Kayak Session Magazine — Fall 2017

immersed

by Mariann Saether

We often feel that the rapids we run define us. They are a boost to the ego,

and help create the feeling of being connected to the water in a way that

is hard to describe. But I would argue that the rapids that really define us are

the ones we choose to walk around.

For my first few years of kayaking I really hated walking rapids. It made me

feel unaccomplished and sad – as if walking was proof that I was a failure on

the water. Mirroring this was the euphoric feeling that came from stepping

up to a big line. If I nailed it I was on top of the world, living out the biggest

buzz there was. If I didn’t... Needless to say, emotions ran close to the surface

during those years.

I never really cracked the code on not feeling bad about portaging. But with

time, I learned that if I made myself useful while others paddled the rapids I

walked, it made me feel better. I still felt like I was a part of the action and part

of the team. I put pride into finding the best spot for safety the fastest, and

having to throw the bag to a swimmer with precision and confidence gave

me a different buzz. I felt able and competent.

There are many rapids I have not run that linger in my mind: the infamous Zeta

on the Futaleufu in Chile, Hypoxia on the White Nile, and Bridal Veil (Matze ́s

drop) on the Ula. Actually, I did run Zeta once, but the level was so low it felt like

cheating. Now, these rapids define me not because of my ego, but because

I have spent a long time pondering each and every one of them, and I have

questioned myself over my decision time and time again. Each time, there is a

different reason why I choose not to run them. They are all very different, and

I cannot identify one single factor as the cause of me portaging every time.

Except for my gut feeling.

There are rapids we walk one day, and run the next. They might be on our

home river, or on a river we paddle only occasionally. I find these rapids useful,

for helping us train the ego to be okay with stepping back once in a while.

Now, I only run these rapids if I REALLY want to. If I feel off in the slightest, I pull

back and walk, knowing that I have and will run it again. It sounds funny to

have to train our ego to not step up – but it is just as important a skill to have

as being able to push through a mental barrier to run a rapid.

The other day I passed a British group on my home river, the Ula. They were

on their first Norway trip; I was doing a quick TV shoot, paddling solo on a

low water flow. I walked a rapid they ran multiple times and that I have run

probably 500 times before, but it has the potential of landing on a rock slab I

know has broken backs. By the time I had made it around the drop, the group

had figured out who I was, and they seemed surprised to see me walking.

I have to admit that I giggled a bit to myself – because as I made my way

down to the take-out I realised that I had progressed in more ways than just

one since my first wee strokes down this river. After two decades of running

whitewater, I have finally learned to walk with grace.

Mariann Saether (35) is a kayaker with a drive for adventure. Considered one of the best extreme kayakers of the past decade, she solidified this position by winning the Adidas Sickline World

Championships in October 2015. She has been traveling and paddling since the age of 18, and in addition to loving multi-days and expeditions, she also enjoys play boating and especially surfing

big waves. She has helped with a guidebook to the rivers of her beloved Chile, where she has made a part-time home on the shores of the Rio Futaleufu with her partner Ron Fischer. She runs her

own kayak company Soria Moria Adventures, and is an avid public speaker. She also holds an 8-year university degree close at heart. Follow her adventures on http://www.mariannsaether.no and http://www.

soriamoriadventures.com. Mariann ́s sponsors are: Sweet Protection, Lettmann Kayaks, Astral Designs, Vertikal AS, Bosky Optics, Voss kiropraktorkontor and Mosjonsgutan

TECHNIQUE

IMMERSED

By Mariann Sae ther

In this column, Mariann looks at how the rapids we

choose to walk define us just as much as those we run.

THE

PATH

AROUND