Switzerland /Der Schweiz

[NZMatt]

Gudday,
I'm located near Bern and happy to help folks out in starting in C1 or OC1. I have extra equipment to loan if needed and there's some good local rivers to start out on.
Just drop me a line through the forum and we can get together.
Cheers,
Matt

Hoi 'zame,
Ich wohne in der nähe von Bern und wird glücklich du um kanadierfahren zu lernen helfen. Ich habe Gedecktekanadier (C1) und Offenekanadier, plus paddel zu ausliehen wenn du brauchtet. Ich kenn auch gut die einfacher Flüsse in der nähe.
Schickt mich eine nachricht durch dem Forum und wir können etwas abmachen.
Mit freundlichen Grüsse (and excuse my German)
Matt

[savagekevin]

Are you still in Switzerland? I'm hoping to move there this summer and do as much paddling as I can when not in the office.

[NZMatt]

Gudday Savagekevin,

I'm still here at thte moment, but I may be doing a lot of travelling for work over summer, so that part of the year is not yet clear. I can hook you up with folks though, whether I'm here or not.

Where are you going to be based in Switzerland?
Cheers,
Matt

[savagekevin]

Hi Matt,
or gudday, which explains NZMatt I suspect. Thanks for the reply.

I'm looking at a taking a job in Geneva, so not exactly in the middle of the country, but it's not that big a country and seems to have good transport. I even saw somebody taking a canoe on a train there in our UK paddling magasine.

So I'll know in a couple of weeks and then start planning.

Great to hear from you. Just some introductions to other paddlers and pointers on where to go would be great if you're not around.

Cheers,
Kevin

[NZMatt]

Well it's not so big, but because of that a lot of people don't tend to travel far....it's hard to convince many of the locals here that 1.5hrs each way is perfectly reasonable for a day trip...and 3hrs is not out of the question...although I admit I've got lazy too.

There's some good paddling near Geneva, although I don't know that area at all. Closest I've got was the Areuse near Neuchatel, but that is a spring/fall (low water) run only I think. Sounds like a good excuse to explore if I'm around

Otherwise I'll look up info on the local clubs for you and be happy to introduce you to some of the Bernese locals (mainly kayak). What sort of water are you looking for?

Do you speak any French or German?

Cheers
Matt

PS. take my username and add @bluewin.ch for direct contact