Newsletter 118 Winter 2007 04

8/14/2019 Newsletter 118 Winter 2007 04

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Newsletter118

Autumn 2007 / 04Web: www.marlowcanoeclub.org.uk

Email: [email protected]

Marlow Canoe Club New sletter Page 1 W inter 2007 / 04

EDITIORS PIECE

What with one thing and another it'sbeen a busy old year. They just seemto get shorter and shorter the more youget used to them. This will be my 15thnewsletter and I was thinking of callingit a day, but it's a bit short notice so I'lldo another year, at least, if you'll letme. It could do with moving on,perhaps someone with better PC skills

than me (shouldn't be too hard to find)might be interested.One of the committee is leaving thoughso perhaps the ladies at the club wouldlike to think about a new ladies rep. toreplace Debs. I've thrown a few wordstogether that I hope do her justice andmaybe now she's freed herself from thecommittee she will be able to enjoy anoccasional casual paddle with us on aSunday.Ken Greene isn't leaving though. Afteran exhausting session at the pool hebooked on a KAYAKOJACKO rollingcourse. What did he think about it -the answers inside.Early September I booked on a L2K

assessment. But what was it like.Read about how I viewed the courseand follow on to my first CoachingForum. It might be that futurenewsletters will feature these forumsand maybe able to offer explanationsfor the way certain coaching practicesare arrived at.

Andy Maxted, true to his word, put AlpsPT.2 together for us. Read how the

team faired as the week progressed.There is a new canoe show next year. A short description and a link areenclosed to help you find out moreabout this. For those not interested inall the other things the 'Outdoor Show'

WH ATS IN THIS ISSUE

Editors Piece 1

Debs Hardy 2

Rock an' Roll 2L2K Assessment 4

Coaching Forum 6

Eight go to the Alps - Part 2 7

Canoe expo 11

Holme Pierrepont 11

New Retailer 13

AGM NOTIFICATION 14What's on and other events 15

Committee / Contacts etc. 16

Denial ain't just a river in EgyptMark Tw ain (1835 - 1910)


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has to offer this could be a winner.Holme Pierrepont - it's a long way away. Is it worth the trip? A few of theWW types have made a few visitsrecently so they think it is. Read whatthe President has to say about thecourse, some 'new' features, and hisgeneral musings.

And finally, the AGM. Usual venue,usual time, but with added nibbles.Come along and have a chat, a bite toeat, and most importantly a beer beforethe main event starts. For those thattravel further, or are just plain hungry,full meals are available from the bar.

A very merry Christmas, and a happy

new year to all our readers. Justremember I'm now taking copy for thenext issue, due around March 2008.

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In future issues I'm hoping to include a few little pieces about those members who have done a 'bit' for the club and for whatever reason are just standing

back a little. Not necessarily committee members but anyone who has done that little bit extra that helps the club run smoothly. I'm starting off with Debs Hardy who has found it increasingly difficult to combine the time she would like to devote to the club with her professional responsibilities.

DEBS HARDY I remember Deb's first coming to theclub some years back. We had ahandful of people from Bucks Universityaround that time but so far as I'maware Debs is the only one that hasstayed.For a short while I was able to doalmost everything better than Debs. butit was a painfully short while as it soonbecame clear that Debs and kayaks

were made for each other. A series of star tests and a Kayakojacko course inScotland determined Debs' paddlingpath. Arriving at a very full Hell hole onmy first Wye & Usk trip, Andy Maxtedgot us all out to inspect the feature. Allexcept one. Debs remained in her boatand when I asked her if she wascoming to look with the rest of us allshe said was 'Read it and run it'. Andrun it she did. I've always rememberedthat line, a seminal moment perhaps,because Debs has just gone on and on.Let's hope she continues to do so,some of the time (at least) with theclub.

And should we talk her into doing a fewD.O. stints, don't mess her about.There's a fierce voice hidden within thatpetite frame.

Debs on the Dart - 2006 I think!

