• For Archive News part2: Nov-Dec 03 go here
• For Archive News part3: Jan-Feb 04 go there
• For Archive News part4: Mar-Apr 04 go there
• For Archive News part5: May 2004 go there
• For Fresher News go there

For Global paddling news, go here

25-27.10.03 Flooding Arahthos

Someone must 've been praying for rain too much, because rivers were flooded when we travelled to Epirus last week.

25.10.03: Arahthos was running fast and furious, muddy, but still irresistable for us to keep away. We ended up performing rescue drills and rope works, just to learn the hard way again, that we should have more respect for the mighty river.

26.10.03: Water dropped more than 2 metres, in Plaka bridge, but we thought we should let the river another day to calm down. We went scouting Upper Kalaritikos instead.
This must be one of the hardest runs in Greece. In this flow, class IV is the least expected, with many class V stretches, with no scouting or safety luxury. Have a look!

Arahthos at Harokopi bridge rapid, Kalaritikos at Christoi bridge rapid and the gorge of Upper Kalaritikos

27.10.03: Paddling time! We put in Arahthos, at Ampelohori bridge, to run the much easier 3rd river section to Plaka bridge and continue with the 4th section, up to the new built bridge of Tzaris, below Skoupa and Kardambo.

The power of the river, two days after the flooding, was still impresive, while we were paddling our way through some huge stoppers and wave trains. The powerful eddy lines, the crashing waves and the cave-traps in the canyon, made us think of the dangers would someone had to meet, if by any chance would be forced to swim in a higher flow.

Dimitris Kourlas running the double rock rapid at the entrance and into Arahthos lower gorge

09.10.03 New members!

We oficially welcome Harris Loukopoulos, Chris Alexopoulos and George Balgouranides to TEAMadara. All this time, running rivers with us, showed that they can handle themselves in (or around) their boats, causing trouble only to themselves (like all of us)
Welcome aboard and try to keep "adara" in small letters!

28.09.03 Alfios

Alfios, once again rewarded Team's paddlers, with a wonderful day's paddle for our new season's reunion.

Konidis and Alf, Mary and Spyros, Neni and Nikos, Stavros and the new comers: Harry Loukopoulos, Christos Alexopoulos and George Balgouranides, showed up at our rendez-vous of this weekend.
Many friends from Metavasi were also there, so for the first time in years, rafts were the exception in today's kayak monopoly in lower Lousios and Alfios.

Highlights of the day:
• Dimitris and Nikos, celebrated the day, with an extended run of both Upper Lousios and Lousios-Alfios rivers.
• Neni's pay back to Spyros for those broken ribs of Arahthos. Spyros finally managed to slip under Neni's blocking...see photo above!
• In yesterday's run, George Balgouranides, improved his own record of swims, under the pressure of Neni's first class yellow inflatable AIRE. Sorry George, did you really thought that a new-comer would stand a chance against an ex-medalist?

September 13th. Rescue drills

George Balgouranides, also known as The Deleter, is the proud owner of a new red inflatable kayak, which first splashed the Alfios water today. With the guidance of an experienced ducky like Konidis and more TEAMadara members, George swam Lousios, then Alfios and he would go on to the sea, if he was not smart enough to be himself the shuttle driver - a V.I.P. for the safety yakers.
Well done George! You can only go better from now on!

15.08.03 Everybody goes inflatable?

Team - idis, (Konidis & Balgouranidis) have been spotted, paddling the lower Aoos. The use of inflatable 2-person rafts and the presence of Team's technical advisor M.S, on board, can only mean two things: Either some hot-shot hard-shell kayakers are about to turn soft (inflatable), or our Support team is about to loose a member.

In the mean time, the rest of the Team members are having their tan worked out, windsurfing at Gytheio bay and Mary returned from Metavasi kayak camp at Lyon, were she ripped off several drops, as we 've learned.

Congratulations to Harris for his new born daughter. Waiting for photos...

26.07.03 Hotdogging the Upper Lousios!

Low flow in Lousios-Alfios rivers, but Team members Neni and Konidis, went on a photo mission for the needs of the upcoming "inflatable" site page. With 35cm at the Ancient Gortis bridge gauge and with Nikos as supporting kayaker, they jumbed into a raft to find out that hot dogs can realy be fun, when paddled by good kayakers, even in a tight and difficult river.

With a few more than the standard 3 portages into the tight gorge and with the kayaker's crusial but least appreciated "help" to catch the small mandatory eddies, they reached the second drop, which became the day's playspot, as we run it three times, changing crew.

The river offered at least three good sections for the Team In (-flatable)which added to the final high-joy-rating of the run.
More details in an "inflatable" report, very soon.

