Bridgnorth extreme kayaker prepares for Russian Far East

Harry Turner will be joining the British University Kayak Expedition on its bi-yearly voyage, this year venturing into some of the most challenging waters in the Russian Far East.

The 21-year-old, who is in the third year of his Outdoor Adventure Leadership and Management degree at Worcester University, is the only student to be selected from a university in England.

The expedition takes place every two years and all students at British universities can apply. Harry, a grade five kayaker who also raced nationally in mountain biking, was one of the 20 selected to take part in the rigorous trials, from which he made the seven-strong team.

The seven adventurers will spend up to two months paddling on areas that have not been explored before when they leave for the mountains in June.

Starting in the Sikhote-Alin Mountain Range, the group will head west towards Lake Baikal and the Sayan Mountains, before moving on to the Altai Mountain Range.

Their aim is to map the best routes and produce a guide for other kayakers venturing to the area on how to navigate different stretches of the water and their level of difficulty.

The university student said the problem solving type skills that he is learning on his degree fit well with those he has learnt through the sport.

"It will definitely improve my skills because it will be different types of water," he said.

"In addition to improving my personal kayaking skills, we will have to take on unknown waters and face potential issues of getting to and from the rivers due to the lack of roads in the mountains we are exploring - along with the added dangers of Siberian tigers that live in the Sikhote-Alin Mountains."

Harry took up kayaking after having a go on a family holiday at the age of 12. On his return to Bridgnorth he joined the Canoe Club, where he is still a member today. He has spent the last two summers as an assistant guide for kayaking holidays in Austria and Slovenia.

"A lot of the reason I do it is the adrenaline rush it gives you, but also the places it takes you. I love being outdoors and the scenery in places like Scotland is beautiful.

"There's also so much variety. I can throw myself off a 10 metre waterfall or have rivers in Austria that have huge amounts of volume creating car-sized waves.

"It's not just about power – knowledge of the river and how it works, how the water moves and where to put your paddle in and being fast are key."