It was an emotionally charged expedition. A 108km river journey down unexplored whitewater in the middle of Siberia. The Onot River’s remoteness, topography and unstable weather, threw many challenges at both the film crew and ourselves.

Kayaking Team: Nikki Kelly, Tanya Faux, John Grace and Fred Coriel.
Film crew: Angus Yates, Scott Simper, Rob Racker and Thomas Lloyd.

With efforts of Global Giving, www.globalgiving.com, North Face and Rush TV we raised money, and awareness for the drastically under funded Russian Central Children’s Hospital in Moscow. Vadim, a 14-year-old boy, has been battling with Leukaemia for the last 5 years. Our cause became more then our own survival on a treacherous river, but also the chance to bring new energy into Vadim’s life and aid his recovery.

When talking to Vadim and his family, tears began to build, a rollercoaster of joy, sadness, grief and happiness. The power of this experience has changed my life forever! As I left Vadim’s Incubation box for the last time, I touched the glass that separated us. He reached up and touched the glass with his hand. Vadim will always be a part of my life.

He writes to me 18th August:
“The things which you are writing penetrate into the most distant places of my heart and give me hope.”
“I think the doctors will do a small operation, but I’m not afraid…”

Expedition
Seven days, six nights. Lifting 30kg kayak on your shoulder. Paddling class 5 whitewater, lowering boats down unstable gullies, with rock fall. Bugs that fly into you eyes, exhausted and still having to light a fire… in the rain. All the heartbreaking labour about wilderness kayaking; Arrrrh, you have to dig deep sometime!

But I guess this is what Nikki and I have, this why we paddle together. Sometimes drawing on your intrinsic sense of survival, both on the whitewater and off the river. You must accept the hard ship, and love it. It drives us harder, a thirst for more! Why? I don’t know. Maybe it’s pure satisfaction, the focus, and the reward. Exploration is what makes me happy, I find peace within it.

Often I say
“Dig the pain Tanya, dig it! Come on Tanya, come on, focus”
Play Hard, Explore Hard and Enjoy the Reward.

A huge thanks to The North Face for making this possible. Also to John Grace for all his behind the scenes work.

For a full account of our expedition log onto www.boofingtheironcurtain.blogspot.com

Other sponsors
Cascade designs – MSR, Petzel, Liquid Logic, Wavesport, Immersion Research, Kokatat, Astral Buoyancy.