Spring Planning

Colin and his bicycle reflected in a dewdrop

As snowdrops and crocuses hint of changing seasons, Julie and I are enthusiastically making plans for our upcoming project involving rowboats and weddings.  Our parents, quite naturally, are pleased to hear we are preparing for the sensibilities of marriage; however, eyebrows are raised with the mention of rowboats.

During our past expeditions we have rowed more than 20,000 km across the Atlantic Ocean, down the Yenisey and Amazon Rivers, and across the Bering Sea so many people are surprised to hear that our next adventure will again involve paddle-powered vessels. There are few activities more pleasant than paddling down a tranquil waterway in a canoe, or kayak or rowboat.  The burbling of water against the hull, the stretching of muscles semi-atrophied from too many months in front of the computer, and unique views of varied landscapes and wildlife create a mosaic of experiences soothing for the soul.  Like eating, drinking or spending time in the garden, rowing is something which doesn’t wear thin.

As we mentioned in our last update, we are planning an expedition commencing in the spring of 2008 to connect our ancestral homelands by rowing from Scotland to Syria in two amphibious rowboats. Through the spring we will be designing and building these vessels in our back yard, and in the summer we will trial the boats by incorporating them into our honeymoon. Since the boats are uniquely amphibious, it has opened up infinite route possibilities, and we have finally decided on a circuit that will begin and end in our backyard and will encircle the centre of Vancouver Island.

We will begin our honeymoon in Courtenay (on the east coast of Vancouver Island) and travel over the back roads to Port Alberni which is located at the head of a long inlet.  We will launch our vessels in the Alberni Inlet and row to the West Coast of Vancouver Island.  From here we will paddle north along the coastline exploring the bays, beaches, rainforests and hot springs until reaching the town of Gold River.  The island will be traversed again on the roads from Gold River to the east coast, and we will paddle back down to Courtenay.  Total distance is about 400 km, and we expect the trip to take about three weeks in August.

In between our dreaming and planning of upcoming adventures, we are working hard on projects tied to our past expeditions.  My book, Beyond the Horizon, is set to be released March 27 in Canada (October release in the USA), and Julie is currently researching material for her upcoming book, Rowboat in a Hurricane.  We have also been sharing our adventures with varied audiences in the USA and Canada at film festivals, fundraisers, and expos.

We have been expanding the resource section of our website and have profiled Tim Cope as this month’s featured adventurer.  Tim is currently undertaking an expedition to retrace the route of Ghengis Khan through Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Ukraine entirely by horseback.  Two new chapters have been added to our Adventurer’s Handbook: long distance cycle touring and bicycle trailers.  We discuss many elements of cycle touring including camping, bikes, equipment, destinations, as well as the various types of trailers along with their pros and cons.
 
Have a happy and adventurous spring.

Colin Angus

Featured Expedition : Tim Cope is Following the Route of Ghengis Khan by Horseback

Tim Cope riding his horses across the steppe (www.timcopejourneys.com)

Tim Cope, 2006 recipient of Australian Geographic’s Adventurer of the Year Award, traveled with Colin Angus in 2001 as part of a team attempting to complete the first full descent of the Yenisey River. 

Hailing from Gippsland, Australia Tim is currently undertaking an even more arduous and dangerous journey: an attempt to follow the route of Ghengis Khan from Mongolia to Hungary on horseback.  Tim has been trekking solo with his two horses and a dog for three years now, and has covered more than eight thousand km through Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Russia and Ukraine.  When he completes his equine adventure, Tim will be the first in modern history to retrace the route of Genghis Khan’s armies entirely by horseback.

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