The Aleutian Islands may be the birthplace of kayaking, but they’re not a hot destination for modern-day paddlers. Giant waves, unpredictable weather, and an abundance of treacherous passes make navigation difficult for boats of any size. But the adventure - and danger - are motivators for two kayakers trying to paddle the length of the Aleutian Chain.

It’s snowing in Unalaska’s small boat harbor as Keirron Tastagh and George Shaw stuff the last few dry bags into their sleek blue and yellow sea kayaks. They’ve been waiting for this moment for years.

“Another five-ten minutes, we’ll be underway.”

Tastagh is surprised to find everything fits.

“I thought it’d be a triage here and we’d be throwing stuff out," he says. "Certainly my camera’s the first in there and food’s last."

Jokes like that make it hard to take the duo seriously. They’re from the Isle of Man – a tiny island nation between the UK and Ireland - but their dry, self-effacing sense of humor is characteristically British. In fact, their whole attitude is extremely understated. As they pack their kayaks alone on the docks, Shaw plays down the grueling journey ahead.

"We’ve heard it’s like the tropics the further you go down, so we’re expecting it to get a lot warmer, is that right?”

At 33, Tastagh is the younger of the pair, but also the more experienced kayaker. Shaw only started paddling three years ago, after going on a trip with Tastagh’s guiding company. But Shaw says he’s ready for the challenge of a 400-mile paddle to Adak, the first stop on a trip that could eventually take the kayakers to Russia.

“I’m very prepared for it. I’ve been thinking about it for the last two years, so it’s great that we’re getting to the point where we’re actually leaving.”

As the two shimmy into their matching drysuits, Shaw struggles a bit with the tight latex collar, pulling it away from his throat as his face turns beet red.

“We've been eating quite a bit, so both of us are heavier than what we normally are. So by the end of it we should have lost a few stone - look good for the ladies.”

They’ve packed a month’s worth of food into the kayaks, but Tastagh has a fishing pole as well, in case the trip to Adak takes longer than expected.

“That is the fishing pole. [laughs] A very, very short one, custom-made by my brother, who owns a fishing shop in the Isle of Man. I think we should do okay.”

Not having enough food is just one of many, many things that could go wrong on the trip. In our brief conversation, hypothermia and head injuries come up more than once. The two are carrying emergency equipment, including a satellite phone and locator beacon, but Shaw says using them is an absolute last resort.

“You just got to be very sensible in things and don’t make rash decisions. We’ve got plenty of time, if we don’t reach our target, we don’t reach the target. There’s a few open crossings that are going to be fairly daunting, but if we have to sit and wait three or four days for the weather to be right, then we sit and wait three or four days.”

He’s been told countless times the trip is impossible, but the naysayers just make him more determined.

“The fishermen have given us not much confidence at all" Shaw says. "They think we’re mad what we’re doing, so we’re going to prove them wrong. Yeah.”

If Shaw and Tastagh make it to Adak, they’ll have accomplished a first for modern times. Whether they push on to Russia depends on how things go in this first segment of the journey. They're both hopeful - they’ve already shipped gear to Adak for a resupply - but there are hundreds of miles of turbulent waters ahead and some smaller, more immediate challenges.

“Potentially when we get in, there’s a possibility we might fall in, because we haven’t been in a kayak for a while. It always happens when you try and look cool, you end up tipping in. So, uh, look away.”

There are few moments when it looks like Shaw just might capsize, but in the end both paddlers get situated in their kayaks without incident. And then, with no fanfare and only the faintest splash of paddles dipping into the water, they’re off. 

You can follow the paddlers’ journey at horrendousexperiences.blogspot.com.