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Rainer and Franziska Ulm are serious paddlers. They have been traveling Europe with their folding kayaks since May, 2000 - 10,000 kilometers of paddling adventure! Their route has taken them from Southeastern Germany via the Danube to the Black Sea, along the coasts of Turkey, Greece, Italy, France, Spain and Portugal, then into the Atlantic. They'll head north towards the English Channel and the North Sea to arrive at their final destination of Hamburg. They've already completed a good part of their journey and intend to finish in 2005/2006.

Even hardened sports enthusiasts who are used to traveling in unsinkable folding kayaks can experience difficult moments. "While crossing the 45-kilometer-wide Gulf of Izmir in thick fog we almost collided with a container ship. It 's best not to think of what might have happened." 33-year-old publishing manager Franziska, and 40-year-old baker Rainer, have become accustomed to tricky situations on this monster paddling trip. Surprises do still happen, however, like when they were camping on a beautiful sandy island. Within minutes a gale-force sandstorm wrought havoc, half-burying the kayaks and tent. "There was sand everywhere, even in our noses and ears. During the night we had to leave the tent several times to secure it again. In the morning, our first job was to excavate the kayaks and tent," says Franziska.

Let's get out of here!
Surprises can be prickly too. "Once, we beached our kayaks in the middle of some grasslands, intending to take a swim. Suddenly, wild boars started charging towards us out of the grass! We jumped back into the boats and quickly paddled away."

By the time they reach the end of their trip, the Ulms will have paddled about 10,000 kilometers. Since starting out in May 2000, the couple has completed over half of the intended route. They descended the Danube to reach the Black Sea, passing through the Bosphorus to Istanbul. They next made a stormy crossing of the Marmara Sea, battling strong gales. Often, they found themselves accompanied by dolphins, colonies of pelicans, hundreds of kinds of birds, fish, turtles and gnats.

The Ulms tend to attract the attention of people too. Wherever they stopped in Turkey they became a media event, making 19 TV appearances. It was in also in Turkey that they encountered another dicey situation while paddling south along the coast. Shortly before reaching Bodrum they were surprised by a storm and had to take refuge on an uninhabited island. With gale-force winds and 4-meter high waves, there was no hope of launching the boats. When they finally did so, they spent the next ten days battling against force 5-6 winds, before arriving at the town of Turgutreis, exhausted but relieved.

Fighting tempests in a kayak laden with 100 kilos of equipment
The 5.20-meter-long, handmade KLEPPER folding kayaks consist of a wooden frame, covered with a rubber shell and a cotton covering. In favourable winds, small sails can be used to aid progress. The kayaks are stable enough to withstand the rigors of the sea, but it's not all smooth sailing. Once, when they were near the Romanian Black Sea resort of Constanza a strong headwind came up. Interlocking concrete blocks demarcate Constanza harbour. The Ulms' kayaks would have been broken to smithereens if they had come too near. "It took nine and a half hours to travel 4.5 kilometers." "In times like that, you just have to stay calm and keep paddling," says Rainer. Naturally, the Ulms have taken top quality equipment with them. All gear is carried in the kayaks. The tent, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, stoves, and clothing add up to over 100 kilos.

Feeling like one of the great explorers
The second part of their journey is practically all by sea, and the Ulms will be navigating with compass, chart and GPS technology. Paddling over the high seas can be dangerous and eerie. "In the middle of the sea you feel as though you're paddling and paddling, but making no headway. After a few hours looking at the same horizon, the silhouette of an island finally appears," says Franziska Ulm, "and then I understand how the great explorers must once have felt."

To read more about their journey, and view the updated itinerary maps, visit: www.ulm-outdoor.de

Text from Franziska and Rainer ULM in the Mammut Katalog 2002