During July and August 2009 Richard Smith and Craig Mathieson kayaked between remote Inuit settlements of Eastern Greenland, forging links with Scottish schools and delivering donated laptops to assist with linking children via joint projects exploring climatic change, cultural differences and differences in way of life and core values.

Since returning to Scotland, the team has toured the Scottish schools, speaking to the children and teachers involved in the project. Training has been delivered to the teachers on how to participate further in the project through the secure online learning environment. Through this medium the schools have been developing and participating in online projects exchanging ideas and media through projects covering areas of global warming, song, dance, and social cultural comparisons. There projects are paving the way for the next phase of the NorthernLights project.

In August 2010, Craig and Richard will travel back to Greenland with the teachers in tow, introducing them in person to the Greenlandic schools, ensuring that all required health and safety assessments are in place prior to the subsequent exchange visit of the pupils. During the winter, pupils from schools in Scotland and the French Alps will participate in a mini expedition by dog sled across the sea ice of the South Eastern coast of Greenland.

Following the team’s motto of "Inspiration Through Exploration" the pupils will learn the skills needed to survive in the cold and harsh environment of the Arctic whilst interacting face to face with the Inuit children. They will learn self reliance, developing survival skills and self-confidence. On return to their home schools they will pass on their experiences and knowledge by sharing with fellow pupils and touring other schools. The real life experiences will further feed into the online projects moving forward and paving the way for future exchange visits by other schools and pupils.

The Inuit children will have the opportunity to visit Scotland and France to live in our homes and experience the very different way of life in Western Europe and compare their culture with our family life and values.

Craig and Richard intend to expand the program to involve other indigenous communities from Arctic countries in the future, making first contact again by kayak. Constant fund raising is ongoing to support the project. Interested parties are welcomed and encouraged to view the team’s website, and donate funds.

Richard and Craig are enthusiastic paddlers and consider themselves to be very lucky having the Scottish West coast on their doorstep, considered to be one of the most beautiful places in the world to paddle. Both have been fortunate enough to have led expeditions to varied locations including successful man-hauling expeditions to the South Pole, North Pole, and Greenland and climbing expeditions within Europe and Greenland. Richard and Craig are both accomplished explorers and speakers who talk about what it takes to prepare for such an expedition, the highs and lows as well as illustrating what beauty is to be found in such wild locations.

Gear List:
GORE-TEX® Expedition Dry Suit
Ronin Pro Life Jacket
Polartec® Power Dry® Liner
InnerCore Long Sleeve Shirt
Lightweight Hand Jacket
Tributary Hydration System
Touring Tow Tether

Sonja Ewen of Dublin and Eila Wilkinson of Holyhead had separately been harboring a plan to circumnavigate Ireland. When they realized they both were planning to make the same trip they decided to become a team, and together they will depart on this adventure in May of 2010.

This is Sonja's home coast; she has paddled many parts of Ireland, and it has been a long term goal to join up all those pieces. She is working as a full time instructor with Deep Blue Sea Kayaking in Dublin.

Ireland is Eila's nearby neighbor, and it will be like an extended circumnavigation of the Outer Hebrides which she completed solo in 2009.

Ireland’s coastline holds many challenges, many major headlands to negotiate. The west coast is open to all that the Atlantic can throw at it, a surfer’s paradise. Depending on the route taken or allowed, the distance will be anywhere between 1500km to 1700km. They plan to carry what they need in terms of food and accommodation, which in itself will be a challenge for the length of time away.

Gear List:
GORE-TEX® Expedition Dry Suit
Inner Core base layer
Outer Core Insulation
Surfskin Pants and Shorts
Neo Kayak Mitt
MsFIT Tour
GORE-TEX® Storm Cag

On January 22nd 2010 Vancouver Island based wilderness guide and expedition leader, Hayley Shephard will set out to attempt the very first solo sea kayak expedition around the remote sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia.

An exceptionally isolated, storm torn island, South Georgia stands ultimately alone in the middle of the Southern Ocean, its nearest neighbor 1400km away. Treacherous seas constantly batter the coastal rocks and ridges, and fearless animals generously congregate on the few accessible beaches, taking shelter from the savage winds. It’s so dangerous that Hayley is required by British law to have a support vessel while she travels around the hostile sub-Antarctic territory. This vessel is not there for support - it is there for search and rescue and for if Hayley fails. There’s reason to fear she just might might, and there’s also reason to hope she will outlive any failure, as she embodies the same persistent spirit as her hero Ernest Shackleton - the Antarctic explorer who turned disaster into the most famous lesson in survival.

