Iritsi gattuk! / We are here!

Azken aste mugituen ondoren lasaitzeko garaia etorri da. Ostiral gauean heldu ginen Oetzera (Austria) Mikel, Edu eta hirurak.  Hemen ospatuko da Adidas Sickline, muturreko kayakeko munduko txapelketa datorren ostiral eta larunbata bitartean. Ordura arte hemendik ibiliko gera gustukoen deguna egiten.

Txapelketa honetara etortzea duela hilabete pasatxo bururatu zitzaidanez ez da asti handirik egon behar bezela prestatzeko. Piraguan eroso sentitzera bideratu det batez ere, uretan ahalik eta denbora gehien igaroz, duela hilabete batzuetako sentsazioak berreskuratzeko.

After last restless weeks is time to slow down. Mikel, Edu and me arrived on Friday to Oetz. Adidas Sickline, extreme kayaking world championship, is going to celebrate here the following weekend. Until that date we’ll be here doing what we like most.

I decided one month ago to come here, so there hasn’t been enough time to prepare it properly. I just focused it in feeling comfortable in the boat, spending most of the time I could in the water. 

Donostin olatutan jolasten.
Playing with sea waves in San Sebastian

Horretarako, duela pare bat aste Alpeen mendebaldean egon nintzen Mikel eta Davidekin, Veneon errekan. Mikel abuztu erdian egon zen, ur pila eta 20km nabigagarritik gora zeudela kontatu zigun. Taldekako txapelketa baten aitzakia primerakoa izan zen bi bider pentsatu gabe abian jartzeko. Egia esan bi aldiz pentsatu genuen, baina bigarrenenerako bidean geunden...

-Aizu, eta erreka honek nolatan dauka hainbesteko ura?

-Glaziarretatik dator.

-Ze ona, orduan eguraldi onarekin urtuz joango da. Egun hauetan 20º inguru egingo ditu, iujuu!

-Uuuups, ba abuztu erdian 30º-tik gora egiten zitun.

-Kabendiez, gainera glaziarra urtuago egongo da…

-Bah! Seguru badagoela zerbait!

-Egongo ez da ba!

Zerbait bazegoen, baina espero baina askoz gutxiago. Aurreko bisitan baina metro erdi gutxiago edo, alde ederra. Hala ere, ez zen traba izan errekan momentu onak igarotzeko lagunekin.

Two weeks ago I’ve been in the west of Alps with David and Mikel, in the Veneon river. Mikel was there in mid August and told us that the water level was perfect and over 20km of navigable sections were waiting to us. A team race was the perfect reason to go here, so without thinking it twice we were in the road. Actually, we think it a second time but we were on the way already...

-Why has this river so much water?

-It comes from the glacier.

-Cool, so is melting with the good weather. These days will be around 20º, sweet!

-Uuuups, in mid august was over 30º.

-Shit, and the glacier will be more melted...

-Bah! There will be something!

-Yeah!

There was something, but hard less than expected, kind of half meter less than the previous visit. It wasn’t a trouble to spend good moments in the river.

Veneon // Photo : Mikel Sarasola

Veneon // Photo : Mikel Sarasola

Veneon // Photo : Mikel Sarasola

Aspalditik bidailagun dudan piragua ez zen hain gustura ibili harri artean eta pitzadura bi atera zitzaizkion kroskoan. Zorionez, txapelketa honetarako modelo berdina den bat utzi didate, bi kilo arinago gainera!

Handik bueltan astebetez egon naiz Donostin, etxeko jendearekin, gustora. Piraguan eroso sentitzeko (ia) egunero ibili naiz uretan, ur lasaietan, olatuetan jolasten eta errekan ahal denean.

Ta holaxe, baldintza onak ditugu txapelketa ondo prestatzeko eta oso gogotsu gaude. Egunero uretan ibiliko gabiltz, zirkuitua ahalik eta hobekien ezagutzeko, piraguan eroso sentitzeko eta jaitsiera bakoitza ondo egingo degulako segurtasuna edukitzeko asmoz. Momentuz jaitsieraz jaitsiera hobe sentitzen naiz pertsonalki, ikusiko da nola iristen geran ostiralera. Bitartean entrenatzen jarraitzea besterik ez dago. Izango dezute gure berri! 

My boat didn’t enjoy as much between the rocks and they appear two cracks on the bottom. Thanksfully they lend me the same boat for this race, and quite lighter!

Then I spent one week in San Sebastian, with all the people from here, taking it easy. I tried to paddle almost every day, flat water, sea waves and river when possible.

So here we are, with good conditions to prepare the race and very motivated. We are paddling every day to feel comfortable in the water, learn the good lines and get a solid navigation. I’m feeling better every run I do but there are still many things to improve, so will see how we arrive to Friday. 

Champions killer drop.