[ Nomination by Patrick Camblin ]
At only 22 Australian Lachie Carracher has already wracked up an impressive amount of international kayaking having spent time on hard rivers in South East Asia, The Himalayas, Central Africa, North America and Europe. After already having been a lead member on two expeditions to the remote Fitzroy River in Australia's Kimberly region, this year Lachie decided to take on the experience alone. After flying in to a remote aboriginal community he traveled through challenging rapids interspersed by large sections of flats and swifts, successfully descending over 400 km of the Fitzroy in 6 days. Aside from the mental challenges and physical dangers posed by solo paddling, this expedition adds the Australian element of crocodile attack, poisonous snakes and spiders and extreme remoteness. The Kimberley region contains arguably the oldest rock art in the world with these images scattered throughout the dramatic gorges of a landscape unchanged by time. Lachie’s Kimberley expeditions have been coupled with environmental groups to protect the Kimberley region from threats of development. For these reasons I add a nomination for Lachie Carrachers Fitzroy solo.
