Lago di Garda Crossing
I have been fascinated by Lake Garda since I was young, I learnt to windsurf there, experimented with alcohol for the first time and had my first experiences with the opposite sex there. That kind of thing naturally leaves its mark and, in addition to being an outstanding spot for wind sports enthusiasts, Lake Garda is definitely one of the best and most versatile training grounds for stand-up paddlers with its incredible conditions on the water and on land.
Crossing and not circumnavigation:
For me personally, it's not really possible to properly circumnavigate a lake on the water, because you always have to take shortcuts and if you were to paddle out of even the smallest bay, you would mutate into the proverbial "mushroom". For me, a circumnavigation therefore only takes place on land, but as I wanted to paddle, this was an impossible task, so I decided on a crossing from the north end (Torbole) to the south end (Peschiera) of the lake and back again. The entry and exit should be the same.
Goal and focus
My aim was to paddle the distance of just over 100 kilometres in daylight. After paddling the longest night on a mini lake in sub-zero temperatures in winter 2015, I turned the tables by about 180 degrees this time, so I chose one of the largest lakes in the middle of summer on the second hottest day of the season with quite challenging wind and wave conditions.
Stand up paddling - from 5.40 am to around 7.20 pm
I set off from Torbole in the morning with a light northerly wind, the wind is blowing southwards at around 10 to 12 knots, light bumps carry me closer to my destination, the speed is usually well over 9 km/h. I'm still in the shade at the start, mentally prepared for a hot day. It's a special feeling paddling all alone here on the lake, the lake is still in the shade at the start, I'm mentally well prepared for a hot day. From Malcesine onwards, I have a boat escort, but I stay away from the boat until the turning point and can paddle all the way to Peschiera. In Peschiera I paddle 53 kilometres in just under 6 hours, which makes me feel very positive. I fill the camel bags with liquid and continue on my way.
The heat is starting to get to me, and I also have a slight crosswind and headwind in combination with a kind of shark tank due to the countless motorboats, some of which are rushing past me quite close and churning up the water. My feet hurt and two or three fingernails are already slightly blue and aching from the constant pressure on the paddle. If there is too much pressure on the fingertip, you create a kind of blood congestion under the fingernail, which I already know from the Holland Race 11 City.
I still have one picture clearly in front of me: A mature gentleman with greying, flowing hair drives past me at full speed in his high-end motorboat made of the highest quality wood; on the deck at the back, two mermaids, not in their prime and very scantily clad, wake me from the light trance that has now set in.
The first problems arise:
After about 8 hours of paddling, I'm slowly running out of steam, my strength is steadily decreasing despite my regular intake of carbohydrates, a break is urgently needed, so off to the edge, briefly placed in the shade up to my hips in the water. Opposite me, an Italian is jumping in circles and blowing his whistle like crazy, apparently he doesn't like the fact that I'm mooring here in the bathing area. Unfortunately, I have to ignore him, I'm not doing anyone any harm and I don't see any other way to take a break, and the hypertensive man is too far away to come near me. Mild headache have been developing for some time, which is quite normal in extremely high temperatures. To avoid overheating and risking sunstroke, I dip my cap into the water every 40 minutes and pour water over my head. With several short breaks, I continue northwards, the fun has now faded into the background and I have to persevere. I struggle along at a moderate pace to Malcesine, where a break is planned. A sugary iced drink at Windsquare in Malcesine breathes life back into me, so I paddle the remaining 11 kilometres with a light southerly wind to Torbole, the sun slowly settles behind the mountains, I can already see the JP flags in Torbole and arrive in the light. I had imagined it would be quite tough, and it was.
Why?
I want to broaden my horizons with such projects and show my inner bastard what is possible when you have a clear goal in mind. However, these projects are not worth so much to me that I risk my life or accept serious damage to my health. So it's important to be clear in your head at all times and to make the decision to quit if necessary. You have to realise that sometimes it is easier to persevere with possible physical harm than to stop because your ego is confronted with failure. It is much more important to know your own ego and keep it under control, as it tends to have delusions of grandeur with the feeling of wanting to live forever, and thus risking your own life.
Next project
My next project takes me to the Upper Adriatic, I want to paddle from Trieste to Venice with a tailwind in a strong bora (north-easterly wind), which is just under 100 kilometres.
The entire tour was organised by tractrac recorded.
To the author and paddler: Peter Bartl