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HOW I SWAPPED MY FAVOURITE ROLL FROM A SWISS ROLL TO A SCREWROLL

Ever since first starting at the club inMay Ive been wanting to learn to rollso I could be more confident in tryingnew strokes and get a bit moreadventurous. The thought of capsizing

didnt really bother me it was morethe hassle and time spent swimming,


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getting out, draining the boat, gettingback in soaking wet etc. that put me off risking a capsize.I was glad to be accompanied by Johnand Rob Norris to the Gurnell pool inmy first attempt at learning to roll.

After some basic theory we started withsome hip flick practice and afterrealising where my hips were and howto flick them, I donned my nose clipand goggles and we moved on to thereal thing. I would certainlyrecommend the goggles and clip asspending the next hour underwaterwith them would have been quiteuncomfortable otherwise. Although

having these basic pieces of equipmentdid mean I had lost my usual bestexcuse of blaming the lack of properkit.

And to cut a long story short I didspend the next hour upside down andalthough I got close on a couple of occasions it was not to be. John andRob were fantastically patient and triedlots of different approaches but it was a

drive home listening to some slightlymiserable music that night.I was not put off though and decided tobook a KayakoJacko Intro to rolling session the next week at the notinconsiderable price of 25, again atthe Gurnell pool.We spent some time sat in a puddle onthe pool side imagining being upsidedown and going through the strokes with some inspired questions frommyself and the other 3 on the course such as so which way up are we now.We then got into the kayaks andpracticed the Eskimo rescue (pullingyourself up on the bow of someoneelses boat) and after a few goes I waschosen to go first for a roll. With achance to think through John and Robsadvice over the last week I was feelingquietly confident but that evaporatedwhen I got a final glance of all eyes

focused on me as I rolled over. Ispent a good few seconds getting intoposition and mentally rehearsing themove and then went for it and the nextsecond I was sitting up in the boat witha huge grin on my face. Initialthoughts of WOW! Excellent! etc. soongave way to what the hell did I doright that time?. It was definitely all todo with technique and nothing to dowith strength. I was like a kid with anew toy and rolled constantly for thenext 45 minutes trying to work outexactly what made it seem so easy andI still dont really know. I certainlydidnt think it was anything to do with a

hip flick but apparently I had a prettygood hip flick confusing eh?Of course learning in the nice warm,clean pool, with goggles is one thing could I pull the same trick in the coldThames with my eyes closed (so as tokeep my contact lenses in). With thisin mind I practised a load of rolls witheyes closed and with the paddle invarious positions, rather than already

set-up. At first it went a bit backwards as Irealised I was getting into the startposition by sight, but by paying realattention to the exact position and thenclosing my eyes I just had time to do aload of eyes-shut rolls before thesession finished. It was definitelyupbeat music on the car stereo on theway home and it was a very satisfyingfeeling.The final moment of truth was my first

river roll outside the club-house acouple of weeks ago with Rob ready fora rescue and this all went well Rock n Roll!

KEN GREENE SEPT 2007

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L2K ASSESSMENT

Training out of the way, we wereadvised that Riverside were running anassessment on the 8th September. Tobe in with a chance we needed to actupon the advice given on the C2 format the end of our training. For me, thatcomprised 2x 1* courses (one of thosebeing the new 1* award) and a smallamount of work on a club 2*. Needingmore, I approached Riverside whoallowed me to take on a session whilstthe scheduled coach sat back andmonitored me. The monitor advisedme to step away a little, give more timefor the paddlers to learn forthemselves, otherwise pretty much O.K.With this in mind I decided to book onthe assessment. I finished work earlyon Friday so treated myself to a fewnew toys and made sure my kit was upto spec. I also took the opportunity tolook around the area the assessmentwould take place on and finished with apaddle on the Cherwell, up to the

