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Autumn is here, nights are drawing in, leaves are changing colour and starting to fall - a sure sign that the Serpent's Tail Slalom approaches. This event always attracts helpers year after year because it is such an enjoyable weekend. Beautiful scenery, a course that is challenging to paddle, good vantage points for spectating and a sociable curry on Saturday night for those who want to join in. See Pete King's article for times and other details. Many thanks to everyone who sent in articles and write ups. It is much appreciated. I have been paddling once since the last newsletter at the club site. I was on the bottom pool, my dog was hitching a ride across the river on my spray deck. We hit the big swirl at the bottom of the main flow, I leant one way, the dog jumped the other and ... I had to roll. Still, it's good practice! See you around - Mike.
First the good news followed by more good news and hopefully even more. Tim is back so you will soon be back to the leadership that you asked for/want/deserve although he will have to spend some time sorting whatever mess I've left behind as I hastily disappear for the next 3 weeks.
The Lottery bid is grinding steadily on and I honestly am beginning to feel that if we don't trip over some last minute horror that we just haven't spotted then we will get a grant. I've stepped back from this, basically since the bid was submitted, and Dave Higson is fighting his way through a bunch of questions and requests for minor changes together with a request for more detailed drawings than the bid documentation asked for.
Meanwhile on the site we have continued to add gabions so that the old "bog bend" line is just about complete. By the time you get this newsletter, darkness will be encroaching on the evenings so that on Tuesday evenings we will soon be resorting to floodlighting. For safety reasons the Goyt under floodlights is not for beginners and the lit sections tend to get used for slalom practice. If there is sufficient demand and those asking are prepared to put out and take in lights we could arrange for the bottom pool to be used for gate practice and the middle for more general paddling. As above I shall carefully be out of the way for the next few weeks so talk to someone else. There has slowly been a build up of Sunday morning paddling for beginners and indeed anyone else who dropped in.
Helen is experimenting with slalom classes on alternate Saturday afternoons. If early sessions prove popular we will try to extend this.
Being labelled by many as a slalom person, I am looking forward to the onset of winter and having some water in the rivers to make tours enjoyable. At the same time the usual warning is due. If you've never paddled anywhere but the Goyt site when it's low, please don't rush off to try it when the water is halfway up to the path unless you have someone with you who is used to paddling at this level.
A last word to congratulate the slalomists who did well last weekend, if Paul has done his post event work as well as the on the day bits you'll find the results elsewhere.
So now you've come to the end of the good bits. The bad news is that despite continuing to discuss it right up to ten days ago we are restricted to an hour at Hazel Grove baths.
Arrangements will be much the same as last year at the start with organised courses sharing the water with casual attenders. Not great for anyone but its a lot better than nothing.
Standing in for Tim went on longer than either of us expected. There's only two things to say. First how good it is to see him looking well and secondly to thank the members- especially committee members- who have made life easier for me by picking up all sorts of tasks that I have thrown their way and some that they have just got on with unasked.
9th December. After the AGM there will be a party; one of the few purely social occasions at which you can discover what some of the other 200 members look like - and what those you already know, dress in away from the river bank. A chance for the youngsters and oldsters to let their hair down. More details in the next Newsletter but mark the date now.
Venue: Bunkhouse/chalet accommodation contact the organiser for details. As the last 5 trips to Scotland, "the wettest part of the UK", have been at best dry and at worst - 10°C and still dry, and we're bored with the norm, we have decided to find some new rivers to play on. So "Scary Scotland becomes "Wild Wet Wales", "Get the willies on Welsh water" or "Terrifying Taffy Tribs"!
As there's so many to choose from, here's just a few which might get done; Tywi, Upper Wye, Martet, Usk, Twrch, Clyedog, Claerwen, Irfon. Some are dam released so there should be some water. If not, then there's the Rhidol and surfing.
