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Hi I'm Mike Conroy and after a lifetime working in IT I've retired and moved to live in Newquay, Cornwall,UK. I have been paddling rivers since my early twenties (see History) but now that I have the Atlantic on my doorstep and the British Channel a 30 minute drive away, I have turned to the sea. I've also just turned 60 so it is time I went on some adventures while my limbs are still functioning.

Orinoco my marmot

ABBA The Paddle 2022 (ATP22) is a preliminary to a full GB circumnavigation (yellow route) in 2023.

I am hoping to raise money for charity along the way see Charities.

ATP22 is essentially a baby steps training paddle before the big one in 2023: travelling around the coast of southern England using the River Avon, the Kennet and Avon Canal and the Thames to get me from Bristol to London, wild camping along the way.

The name derives from places along the way: St Agnes in Cornwall is the start and end, Bath and Brighton make up the middle Bs.

Click on the Image above for a better view

St Agnes is a few miles from my home town, my three sons grew up in Bath and Brighton conveniently begins with a B.

I have already done one preparation trip; My Rubbish Cornish Paddle. 
See Facebook for some of the other training paddles I have been on of late.

Some Stats:

Distance: 1200 to 1600 km

Duration: 5-8 weeks

Number of Locks: - Kennet and Avon: 104 + 1 tunnel

Number of Locks - Thames: 25

I will be carrying everything I need to be self sufficient in Demelza my shiny new sea kayak.

Demelza - Pace 17 Tour

I would have liked to do the whole route unsupported but I do not fancy having to unpack and pack the boat 130 times on the inland crossing so I will need to do something with my gear until I get back on salt water in London.

Below are some photos of places I will be passing on the way.

Exmoor Coast, Devon

Avon Bridge, Bristol

Bath, Somerset 

Caen Hill, Wiltshire


Henly on Thames, Oxfordshire


Winsor Castle, Berkshire

Parliament, London

Dover Cliffs, Kent

Brighton Pier, Sussex


Portsmouth, Hampshire.


Durdle Door, Dorset

Portland Bill, Dorset

Drakes Island, Plymouth, Devon

Fowey, Cornwall


St Agnes, Cornwall


Newquay Cornwall



























Comments

  1. UnknownDecember 10, 2021 at 8:38 PM

    Well all I can say is WOW Mike that is one hell of a challenge! For the ABBA we can help you with some locks on the K&A stretch!

    ReplyDelete

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