South Korea

South Korea Expedition 2011
Www.kayakingkorea.com for daily updates

Departure February 15th

This winter Simon is heading off to the East to paddle the coastline of South Korea.  The journey of over 1000km will take roughly 4-6 weeks depending on conditions.  The average temperature is expected to be between -4 to +4 deg C.  Simon will be joined on this expedition by Vaughan Roberts from North Wales and Marin Medak from Slovenia.  The team will be documenting the expedition and hope to gain an insight into the Korean culture and environment along the way.  There is no record of anyone kayaking the length of the coastline before and so they hope to become the first to achieve this challenge.

South Korea occupies the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula, which extends some 680 miles (1,100 km) from the Asian mainland. This mountainous peninsula is flanked by the Yellow Sea to the west, and Sea of Japan (East Sea) to the east. Its southern tip lies on the Korea Strait and the East China Sea.  The expedition will allow the team to explore a fascinating culture and environment.  South Korea can be divided into four general regions: an eastern region of high mountain ranges and narrow coastal plains; a western region of broad coastal plains, river basins, and rolling hills; a southwestern region of mountains and valleys; and a southeastern region dominated by the broad basin of the Nakdong River.  South Korea’s terrain is mostly mountainous, most of which is not arable. Lowlands, located primarily in the west and southeast, constitute only 30% of the total land area.  About three thousand islands, mostly small and uninhabited, lie off the western and southern coasts of South Korea.

You will be able to follow their progress here with daily updates on the expedition.