Kayak Session #75 – Fall 2020

OUT AUGUST 5th

Progression on the Indus – Face to face with Malupa

For years, the Rondu Gorge of the Indus has been the benchmark for paddlers looking to test their limits. Each team has been humbled by the grandeur of the mountains and the sheer force of the rapids below, carefully picking and choosing which ones they dared to run. Group after group, year after year, every un-run rapid was paddled until only two were left. Evan Moore, Johnny Chase, Carson Lindsay, and Dane Jackson didn’t set out to take on the least-portaged run of the Indus to date, but they knew it was possible. When Dane saw the line at Malupa, and ran it, their possibility became a reality, opening the doors of progress a little wider.

The Ötz – Powered by glaciers

The Tyrolean Ötztal is one of the hot spots for kayakers in the Northern Alps. In summer, it offers sparkling premium whitewater with challenging big water; in autumn, the Ötztal impresses with its tranquility and magnificent colors. The Ötztal may not be the most beautiful or pristine of alpine valleys, but it is a place full of legends, stories, and challenges. Manu Arnu shares why the glacier torrents of the Ötz have attracted paddlers from all over Europe to this heart of the Alps for decades and will continue to do so for generations to come.

The South Fork of the Clearwater – Legend of the golden canyon

Tucked into the southern part of the only inland temperate rainforest in the world is a run meant for those worthy of paddling large class V rapids, a remarkable river overshadowed by its neighboring drainages for the past twenty years. The Golden Canyon of the Clearwater is steep, fast, and continuous for a majority of its roughly eight-mile section. This year, paddlers returned to this Idaho classic in a long-awaited renaissance. Why now? And why has this world-class run been left off the radar of so many, for so long? It’s a mystery solved with every turn of this seldom-seen canyon.

Interview – Galen Volckhausen

25-year-old Galen Volckhausen has already lived more lifetimes and done more with his every day than most will dream of. We caught up with “Junior” to find a kayaker wise beyond his years. From dealing with addiction to first descents to embracing failure as progress, Galen offers a unique perspective on life and kayaking worth reading twice.