'Angel & Greyhound' meadow. At 80.00, assessment is not cheap -but I guess the coach's coach has gotto eat. Not content with courseregistration fees, the BCU is in thereagain with a request (more of ademand) for 17.50 up front (just incase you fail and take umbrage). I'mminded to think that the Sherriff of Nottingham is alive and well and

residing at HQ.Saturday dawned misty, with a lighthigh cloud above. Ideal for the dayahead. I met my fellow aspirant L2K coaches for tea / coffee / cakes and alittle light hearted banter. A short talk with Rob Yates (head of centre) andRoger Wiltshire (course director) set usat ease. A total of 13 stooges had beenarranged comprising mostly of peopleon a Riverside 'try it' event, the odd 1*and a few experienced paddlers. All

good stooges, but the sidewinder topssuggested these boys new a trick ortwo.Once all had arrived Roger set the toneand handed over to us wannabe's.Introducing ourselves, we immediatelydropped off by asking for details of medical conditions to the group ratherthan asking to see such casesindividually and in private. Time to kiteverybody out. A very reasonable arrayof kit was available for us to use, but Ihad to dive into my personal kit for aglasses retainer, and a cag that lookedlike a sack on the wearer, but wasbetter than anything else I could find.

It's a bit of a logistical nightmare, buteventually we got all 14 sorted. Therealways was going to be 14, butsneaking in no. 14 was part of theassessment. A quick warm up and itwas time to get on the water.The coaches were split into two. 3went off with Rob for 3* and beyondstroke practise whilst 2 took half thestooges. I paired up with Roger to take

the rest. The paddle upstream was alittle nervous for me. This is thenarrowest part of the navigable Thameswith more than its fair share of overhanging trees on one bank.Between the trees and the oppositebank were two other rowing clubs,Falcon rowing and canoe club, and themotorised stuff. Despite my initial fearsI got my group to a point where Iconsidered it safe to cross the river. Ithought it clear and started to take twoacross, but a launch appeared fromnowhere. An instant decision allowedme to take two across and get themrafted whilst I instructed the others toowait with Roger.Hinksey Pool is an old swimming areasculptured out of one of the riversmany backwaters. It provides asquared off area in which to practisealmost anything. Time to coach the


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candidates. Considering the timeavailable to us and the need to get back to the centre I decided to coach thebeginnings of good forward andbackward paddling with forward andreverse sweeps. To finish, we wouldhave a game of 'tag' hopefullyemploying the new found skills. Iplanned to deliver all my teachingsusing the I.D.E.A.S. delivery model. Allwent surprisingly well, with theexception of one of the older paddlerswho was having trouble with mostthings. I lent him my paddle and thiswas of much assistance to him. Comethe game and he even managed a few

tags. During the whole session Rogerhad remained, almost imperceptibly, inthe background.Time for a change. The other coachestook on the coaching duties whilst wewent with Rob for our 3* and beyondpractise. Basically this was fine tuningof your 3* strokes and advice oncombining a few strokes together foradditional effect. It was about

extending your capabilities, pushing theboat over further before calling on yoursupport strokes. Finish a bow rudderwith a sweep to enhance your turn.Returning to Riverside saw us allworking as one team as boats and kitwere stored, and we made sureeveryone was safe. I asked one or twowhat they had thought of the sessionand all gave it a thumb's up. One ortwo were brave enough to admit it wasa little more difficult than theyexpected.The afternoon was for towing, rollingand rescues. I did O.K. My roll wasover and up again - I was a bitconcerned with all that dead weight inthe back but I needn't have worried.My rescues seemed pretty effective aswell, it's a long time since I've done apaddle presentation but my teacherstaught me well. Finally the kit check.

