where to go and Gathering information.
Find out when and where to go and how to get the right kind of information to plan your trip effectively. Considerations on continent, country, time available and season will all be explored and dicussed.

Planning the trip and Making Contacts
Discover the steps that should be taken to plan a successful and enjoyable overseas expedition whether in Europe or further a field. Learn to make thing simple on your arrival at your chosen destination. Using local outfitters, guides, porters can save you time, make the trip less stressful and maximising your paddling time

The team, The Equipment, The Style
One of the most important parts of any expedition plan.
Here, you'll have a chance to talk about who you should choose to go with and why, and what combination makes a good expedition team? Choosing and transporting the right equipment can make or break any expedition. This workshop will give you a chance to learn from paddlers with no brand allegiance or sales incentive who have simply been there and done it.   No it's not a workshop analysing which brand of sunglasses to take or what colour goes best with dark brown water.
This session deals with the overall approach to your expedition. Find out whether when it's best to go it alone, or to to rely on raft support, jeep support, or even air support. Sit back and absorb the information including what is most suitable (and realistic) for the trip you have in mind.

Sponsorship and funding
A panel of paddlesports top commercial figureheads will be on hand to help you pick your way through the confusing world of getting sponsorship and funding and how to deliver on your promises, keeping the sponsors happy so your appeals for support in the future are met with an enthusiastic response.

Staying healthy
Expert advice on how to stay alive, fit and healthy in far flung corners of the world including information on vaccinations, malaria, altitude sickness and more.
Transport and local customs
How and why you should gather all the information on local customs and courtesies and avoid offending the locals on arrival. You'll benefit from top-flight advice on getting around with boats, paddles and bags on foreign shores.

Solo Expeditions
For some a solo expedition is the ultimate challenge, this workshop will give you an insight into what to expect and how to cope on your own in remote challenging places.

Dealing with Altitude
Some journeys start high up in the mountains where altitude can really effect and endager the expedition this workshop will give you the information you need to cope with altitude and prevent illness
Family expeditioning
Taking the family especially young people into the wilderness can be a daunting prospect get advice here from top expedition paddlers that have taken their own families away on expedition

Practical Outdoor workshops

Bush craft skills
From making a fire to keep you warm to using natures own ingredients to keep you fed the bush craft skills workshops will give you all the skills you need for an expedition in the remotest of locations

Loading boats and paddling
All that equipment and not enough space to put it in.
Here our experts will guide you through the most efficient ways to pack up and stow your gear whilst maximising boat handling and performance.

Bear and bug proofing
Whether it's bears, bugs or beasties this work shop will teach you how to avoid the unwanted attention of native pests, prowlers and predators whilst abroad.

Steep ground access
Gorges and steep drops can present a real danger especially in remote areas. Here our coaches will run you through the fundamental principles and techniques of safe access to these potentially hazardous areas, using basic ropenwork skills and equipment.

Expedition first aid
In remote areas of the world when things go wrong and people get injured it can be very serious and having the knowledge to treat your team can make the difference between life and death, this workshop will give you essential skills and knowledge to cope with the situation. Whatever it is.

Emergency boat repairs
A broken boat can literally wreck an expedition this practical workshop will give you the skills to make fast and effective repairs using the minimum equipment

Portaging
Whether you're walking with your boat along a marked trail or humping it up and over big hills, our experts will help you lighten the load and see the brighter side of portaging.

Environmental Impact
What’s sympathetic to the environment in one location may be damaging in another. Wherever your expedition takes you, you have a responsibility to leave that place in the same (or better) condition than you found it in. This fascinating practical workshop will help you develop the skills and knowledge to travel through the wilderness environment confident in the knowledge that you are not damaging what you came to see in the first place.

Expedition Photography
Your photographs will be you only lasting record of your expedition, so you want to make sure they are good, and that they make it back in one piece. On this workshop, top expedition photographers will share their practical experience on issue like composition, formatting, storage, equipment, transportation and how to take the step out of ‘automatic’.

Using GPS
Whether you have a GPS and you're not sure that you are getting the most from it or you're thinking of buying one and you'd like to learn the ropes before you invest, this is an ideal route. Out on the water you’ll discover just how much you can and can't rely on this revolutionary navigational aid. You'll even find out what to do in the event of its failure. During the course you'll also gain an understanding of 'Map Memory' software.

Open water survival
Away from shore alone and in the water is a frightening and dangerous prospect, this practical workshop delivered by sea survival experts will give you vital knowledge and skills to allowyou the maximum chance of survival and rescue. Essential for anyone venturing out on to open water.

Although things aren't set in stone yet, the plan is to run the indoor workshops in the morning and the outdoor ones in the afternoon. You'll be able to choose from this selection of informal, informative workshops at the beginning of the symposium, attending four workshops a day for each of the two days.
Along with the workshops there will also be evening lectures and slide presentations, trade stands offering gear advice and the chance to share a few drinks whilst swapping information and advice, or simply recounting stories of heroic journeys with fellow paddlers from across the country.

The best news of all is that the Mountain Training Trust have subsidised the event on a grand scale, allowing us to bring the cost down to an amazing £100 which includes the workshops, accommodation and meals during the weekend.
But as this is a residential event places are limited according to the number of beds. Quite a few places have already been sold but there is still plenty of availability at present. However, with bookings coming in steadily, anyone interested would be wise to secure their place as early as possible.

Date:
23-24th February 2008

Cost
£100 (£80 non-residential)

Experience Required:
an interest in paddlesport expedition at any level