Don't be surprised if you run into some crazy Greeks trying to order Gordon Space in french...Metavasi school of advanced and experts will be working their playboating moves, park&playing in Lyon, France! After that, the Austrian rivers...
Perfect time for the few of us staying back in Greece, to get those little boaties wet and act as the only mucho playboaters, waiting by the hole for the rafts with the girls to pass by...

12.07.03 Ziakas for president? Nooo...

Is Ziakas running for president of TEAMadara?
Spyros and Mary introduced their innocent child Artemis, to the wild world of whitewater, running Alfios in hotdogs. Thankfully, the whole thing was organised by Spyros Panagopoulos, who also put his daughter on the line.

Nobody can convince me that Ziakas won't apply for her daughter's membership, trying to control a third vote.
There is also some whispering about a special offer to certain Team members by Ziakas's pharmacy: A large discount in replacing expired first aid kits medicine.
Now, isn't that suspicious, or not?

05.07.03 Is Matesi far away?

Team's "finest" lengthened the standard Alfios trip, this Saturday, further Koukos bridge, to Matesi.
Harris did his best this time, to ensure his Team membership, adopting our main habit: Arriving late to the put in! Of course he had all the help he could get from steady members Mary (the slow driver) and Dimitris Kourlas.

Anyway, the 5 and a half hours of playfully paddling, refreshed all of us. In medium flow, the river offered two great surfing spots. Neni surfing in a monoraft, set the logo of the day: The future is inflatable.
Those beautiful spots, along with the usual grade III to III+ rapids and the magnificent lower gorge of Alfios, rewarded our late take out and our VERY late return to Athens.

After the latest rains, river runs playfully. Even though the very first playspot has lost retentiveness, a fantastic surf spot is created before Liapis stone bridge. We were happy to meet all our friends of Metavasi in a care-free river setting.

The Highlights:
• Neni's return to the river, in the back seat of a hot dog.
• Christos Alexopoulos, demonstrating the new move, he is working on lately, the "etherial roll"
• Dora's all time classic chocolate cake's last piece, which I grabbed the last minute, as ...Holevas was in his way.

A marathon trip! A long drive to Vovoussa and many paddling and shuttling hours in Aoos 40km 2-days run. The water was good (medium flow) in the middle and lower part, 173cm at Konitsa upper gauge meter but lower than expected in the upper part (32cm at Vovoussa bridge). Many thanks to our support team. Read our trip report

The hydroelectric project at the end of the upper part of the river, is in full progress. The last 500m of the run is now into an artificial channel - an eddy hoping 4m deep trench to be exact - so you better check for hazzards.
The dirt road to the intermidiate take out has been improved, it's 4.5km and it leaves the Sperchiada- Perivoli asphalt road, 10km before Perivoli (put in)

Reports from western Greece: Last week's rains offer good flows to Epirus rivers (Aoos was run in good flow this wekend by Metavasi kayaking school). TEAMadara will be there next weekend!

24.05.03 Upper Lousios was great at 42cm.

Two more strainers have been added to the portage agenda of the river. After the rock that landed in the river right chutte of the first rapid, we had to walk around a fallen tree, half the distance to the main waterfall.
The waterfall itself, has a log with a prodruding little branch at it's left undercut, just to scare the corn lovers!
The so called unrunnable double section, seems a demanding V at this level, as there is a possible line for the upper fall (see photo) and an obvious but difficult line for the lower.

The stopper at the next 100m stretch was pumpy! No problem for Giannis with the brand new H3, but Dimitris and I, had an opportunity to test our roll.
Both playspots at rivers last kilometer were in good condition. The first one, a little grabby but with vertical moves potential. The second one offer repeated ender action to H3 and an elbow smash to G-Rides pilot!
The second strainer at a right bend, 300m from the take out. Both strainers, together with a couple of table sized rocks (one at the waterfall's entrance) are reminents of the last days storm.

We finally had chicken on our way home, at Megalopoli, and a nice freddo at a new cafe, at the exit of Megalopolis. Nice service!!

04-09.05.03 Val Sesia, Italy

TeAMeXTReMe attended an advanced whitewater trip in Piemonte region of north italian Alpes, participating in Simon Westgarth's kayak "clinic".

River Sesia, and tributaries Sermenza, Mastallone, Egua and Gronda were succesfully run by Dimitris Konstantinidis, Pavlos Georgilas and Nikos Mavris. Read more about that trip

• For Archive News part2: Nov-Dec 03 go here
• For Archive News part3: Jan-Feb 04 go there
• For Archive News part4: Mar-Apr 04 go there
• For Archive News part5: May 2004 go there
• For Fresher News go there

For Global paddling news, go here