We aim to paddle at Grade 4/5 and always with a hangover. You will need a basketful of adrenaline and a large capacity for beer. A few maps and the Welsh river guide might be handy, not to mention mobile phones so we all arrive at the top of the same river. For further information contact The Webmaster
| Senior Men | 1st Run | 2nd Run | Best | Points | ||||
| - | Time | Pen | Total | Time | Pen | Total | ||
| Rob Watson | 115 | - | 115 | 113 | 5 | 118 | 115 | 20 |
| Matthew Sykes | 117 | 5 | 122 | 115 | - | 115 | 115 | 19 |
| Tim Meyrick | 109 | 50 | 159 | 118 | - | 118 | 118 | 18 |
| Phil Heald | 124 | 5 | 129 | 126 | - | 126 | 126 | 17 |
| Ashley Dack | 134 | 5 | 139 | 128 | - | 128 | 128 | 16 |
| Paul Henighan(G) | 155 | 10 | 165 | 146 | 5 | 151 | 151 | - |
| Veterans | ||||||||
| Paul Kelly | 121 | - | 121 | 121 | - | 121 | 121 | 20 |
| Dave Sykes | 122 | - | 122 | 121 | - | 121 | 121 | 19 |
| Dave Bradshaw | 121 | 5 | 126 | 120 | 5 | 125 | 125 | 18 |
| Paul Newman | 134 | - | 134 | - | - | - | 134 | 17 |
| Pete King | 140 | - | 140 | 143 | - | - | 140 | 16 |
| Roy Bradshaw | 149 | 10 | 159 | 151 | 5 | 156 | 156 | 15 |
| Phil Pearson | 160 | 10 | 170 | 152 | 5 | 157 | 157 | 14 |
| Junior Men | ||||||||
| Michael Wiltshire(G) | 136 | - | 136 | 138 | 10 | 148 | 136 | - |
| Cadets | ||||||||
| Mark Jones (G) | 126 | - | 126 | 129 | - | 129 | 126 | - |
| Benjamin | ||||||||
| Nathan Stevenson | 146 | - | 146 | 137 | - | 137 | 137 | 20 |
| Bryan Sykes | 171 | 10 | 181 | 163 | 5 | 168 | 168 | 19 |
| Timothy Aldridge | 170 | 15 | 185 | 177 | - | 177 | 177 | 18 |
| Nick Whitham (G) | 185 | 5 | 190 | 179 | 10 | 189 | 189 | - |
| Alex Bent (G) | Caps | - | - | 213 | 35 | 248 | 248 | - |
| Minime | ||||||||
| Alex Jones (G) | 141 | - | 141 | 139 | 5 | 144 | 141 | - |
| Robert Bryne (G) | 159 | 5 | 184 | 159 | 25 | 184 | 184 | - |
| Steve Mollon (G) | 153 | 70 | 223 | 147 | 5 | 152 | 152 | - |
| Jonathan Aldridge | 202 | 15 | 217 | 193 | 5 | 198 | 198 | 20 |
| Poussin | ||||||||
| Geoff Wells | 189 | 20 | 209 | 191 | 10 | 201 | 201 | 20 |
| Stewart Sykes | 314 | 245 | 559 | 618 | 210 | 826 | 559 | 19 |
| Junior Ladies | ||||||||
| Sally Eland (G) | 139 | 5 | 144 | 135 | 5 | 140 | 140 | - |
| Hayley Newman | 142 | 5 | 147 | 145 | 10 | 155 | 147 | 20 |
| Lucy EIand(G) | 148 | - | 148 | 152 | - | 152 | 148 | - |
| Donna Platt | 184 | 10 | 174 | 167 | 10 | 171 | 174 | 19 |
| Rachael Smith(G) | 174 | 5 | 119 | 111 | 15 | 186 | 179 | - |
| Ruth Wells | 187 | 15 | 202 | 179 | 10 | 189 | 189 | 18 |
| Poulette | ||||||||
| Kay Bradshaw | 195 | 10 | 205 | 210 | 10 | 220 | 205 | 20 |
| Suzanne Arnold | 244 | 35 | 279 | 267 | 25 | 292 | 219 | 19 | Jamie-Anne Gilmour (G) | 503 | 300 | 803 | 596 | 240 | 836 | 803 | - |
| C1 | ||||||||
| Paul Webb | 128 | 5 | 133 | 126 | - | 128 | 126 | 20 |
| Sally Eland | 153 | - | 153 | 150 | 5 | 155 | 153 | - |
| Phil Pearson | 246 | - | 248 | 227 | 15 | 242 | 242 | 19 |
| C2 | ||||||||
| Webb/Stevenson | 161 | 20 | 181 | 165 | 10 | 175 | 176 | 20 |
| Sykes/Sykes | 194 | 10 | 204 | - | - | - | 204 | 19 | Bradshaw.K/Heald.C | 323 | 90 | 413 | caps | - | - | 413 | 18 |
(G) guest paddler.
I grew up on the coast of Maine, the sea was in my blood as a child, so after all of two hours sea kayaking experience, I booked a five day course at Plas y Brenin. (Pre-course reading included Sea Kayak Navigation by Franco Ferrero - see below.) "We're too old not to be doing the things we want to."
