HISTORY OF KAYAKING IN AUGUSTOW.

     Kayaking in Augustow since the 1930's has always been a popular activity, having several lakes on your doorstep and being located at the confluence of two rivers is a ideal place for practising watersports. The history of the kayak in this region dates back to about 1930, nobody knows the exact dates, but the enclosed photographs give an indication of what the boats looked like. They were constructed from wooden materials and up to the 1970's it was still possible to see these kayaks on the local waterways. It must be remembered that a number of folding kayaks were and are still made with a wooden frame , kleppers and Puchs are two of the most famous brands. During the second world war, the frontline changed in Augustow several times, once German and then Russian, one hears stories from older people, that even during this harsh period, there were those who went kayaking but in order to do so you needed a special permit from the military authorities. After the war and with the assistance of the PTTK (Nationwide organisation which promoted outdoor activities) kayaking became an activity for the masses and Augustow was becoming the centre of all this activity. The war destroyed much of Poland's infratsructure and even locks on the Augustow canal were blown up. However the rivers and forests were left in tact, thank goodness that agent orange didnt exist at this stage. Kayaking was a healthy outdoor activity, all one needed was a kayak and a tent. In this post war period, many kayaking pioneers explored new waterways and opened up new routes and so the next stage of development began. One of the most famous routes is the Czarna Hancza river, the source of this river comes from Polands deepest lake (Lake Hancza,108 metres deep), the river is located near the town of Suwalki, which has a specific micro climate, which during the winter makes it one  of the coldest places in Poland but that is compensated by its landscape of rolling hills, dense forest and numerous lakes. The starting point was next to the 17th Century monastery at wigry and so this route became very popular. The PTTK in the early 1950's decided that it would start developing a series of hostels on the banks of this river and these presently exist to the present day. This was very basic acommodation, wooden shacks, an obligatory place for a camp fire, a lage communal kitchen and eating place, what you would call now days an eco toilet and at a later stage communal showers. but it was still more luxurious than a tent. These hostels still exist and have a very rich tradition and history and many people came back year after year. They were also located in areas which had a special charm, if you wanted a break from the water then you could go exploring the woods and pick berries and fungi and generally breath the scented air which the pine forests created. This river was seen as the premier river for kayaking, all those sophisticated urbanites from large Polish cities used to descend here for the summer, this included politicians, actors, academics and even the Polish pope kayaked down this route. In his memory the Czarna Hancza route is known as the papal route and you will see signs with the official emblem of the Vatican. But once you were in your boat it was not apparent who you were and where you came from, camaraderie was the most important factor and after a few drinks around the campfire everybody was on the same level, although some were more level than others. It must also be noted as seen on the photographs, that many of the waterways were also used for other purposes and that recreation was not the primary objective. Timber was regularly floated down these waterways, it was the fastest and cheapest method of transportation, timber was a raw material in this region and was important for the local economy. I remember when even in the 1970's tugs were still hauling timber with the men were standing on floating logs and Iam thinking what happens when he falls in. There still exist places along the rivers and canals where there were stopping places so that the man could rest and eat, they are now used as camp sites.

     In the 1980's construction methods for kayaks changed and fibre glass became the norm and this is the next period of developemt, out with the old and in with the new. Local people started manufacturing boats and the kayak was one of the most simple to make, there were advantages to using these materials and many companies sprung up to rent out these boats, they mainly catered for the domestic market. The boats changed but the route was still the same. At this stage one can ask the question, why has there been no mention of the canoe, well basically because it did not exist. Everybody was still using kayaks, which were O.K. but were not ideally suited for this type of environment, they had certain disadvantages, you could not pack a kayak as well as a canoe, also if you capsized, there was always a problem of getting rid of the water and after sitting in a kayak for several hours, there was always a problem with your legs and backside. We decide at the beginning of this new century, that it would be appropriate to introduce the canoe and in conjunction with a local boat building company we helped to design the first canoes to be introduced into this area, we are still finding it difficult to encourage the locals to use canoes but eventually we will get there, we presently have the largest fleet of canoes in this region. Iam hoping that down the line somewhere, somebody will remember who introduced canoes and why and that when we are long gone, people will still be canoeing in this area.

     We are presently entering a new era of canoeing in this area, with Poland's entry into the E.U. more people from the west are coming here to experience something new and also see countries which are off the beaten tourist track, these areas have rarely been visited by travellers from the west. We feel obliged to provide you with a history of this area, this will enhance your experience of paddling along these rivers and waterways and we would also like to bring to your attention that this is a unique environment which needs protection. In this fast developing world of ours there is constant pressure to bulid a road here, to excavate there, to cut down a few thousaad trees, to dry out a meadow. This will eventually destroy many a natural and wildlife habitat and we will be left with very few places where we can experience the true outdoors. Thankfully in this region, there are waterways which are visited by very few people indeed. The mystery of certain areas  has to remain and secrets to be kept.

CANOEING ROUTES

   There are several routes that one can choose from; below I will provide a brief description of the routes that we suggest that you may be interested in.