Report Vistual Trip June 2012 Participants: Marcin from Poland Sevket form Turkey Martin from Germany Late afternoon, Wednesday the 6. of June, Marcin picked Sevket up from the airport and after some detours they found the way to my place (I m living in Warsaw). The day before I got my kayak from the boathouse and during the day I packed all the needed equipment into my car so we could quickly reload to Marcin s car (in fact his father in law s car, who was also so kind to drive us to the starting location of the trip). Reloading was a bit adventurous, as a 2 day trip requires not much less stuff than a week-long trip and Sevket had also his suitcase with non-kayaking clothing etc. with him. Well, in the end we got everything in and I kissed my wife goodbye. Lots of speed-bumps and and traffic before the long weekend (next day was a public holiday in Poland) made the trip to Kazimierz Dolny, our starting location, a lengthy un-exciting thing to endure. Marcin did book a hotel for us, we could be quick on the water the next day without breaking camp. We had a good late night meal in the Zielona Tawerna (Green Tavern) to fill up some carbs and thank Marcins father in law for the driving. Also we could enjoy the benefits of late-night shopping, as we were not fully provisioned yet. The hotel was located directly behind the dam of the Vistula and be could store the boats till next morning behind the house watched by the hotel guard dog. Thursday, 7. June Next morning we managed to be up at 6:30, pack, lift the kayaks over the dam and even quence out coffee and tea from the hotels staff (they don t serve breakfast before 9:00...) and were on the water at 8:30.
A word on the kayaks: The used two Lettmann Speedliners (Marcin and Sevket) and my Prijon Seayak. The Seayak is no match for the Speedliners, but this was not planned as a race. On the next day Marcin exchanged paddles with me and I could test his wing-paddle for half a day (so nice!). So we got paddling and soon saw a double-kayak ahead of us (it is rare to meet any other traffic on the Vistula). During the next two days we meet again and again, as the double was also heading to Warsaw. First town to pass was Puławy, about an hour down the river. Last winter we dropped in our boats here to save some time. (yes, I had my second breakfast on board) The Speedliners were quickly moving ahead of me but they allowed for me to catch up each few hours. The water level of the Vistula was very low and you needed to avoid submerged trees and sandbanks as the current makes it hard to free yourself then. Average speed was about 8-8,5Km per hour (at least for me). After Puławy the river gets very wide at places and you have this Amazons -feeling don t knowing which arm to take around the smaller and bigger islands. The sun was starting to burn down on us (and I took on sunscreen lotion too late...) so a lunch break in the shadow of some trees was welcomed.
The fabulous Kelly Kettle (the aluminium looking thing in the right of the picture) showed its power and provided us with a brew in no time. The afternoon gave as a light headwind which died in the early evening. While passing the Kozienice power station I had a beer on-board: Marcin and Sevket were already ahead and making camp on a small island in the river. This was the same place we used during last winter's Vistula trip. Once the tent (Tipi) was up, we all took a dip into the river and went on to prepare dinner.
Soon we found out that the double-kayak we meet in the morning choose the same island to camp on. Had a short chat and made pancakes for dessert (always have nice pan with you...). We paddled 75Km that day. Friday, 8. June After a good night sleep we got up at 6:00, broke camp and were on the water around 7:30. I could use Marcins wing-paddle and we spend the next hours finding our way through the maze of sandbanks, island and grounded tree-skeletons. First break as on the mouth of the river Pilica which on its own is a very nice kayak destination. We went swimming, had some snacks and I my beer. (this looks like a paradise for mosquitoes, but I had not one sting on the whole trip). Coming closer the town of Góra Kalwaria we saw more and more sand-extraction sites - boots act as vacuum excavators which suck out the sand from the Vistula river-bed, pump it on land and then the sand is used for construction etc. This comes with a lot of noise and diesel fumes. I had a short sleep-attack on my boat and was happy to reach our lunch destination just after the town. We had some noodle-soup, which Marcin prepared in his thermos in the morning and coffee to get me going again. We still had some 35Km to go to Warsaw and bad looking clouds were moving in. Soon we got thunder and lightning and seeked shelter under some trees on the riverbank to let the worst pass.
But the rain and air was not cold and we could head on the Warsaw using the bit more of current the downfall gave the river. Coming closer to Warsaw we were dry again and could hear the noise from the opening ceremonies of the EURO 2012. It was about 17:00. We had a last group-photo on the riverbank and then I waved Marcin and Sevket good-bye, as they were going further through Warsaw and I had a place in a boathouse more upstream. The last river bend before coming into Warsaw city always gives a nice view on the buildings and the symbolic Palace of Culture and Science. I finished with 150Km in two days under my belt. Hands were raw and the sun baked me a bit. Except from some fishermen on the shores and the other double-kayak we saw, we had the river for ourselves for most of the time.