INCIDENT MANAGEMENT WEEK CÔTE D'AZUR WITH JEFF ALLEN
FACTS
++ The event of the year! Rescue training with Jeff Allen, top coach from England! ++
++ Perfect mix of holiday and training ++
++ Côte d'Azur & Calanques – what more can we say? World-famous, within easy reach of Switzerland, and it'll still be beautiful and warm! ++
++ Course language: English ++
COST: CHF 1,190
Excluding travel to and from the destination, accommodation and food. Surcharge if fewer than 3 people attend: CHF 200LEVEL: RED
What is my level?13.–20.11.2021
DETAILS
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Info
This is the event of the year, if you want to be truly prepared for every conceivable emergency out on the water. Especially for this week, we'll be flying in top coach Jeff Allen from England! Not only is Jeff a national trainer for British Canoeing and president of the International Sea Kayak Guide Association (ISKGA); he is also one of the most experienced expedition paddlers in the world and the leading expert in the area of Sea Kayak Incident Management (i.e. everything that has to do with dealing with emergencies and carrying out rescues on the water). His courses in Cornwall are almost always fully booked well in advance. Now, Jeff and Yuri are very happy to be able to invite you all to their first joint MORYAK Incident Management week on the Côte d'Azur!
Our base camp throughout the week will be at the Santa Gusta campsite in La Ciotat, right on the beach. From here, we'll be going on day-trips to the most beautiful spots in the area; to the Calanques of Cassis and Marseille, the offshore islands, the dramatic Cap de l'Aigle, the beautiful Île Vert, or the fantastic rock garden between Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer and Bandol. Everything is within easy reach, some spots are just a few minutes away, others just under an hour, and we'll even be able to get to some great locations by kayak, straight from the campsite beach. So, very little driving around. This means there will always be plenty of time to stop for a coffee – for example in the marina of Bandol, or for a bouillabaisse in Marseille's port of Goudes.
And best of all, whilst the cheerless clouds of November will almost certainly be lowering over Switzerland and England, here in southern France, it will probably still be pleasantly warm and sunny. Perfect conditions, in fact, for a week of excitement and learning, with plenty of opportunities to enjoy the other delights that the area has to offer!
On top of all this, La Ciotat is also very easy to reach from Switzerland by public transport: from Bern, it only takes about six and a half hours by train.
The course will be taught in English. Yuri will be happy to help with any translating, if it's needed.
If you are interested, we recommend booking your place on this course as soon as possible, as we assume that it will quickly become fully booked. -
Day 1
Day 1 (arrival)
Independent travel to La Ciotat. Over the course of the afternoon and the early evening, we'll meet up at the Santa Gusta campsite, which is somewhat outside the city centre.
In the evening, we'll cook together, get to know each other and discuss the details of the coming week – particularly our plans for the next day. This will all depend on local conditions and the weather forecast, of course. -
Day 2 – 7
Day 2 to day 7
From Sunday to Friday, we will go to different top spots in the area every day to paddle and practise rescuing. The range of beautiful spots is incredible here, each one more beautiful than the last. The calanques between Cassis and Marseille are real highlights, strictly protected as part of the national parks system, but easy to get to. While this area is full of thousands of tourists during the high season, now, in mid-November, it is very quiet. Every now and then you'll see rock climbers up on the crags, who quite often get distracted, watching us paddling and practising our rescuing skills.
As far as rescuing is concerned, you should know that this course is partly about a variety of different methods, which will be practised in the context of different scenarios. On the other hand, and this is what distinguishes “incident management” from rescue manoeuvres, it's about developing a systematic approach which will help you to proceed in a calm and considered manner in the event of an emergency, without exposing yourself and your group to even greater danger.
Of course, all of our scenarios are staged. Nobody will be in any real danger. And not only will this training be extremely useful – it'll also be great fun! -
Day 8
Day 8 (departure)
Time to go home! We hope that you will have really enjoyed your time here (in fact, this is pretty much a given), but we also hope that you will have become safer, more confident paddlers. -
More Info
Group size: Min. two participants, max. ten.
The price includes boats, paddles, life jackets, spray decks and, if required, neoprene long johns, shoes, paddling jackets and helmets. Also, make sure you bring your own functional underwear (wool or snug-fitting fleece, NOT cotton!) and swimming costume.
If you like, you can also rent a drysuit from us. Cost: CHF 120
The kitty: As always, on our Incident Management Week we will also set up a kitty for meals. In fact, there will actually be two: one for food (€100 contribution per person) and one for alcohol (depending on how much you consume, or your best guess at it). Nobody is obliged pay into the kitty, nor to eat together with us. But cooking and eating together after a strenuous day's paddling is just good fun, and not only does it help to strengthen our tired muscles; it also helps us to create a sense of community. Find more on this topic here.
Weather: As you might expect, we can't make any guarantees in terms of weather or sea state. In order to ensure everyone's safety, our guide will decide how to carry out the planned programme locally on a daily basis, and whether to do so. As experienced sea kayakers, we know that Neptune always has the last word.
Accident insurance is the responsibility of the participants. We also strongly recommend that you obtain travel cancellation insurance. Please read our GTC on the topic of cancellation fees, cancellation deadlines etc.
PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENTS:
++ Must be able to swim ++
++ 5 days of sea-based sea kayaking experience ++
++ You are confident sitting in a kayak and can do the basics ++
++ You are confident paddling at Beaufort force 3 and in waves of about 2 ft ++
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Rail & public transport
++ From Switzerland to Marseille St Charles via Geneva ++
++ From here, regional trains leave for La Ciotat every hour ++
++ From the railway station, you're best off getting a taxi to the campsite ++ -
Road
++ From Switzerland, carshare via Geneva, Valence, Aix-en-Provence and Aubagne until you reach the exit for La Ciotat. On the “locomotive roundabout” take the third exit; the D559 for Toulon ++
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Aeroplane
++ You can fly to Marseille with Air France, Alitalia or KLM ++
++ From Marseille Provence Airport, take the bus to Marseille St Charles ++
++ Hourly train departures from here to La Ciotat ++