Half-way between the Black See and the Black Forest: a young Hungarian couple paddle through the Danube against the flow

4/30/21

The mission aims to raise funds for sick children and campaign for clean Hungarian rivers

A young Hungarian couple have undertaken an extraordinary challenge. On 4 March, Klaudia and Richárd started kayaking on the river Danube from the shore of the Black Sea to the Black Forest against the flow, often in heavy headwind and sometimes even in snowstorm. They plan to cross the Hungarian border on 2 May which is nearly half-way on their trip stretching 2,850 kilometres in total.

The pair of experienced kayakers sought a challenge not done by anyone else before. The trip planned to take three months raised several challenges. In the delta of the Danube and at crossings they faced extreme waves and at the beginning of their trip they had to endure unusually cold weather. They sleep in a tent and purchase their own food all way through. Their mission has a noble purpose: they raise funds for Bátor Tábor and the PET Kupa initiative campaigning for clean rivers in Hungary.

Unexpected surprises

“We are only half-way, but we already know that this trip has been worth all the trouble. Although there are fewer people on the water because of COVID, we had a warm reception everywhere. In Serbia, every person we met invited us for coffee or lunch. In Romania, we set camp in a frosty forest where we met a hunter. To our greatest surprise, he returned from his hut with a tank of hot tea and a meal a few hours later”, said Klaudia.

Besides the wonders of fabulous desolate landscapes, the couple often faces unexpected surprises. In early April, they spotted unusual movement on the water. It turned out to be two fighting eagles that fell into the water. Richárd helped them get to the river bank on the nose of his kayak. The video about this adventure shared on their Facebook Page has been watched by several thousands of people from all over the world.

Unforeseen difficulties

It is not easy, cheap or convenient to travel during COVID, but it was all considered when planning the trip. Despite careful preparations, they faced unexpected cold weather in early March. They were not able to paddle 30 kilometres a day as planned because it took several hours in the morning to defrost and dry their clothes frozen during the night. The lowest ebb was the two days in March when they couldn’t progress at all with their fully loaded kayaks of 70-80 kg each against the headwind and windstorm. Sometimes they were covered in snow also in April, but then they were already be able to paddle 8 hours a day which was a great achievement.

They have no boats accompanying them or land support, they can only rely on each other in the open water: “During the trip, deep confidence in one another is of key importance. On the river, we are often several tens of kilometres away from inhabited areas and can rely only on each other in an emergency. We have our mobile phone, of course, charged in the kayaks using solar cells. Our trip is sponsored by Telenor which is of great assistance because it gives us a digital Swiss army knife that can be used anywhere in any country. We use it to check the map, the weather forecast, local regulations, the COVID situation, as well as to update our followers in social media and to keep in touch with our families who let us on this trip with a heavy heart. But thank you, we are fine and hope to see you again in Hungary soon”, said Richárd.