Teacher to make a splash

British adventurer and former St Christopher's School teacher Mark Evans is set to paddle around Bahrain in a kayak next month.

The geography teacher who teaches at a school in Oman will circumnavigate the island in a five-metre kayak over the course of six days.

Mr Evans, 46, said: "It's great to be back in Bahrain and I am really looking forward to it. It should be a fantastic few days."

Mr Evans, who is also a motivational speaker and a seasoned Arctic adventurer, from Shropshire, will set out at 6am each day from a designated launch point.

He will paddle for roughly eights hours before coming ashore and hosting daily talks with local school children and students.

The exact course of the expedition has yet to be decided and safety and security logistics are being worked out with the coastguard.

The challenge, which will take place from April 11 to 16 and is sponsored by AXA Insurance is the third of its kind in the Gulf.

In 2004, Mr Evans completed a solo kayak expedition around the coastline of Oman and in 2007 he paddled around the coast of Qatar.

Dubbed the 'Be Life Confident Challenge,' the expeditions raised awareness and funds for tourism and local charities. The charity that will benefit from the Bahrain leg of the challenge has yet to be decided.

Mr Evans said: "I am really excited about doing this. The main challenge is the planning, and working out the route I will take. But once I'm out there it's just a matter of enjoying myself and if the weather is reasonable there should be no problems. The biggest danger is putting a hole in the boat."

He added: "Anyone who goes out into the sea in a small boat will know that you don't try and beat the sea but live with it."

Mr Evans will carry all his food and supplies with him in the kayak.

On his past expeditions he relied on the knowledge of local fishermen.

"There is great camaraderie on the water," he explained. "Fishermen offer you fish and are very curious about the kayak. In Oman, the fishermen showed me secure places to land and their knowledge helped me to get around the coast."

Mr Evans has been leading expeditions to remote locations around the world for more than 20 years. At 16 he spent six weeks in the Arctic, and to date has spent more than two years living in a tent in the Arctic in conditions of minus 37 degrees.

The adventurer taught in Bahrain from 1992 to 1996, during which time he climbed Iran's highest mountain and parachuted on skis across 530km of ice in Greenland in an expedition part-sponsored by Bahrain Duty Free and the Bahrain Tourism Board.

His expeditions have also inspired scores of young people to achieve their potential.

Last year he completed a camel crossing of Sharqiya Sands in Oman with a team of 15 young people from six nations and three continents to promote inter-cultural dialogue.

He said: "I love being outdoors and I love the synergy between the sea, the desert and the ice. When you are out there you can feel like the only person in the world and it takes a huge sensory readjustment. It's a fantastic feeling."