Kayak records and paddle feats in general are few and far between when it comes to the winter months, save a handful of annual pursuits across various Arctic channels.
Last week, news of Catalan kayaker Aniol Serrasolses surprised us though, with the world’s highest glacier waterfall drop. Located in the Svalbard archipelago in Norway, the expedition first required a 36-hour sea voyage from Longyearbyen to the Bråsvellbreen glacier. Then, Serrasolses and fellow kayakers David Sodomka, Aleix Salvat, and Mikel Sarasola had an 11km trek across the glacier.
They were greeted by a 20m (65-foot) waterfall, towering before them, flanked by walls of ice. They named the drop “Philip’s ladder.” This is now the biggest-ever recorded descent of a glacial waterfall.
Watch the ‘World’s Highest Glacier Waterfall Drop’
About Aniol Serrasolses & What’s Next
The 32-year-old Serrasolses, from Spain, completed the drop on August 8, 2023. “It’s hard to find the words to explain this feeling,” he said. “It’s like kayaking on another planet. Without a doubt, it’s the most unique kayak I’ve ever done in my life.”
Aniol Serrasolses may not be as well-known — outside of kayak circles at least — a name as Dane Jackson, who has also paddled plenty of 30-plus-meter waterfalls in his day, setting records. Though, Serrasolses’ feat is the first one known to successfully make a drop off ice of this size.
Thankfully, Red Bull was there to document everything for us. And, if you like what you see, Red Bull and Serrasolses have a documentary already in the works, following a couple of other of the kayakers’ ice waterfall attempts. Look for it soon on Red Bull TV.
