"Far better it is to dare mighty things, than rank with those poor timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat"
Kendal Judo Club
"Far better it is to dare mighty things, than rank with those poor timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat"
Kendal Judo Club
Isle of Man Youth Expedition to Vancouver Island in summer 2002.
Four weeks of wild camping, 30 students, nine kayaking and hiking mini-expeditions plus community projects, rafts of sea otters, bear cub encounters, and a lot of adventures… Humpback whale photo by John Walpole
Organised by Lesley Sleight, Keirron Tastagh was one of the Expedition Leaders.
Youth Scholarship Expedition to Norway in summer 2003.
Three weeks of wild camping, whilst kayaking the mighty Sognefjord from Vik to Sula (and back again), hiking the Jotunheimen including Galdhøpiggen and Glittertind summits, crevasse exploration on the Folgefonna Glacier.
Led by Keirron Tastagh, Keri Tastagh, Jan Starheim
Isle of Man Youth Expedition to Ontario in summer 2004.
Four weeks of wild camping, 2 teams completing separate canoeing and hiking mini-expeditions including the Ogoki river and Wabakimi Park, plus a combined community project making a new canoe portage trail.
Teams led by Keirron Tastagh and Lesley Sleight.
Youth Scholarship Expedition to Norway in summer 2005.
Three weeks of wild camping, whilst kayaking the mighty Sognefjord from Vik to Sula (and back again), hiking the Jotunheimen including Galdhøpiggen and Glittertind summits, sport rock climbing, crevasse exploration on the Folgefonna Glacier.
Led by Keirron Tastagh, Keri Tastagh, Jukka Linnonmaa, Jan Starheim
Record Circumnavigation of Vancouver Island in May 2007.
700 nautical miles in 19 and a half days, in a bright pink tandem kayak for Breakthrough Breast Cancer. The kayakers Keirron Tastagh and Jeff Norville had never met before embarking on their self-sufficient epic paddle!
Ahead of previous times (26 days for a tandem and 28 days for a solo kayak), and enjoying breath-taking wildlife along the way, the pair also raised over £1000 for charity.
Youth Scholarship Expedition to Vancouver Island in summer 2007.
Three weeks of wild camping, whilst kayaking around Cape Scott, hiking in Strathcona National Park, encounters with bears, sea otters, whales, sea lions… and a community project through Body Boat Blade International on Orcas Isle.
Led by Keirron Tastagh, Les and Diane Urich
Youth Scholarship Expedition to Norway in summer 2009.
Three weeks of wild camping and incessant rain, whilst kayaking the mighty Sognefjord from Vik to Sula (and back again), encounters with porpoise, hiking the Jotunheimen including Glittertind summit, rock climbing (sport routes) near Bergen.
Led by Keirron Tastagh, John Keggin, Eva-Lotta Backman-Winquist
Sea Kayaking along the Aleutian Islands chain in May 2012.
The un-supported duo: sponsored athlete Keirron Tastagh and his long term student (at that time), set a new record in sea kayaking, completing the furthest paddle West from Dutch Harbor on Unalaska to Herbert Island – the last of the ‘Islands of the Four Mountains’. Completing a sea otter survey along the way.
The Aleutian’s (between Alaska and Siberia) had just endured their harshest winter for 20 years!
A highly technical and challenging trip, involving real risk in a remote location, during three weeks with maximum exposure to the elements.
Youth Scholarship Expedition to Vancouver Island in summer 2012.
Three weeks of wild camping (and wild conditions), whilst kayaking around Cape Scott, hiking in Strathcona National Park, bears, whales, gales, sea lions, a lot of snow…
Led by Sam Murphy and Becca Goodson
Youth Scholarship Expedition to Vancouver Island in summer 2014.
Three weeks of wild camping, whilst kayaking around Cape Scott, Orca’s rubbing on the beach below camp, hiking in Strathcona National Park including Mount Tom Taylor summit. Bears, whales, sea lions…
Led by Keirron Tastagh and Keri Tastagh
Self-sufficient sea kayaking around Ireland in 2015 for a time!
Aiming to break the existing time of 28 days for paddling the Irish coastline, in a standard touring kayak, carrying all provisions. Focus was on raising funds for the RNLI. Beginning with the crossing from the Isle of Man to Strangford Lough, before journeying clockwise…
12 days later, after a real education delivered by the elements, the trip stopped at Baltimore (the south west tip of Ireland).
Youth Scholarship Expedition to Vancouver Island in summer 2016.
Three weeks of wild camping, whilst kayaking around Cape Scott and the Queen Charlotte Strait, hiking in Strathcona National Park, swimming in glacial lakes and whale watching.
Led by Keirron Tastagh, Janet Taylor, Emma Thompson
Youth Scholarship Expedition to Tromso, Norway in summer 2019.
Journeying in sea kayaks, wild camping whilst exploring the outer Islands, from chaotic winds and heavy rain to absolute calm in the fjords, hiking to the Hollendaren Glacier, catching and cooking fish, washing in glacial rivers, eagles, porpoise, sunsets…
Led by Keirron Tastagh and Becky Crease
“…the feeling of vulnerability… the adrenaline… the calm… the exposure… the overpowering presence of raw nature. It’s a living, breathing presence. Its magnitude… its moods…”
“The gentle spatter of rain on the single skin tent is accompanied by the rise and fall of the Northerlie wind, combined with the low background roar of the glacial meltwater river adjacent to our camp – providing a constantly changing melody of the elements and imputting additional data into my already active cognitive process….”
“The rain has developed to a steady assault, and between my boots in the porch I can see a rivelet of rainwater forming a pool beside the main zip…”
“Sitting in my kayak at 5:30am on the glassy fjord just off our camp… Porpoise surface around me letting out sighs of air as they breathe, a mother and her calf rising in unison, another larger adult passing them heading the other way, more surfacing further afield…”
Keirron Tastagh