Day 0: Arrived early to find my planned long walk towards Snowdon washed out by pouring rain. So I had a short walk, then explored the impressive sprawling premises and well-stocked bar, and read the notice boards. There would be eight courses in progress through the week, comprising about 60 assorted walkers and climbers, and four paddlers.
Day 1: "Little Dave" and "Big Dave", Rachel and myself met up after breakfast with our instructor Leo. The others were fitter, more confident, and had much more all-round outdoor experience than I; my advantages were years of dinghy sailing on the sea 30 years ago, and hours of coaching on the Goyt from the excellent lads at Brookbank. We took the sea boats out on the lake for a couple of hours to get used to them - and they take some getting used to after a river boat, being superb at going a long way in a straight line, and seemingly impossible to turn. The low cloud and heavy rain bothered us not at all, but we spared a thought for the walkers and climbers. Allegedly in the exact spot for the best possible view of the Snowdon Horseshoe, we did have a good view of a Chinook helicopter using us for a prolonged training exercise in low-level kayak spotting.
We then took the boats into the indoor canoe pool to practice capsizes and rescues. My attempts to rescue Rachel mainly ended in falling in myself, but the Daves got carried away doing Eskimo rescues (of which more shortly), and had to be dragged out of the pool for dinner (which was plentiful and very good).
Day 2: Time to get onto the sea. Change of instructor, as Leo was at home with the flu, after spending most of the weekend in the water, teaching rescue techniques to our very own Ros and Dave. Chris took us over to Rhoscolyn Bay, where the southerly wind would blow us back onshore, and we practiced technique in the sheltered inner bay before nosing out through a narrow gap into a choppy, windy, confused mass of Irish Sea. Big Dave promptly fell in several times, and was Eskimo-rescued each time by Little Dave. Rachel was sea-sick. I hid behind a rock gibbering in terror. After a while Chris decided it would be more useful to retreat back into the bay, and by the end of the afternoon we were all scooting around happily on a light swell, feeling pleased with ourselves. We missed PyB's lavish 5pm tea. We were also beaten to "our" drying room by some 30 walkers and climbers who had again been out in pouring rain all day.
Day 3, and our third instructor: Franco Ferrero, PyB's head of canoeing (see above - "the god himself", as a fellow MCC paddler put it later). This was our longest paddle, running north on the tide from the Menai Bridge to the lighthouse overlooking Puffin Island, about 12k in almost five hours, including a short break for lunch and many pauses to admire the bird life. The weather had lifted, we were all starting to get the hang of it and relax enough to appreciate where we were and really enjoy it.
Days 4 and 5 were an "expedition", led by Franco. We went west with the tide along the north coast of Anglesey, but with a moderate offshore wind, we had to hug the coast, working against back eddies most of the way, from Point Lynas to an impressive ruined brickworks at Porth Wen where we camped. The others were asleep by 10pm, but I stood watching the full moon rise across the bay, through a band of cloud up into clear sky, until the calm high tide seemed to shine more brightly than the moon itself, the whole bay like a giant bowl of pure light At midnight I walked back to the beach and carried my boat down to the water; but after a long minute or two, common sense prevailed, and I carried it back up and went to sleep. By morning the wind had dropped, so we headed out towards Middle Mouse and turned to catch the main tidal stream eastwards, a mile or so offshore. The eddyline was interesting. I briefly reverted to gibbering in terror, which Franco gracefully turned into an instructive demonstration of short-towing rescue technique (bear in mind that an eddyline on the sea can be a hundred metres wide, and genuinely "interesting"). We were back at Llaneilian all too quickly, and spent another hour or two playing follow-my-leader through tiny gaps between the rocks, backing into sea caves, being investigated by a seal, and learning more towing and rescue techniques, before the tide turned outwards and we had to come off the water.
Then there was the anti-climax of getting home. This included a final pint in the bar, distracted from a superb view of Snowdon (at last!) by England winning a test match on the second day (or was it the other way around?), before negotiating the PyB shuffle-bus, three severely crowded trains, and a taxi driven by a rabid angler, carrying two heavy bags full of wet kit, and a paddle. Actually I recommend carrying a paddle on a crowded train - the extra space you get is worth the sarky comments.
