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James tackling a tight slot in a mystery country...
Name: James Crookall
Age: 20
University: Nottingham University
Subject: Economics
Year of Study: 2nd year undergraduate.
Paddling Experience...?
I've been boating just over 4 years now, starting in my school club and continuing on at uni.
My UK paddling was mostly confined to dart trips and surfing in devon until I got a car and was able to go further afield.
Since starting at nottingham, North Wales has become my playground and I can usually be found floating down some welsh ditch or
another if there is a weekend with plenty of rain Destinations further from home include most of the alps (france, austria, switzerland), Val Sessia in Italy
(the Alps I know , but this one is a bit special!) and Nepal, with a Nile trip planned at easter. As with most people on the expedition I am a river runner at
heart but do enjoy the occasional trashing in my playboat.
So, when was your last swim?
Early october on the colwyn, the same drop that Rob swam on during the selection event!
He looked pretty confident as he broke in above it, maybe i should have warned him...... oops.
What's your favourite river?
In the uk... probably the Lyn on Exemoor but this is gradually being displaced by the Colwyn when its stonking. Abroad - a difficult one, the middle Guil defines
everything I love about a river (continuous with no portages, clean water, warm weather and an ice cream shop near by), the rivers in val sessia were all awsome though.
What was your first boat?
Having been paddling a relatively short period of time I was a bit late to own a truly old skool boat. My first boat was a dagger outlaw which still hybernates in the
corner of my garage waiting for another alps trip to come around.
What aspect of the expedition are you most looking forward to?
The lack of a guide book! It will be great to go somewhere totally new and find a surprise (hopefully all nice) around every bend of the river.
I am also really looking forward to doing some multi day trips on reasonably high grade water.