Kayaking 2,800km Through 10 Countries

Part 1 of the journey from the Black Forest to the Black Sea on the mighty Danube River

- Sam Brenkel

In normal circumstances, kayaking into Donji Milanovac in Serbia would probably be quite pleasant. However, swimming to shore, dragging a kayak that is full of water, in the dark and rain are not ‘normal’ conditions. This is how I arrived, but before we get there, let me take you back to a much happier time, to the source of the Danube River.

The mighty Danube River, 2,800km of water flowing through 10 countries, directly into the heart of Europe can be an intimidating prospect for a novice kayaker. This was the proposition I faced as I stood, kayaked packed, paddle in hand, ready to take on the final stage of my JOG to the Black Sea, completely unprepared for the challenges ahead.

I’m not sure how many people have kayaked the entire length of the Danube, starting at its source in Donaueschingenin, Germany and emptying into the Black Sea in Romania, but I struggle to believe that anyone has attempted it with as little kayaking experience as I. Three practise runs in Scotland the week before starting this journey, one of which was incredibly unsuccessful,were the total of my lifetime kayaking experience. Mostly for my own peace of mind, I concluded, perhaps incorrectly, that all the swimming training that I’d done for my channel attempt would be beneficial for the kayak section as well.

Still, despite my lack of previous experience, I was comforted by the fact that the Danube is by most accounts, a pretty tame river, allowing plenty of time to acclimatize to the rigours of kayaking. It was with this thought in my mind that I set off from Donaueschingen, excited for the adventures ahead. Two falls, one capsize (destroying my passport and lunch in the process), a period of tricky rapids and a 12km stretch of dry riverbed all within the first morning quickly dampened (literally) my excitement.