Overall the whole thing was excellent. The course was well balanced between technical training and touring, the instructors were first rate, the PyB kit is high standard (I'll take less of my own next time), the accommodation is comfortable, the food (all freshly made there, even the bread) is excellent, and there's a choice of good beers in the bar. (No, they're not paying me to write this!) So what have I learned? That sea swell really does only go up and down, not sideways. That you edge a sea boat out, onto the paddle, in a sweep stroke turn. That the best way to turn a sea boat is simply to edge it, and it will curve - slowly, but you have all the space on the sea to turn in. That working with the sea and the tide is tuning into some of the strongest forces you can ever meet, and is an extraordinary privilege. That, wearing a sea kayak, you can go magical places where no-one else easily can, as remote from your normal world as a distant planet, but better, because the sea is so fundamental, primeval, essential to this planet. "Make time to play, while there's still time."
This is a fun event involving participants in 3 activities - combining canoeing, running and mountain biking with orienteering and drinking. Individuals complete the 3 stages of the event carrying a 500 ml can of beer, lager or cider. Under 18s have a soft drink option. Your can should be presented full at the finish but must be consumed before the clock stops.
Team entries must carry the can and hand it baton style to their next team mate then be consumed at the finish by their mountain bike competitor.
The event starts and finishes at Brabyns Park. Your bike and boat must be at the start. Leave your bike in your car or under the eye of the starter. Team events should have a runner waiting at the club site just after the start time.
On registration participants will receive a black and white map showing the route and location of the orienteering points. Itís up to participants to navigate the course and collect the orienteering points.
A £2.00 entry fee per competitor is payable to cover the cost of the event (£3.00 on the day).
Maximum entries 50 - any surplus will be donated to MCC boat fund. Advanced entries can be obtained from the organiser. Please send a cheque for £2.00 payable to Mr R A Lord and a stamped self addressed envelope to Angus Lord, 9 Trafalgar Close, Poynton, Cheshire, SK12 1RY.
Event entries on the day must be in 30 minutes before the start.
1 hour 45 minutes - 4 hours.
Brabyns Park - Club Site collecting orienteering points en route.
Club Site - Brabyns Park collecting orienteering points en route.
Brabyns Park - Strines - Fox Inn - Brabyns Park collecting orienteering points en route.
Present full can of beverage at finish and consume before the clock stops!
Please contact the organiser if you can help
We'd been six hours in the water already and we were cold - shuddering with a mind-numbing, bone-cracking cold. It was summertime too, with summertime weather and summertime water levels. In winter this would have been unthinkable.
"Are you all right, Ros?" said our saviour compassionately. "You're getting that grey look about you. Don't worry - we'll have you out of there soon". His next words struck an icy chill.
"We've got time for one more exercise. Stopper rescues. Who's going first?" Why? I winced ruefully (and not for the first time that weekend). Why am I here? Why am I doing this?
A few weeks before, three friends had been out on the river Goyt. The Goyt was in flood and one paddler had become pinned in a tree. It had taken a good 20 minutes to free them from the tree's clutches but all three people stayed calm and did what they could. The least experienced paddler had wisely stayed in an eddy whilst the other had helped the pinned friend. In the end, thankfully, all was well.
Despite not having been on that trip, the story had made quite an impact with me. Suppose things had not gone so well? Picturing myself as one of the party, I wondered what I could have done to help. (Ever had that blank, dumb, helpless feeling before?). Like the others, I had no rescue knowledge, experience or gear. The fact is, I just didn't know. Like the friends having the 20- minute epic, I suppose I would have done my best and hoped it would all turn out right. Well, it was time to get clued up. For me, the answer lay in a hands-on safety and rescue course, with prolonged wet sessions and plenty of full-on rescues. And here I was, flopping once more into the river Dee, this time to fling myself into a grippy little stopper, and surf it until rescued. The course was Swift Water Rescue - Level 1. An American company, Rescue 3 International, initially devised the 3-day course for the benefit of professional rescue services and river rafters. This was because of all the people that drown in river rescue situations, a third of them are the rescuers themselves.
Altogether there were three people on our course. My partner Dave, an outdoor instructor called Steve and myself. Steve's claim to fame is that his arm appears in an advertisement. Nobly it rises from the foaming waters of the Dee, holding a paddle as though it were the sword Excalibur. Cor! We were lucky - a student/instructor ratio of 3:1 was a definite bonus - plenty of time for us all to practice everything and go for a paddle afterwards. The course was held at Mile End Mill, Llangollen over a Friday, Saturday and Sunday. And we were staying over - perfect! Well, the course was fantastic and absolutely action-packed. Our incredibly capable instructor, Leo, would gamely set himself up as the victim for many hands-on rescue situations. He was very patient and would explain everything thoroughly, making sure that we had all understood before he moved on to the next topic.
