Coast to Coast – a 162-mile SUP challenge

Red Equipment believes life’s better by the water – and everyone deserves the chance to enjoy it. So to raise funds for charities caring for UK waters, over the summer of 2026 several Red ambassadors are taking on sponsored multi-day endurance challenges, designed to push them to their limits. 

The first ambassador to take on the challenge was Natasha Sones, who completed a gruelling 162-mile coast-to-coast paddleboarding challenge. Natasha, from Suffolk, followed England’s first Coast-to-Coast Canoe Trail, which stretches from Liverpool in the west to Goole on the Humber Estuary, following the 127-mile Leeds & Liverpool Canal then 35 miles along the Aire & Calder Navigation through Yorkshire.

Launched in 2019, the Canal & River Trust Coast-to-Coast Canoe Trail includes some of the country’s most amazing scenery and feats of engineering along the historic waterway. However, the grand 10-day adventure is not for the faint-hearted – Natasha had to carry her paddleboard around 101 portages, including the 21-lock Wigan Flight and Bingley’s famous Five Rise Staircase, as well as paddle under the summit of the Pennine Hills through a mile-long tunnel at Foulridge, near Colne, in Lancashire.

Natasha, an outdoor adventurer and freelance travel writer, explains: “I have a deep love of all things water and stand-up paddleboarding has completely changed my life. Blue spaces have become somewhere that I can feel free and get close to nature, and since taking up the sport, I have enjoyed paddling in different places and exploring new waterways in the UK.”

Going the distance…

The mum-of-three paddled 16-20 miles a day on a Red 14'0" Sport+ on her epic voyage to raise funds for the Canal & River Trust and Surfers Against Sewage. 

Natasha says: “I decided to paddle across England as a personal challenge and because the Coast-to-Coast Canoe Trail looked amazing. I was really excited about embarking on a multi-day adventure, and paddling for several days, whilst at the same time raising awareness and funds to support the vital work these charities do to create positive change by the water.

“I was so excited to enjoy slowly adventuring along the waterways and to have the great satisfaction of crossing England using human power only. To manage the many portages – carrying my board around the locks – I had been working on strength and conditioning in the gym. I had a training plan from elite SUP racer Emily King. I entered a 25-mile SUP race in April, Race 2 the Castle, to train myself in endurance paddling. This was my longest paddle to date and I completed the race in 8 hours and 15 minutes. I’m so proud to be doing something amazing for the future of our precious waterways!” 

Good company

Natasha paddled with two local paddling friends, Claire and Joseph, and was joined along the way by some other inspiring paddlers for parts of the journey. One was Anu Aladin, another was fellow Red ambassador Jo Moseley, who at the age of 54 was the first woman to ever paddle the trail. 

Jo said: “I was really excited about joining Natasha on her coast-to-coast SUP challenge. I knew a wonderful adventure lay ahead and it was an honour to be invited to be part of it. I knew how much this challenge meant to Natasha and saw how hard she’s trained for it. I couldn’t wait to welcome her to the coast-to-coast club!

“Paddleboarding from Liverpool to Goole in 2019 truly changed my life, personally and creatively. It was the inspiration for my film, Brave Enough, and my first book, Stand Up Paddleboarding in Great Britain. I wanted other people to feel the joy, wonder and beauty of SUP for themselves. Paddling into Skipton, previously my home town, will bring back so many happy memories. This stretch of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal has a very special place in my heart.”

Red ambassador Gee Jackson previously completed the route in a stunning five days.

How did it go?

Having completed the challenge, Natasha told us: “It was an amazing experience, but also one of the hardest things I have ever done.

“There were several highs for me; just knowing how far I was capable of paddling made me really happy and I also had a real laugh with my paddling friends. Even when we were pushing all the boards uphill for two miles at the Wigan Flight of 21 locks. It was great to have Anu and Jo along to paddle with us, which cheered my spirits. The scenery was varied and beautiful, taking us from city to countryside with rolling hills. 

“Another high was dramatically rescuing a deer on our last day. The poor creature was swimming around, trying to get out of the navigation’s high sides. We eventually managed to herd it to the side with our paddleboards, whilst some canal boaters hauled it out with a rope. I was so thankful we managed to save it as it was getting tired and distressed. 

“There were several new paddling experiences for me, such as going through two tunnels, including the mile-long Foulridge Tunnel with our head torches. I found it a bit creepy and was glad when we were out! We also paddled over a road, which was not something I’d done before. 

“The lows were the sheer physical exhaustion of the trip. Although I had trained, I had underestimated just how exhausting it would be with the distance and portaging. The 101 portages were an absolute killer, particularly the 21-lock Wigan Flight and Bingley’s famous Five Rise Staircase. We lost kayak wheels and two of our party went into the canal – including me! We also had to get past locked gates with fully loaded boards which had to be lifted over, Uber drivers who drove off when they saw all our kit, and general grumpiness with each other from being fatigued. I’m not ashamed to admit I was in tears a couple of times and wanted to go home. Talking to Claire and Joseph helped – and we worked together to make it a team effort to finish the trip. They were kind enough to let me have a bit of time to regroup when I was feeling poorly and overwhelmed. 

“We also encountered several feisty swans, one of which flew at us and nearly knocked Claire off her board. Joseph and Claire are very good at flanking me whenever we have a ‘code white’ situation. I also put my paddle above my head to make myself bigger. 

“Overall though, I’m so proud to have raised just under £700 for Canal & River Trust for the coast-to-coast paddle.”

Encouraging others

The beauty of this challenge is that the route is very well documented, with detailed information to help you plan. It was Jo Moseley who said that, as far as she is aware, at the time of writing only 12 people have crossed it in full in one trip. More people have climbed Everest or swum the Channel! 

Natasha says: “I really wanted to encourage paddlers to explore our beautiful waterways in the UK. If I can do this, anyone can! It’s hugely important to raise awareness of environmental issues too, such as plastic pollution, invasive animal and plant species, and protecting native aquatic wildlife. I was litter-picking as I went, taking part in Paddle UK’s Big Paddle Cleanup too.”

For more details about how you could experience your own cross-country adventure, visit the Canal & River Trust Coast-to-Coast Canoe Trail page.

Fundraising

Each Red ambassador is fundraising for charities that protect, maintain and improve our blue spaces. Natasha says: “I was fundraising for Canal & River Trust as I feel it is so important to ensure that everyone has a space where they can relax and escape to, such as canals and rivers. During the challenge, I was lucky enough to meet with Emma Fielding, Community Roots Engagement Co-ordinator at the Canal & River Trust office at Rosegrove in Burnley. 

“Emma introduced me to some of their volunteers. Teaching paddling to members of the community is just one of the local projects they do. They have canoes, paddleboards and sit-on kayaks for people to try. We also met Rob Langdon, Engagement Officer for Canal & River Trust Sefton in the North West. Rob and his gang of volunteers had been out in canoes picking up a huge amount of litter.

“We were also fundraising for marine conservation charity Surfers Against Sewage, who campaign for cleaner oceans, rivers and lakes, and against sewage and plastic pollution.”

To support the Red ambassadors, visit their team page at www.justgiving.com/team/redambassadors

To support Natasha’s fundraiser for the Canal & River Trust, visit www.justgiving.com/page/coasttocoastpaddle

Follow Natasha’s adventures on Instagram @Natashastarseeker