Question 1

About Us

Accepted Answer

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We are both from Scotland, but now live in Trondheim, Norway.  We share a passion for the outdoors, as well as music and adventure.  We met through the Glasgow University Canoe Club in 2014, and have been paddling together since then in Scotland, Finland, Sweden and Norway.  Together we make a great team, ready to take on the challenges that our planned kayak voyages will surely throw at us.  For more details about us, read our individual bios.
 
This picture is of us up Hestmona, in Helgeland, about 3 km from the Acrtic Cirle, having hiked up during from a week of paddling with Trondhjems Kajakk Klubb.

Question 2

About Amy

Accepted Answer

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Shortly after starting university, Amy decided to go for a swim in Glasgow University pool one Thursday evening. However the pool was closed for swimming. Being a curious sort she went to have a blether (chat) with those training in the pool. Turned out it was Glasgow University Canoe Club. That evening the friendly bunch at GUCC introduced her to kayaking. Within the year she was part of the winning ladies team in the Scottish University Kayak Polo competition and had paddled lots of Scottish rivers. She also met Callum at this club, with the first river they paddled together being the Etive.
 
Amy’s introduction to sea kayaking was at Machrihanish, one of the furthest west areas of Scotland's coastline. On a blustery winter day, she practiced her braces as she learnt to surf the waves in a perception playboat. This boat was about the same length as her, much smaller than the sea kayaks she would one day paddle. Playing at the edge of the open sea, catching the waves into shore and battling back out against the wind she knew she was hooked. However it would be several more years focused on whitewater paddling before she would make the switch to sea kayaking.
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Amy moved to Trondheim in the Summer of 2017. As the season started to change to Autumn she joined Trondheim Kajakk Klub. With Callum as an interpreter she took the grunnkurs in sea kayaking (basic 16-hour training). At this level the challenge was more learning all the new Norwegian terms than the kayaking itself. Next came the technique course a couple of weeks later. By next May she had taken the activity leaders course and began working as a kayak instructor for Trondheim Kajakk.
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During the years since then, Amy has introduced dozens of people to kayaking and helped train hundreds. Personal adventures include longer trips with TKK to Helgeland and Bohuslen. Returning to Hitra where she did her activity leaders training, she took part in a rock hopping weekend. Reminding her of how much she had improved in those years. She was glad to have kept upright, with her head dry, unlike the rest of her group as it was a very chilly -10’C.
 
Recent trips to Smøla and Vikna with Callum have included careful navigation. Amy’s interest in maps is partially what led to her attending the swimming pool that Thursday evening in October 2017. Amy was introduced to map reading and orienteering by Ms Watt in primary 5. Map reading and interest in the natural world led to the decision to do a degree in Earth Science at the University of Glasgow, and therefore end up joining the kayak club there. Navigation, problem solving and physical strength were trained up in the field work she carried out as part of her degree. This included one month mapping Mull in the SW of Scotland. A beautiful island which she has sworn she will only return to if she has a kayak in tow.
 
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Outwith her studies her outdoors skills have continued to grow. Having taken up cross country skiing since moving to Norway. She has taken part in several multi day ski-camping trips including a week in Sylan. Navigating in snowy conditions has been a tough skill to practice, particularly when the clouds descend. Her studies, hobbies and job have created an experienced outdoors adventurer, with first aid training, good fixing skills and the ability to solve problems under pressure.
 
Amy also has plenty of communication experience. Her first job arriving in Norway was that of a communication manager. This is an area which she has worked in for several years aiding many individuals and groups on how best to present themselves across many platforms.

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Question 3

About Callum

Accepted Answer

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Callum was first introduced to kayaking in a swimming pool in Aberystwyth when visiting his grandparents during a primary school summer holiday.  Having got a taste for it, he learnt the ropes back home, joining classes with Crispin in St Andrews.  Alongside the weekly pool sessions, there were some river trips; the highlight of which was paddling the River Tay from source to sea over five days in 2008.  During his school years, Callum enjoyed several short kayak trips with his family around Scotland and in Finland.  He also gained a passion for camping and expeditions through many trips with the Scouts and Duke of Edinburgh, an enthusiasm that just continues to grow.
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At university Callum joined the Glasgow University Canoe Club (GUCC).  He enjoyed taking part in their river and polo kayaking, with many river trips in Scotland and England.  This is also where Callum and Amy first met.  Although GUCC did not offer any sea kayaking, Callum did manage to take part in a week-long trip off the west side of Mull during his studies.  The finale of Callum’s involvement with GUCC was a two-week trip to Slovenia and the French Alps, just before graduating, where he enjoyed some fantastic paddling and stunning scenery.  Besides kayaking, Callum also enjoyed many hiking trips while at university, and his longest adventure was a 1400-mile solo cycle from Helsinki to Amsterdam.
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Upon graduation Callum moved to Trondheim, Norway, to start work as an electronic engineer.  Rather than flying directly to Trondheim, he flew to Oslo and took the train to Otta, where he took part in an excellent coaching week with Gene17, refining his river paddling skills.  In Trondheim Callum has been strongly involved with the paddling community, both on the river and on the sea.  He is an active member of Trondhjems Kajakk Klubb (TKK), paddling with both sea and river groups, and is currently a member of the TKK committee as the head of river paddling for the club.  As well as excellent kayaking, the club has also proved to be one of the best ways of practicing his Norwegian skills, and he is significantly more fluent as a result.  One highlight of river paddling with TKK was taking part in the first descent of Holmvasselva, a very fun grade IV river, with a long flat-water paddle and hike to get to the start of the river section.  On the sea, Callum has taken part in numerous multi-day sea kayaking trips with the club and privately, as well as countless day trips.  He has thoroughly enjoyed exploring the Norwegian coast from a kayak with TKK.  Combining skills from river and sea paddling, Callum has enjoyed a few rock-hopping trips with TKK, the most recent one of which landed in the midst of a cold snap in November, with two days of paddling in the surf when the mercury had sunk bellow -10’C!
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While kayaking is a mainstay of the summer and autumn season, for Callum the winter season is dominated by skiing.  Callum skis almost at every opportunity, both cross country skiing in the groomed tracks just outside of Trondheim, and – even more 
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enthusiastically – back country skiing, pulling a sled with his tent over the uplands of Norway and Sweden.  The biggest adventure to date was skiing 200 km over Hardangervidda with a friend for 10 days in 2019.  He has also enjoyed two extended ski trips in Sylan, once with the same friend, another time with Amy.  In addition, Callum has organised many weekend trips spent in the snow.  Sadly, corona put paid to any week-long ski trip in 2020, but there was still time for several great ski weekends during the season.  A weird bout of weather even allowed Callum and Amy to go for a day skiing just outside of Trondheim on the 16th of May!
During our paddle trips, there will be days where an early start is demanded to catch the tide or weather window we need, and it will certainly be Callum who struggles the most to wake up and crawl out of the sleeping bag in time.  Another challenge will be his total inability to keep track of where the pot grabber/handle is when making dinner – a meal that does not involve several frantic bouts of searching for the small metal tool has to be considered a success!
You can read more about Callum’s other outdoor adventures, and some gear reviews on his other website Ut&Aboot.(https://c-sinclair1.wixsite.com/ut-aboot/)

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