On most of the activities we had to work as a team - a challenging prospect for three people who are all used to taking the lead in their normal line of work. One of our many tasks was to rescue a "pinned" Leo, who was lying face down and "helpless", from a tricky point in the river Dee. We were allowed two throw bags and three karabiners between the three of us. Taking turns at being the person in charge, variously we messed up and "drowned" our victim. Each time we got it wrong there was a lengthy debrief, after which Leo would assume a different entrapment position in the river, so as not to make it easier the next time round. Finally we got it right, but only when Leo used another cunning training ploy to inject a sense of excitement and urgency to the scene. Behaving distressingly like a genuine victim, he started screaming loudly and convincingly. And he kept this up until he'd been conveyed safely to the bank (which we did in double-quick time I can tell you). What a racket. Personally I don't think Leo was acting - he'd been in the water for ages and his dry suit was leaking. Time for lunch.
This next bit was an official part of the course, so it had to be covered. "Effecting a rescue using a river board". A river board is like a body board with handles, an American concept I think, which might explain a lot. It was a sunny Saturday afternoon and every play spot was stiff with kayakers, paddles and rafts. To more effectively manoeuvre our river boards in the water we had to wear special garments. And what a display we made on the bank, kitted out in flippers and webbed gloves, the visors of our baseball caps coyly peeking from beneath our safety helmets. "Quack, quack" snickered a couple of wags as we flapped and shuffled through the crowd to get to the water. "Ooh look, it's Flipper", quipped another. Turning with dignity to one of the jokesters, I explained our grave and important mission. But for some reason this only made it worse and as a result we had to plop into the water to a veritable cacophony of jeers and taunting. But then, by heck! We showed them.
A river board may not be the best thing for a canoeist to use when rescuing people but they are brilliant for playing in holes! The laughs turned to gasps of envy as we smoothly and effortlessly surfed the big stopper at the bottom of Mile End Mill. Fun time. We were cool. Amongst other things we covered were: Learning different methods for safely crossing moving water; using a single throw line to rescue one, then two people from swiftly flowing water (another activity we had to practice - as rescuer AND victim - until we got it right); victim recovery, boat recovery, effective use of basic gear such as throw ropes, karabiners and prussic loops. In fact, a lot.
There were one or two light moments. Like the time Steve and I were perched on a rock whilst Dave crossed over the river to us on a tensioned diagonal (line stretched diagonally across a river - the force of the current helps people to cross). I'd had my turn and suggested hanging on to Steve to add stability as Dave came over. Concentrating hard and unable, at the time, to locate the words for "safety harness", Steve substituted the term "special equipment" and asked me to hang on to that instead. I laughed so much I nearly fell off the rock, but really, you had to be there. Well, the course has done wonders for my confidence both in and out of the water. And you get an internationally recognised qualification at the end, so it's a useful stepping-stone for those who are climbing the kayak/canoe-coaching ladder.
To be honest, the time to think about safety and rescue training is not when you are desperately trying to fish a terrified and drowning person out of a stopper. It is now, before it happens. If you haven't had any safety and rescue training yet - seriously, think about it. Ask me now what I would do if, whilst out touring, one of the party was in trouble or a boat needed recovering, and I can tell you this. I would not feel helpless and inadequate. I would feel competent to assess the situation from an informed perspective and try to effect a rescue. I would not put myself or anyone else in unnecessary danger. I will have appropriate rescue gear with me and I will know how to use it.
P.S. Mark Burch at Brookbank is thinking of running some 1-day safety and rescue courses aimed specifically for kayakers/canoeists. Any grade II+ paddlers out there interested for 1st October? I know I am. Phone 0161 474 1499 with your name, phone number/email address and we'll get back to you with some info.
P.P.S. Some special equipment will be used but sorry, no river boards.
Re-open for sessions on September 24th. Prices as last year but may have to be increased due to increased charges that we pay. Mark will be running a variety of courses, the first starting on October 1st. The bad news (so you didn't read the Chat!) is that we have only been able to book an hour from 7.30 to 8.30. We can still have early access to pay, change, get boats in/down. We are asked to please get away as soon as possible so that the staff can do any cleaning necessary and shut up by 9.00pm. We have one lifeguard qualified to SMBC requirements and one trained but when last heard not yet tested. If anyone would like to try this I am sure that Peter Wells would be happy to tell you what is involved. Mark (0161 474 1499) is still looking for people to help teaching at the Baths. He would like to establish a rota so that he knows that there will be someone there each week rather than 4 willing helpers one week and none the next. Finally Helen Fotheringham has taken over arranging for Baths "duty officers rota".