Was it all in order after a thoroughdunking? I'd read all the infopreviously sent and double checked thecoaching handbook. Bang on! I hadthe lot right down to a little vial of meths to clean the surface the ducttape might be required to stick on.While Roger & Rob went away todiscuss the pro's and con's of ourindividual performances we enjoyedcoffee & cakes + 20 questions whichwere designed to ensure we were notcompletely ignorant of some of thewider aspects of paddlesport.Finally the time came to find outwhether we were good enough. We all

get an interview with Roger & Rob. Iwas last in as I always seemed to besomewhere else when 'next' was called.I only managed to confirm with oneother how he had fared but as helooked as happy as a pig in **** wordswere hardly needed.'Have a seat' - Congratulations; and ahand shake. I was on cloud nine. Ittook a minute or two to realise there

was more to it than that as Roger & Rob chuntered on about this and thatand it all slowly began to make senseas I returned to the real world.So, was it all worth it? I can't pretendit's been easy for me. Some willremember back to the time when itseemed as though I'd never get a boatto go straight. But it all came togethergradually and the L1K courtesy of AndyMaxted and the 3* (TT, JP, PC, & DG)suggested more was possible. It mustbe said, that whenever I've asked for itadditional coaching has nearly alwaysbeen available and freely given. Alongthe way, many have thrown theirtwopenny worth in and often more andI'd like to thank them all. Now it's myturn to try and help you achieve yourbest.

JOHN NORRIS SEPT 2007


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COACHING FORUM & OTHER THOUGHTS

I went to my first coaching forum theother night, well, me and Rob, and 'ElPresidente'. Other known faces therewere Adrian C, Andy M, Big Dave (akaScarface) and Gerry Wright. I didn'teven know Gerry was a coach, butseeing as how he's got one of everything stored in the club I supposeit was obvious.Tonight's session, held at Longridge,was to explain the changes in coachingthe new BCU 2* award. The eveningstarts with tea or coffee and a lucky dipin the biscuit barrel. If you're lucky youget a crunchy one, if notBucks LCO Paul Sutton tried to call astart to the meeting but the impressionI got was that some of the coachesmight not have seen one another sincethe previous forum.Eventually though, Paul did get thingsunderway. With the ever watchfulalways listening Andy M in a spritelike

posture by his side the differencesbetween old and new were brieflytouched upon before a riverside lecturesupported by a no. of paddlers on thewater.In short the 'old' two star test was atest. A test of your ability to perform ano. of strokes to a required standard,leaving you to practice how and whenyou might use these strokes, possibly

with further coach guidance should yourequest it.The new two star 'award' differs in thatthe coaches will coach a no. of strokesand methods to enable you to completea series of tasks specified in the awarddocumentation (now available from theBCU website). It's up to the candidateto decide, and completion of the tasksto the assessors satisfaction shouldresult in you obtaining your new 2*

AWARD.

There was, perhaps, 30 or so of usthere and we split into two groups.Paul, in his infinite wisdom (or crassstupidity) numbered us all 1,2,1,2,1,2and so on. It doesn't work Paul. Itnever has and it never will. I've spentages in the past trying to sort cubscouts out in similar fashion A,B,A,B,A,Band wondered why they could not do it.I still don't know but if the 'grown ups'can't do it, at least the cubs have gotan excuse.

Anyway, us 1's (or was it 2's) went tothe pontoon to see a demonstrationwith Paul. One of the tasks required of the new award is to turn your kayak

into a confined space and to reverseout again. Sounds a bit heavy, but a lotof people do this already, choosing toget in and out of their boats by theedge of the graveyard. Or, as ourchairman described it, M.C.C. membersare able to benefit from a pre-designedfeature. The turning manoeuvre couldbe achieved a no. of ways and manywere demonstrated from bow rudders

to outside edging. A few moreexercises and a little more chatcompleted Paul's lecture and us 2's (orwas it 1's) went to see Andy M deliversomething similar for the open canoe.Whilst Andy delivered his theory, someof what he talked about wasdemonstrated by some very capableopen boat paddlers.Unlike the new 1* award in whichcandidates are introduced to both kayak and canoe the new 2* award requiresthat both disciplines are activelycoached and that both boats are usedfor the assessment. Why? You mightwell ask. Well, it's been proven thatintroducing a variety of craft at theearly stages of one's paddling careerwill produce a fundamentally betterpaddler.I'm sure the paddling gods have gotthis right, and when we ran a 1* award


