Uganda 2013 - 'a malarone a day keeps the malaria at bay!'

Its hard to believe that its mid january already. After a lovely New Year celebration with my family in London it was time to jump on a plane and head to warmer climates to start training, back out on the water.

Celebrating New Year

If you ask any freestyle paddler across the world where the best warm weather winter training venue is they will inevitably say the White Nile in Uganda and that is where i'm heading (for the 3^rd winter) to train.

Warm weather

Uganda is situated in the middle of Africa just above Lake Victoria. This beautiful yet very poor country is home to the source of the White Nile and some of the best whitewater and freestyle kayaking waves in the world (Nile Special and Club Wave).

River map of the main rapids on the Nile

We arrived on the 2^nd January and have spent the last 2 ½ weeks living at Hairy Lemon a lovely campsite and paddling resort on an Island in the middle of the White Nile.

Red Tailed Monkeys

Life out here is very simple. Every morning we get up and go paddling, come back and eat breakfast, chill out and do a work out, eat lunch, chill out and do some stretching, go paddling, eat dinner and then go to bed.

Jasper chilling at the Hairy Lemon

Most days we surf Club Wave in the morning when the river is low and tow onto Nile Special in the afternoon when levels are higher. The waves are incredible but busy as there are a lot of paddlers out here from all over the world.

It takes awhile to master the rope

Claire O on Nile Special

Loving the waves

Every few days to mix it up we head upstream to surf a sweet little hole called 'Super Hole'.

All loaded onto a truck to get to Super Hole

Den and Sim on Super Hole

As well as freestyle there is also a number of big volume rapids you can run especially on the day 2 rafting section of the Nile. There are also a whole mix of other adventure activities to do such as Quad biking and horse riding safaris, zip lines, bungee jumps and rafting and the local towns, villages and markets to explore.

Quad biking adventures with Maria

Quad Bike Safaris around Buagali

Checking out the local markets

Den testing out a lot of coffee in town

We have just moved to the local rafting town Buagali for a few days to catch up with Internet, do some shopping and surf super hole but will very soon be heading back to the Hairy Lemon and settling into island life and training once more.

Claire O enjoying a Super Hole session whilst up in Bugagali

Mixing things up with a 30 min boda boda shuttle to Super Hole

Stopping for fuel Ugandan style

Sometimes the journeys to the river are more of an
adventure than the boating itself

This is the perfect way to kick start the year with a combination of healthy food, loads of exercise, warm water and sun.

Sunset over the White Nile