A Division 2 Slalom run by Manchester on the River DEE near the Chain Bridge Hotel, Llangollen. A beautiful site, spectacular canoeing & varied employment for all, paddlers and non-paddlers.
In other words we need your help!
October 20th course erection starting 1Oam. Chance to paddle once its up October 21st Practice and Open event
October 22nd Div 2 and Judges event. Course removal
Come for a day or the weekend. Camping at Vale Crucis (about 1/2 a mile away) or other Llangollen sites. Accommodation at Chain Bridge or cheaper rooms for up to 4 at Woodlands Hotel. There's always the Youth Hostel.
Division A WW race at Llangollen starting below the Horseshoe Falls. We need help particularly on the water during the race for rescue. Also the odd First Aider. For your Pains an opportunity to have a paddle.
The last Quinzaine event for 2000. From Trafford Water Sports Centre (Sale Water Park) to Ashton on Mersey Cricket Club.
For the Under 16's a short race will be available qualifying them for end of year results (qualify by competing in 3 events one of which must be a race and one a slalom). Further details from the organiser (01663 746690). Come and try a race for a change - remember there are 2 Wavehoppers available - book early.
Other things being equal Peter King will lead a tour down the course on Saturday 25th November. Meet at 1.30pm to ferry cars, paddle at 2.00pm from 'The Jacksons Boat' pub about 1/4 mile above the race start. Please let me know if you want to come. It's a change from the Goyt and there will be time to play rather than blast down. On Previous year's experience the water levels will change radically between Saturday and Sunday but it's still nice to have a look at the river before racing.
27th - 29th October 2000
Angus Lord
Venue: Bunkhouse accommodation
Contact The Webmaster for details.This is an opportunity to paddle the rivers of the borders, the Nith and the Esk (grades 2 to 4). Harder sections can be portaged. There is also the option to paddle other border rivers if they are up.
Although a fun weekend, the emphasis will be on developing river running skills and improving safety techniques. This is not a formal course but an opportunity to learn from fellow paddlers to develop a safer, more practical approach to river running which will hopefully reduce the pile ups and subsequent carnage in stoppers that sometimes occurs.
3 Saturday Afternoons - 1.30 to 3.30 pm
on Saturday 16th September
Saturday 30th September
and Saturday 14th October
It's every other Saturday, so you can practice on the Saturdays in between (or go shopping)! You need to have some moving water skills. You don't need to have a slalom boat or even want to enter a slalom - the aim is to teach the skills used in slalom such as getting tight breakouts which can be useful for other types of paddling such as river running.
You need to book in advance - so I can ensure there are enough instructors. I am aiming for a ratio of 1 instructor to a maximum of 5 pupils. If you're available to instruct, on one or all the dates please also contact me - Helen Fotheringham.
We had a full car for the trip up to Tully this year. I was racing in Division 1 K1, Ashley Dack and Nathan Stevenson were in the Division 2 K1, and Tom was in the Division 2 C1 (pot hunting again). Travelling up on his own was Robert Watson who was racing in the Division 1 K1 class. Hazel Scaife was also there paddling in the Div 2 K1W class, up there with her Mum and Dad. The trip up was quite eventful, with Nathan throwing up all the way, blaming it all on a Tesco pastie. We arrived in pitch darkness at 11.30 to erect our tent. Mary and Ian Carlisle were already there, and had put up Tom's tent earlier in the day.
I was awoken by somebody's alarm in a nearby tent at 6.30. "They're keen" I thought, "it's a long time since I've heard anyone get up at that time of the morning for a paddle". I couldn't get back to sleep, so got up to make a coffee. It was a nice morning, so I relaxed reading a book in the sunshine. Tom and Ash had gone to chat to some friends nearby, and when they came back they said that the practice runs started at 8.00. I was convinced they were just winding me up, but got a nasty surprise when I discovered that I had only about twenty minutes to get on the water. Trust the Scots to get us all up at a ridiculous time.
The water was not at bog low Summer levels, and so they were able to put up an interesting course. Gate one was a nice S gate, which could gain or lose you a fair bit of time. The gates on the main fall were a downstream followed by a breakout on the right, and a breakout further down on the left. These were quite hard to hit tight, and again this part of the course rewarded the more skillful paddler. There followed a typical mix of staggers and tight breakouts down the middle section of the river, leading down the left hand side of the island. Naturally they had a few gates on the flat section before the bridge. These were arranged as a big stagger as usual, so that the poor paddler had to work hard at the end of the course, as any relaxation would mean a considerable loss of time.