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at the beginning of September, twocandidates chose to do the assessmentin a canoe. But more questioned whywe didn't concentrate solely on thekayak.I tried to think of some analogies, andkept thinking Rugby (Union & League).The two games are pretty far apart incontent, yet similar in aim, so that oneteam tries to carry the ellipticallyshaped ball to the end of the opponentshalf. I can't see Marlow RFC taking aday trip to Wigan or vice versa. So Imentioned this to Andy Maxted, whosethinking has given me cause forthought. Back to the Rugby. Each

code teaches certain skills that arecommon to both such as ball handling,passing, catching and running. Someplayers switch codes and these basicsstand them in good stead for their newgame. Now think of using canoestrokes in a kayak (which is exactlywhat I did in my L2K training). It's notinconceivable for a WW paddler to loseor damage part of their paddle. A J-

stroke, (familiar to all canoeists) can beadapted quite easily for use in a kayak.I hope this goes some way toexplaining current thinking.There is a lot going for the new awardsand I'm warming to the task ahead. Ineed to brush up on my canoe skillsand ensure I can do (well) what I'mhoping to coach others to do.Fortunately we have some quality openboaters in the club on whom I can call.This time next year we'll all knowwhether it turned out fine.The clubs coaches will be delivering thenew syllabi next year, and TimTwitchen will be hard at work throughout the winter deciding how.Suppose you cannot see yourself inboth boats - no matter how desirablethe intention. The option exists for youto go for a 3* award in a specificdiscipline. 3* syllabi are available from

the BCU website in WW, Open, Sea,and Surf, with flatwater to followshortly. But I strongly recommendacquiring a broad base of skills prior toany specialisation. It's bound to beuseful one day.The next coaching forum is in March2008 at Longridge where the topic fordiscussion will be the new 'paddlesport'awards. I suppose I'd better go. Imight get lucky at the biscuit tin.

JOHN NORRIS SEPT 2007

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EIGHT GO TO THE ALPS PART 2

The ground was soaked, there werepools of water everywhere. My tent hadleaked. But it was sunny and bright andthere was a frisson of excitement as webrewed coffee, breakfasted oncroissants and pain au chocolate andstarted making plans for the new day.

This was Tuesday, Day 4, but despiteyesterdays trials [see Part 1 in lastissue] we werent ready for a rest dayyet. However, after the nights rain wewerent exactly up with the early birdseither so a local paddle it was. Wewere camped on the banks of theGyronde which looked attractive. Theguidebook mentioned a Grade 5 stretchbelow the bridge at the campsite

entrance and, mindful that discretion isthe better part of valour, agreed to puton below this. The morning waswearing on as we organised our shuttleleaving cars at the get out just belowthe Argentire slalom site, this didnonetheless have the advantage of giving the sun the chance to melt alittle more of the snow high above us tobring the levels up.


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Paul Crichton takes a drop in the Gyronde Gorge

Id been shuttling while Paul C and Fazscouted for the best get-in. I returnedto find Paul C waiting for me with thenews that Faz and the rest of the groupwere going to get on furtherdownstream while Paul, Debs and Iwere to paddle an interesting stretchbefore joining them. I have to say itproved a delight, dropping from onepool to another, criss-crossing from oneeddy to another and looks impressive

on the video with the three of usseemingly engaged in a graceful dancefrom one side of the river to the other I hope you will have the chance to seethe footage for yourselves.We were soon with the others andcontinued on downstream. The riverwas still challenging and Reza took aswim, soon followed by Paul G andRichard. It took a while to sort out the

carnage and all in view of StuartWoodwards campsite and numerousgroups getting onto the river there!Below Stuarts campsite the river easedoff and the next stretch proved anotherdelight, entering a short gorge anddropping through a broken weir beforethe next canalised stretch through

