Whitewater Aptitude is an idea in development to highlight Gavin Hart's skills, adventures and accomplishments with an insight into the thoughts and feeling he has throughout his journeys. As well as this blog please visit his Photography Portfolio Website showcasing his best photography. For shorter more regular updates on Whitewater Aptitude adventures Like it on Facebook or Follow on Twitter. Get in contact via email using gavin@whitewateraptitude.co.uk

Monday 27 August 2012

Yeeeeehhhhaaarrrrr #2

So I've spent the last 10weeks over the pond in North East Pennsylvania at a camp called Camp Shohola. I was part of a two man crew taking children off of camp on trips to do different adventurous activities in real and challenging environments. Some of these activities included Kayaking, Canoeing, Rafting and Climbing. My whole time at camp was a great experience putting me in lots of new important decision making situations for the group I was helping lead. The best trips for myself were the kayak and canoe trips where I was able to not only improve the campers ability but also my own at the same time by setting specific goals for myself when on the rivers.

My final week in America was spent, not working, at a small town called Ohiopyle in South West PA. This town is built up around the Ohiopyle Falls and was comprised of either food or kayaking venues, superb. The waterfall (Ohiopyle falls) is 18ft and on the Youghiogheny River a lengthy river that has rapids ranging from class II to V. Mat and I spent the week kayaking on the sections named "The Lower" and "The Loop" These sections consisted of high class III rapids and took about 3.5hours to paddle at a steady rate. The first day of paddling here I was a little nervous still from my confidence being knocked after my nose break. However the morning of the second day I had managed to put it all behind me and from then on my paddling confidence and skill was back up if not improved. To the point where on the last day there we paddled the waterfall. I'm hoping one of my new found highly talented friends Jesse will have snapped a few photos of myself running the falls as I did quite well. A fantastic week, I strongly recommend anyone who is into their whitewater and in the area to venture there.

Below is a photo I captured on my GoPro on the back of my kayak going down one of the rapids called Cucumber. For more photos from the whole of my trip, like my facebook page http://www.facebook.com/HARTridethestorm