DataArt Team Conquers Corsica Rivers
July 08, 2005
Two DataArt's developers returned from a thrilling trip to Corsica. Peter Malkin and Alexander Marakhovsky are passionate kayakers, as they proved again during a tremendous whitewater rafting experience in the homeland of Napoleon.
Says Peter Malkin: "Imagine brilliantly beaming rays of the sun; the emerald-green water roaring down from 40 feet above and whirling into a snow-white foam, lizards crawling along the pendent rocks - and us, holding our breath as we look down the waterfall, getting ready to jump…"
The island of Corsica stuns you with its ancient cities, flowing mountains, the tranquil sea, and picturesque villages with wineries and museums.. But our DataArt adventurers choose the extremes. In 10 days they managed to paddle five rivers of class 5. There aren't that many people in Russia capable of navigating such rafts.
Corsica's rivers are remarkable for their large drops - with long rock-slides and thin water flowing over; with waterfalls cascading one after another - all several meters high.
The rafters have surmounted a number of obstacles, which might be quite ordinary for professional kayakers, but sound wild for an ordinary person. Jumping waterfalls, passing rapids and rock-slides, they gradually moved to the sea, where the whole team obtained a brilliant chance to sunbathe on the shore and to indulge in the wonders of Corsica's cuisine.
Says Alexander Marakhovskiy: "I'd love to come back to this kayaker's paradise - to travel down the rivers we didn't have time to reach and to "catch the water"! These extreme activities help us clear the thinking and relax the mind. When we get back to work, we are full or energy and new ideas."
"We plan to participate in Adrenaline Race 2005 - a contest bringing together top kayaking teams from Russia, USA, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand."
