There's around ten weeks to go and we're starting to get kit together like maps and hammocks with mosquito nets sewn in (I'm not convinced that mine is going to take the strain)- and hoping that Leo in Bolivia gets back to us with more up to date information about guides, permits etc.
Ian came up to Lancaster for the weekend and we had another epic canoe trip, this time down the River Wenning, then the Lune which leads back into Lancaster- 6 hours worth of dragging the canoe down the all-too-shallow Wenning, then a long slog, including a few nice rapids at Halton Weir. We also did a bit of repair work on the canoe. Alv Elvestad, the boss of pakboats (http://www.pakboats.com/) gave me some advice on what to do- using a hot air gun to make the skin slightly molten/ tacky then heat-welding a patch over a rip that's developed on the top edge. My first attempt failed, so I've redone it, but I must admit I'm rather scared that I'm going to melt a hole right through my precious canoe, so the job is proably a bit 'half-cooked'.
It now looks that Julian Singleton might be able to come on the trip after all. This could meanoverloading the canoe like I did on the 2005 Bolivia trip (4 people plus gear, but it was on flat water), but this is weighed against the fact that with three of us plus guide, we might be able to do away with the need for porters on the overland sections. As it's looking like we might be alternating between trekking and taking to the river several times, this might not be such a bad thing.
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