This week we covered the 300kms from Passau, in eastern Germany; to Vienna, on the other side of Austria, in just five days.
We initially prepared for a six-day week, but actually arrived at lunchtime on the fifth day. While I’d like to say that our speed was wholly due to improved upper body strength, in reality the speed of the water had a lot to do with it. Although the swollen Danube has made for good progress, it has also brought home how adept we have become at handling the canoe.
In June, when we spent ten days training, I felt pretty unsteady just sitting in a canoe on a canal 20 meters wide. On the first day of this week, in the half darkness of the 500m wide Danube river, we both stood up to look over the steep banks for a camp spot as the canoe bounced along downstream. That’s quite an improvement. Being comfortable enough with the canoe to focus on what’s going on around you has become a pretty useful skill.
As the rain continued to fall and the water level continued to rise, we first faced choppy waters on the second day of this week. We have subsequently become used to these many dips and troughs as the week has progressed. Once the basic rule of always facing the wave head on has been learnt, it’s simply a case of staying calm and confident as the canoe splashes back down to earth.
However, this is easier said than done when you’re not in the canoe or the waves are coming from multiple directions. On the third day of this week we were faced with both of these problems.
As we loaded the canoe after the traipse around a dam and accompanying lock, our boat was moving about a meter up, down, left and right with each swelling wave. Although this resulted in us getting soaked, we both managed to retain our balance on the wet steps. The necessary experience to load the canoe in these conditions has probably developed from the accumulation of unloading and reloading the canoe in hundreds of different locations.
Even though the water can sometimes be choppy, a lot of the time you can predict when these big waves will arrive. For the rest of the time, it’s easy enough to take photos, have a drink or re-arrange equipment while sitting in the canoe – all the while, hurtling downstream.
On the fourth day of this week we experienced one of those moments where the imminent bumpy ride is obvious. Approaching the Durnstein monastery in a bend in the river, there were no less than 5 cruise liners manoeuvring in the narrow channel.
Unfortunately, just like the liners, we had also come across to the wrong side of the water to take photos. As a result, we were left with the nerve-wrenching task of crossing the river, avoiding the boats, and dealing with very choppy waves. And we did it. Just about.
So all in all, it was a good week with big distances made. As we move into Eastern Europe we’re still learning about being on the water. Hopefully next week will also teach us something about life in the cities of Bratislava and Budapest as well.
For more information and more regular updates follow us on Twitter @CanoeingEurope or visit our website www.canoeingthecontinent.com.