Argentire and into the Durance. Eventhis far up, the Upper Durance is awide, powerful river and the slalom sitebelow the town makes UK courses

seem very tame by comparison. Weenjoyed the challenge of the largestanding waves, massive boulders anddeep holes before reaching the waitingcars after a short, but rewardingpaddle. We also enjoyed being able toreward ourselves with a late afternoontrip to the supermarch to stock upwith beer, wine and barbecue bites forwhat proved to be an extremelyenjoyable evening ahead.Wed barbecued and written Rezas blogand planned ahead for a longer day onthe Thursday. We were back to theGuil, but higher up. Indeed we droveup to Abries, the highest mentioned

get-in in the guidebook, but judged theriver too low. A few kilometres back down the valley however and we werecontent to start paddling from Aiguilleswith the promise of a grade 3 gorgesection which did not disappointfollowed by another great paddle downto the impressive Chateau Queyras,perched on a rocky outcrop high abovethe river. This was where we had

shuttled the cars to, conscious that therocky outcrop signalled another gorge,this one given grade 4. There wereplenty of people about, paddlers andclimbers, as we got off the river andwalked down to inspect the gorge. Itsoon became evident why so manypeople were wearing climbingharnesses as well as hosting aninfamous rapid, the Chateau QueyrasGorge also boasts a spectacular ViaFerrata (literally an Iron Way) usingfixed safety wires, short ladders,bridges and other metal fixtures toprovide an impressive, but safe, rock climb/scramble along the gorge walls.We walked along the road hugging theleft side of the gorge, peering downinto the chasm with its maelstrombelow us. Our experience told us thatthe seemingly big waves and holeswould look significantly bigger from


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water level! Four of us Debs, Faz,Paul C and I decide to give it a go whilethe others planned their camerapositions. The gorge was too deep forthem to even consider setting up safetycover.Faz had paddled this before and led off followed by Debs and Paul with myself at the rear. This was one of thoseoccasions where I dont think any of uscould be certain of the outcome. I forone certainly felt that sudden emptinessin the stomach as I took a deep breathand powered my boat through the firstwave. From that point however theadrenaline kicked in and the height of

the walls above me disappeared fromconsciousness as all I could focus onwas the next wave, the decision to goleft or right to (hopefully) avoid thenext hole, to clear my face of water, toremember to breathe, to slow myself down with a couple of reverse strokes,to use the crests to check my line, tosee the coloured speck of a helmetsomewhere ahead of me and then an

upturned hull, to wonder who that wasand then to feel myself being pushedover beyond the point of recovery, theworld going darker and quieter as myhead too went under the water. A deepwater recovery and my head was back above water, I could see daylight highabove me and my ears were full of ametallic rattle. A hip flick and I wasback up again. I could see Debs wasswimming with her boat while Faz wasstill upside down, his metal rimmedpaddles scraping and rattling along thegorge walls as he attempted a roll andthen another before finally succeedingto a massive cheer from the watchingcrowds above. Paul was now in the lead(I later learned that he too had rolled)followed by Faz as Debs took the back of my boat and I looked for an eddy totake her to. Momentarily the rivereased, and I thought this might be the

chance to get Debs back in her boat,but it was a false hope and the respiteproved only to be the river gatheringitself for another, awkward, big droparound a blind corner. Debs saw thedanger and let go of my boat,swimming over the fall while stillholding onto her own. Respect!While we had not known it, this was thesting in the tail and we found ourselvesin a big pool at the end of the gorge.There was a beach and sunshine andthe chance for Debs to empty her boatas we all regained our breath and letour heartbeats slow back to normal.The guidebook had likened a swim

through the gorge to being flusheddown a toilet; if you want to know whatthat feels like ask Debs. We were anelated, if damp, group as the othershelped us off the river and to carry ourboats up to the waiting cars. Wecelebrated that evening by driving up to

Vallouise for another restaurant meal.Chateau Queyras gorge had been thepaddling highlight of the week so far,

but there was another grade 4 run inthis part of the Alps that was much inmy mind, and also Im sure in Paul Cs.So it was that six of us headed off thenext morning (Thursday) to re-run theUpper Guisane while Richard and Fazwent back to the Rabioux.

