The Fabulous Mr Fox Speaks.....

I joined the team in the south of France at the start of the exciting Catamaran crossing to Corsica on Panasha. The cyclist were exhausted but elated and quite rightly proud of their epic last day cycle of 175K. It was great to meet up with so many enthusiastic, positive and fun people and we were ready for phase three of the Mont Blanc to Mont Cinto epic.

We departed the following morning in fine weather and set sail due South East to Corsica for a thoroughly relaxing fourteen hours of sailing. Panasha is an amazing craft with so much more room than your average 60ft Yacht and you can even stand up both downstairs and up. It was great to just chill, talk to new members of the team and just enjoy the cruise. After five hours into the journey we were joined by a group of Dolphins who swam alongside, under and in front of Panasha for a good twenty minutes before plunging back into the depths of the deep blue Mediterranean sea. This was certainly the highlight of the crossing and something I will never forget. After a delicious feast prepared by Julia we set up a stag (look out system) into the early hours of the morning and arrived in calm waters and rested till we were joined by the road party.

The Kayak phase for me was the highlight of the expedition and having heard so much about the coast from Daron, I was really looking forward to experiencing all the amazing cliffs, coves and beeches. After a few hours of kit packing, checking and re checking we were off in our Flotilla of double and single sea Kayaks led by the stunning (Corsican Lass) and Jim from Ireland. The group was diverse with a wide range of experiences and after thirty minutes everyone settled into a comfortable and steady pace. The group crossed a couple of bays and rounding the main headland after four hours of continuous paddling we stopped off for a lunch break on a beautiful sandy beach. Panasha joined us and lunch was ferried to the shore. After a well earned rest the group continued on the more spectacular part of the day and we were soon gliding amongst some of the most stunning caves, coves and inlets that Corsica has to offer. We imagined what must have hidden in these very coves hundreds of years ago from Roman war ships to pirates of the high seas. The group led by Daron then headed further along the coast to a spectacular water fall set inside some challenging rock formations. One by one the group plucked up courage and we were all soon braving the swell and entering the base of the waterfall. A further forty minutes with more amazing views took us to our resting place for the first evening where Panasha was waiting patiently for the weary paddlers. Kayaks were stashed on the beach and we returned to our mother ship for a another slap up dinner provided by Corrie and Julia.

Reports of strong winds for day two confirmed that we should be off earlier than later and after much kit shuffling and kayak jumping the group was on its way including our in house Camera Man who shared a double with Jim. We followed the bay shore rather than crossing over due to the noticeable increased swell and every now and then the groups would disappear behind huge waves. The swell was picking up and we all wished we had left earlier. The group pressed on and after two hours we were following the coast into the ever increasing waves. Keeping the group together was proving more challenging than avoiding the dreaded capsize and as we rounded the coast we started to experience the double wammy wave system not only from the high seas but also rebounding off the cliffs. The group were now committed, there was no going back and there were no sandy beaches to rest or escape to. Everyone was totally focused on the NOW, every swell, every wave was examined and carefully negotiated. It was exhilarating, thrilling, tense and for those in singles slightly more uncomfortable and insecure. I had taken part in previous open sea challenges crossing the seven mile Straights of Lewis in the Hebrides and this was totally different. In Lewis the waves were coming from one direction and hear in Corsica we were experiencing confused, rough and intimidating seas. Our objective was the next headland were we would be spared the double wave bashing and we focused and encouraged each other. God knows how the inexperienced kayakers amongst the group felt!!

At last we rounded the headland and were now hurtling inward towards our rendezvous for the night. A sheltered bay with a defensive castle and a good dinner. We were now relaxing and the ricocheting waves had stopped and the worst was over. Suddenly a cry of Capsize was shouted!! Max was in and a rescue mission was despatched. Soon Max was back in and the group surfed the final two kilometres into base camp.

The wind was too strong for day three and an alternative plan was hatched. After a fascinating team discussion on the future of Active Earth and many other subjects of interest the group departed on foot for a stunning coastal walk to the bike pick up location. A quick 20 mile (mostly downhill) race took the team back to Panasha for a further evening of feasting and relaxation.

Day four involved a spectacular cycle challenge of 150K from base camp at Panasha to the base village of Mont Cinto. Jim, Richard and I stayed together as a group and the racers consisting of Daron, Mark, Max, Karyn gave the Tortoises a two hour head start and it was not long before they came hurtling past us only to be overtaken by us twenty seconds later to be overtaken again and left behind for good! The Scottish team had not prepared well for this leg and after turning a few heads in the local village soon realised that boxer shorts were not the recommended attire on such cycling missions. The route was stunning and many parts of the countryside resembled remote parts of Scotland where masses of deserted Sheilings (dwellings) could be sighted. We eventually met up with the rest of the group having been picked up in the dark approaching the final few miles. A great day in the Corsican Country.

Our final day involved the entire group heading off at a gentle pace to walk to the top of Mont Cinto. We soon split into small groups and after four hours of more spectacular mountain scenery we reached the top of the mountain. The team formed up for photographs and we headed back down as the weather started to close in. Eight hours and we were back at base and soon heading back to the Ajaccio for a slap up dinner.

The trip had been an extraordinary feat of logistics and organisation and despite the weather causing havoc on Mont Blanc and over the initial cycling phases the group had stuck together and shone through with flying colours. A great group of people were bought together and experiences were shared that will remain with us forever. The Active Earth Travel group, Daron and Corrie deserve a huge amount of praise for putting such an ambitious project together and pulling it off with no injuries or loss of life. As an event organiser I am only too aware of the opportunities for things to go wrong and the project was managed with skill and professionalism.

The Mont Blanc to Cinto Mission has confirmed in all our minds the importance of sharing outdoor experiences through challenges and what this brings to the individual and the group. We need to understand our environment better and by engaging with it we increase that understanding and respect for nature. This trip has served as a catalyst to move forward with the Active Earth Foundation so that we can now go out and do our part in creating awareness for peace and sustainability.