Alps 2013 Part 1: The Story So Far by Hannah

11 Days, 17 kayakers (plus an indeterminate number of olds, hangers on and friends from home) and all the French Alps as our playground: life doesn’t get much better. Here is the blog! Enjoy & prepare yourself for a Wet’n’Wild year come September.
Love your dutiful and keen Social Sec- Hannah / JJ xxx

* Unless stated, please assume every night involved wine and beer.

Day 1: 17th June

Boring, long and tiring day travelling with a few minor hiccups thanks to a few (well, just one) useless members of the AU. But despite missing driving permits, a ‘lost’ duo and the wrong van, almost forgetting my passport and euros and indeed forgetting the Aux cable for the bus (DOTD awarded) we set off far earlier than planned and arrived at Dover after a few virulent games of Yellow Car in the back seat of the 9 Seater all safe and in sound mind (oh what we had in store for us we knew not!) Anyway, travel travel travel. Rufus overcame her ferry sea sickness woo! Zzzzzzzz. Got off the ferry midnight French time and off we went.

Day 2: 18^th June

After taking over from Iain & co sometime before sunrise, Spudley, Thwaites and I motored all the way through France with all of us (ok, mainly me) remarking on the oddities of French motorways and watching impressed as Spud outclassed Frenchies at overtaking on the wrong side! Keeping everyone in the front awake with interesting lies about landmarks we passed, and a few stops for a sicky Fiona (lol) and our first Pain Au Chocolat’s of the trip, it was midday when we finally arrived at L’Argentiere Camp Site: Camping Des Ecrins. It was hot hot hot, and Team Espionage were already there to welcome us. No kayayakin’ apart from a few runs down the slalom course for a few of us, but a swim in the lake sufficed to get us wet! Went to the supermarket, bought cheap wine and beer. Got drunk. Put up tent drunk. Not much else to say! First alps tea was yum! Sleepy kayakers!

Day 3: 19^th June

A sunny and sawmill wake up on our first full day in France as many came to the realisation that levels were “off their tits” and everything was a bit grey for our liking. Settling on the Sunshine Run as a good warm up for the week, we set off and got on just below the St Clement slalom course in a ridiculous and recirculating eddy. It was indeed ‘off its tits’ and it was a HUUGE group of 25 of us that cluster fucked it down the river. Not my favourite day of the trip to say the least!!! Swimming twice and being told -by a certain Jamie Soughton- after trying to walk out after the first, that I was on an island so couldn’t (I blame my traumatic swim on my believing this!) Giving everyone else a good laugh at my disgraceful kayaking skills resulted in my getting off after Rab somewhere about 3km from Embrun lake which was our destination. Everyone else seemed to enjoy the river! And some pro rescuing skills from Butler and Fred came in VERY useful I must say, but ultimately even some rafting up didn’t entice me to stay on and I left all the smiling faces as they bobbed down to Embrun and I began a sweltering walkout with boat and kit. Sunny happy times at Embrun Lake were occurring when I got there, and a perilous cycle in a Chucklevision-esque 5 man bike entertained us before Liam drove off with everyone’s lunches (DOTD awarded). First Alps lunch though= Amaazing. Epic car rave Party night with all the Unis !!

Day 4: 20^th June

LUCC woke up to sore heads, a bit of vom, dented vehicle roofs (lololol naughty Liverpool!) and even higher levels after a storm in the night. The majority of the group set off to do some scouting, but it came to nothing and they returned to the campsite to await the Student Boater X organised by Bangor. Ruthy, Butler and I were hanging needless to say, and spent the day in bed/doing nothing/ listening to the Harry Potter audio book before making out way to the slalom course and lake to watch the Boater X. Carnage ensued! It was just, awesome. Boats everywhaaaa. Intermediate- we were robbed! Fiona had it in the bag, then a smelly boy tipped her in. Boo. Floater X was our forte (it would be wouldn’t it!!) and we took top 3 in it AND got in the Team Pyranha video AND looked good whilst doing it- ha who are you kidding, you all looked ridiculous but it was fun to watch! The idea of Slovenia was thrown around because of levels, but amounted to nothing as everything there was even higher!

Day 5: 21st June
PARTY NIGHT
But anyway, getting ahead of myself. Did the Lower Guil into the Durance(sunshine run) today and got off at Rab. Levels were dropping a load which was soso good and appeased my alps kayaking fear lots ha. The nose clip remained attached to my nose though: I am a woos and got what I deserved with a very sunburnt nose. Swag found in dead man’s eddy and a good run down the St Clement Slalom course meant a happy group despite the lack of challenge on the river. No casualties! Good lunch! All excited for partay night!!
Party night was simply epic. The word epic might even be an understatement? LUCC, the Olds, Team Italy #2 –Fred, Sam, Nick, Andy &Pete, and Butler and Lowri all joined forces to take the town by storm. Ten beers between the ten recycling points to town (or a bottle of wine for those not stomaching the beer) with all of us in Greenwood shirts, naturally attracted the attention of the local Gendarmerie. Stu’s “NO SPEAKY FRANCAIS” went down a treat, and I hitched a ride on a child’s scooter as we made our way to the Pizzeria in town. Bumler rejected and ejected his pizza ON TO  A CHILD*, but the rest of us managed to survive with more pizza and wine as Papa Greenwood, Ade, calmed the French down with a bottle of wine and Tim did his best Samurai impression with a napkin hat on his head which the small French children seemed quite impressed with. Napkins = world peace! Left restaurant, dunked in fountain (dragged in by Sam!) after cleverly hiding my 10 euros in a bush for protection, and then, well, drunken mental-ness. Trying to get into what turned out to be an U-18’s club night (though how Fredrick and Lowri got in is beyond me? Hmmm) and a short detour into the industrial area where a warehouse attracted our attention. Wheels, More Wheels, French police, RUN, only 1 flip flop, no excuse, mouthy irish girl, DO YOU KNOW THE MEANING OF SHUTUP, arrested Andy, lost irish girl, where’s Andy? Oh dear. Skinny dipping, Liam, why are you naked, again? Scotland all over again.  Accused Chris of stealing my flip flops oops, I had just left them by the lake...  So, Andy spent the night in a French ensuite and we spent the night in various stages of amusement and concern. Party night? Hell. Yes.
* Official Rumour Mill line of events. Passed by an overwhelming majority. Therefore fact.

Day 6: 22^nd June

Surprisingly efficient wake up. Andy was returned to us with a stern talking to by the Gendarmerie. But no harm done! We set off to do a “3km” run of the Upper upper Guil, which was fun, big and bouncy while it lasted. Overestimating its length, we got off 10 minutes later! Most then went to do the Guil Gorge whilst Spud photo bunnied, Grog and I set up a just-in-case live bait just above Chateau Q, and Tim and Iain went to sit in an eddy to pull them all in. As far as the river is concerned, I know nothing. But Grog did build a stellar rock wall into the river! And I’m better at skimming stones, so you know, fulfilling day of kayaking had! Via Ferrata was then undertaken by many, others decided to have a walk up to the Chateau which helpfully only informed you that you had to pay once you had climbed to the top of the very large steep hill… Needless to say, we didn’t pay. Got some great pictures of those climbing and the surrounding mountains though! Weather was balmy by the way! Drove over the Alpe D’Huez tour de France stage in Jessica after, a tad nerv-wracking I have to say! We had to stop to give Jess a breather, and because we found snow!! Stripping off in the snow was a highlight of the day! 

PART 2 COMING SOON KIDS!