Upper Guisane get-on.


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As we drove over Paul and I weresaying to each other that maybe, justmaybe, wed look at the Lower Guisaneafterwards.Our run down the Upper Guisaneturned out to be an excellent paddle. Asis so often the case, the river seemedtamer, the rapids much easier on this,our second visit. It helped that the sunwas shining and we were able to takeour time over S Bend rapid, takingplenty of photographs and videofootage as we did so. We were back atChantemerle at lunchtime and the onlyquestion left was who, if anyone, wasup for the lower section? Ill spare you

the detail but it was just Paul and I, andwe had a great time. We ran it cleanand fast, confident in each othersability both to handle the water andcover the other if necessary. ThanksPaul for making it work. For those thatare interested, Ill simply say it was justlike the Upper Dart, but without the flatbits.While Paul and I had enjoyed the Lower

Guisane, the rest of the group hadheaded back to the campsite, to chilland prepare themselves for the longdrive back to the Ubaye and the famousracecourse section which was our goalfor the Friday. We made an early start,getting away before 8.00 am andstopping for breakfast on the way.The guidebook gives this section of theUbaye as grade 4 although being abigger volume river than most of thosewed run during the week weinterpreted this to mean mainly biggerwaves and holes rather than greatertechnical difficulty. Nonetheless itproved challenging enough for us andwed not gone far before our firstcapsize. Unfortunately this seemed toset a trend and we found Paul G andReza engaged in a competition to seewho could take the most swims withRichard taking the occasional dip too

just to ensure they didnt have the tallysheet all to themselves. This led to aslow and energy sapping descent andwhen Paul went over and snapped hispaddle (or, more accurately, my sparepaddle which Id loaned him earlier inthe week) he decided to call it a dayand walk back up to the road,fortunately not too far from the get out.The last couple of hundred metres of the race course is impressive. The rivermakes some large turns into an everdeepening gorge which culminates in anarrow squeeze with an ancientRoman bridge high above beforewidening and easing off briefly to

provide a convenient get out just abovethe next difficult, (Grade 6) section. Off the water we were still buzzing as wewere rejoined by Paul for the long driveback to the campsite.

Approaching the Rom an Bridge

With the racecourse planned as ourhighlight, what were we to do with theSaturday? The answer was to paddlethe Durance from the Rabioux down toEmbrun, repeating the trip Richard andFaz had made two days earlier. Paul Goffered to be photographer/shuttlebunny so it was seven of enjoyed a re-run through the Rabioux wave and anextremely enjoyable paddle down toEmbrun to conclude what had been atruly memorable trip.


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It had been several years since aMarlow CC group had been out to the

Alps. Our trip last June just confirmswhat everyone whos been out theresays: with its combination of virtuallyguaranteed white water, sunshine,great food and wine, the Southern Alpsis a great place for any budding whitewater warrior. Thanks again Dave fororganising us. Im really excited at theprospect of another visit, and soon.

ANDY MAXTED

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NEW CANOE SHOW

Next year there is a new canoe show.Nothing to do with 'The Outdoors Show'at the NEC, but a new format puttogether by those nice people atBrookbank. I'd heard rumblings lastyear about the costs and timing of theprevious format and even hinted in aprevious article that the 2007 might bethe last.

The new show will be based atStoneleigh Park, Coventry and boastsan impressive line up of exhibitors withsome more not yet quite decided.From our point of view, the new showis easier to get too being some 70 milesfrom Marlow and on the right side of

Birmingham. The venue looks like an

NEC type of place, but a bit smaller andon top of all that car-parking is free.That should free up some spondooliesfor a little extra treat.

A full list of exhibitors and details of the

show to include speakers andpresentations along with availablefacilities is available by clicking on thelogo.

If you still rely on the printed copy justtake these details to your local librarywhere there will be a computer andsomeone who can help you use it tofind out all about it.