My first run was OK, assisted by the blind judges who missed three touches. To be fair, the river is very wide, and the judges are positioned quite a distance from the action. Furthermore, every touch was very light, and as I felt myself hit each gate I thought "I bet I get away with that". Rob Watson was just behind me, by dint of hitting one gate, as he was a second faster. On the second runs we both improved, but I just managed to hold onto my lead.
In division 2, Nathan was quite fast, his training really showing through, and he managed fourth place overall, and winning the J14 trophy. Ashley finished a lot further down the order, his lack of experience of different courses letting him down. Tom and Hazel showed how they should really be paddling in Division 1, Tom by winning the C1 race, and Hazel finishing well in the ladies. I can't remember exactly where, and we haven't had the results yet.
On Saturday night we all went our separate ways. Nathan went into Aberfeldy with his friend from the England training sessions, Alec Jones, for a meal. Ashley and Tom stayed at Grandtully. I had brought my Prozone with me, and went down to Stanley Weir with another Division 1 paddler, Steven Weir, who had brought along his Foreplay. We had a nice hour or so on the wave which was about a couple of feet high, smooth in the middle, with a broken section on the right, and a nice shoulder on the left. Vertical moves were not really on, as the wave was not very retentive, and this also made it essential to place your spins and blunts properly to avoid falling off the wave. When it went well it was very satisfying though. We also had a little old school session, doing pop outs and pirouettes, and finally as we were paddling back to the car park, Steve tried to teach me the flat water cartwheel, a skill I still haven't mastered.
On the way back to Grandtully we stopped at a village called Bankfoot for something to eat. We saw a Pizza sign above a door, and decided to give it a try. Just inside the door was an Apple Mac, and there were four tables, the largest of which was occupied by the owners who had friends calling in throughout the evening. It was just like eating in someone's living room. The computer was there as he was also offering an Internet service.
Finally we made it back to the Grandtully Hotel to have couple of drinks with Tom, Rob and Ash before retiring to our tents.
Sunday's course was generally shorter, and suited the faster paddler, with less tight breakouts and a generally more open course. This is not to say it was easy though. In particular there was a stagger move on the main drop that caught a lot of people out, and the stagger in the middle section was also quite tricky, offering a number of alternative methods of tackling it. This was less suitable for me, and I struggled to get a good run in, never really being satisfied with either of my runs. I just managed to hold off Rob again though, so it wasn't a total disaster.
In division 2 Nathan's first run was the fastest of the day, but he was unlucky to miss a gate on the main drop. He was clear otherwise, and would have won. His second run was an even greater disaster. He had got as far as the island where there was a breakout, next to a gap in the rock. A current flowed though the gap, and he was unfortunate enough to get taken though with it, thereby missing a load of gates. Ashley did not manage to put together a good run either, and they finished last and second to last. Both showed that this is not a situation that will continue very much longer though. Hazel put in a very tidy first run, giving her a good lead in the ladies event. She was unable to improve on her second run, and so was waiting by the results screen as the rest of the results were posted, but no-one managed to beat her first run. This was enough for Hazel to be promoted back into division 1. Tom paddled well, but was not quite fast enough to hold on to the first place he had on Saturday, finishing second, and so has to go to another event to get his promotion.
We stayed for prize giving of course, with a few pots to pick up, and then took down the tent, just in time, as a thunder storm broke as we packed up the car, and we all had to get changed once inside the car. On the drive home, the left hand side of the bumper on my car started waving around, as I had damaged it a few weeks earlier, and not managed to get it fixed. Out with the canoe tape to stick it back on, and we made it home.
The year isn't yet over but with the last Mini and Marple Div 3/4 just over this seems a good time to look at some success. I am now going to upset all those who don't get a mention so apologies to them - its just creeping amnesia not ill-will. The club has come second in both the Interclub events entered. What's more the people who went have had increasing enjoyment and I am sure that they will go on to do both the club and themselves credit. These Interclub events (the last this year is on October 7/8 at Middleton-on-Tees) allow any number of paddlers from the club to enter rather than a selected team. As there is a team event which scores heavily we need at least 3 people in each Division as well as anyone who fancies their chance in a Cl or C2. The emphasis is on paddlers in the lower divisions which is ideal for newcomers.
Quite separately there is also the Interclub Cup which we are qualified to enter as one of 2 teams from the NW which happened September 9/10th at Cardington for which we took one paddler in each Division.