In 1999 Hayley was the first woman to solo sea kayak the 1200km circumnavigation of Vancouver Island, followed by another epic adventure in 2005 when she was the first woman to sea kayak alone around the rugged and exposed coast of the sacred Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands). Hayley has spent the previous 9 years during the Canadian winter taking tourists to the ends of the earth exploring Antarctica onboard ice strengthened Russian ships. This is how she was first introduced to the Island of South Georgia. Hayley’s epic adventure will take up to 5 weeks and encompass a daunting 500 nautical miles. There will be days where Hayley will spend at least 12 hours in her kayak utilizing good weather windows.

Beyond Hayley’s personal ambition, there is a great urgency to save the albatross, the world’s largest flying bird. Worldwide, 95% of the albatross species are endangered. Because they spend most of their lives at sea, frequently circumnavigating the entire globe, they are the most vulnerable to the longline fishing nets cast by giant fishing vessels. South Georgia, known for its rugged beauty & abundant wildlife, is home to a number of albatross species, and it has found a way to save these birds from extinction by changing fishing techniques. Bringing public awareness to the devastating decline in albatross, and more importantly, sharing the solution to save them is a mission that has become equally as important to Hayley as her need to explore.

Gear List:
GORE-TEX® Expedition Dry Suit
Guide Life Jacket
GORE-TEX® TecTour
GORE-TEX® Whirlpool bib
Outercore and Surfskin Insulation

In February 2010 Kokatat Ambassador Chris Jones is heading to Antarctica for his 8th time. He will be guiding a film crew with the goal of filming two episodes of Globe Trekker – an award winning adventure travel series. The expedition has two stages – they’ll set out from Ushuaia, Argentina onboard the Russian ex-research vessel Akademik Ioffe, and visit the Falklands, South Georgia, South Orkneys and the Antarctic Peninsula, using zodiacs to explore and film along the way.

The wildlife of South Georgia will be the highlight of this section of the trip and they will be keeping our eye out for Hayley Shepherd as she attempts her solo circumnavigation! Once on the Antarctic Peninsula they'll transfer to the Australian yacht Spirit of Sydney. This is where the adventure will really begin – using the Spirit as a mobile marine base-camp they will explore the Antarctic Peninsula by zodiac, sea-kayak and on foot. They will conclude the expedition by sailing the Spirit of Sydney across the Southern Ocean back to Ushuia. You can find out more about the project at their website, on Twitter and Facebook. It is also possible for interested folks to join the first stage of the expedition aboard the Akademic Ioffe - there are berths still available! Go to www.pilotguides.com to book your trip.

Gear List:
GORE-TEX® Expedition Dry Suit
Ronin Pro Life Jacket
Polartec® Power Dry® Liner
Neo Kayak Mitt (Short)
Hand Jacket (medium weight)
GORE-TEX® Norwester
Nomad bootie

On December 30th, 2009, New York paddlers Marcus Demuth and Biff Wruszek set out to the southernmost tip of Patagonia to attempt the first circumnavigation of Isla Grande Tierra del Fuego, South America's largest island.

Three weeks and 620 miles later – about two thirds through their circumnavigation – the 2 paddlers turned the southeast corner of Isla Grande Tierra del Fuego to paddle north along the east coast of Tierra del Fuego towards their final destination and starting point, Punta Arenas, Chile. Upon reaching the east coast, relentless winds and high seas pinned down the duo down for 10 days at Caleta Falsa. After 3 breakout attempts, all of which ended with a retreat back into the safety of Caleta Falsa, factors including: continious strong winds and too high seas to paddle; the lack of a foreseeable weather window; dwindling food supplies; the geography of the coastline; and the remoteness of their location; saw Biff and Marcus make the painful decision to end their trip.

Marcus and Biff are of course disappointed that they were unable to close the loop around Tierra del Fuego, but know they are very fortunate to have visited this beautiful and wild location, and to have enjoyed the hospitality of both the kayaking and non-kayaking populations of this very remote place on Earth.

The expedition raised more than $2,000 for the kayak chapter of "Achilles", a New York based nonprofit that enables people with all types of disabilities to participate in mainstream athletics.