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September 2004:
It
is but mere weeks before the team of paddlers assembles at Gishe Abay, the
sacred source of the Blue Nile to begin their epic paddle to the
Mediterranean Sea. Last minute preparations are being made and
things are crystallizing in the final moments as the team prepares for the
water. The following is an update on the team's progress to date.
We hope you enjoy this installment of Water Colours.
The highlights since the
last update are:
1. Colours of the Nile Announces Sponsorship Partners The
Colours of the Nile Expedition would like to extend a heartfelt thank you
to the companies and individuals who have generously supported the
expedition to date: Cascade
Designs. Absolute
Software South
African Vaccine Producers (SAVP Ltd.) Boulevard
Advertising Appreciation goes out to Pyranha for kayaks, Rough Stuff Kayak Paddles for paddles, The Great Outdoors, Dublin and River Deep Mountain High , Galway for supplying river equipment, Palm River Equipment for kayak gear, Teva for river footwear, the VEC in Galway and Dublin for flexibility, Tropical Medical Bureau Ireland (www.tmb.ie) for medical advice and vaccinations and Outsider Magazine for their support. Friends
of the Expedition The team has been astounded by the remarkable support from the Sudanese obtaining authorizations for the Sudan portion of the expedition. Gratitude goes out to Midhat Mahir of Globtours whose expertise and tenacity ensured support from the Sudanese Ministries, Kamal Omar, Neil Cameron, Abd el Raheem Hammed and the rest of the folks at the Blue Nile Sailing Club, Kamal Elshegail, Colonel Assan Abdulah of the Ministry of Youth & Sport and Major General Kamal Ali Kheiralla of the Sudanese Olympic Committee.
The
expedition is pleased to announce the addition of world-class river guides
Kelley Kalafatich, Anvesh Singh Thapa and Scott Armstrong.
The addition of these river guides collectively adds nearly 60
years of guiding experience. Kelley
Kalafatich is best known as a former member of the U.S. Whitewater Team,
the stunt double for Meryl Streep in the movie The River Wild and
co-producer, co-director and expedition camera for the award winning film
Three Women 300 Miles. Anvesh Singh Thapa, a partner in Aquaterra Adventures (www.treknraft.com) is a legendary Himalayan river guide best known for his descents of the Brahmaputra and Tons Rivers and his impressive first descent of the Lohit. Scott
Armstrong is the Operations Manager for All Outdoors rafting, a pioneer in
California rafting established in 1962 (www.aorafting.com) 3. Colours of the Nile Partners with World Water Monitoring Day The Colours of the Nile Expedition has partnered with World Water Monitoring Day to help individuals become aware of the ways in which they have an impact on water quality. Every year on World Water Monitoring Day, volunteers from around the world are invited to carry out tests for pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen and turbidity (water clarity) on their chosen freshwater site. Like the Colours of the Nile team, you can contribute to a global effort to raise awareness and involvement in the protection of water quality around the globe. World Water Monitoring Day is celebrated each year on 18 October as the culmination of a month-long monitoring window beginning on 18 September annually. Volunteers are able to purchase water-testing kits via the website if they do not already have access to the necessary equipment. The organizers are actively seeking sponsorship for the funding of these kits in order to increase participation globally. For more information, please visit www.worldwatermonitoringday.org
Thanks
a million to the cordial crew of the White Nile expedition (thewhitenile.com)
who completed the first descent of the White Nile from Uganda to the
Mediterranean Sea earlier this year.
The White Nile team has lent 2 rafts to the Colours of the Nile
expedition for the whitewater section of the Blue Nile in Ethiopia.
Mark met the expedition members when they were on their expedition
passing through Khartoum in March. With
the conclusion of the Blue Nile whitewater section, the rafts will have
traveled almost all of the Blue, the White and the Nile proper, more than
any person has ever done. If
those rafts could talk, the stories they would tell… 5. Ark Inflatables - The Raft of Choice A
special thank you goes out to Billy Edwards of Ark Inflatables (South
Africa) who manufactured all of whitewater rafts used in the expedition.
Ark Rafts are uniquely suited to large volume rivers such as the
water found on the Blue Nile. To
read more about Ark Inflatables and their line of KZ rafts, please visit
the official Ark website at: www.ark.co.za 6. Colours of the Nile Electric Boogaloo and Slide Show Lights Up the Streets of Kitsilano A thank
you is extended to all the people that came out to support the expedition
by attending the Colours of the Nile Electric Bugaloo and Slide Show held
at the legendary Billy Bishop Legion No. 176.
Attendees partied and reveled and rung the till supporting the
expedition with every mug raised. The expedition would also like to recognize the efforts of
all the volunteers that made this fundraiser possible. 7. Jim Smerdon and Bryn Wyka Run Colours of the Nile Expedition Base Operations Jim
Smerdon and Bryn Wyka will run the official expedition base operations
from the expedition headquarters. All website updates, evacuation plans and press inquiries
will be coordinated from the base operations in Vancouver. For any inquiries related to the expedition please contact
Jim at 604-760-4891 or Bryn at 604-897-5559. 8.
Download a Sudanese Screensaver from niletrip.com The Colours of the Nile is pleased to present our third free screensaver download, A Symphony of Sudan, to complete the trio of screensavers available on niletrip.com. Enjoy the spectacle of the largest and one of the most diverse countries in Africa. The photos have been taken by Mark during his time in Sudan preparing for the expedition. Click here to download the Sudan screensaver Click here for the other Colours of the Nile screensavers, A Portrait of Egypt and A Tapestry of Ethiopia
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