At the Marple 3/4 event last weekend we had a splendid set of results in Div 4 with Jonathan and Geoff 2nd and 3rd, Caroline and Ruth 1st and 2nd, Nathan taking a break from kayaks, 1st C1 and paddling with Alex (not MCC) 1st C2. All were promoted to Div 3. Which means that we have a shortage of Div 4 paddlers and would love to see some to train over the winter, after which we will be looking for another crop as they get promoted! Bring your friends. The numbers at this event are steadily increasing after going down from over 150. We would like to see more Manchester members there (including helpers).
One of our problems is encouraging paddlers to compete. They usually think that they aren't good enough (remember you start competing against other beginners in Div 4 so compare yourself with them rather than the Div 1 and Premier paddlers who look good on Tuesday evenings). Come and learn how to play on the gates. Tuesdays will be dark soon so weekends will be better. Helen is already organising some Saturday afternoon sessions (see above) and we will organise more through the winter. Lastly if you want to help I'm sure you'll find tucked away somewhere in the Newsletter a plea for assistance at the Tail on October 20th for course erection event on 21st/22nd, if not contact Dave Bradshaw.
Venue: Glenridding Outdoor Centre, Patterdale, Cumbria
Join us for a "Toys R Us" weekend of Pepsi Max style madness or activities at your own pace! Walking - the centre's location give excellent opportunity to access the entire Helvelyn range with other Lakeland fells a stone's throw away, and should there be snow loads of sledging and easy winter climbing too.
Mountain Biking - from easy to advanced there's something to suit. Canoeing - the Eden and Greta are within easy reach and offer Grade 2 to 3 paddling and there's tons of becks to main line if there's loads of water. Eating/drinking - as in previous years, a mass meal eating feast is on the cards and a short walk downhill lies the hostelries of Patterdale and Glenridding with plenty of opportunity to drink so much as to forget the walk back!
The Centre is equipped with cooking facilities but small pots/pans would be useful. dormitory style sleeping and a drying room afford the outdoor enthusiast with the necessities for a top time. And for the less adventurous a large open fire awaits in the common room after a hard days gear buying in the fleece/cag Mecca otherwise known as Ambleside, just over the Kirkstone pass. Cost: Easy Jet style - the earlier you book, the less you pay. Phone Angus now to book your place - £5.00 per person deposit. Contact Angus for further details on 01625 858980.
Well it's that time of year again. The series final of the PeakUK Whitewater Challenge will take place on 23/24 September 2000 at Holme Pierrepont, Nottingham in conjunction with the BCU Paddlefest weekend.
Events will be the usual entertaining mass start downriver, freestyle competition and extreme slalom. Prizes will be for each event in Nottingham and then all points from each of the series (Tees Side, Tryweryn and Holme Pierrepont) will be totalled to give us a Junior, Lady and Open 2000 Series winner with some awesome prizes on offer. Don't forget the usual "spot prizes" for entertaining the judges and embarrassing yourself.
The event starts on Saturday 23 September, with registration from 8.30 am on site. The first event will begin around 10.30am. This year the final seems pretty popular so make sure you register early or send in your entry to us at PeakUK. Please note the entry fee is £20 (not £15 as on the entry form) per paddler, this includes a T-shirt and of course party entry.
As well as the PeakUK Whitewater Challenge Series Final, this years event coincides with the 10th Birthday of PEAKUK. To celebrate we are holding a Y1OPQK party at the Rugby Club (next to the Peak Factory Shop) on the evening of Friday 22 September and we are inviting all competitors. The theme for the party this challenge is "Punks, Skinheads and Mods" so hunt out those ripped jeans, safety pins and fish tail parkers. There's prizes in store for the best dressed crazy kids. So try and come up early and join in the fun.
Paddlefest Party will be held on Saturday night and all competitors are invited to this as well. That's what I call value for money! What a weekend!!
Well, hopefully we'll see you on Friday night or early Saturday morning. Any queries give us a call at Peak HQ here in Matlock.
Peak UK Kayaking Co Ltd. Harveydale Quarry, Dale Road, Matlock, Derbyshire DE4 3PP. Tel: 01629 581222, Fax: 01629 581333 sue@peakuk.com.New Training Courses Calendar for the Winter Season at Brookbank. Call Mark Burch on 0161 474 1499 for full details.
Contact The Webmaster for contact phone numbers or more details
Wednesday Evening tours - as the light goes, Wednesday evening activities change to curry evenings, bowling etc. Phone Geoff Pelham or Lynda Waterhouse to find out what is happening that week.