This will be my final article before we head off to Guatemala – Alastair and Matthew fly out today, the rest of us about a week later. I’ve just finished fully packing my ReactR with kit for our multidays – it did involve moving the seat all the way forwards and several hours of stuffing kit into different sized dry bags – but the good news is that everything fits! I suppose now is the perfect time to discuss sponsors and the fundraising we’ve done to get this expedition off the ground…
We are delighted that Pyranha, NRS and Radical Rider have chosen to sponsor BUKE 2024, they have made a huge impact! Pyranha have provided us with the brand new ReactR, a boat that we’ve all been getting used to over the past few weeks. Having tried it first in the French Alps, and then again at Tryweryn and on the Falloch it’s safe to say that its better than any other boat I’ve paddled – unfortunately that also includes my T-Rex which has looked after me for many a trip… she will be missed. The ReactR does several things especially well, it turns on a dime and it skips fantastically! It’s also a hell of a lot more comfortable to sit in or carry than other boats. I look forward to putting it through its paces and I’m sure after 6 weeks I’ll be both metaphorically and literally one with the boat.
David Bain has been instrumental in NRS sponsorship, so thank you to him! We will be taking a great deal of NRS equipment including off-water clothing, safety gear and paddling kit. It’s difficult to know exactly what we’ll need in Guatemala – the temperature varies considerably depending on altitude, the weather systems are highly localised but switch between clear skies and torrential rain at the flick of a switch, and we’re limited by the amount we can physically carry; however, we should now be prepared for most situations. I know we’re not supposed to care about colours, but I will say my Flux dry top, Ninja Pro PFD and Guide Shorts just happen (purely by chance) to match perfectly with each other. I also appreciated the transparent Tuff Sacks when it came to packing my ReactR, being able to see what was in what bag made packing decisions so much easier!
Jiri and Ryan at Radical Rider have been gems sorting us out with miscellaneous gear such as paddles, spray decks and helmets. I’ve never used an IR spraydeck before but I’ve heard good things, and with the hole in my Orbit the expedition came along at just the right time. Try as he might Ryan was not able to pitch us more sunglasses, but several of us will be taking Watershed dry bags for delicate kit like cameras and drones. As an ex-BUKE member himself, Jiri was able to offer us a great deal of advice for our time in Guatemala, along with some of the best pizza I’ve had in years… so cheers again to Radical Rider!
I would be remiss if I didn’t also mention the National Whitewater Centre at the Tryweryn, Base Camp Food and River Legacy. As mentioned in my previous article, several of us were able to take advanced first aid and whitewater safety & rescue qualifications thanks to the National Whitewater Centre, courses I’m sure will be vital to the success of the expedition. Base Camp Food have helped us out with meals for our multidays, I think we’ll be glad to have proper food rather than just a handful of nuts and some cereal bars! Finally, River Legacy have kindly provided Garmin GPS devices – a necessary safety measure for remote paddling.
In addition to the help our sponsors have provided, we have also been busy fundraising and applying for grants. Bryony and Alastair organised a canoe ceilidh and raffle in March with the help of Edinburgh University – this was a great evening and raised a decent bit of money; a team GoFundMe has also been set up! When we come back from Guatemala and all of the editing and filmmaking has been completed, we plan to do a UK film tour like the Borneo expedition, potentially releasing BUKE calendars with images taken on the expedition. As regards grants, we have been successful in applying for the Lord Mayor’s 800th Anniversary Awards, as well as the Now On Earth, Young Explorer’s Trust and RDC Foundation grants!
Thanks to the help of our sponsors, in combination with grants and our own efforts we have successfuly raised 65% of the expedition’s cost. However, what with vaccinations, flights, our fixer, van hire, insurance, water filtration, food and training – the expedition is still going to be expensive. Despite travelling mainly for pleasure and excitement, it is not precisely a holiday; a significant amount of training and planning has gone into it, we have specific aims and a large proportion of our time in Guatemala will be gruelling, testing the team to their limits. Since the selection weekend we’ve all been working hard and putting money aside, and whilst selling my own grandmother might make up the shortfall, I’d rather not…
…any and all help is greatly appreciated – if you’d like to support the expedition team our Go Fund Me is linked below, alternatively to support me and this blog you can use the ‘Donate’ page at the top!!
BUKE website: https://www.buke2024.co.uk
Patrick Kyak 