John Norris Nov. 2007

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HOLME PIERREPONT

Frustrated at the lack of whitewater inthe valley (the Thames Valley that is) aproposal was made by Paul Crichton toshoot up to Nottingham, the crimecapital of the UK, to pay a visit toHolme Pierrepoint the strangely namedNational Watersports centre.HP is the name of the first artificialwhitewater course in the country andwas built around 30 years ago, a meretrifle in the boating career of yours trulyand as I had not been on the coursesince some interesting alterations hadbeen made I decided to join the fun.We were joined by Reza, and a

prospective new member - AnthonyStreather, a few years the junior of therest of us. Anthony regaled us withtales of trips to Nepal to run G4 & 5rivers during the 2hr. drive to the riverwhich sounded very impressive (he'syoung - he won't do that next time!).The forecast was for a lovely sunny dayso dropping off the Chilterns into afoggy vale of Oxford was disappointing;

however the sun gradually camethrough as we headed north and was in


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view for most of the day. Unusual forHP were it always seems to be cold andwindy.

As I was the only one to have paddledhere before a quick walk down thecourse was called for with a visualinspection of the Entry Gate wave, theLooping Pool, the Plughole, and theominously named Muncher to thebottom stopper. With enthusiasmoozing, we rushed back to the car tochange.Unlike the Nene, this course is river fedfrom the top so after a short warm upwe dropped in through the entry gateand due to a fairly low level it was

possible for those who shot straightthrough to paddle back up to the waveto have another go. The 3 intrepidnewcomers preferred to paddle thecourse to get a feel for it before tryinganything fancy.Being artificial the water does takesome time getting used too as it surgesand boils in a most unnatural fashion,and many paddle snakes lurk in the

murky depths waiting to catch theunwary. Our world traveller was thefirst to succumb with a failed roll on thetreachourous eddy line in the PyramidPool. Although he was embarrassed Ithink that an occasional swim is apositive experience and good practiceas it happens to us all at one time oranother. Whitewater swimming is anacquired skill and good technique canmake all the difference when the chipsare really down.We continued down the course to theMuncher where a second swimmermade for good rescue practice. Afterthe muncher there are two back channels which enable one to paddleback upstream to above the Muncher.This is a friendly stopper despite itsname but a flip very often meansdropping down the following sequencewhich means a frustrating walk back up

or a paddle up the channel. In this theconcrete obstacles are cleverly placedto allow movement upstream. Howeverit can be hard work in a freestyle boatas I found when the last obstacle took an energy sapping 6 attempts before Igot it right.We portaged back to the top for a 2ndrun which was much moreadventurous. The new waves attractedour attention, particularly the one in thePyramid Pool. Although it was fairlyeasy to surf forwards, after refinementof technique it looked as though a spinfollowed by a back surf was on thecards. After many attempts I cracked it

briefly which I was chuffed about as noone else got the move whilst we werethere.Dropping down to the Muncher againwas followed by another attempt topaddle up the back channel althoughhaving been on the water for 3 hrs.without resort to a tea shop we werepretty knackered. We collapsed on thegrass at last for a traditional MCC and

mutually decided that hot showers werein order and mighty hot they were too.For those who have become confidenton the Nene this is the next step andrequires grade 3 skills. At a tenner fora good long session it comparesfavourably with other summer venuesand has plenty to offer even theexperienced. We didn't see any openboats on the river but it would be idealfor them also with plenty of space andnice rounded 'rocks'. The downside isthe inevitable rafts which do sharpenup your awareness skills, no bad thing.So there we have it. Another great dayout with MCC and a new river loggedfor 3. Put it on your to do list, it's wellworth a visit.

Tim Ward 08/11/2007.


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NEW R ETAILER

A look on the back page towards thebottom where I put contact details for'local' retailers you'll find a new entry.Berkshire Canoes are trading out of asemi-warehouse type structure to thewest of Reading, Scours Lane, just off the Pangbourne Road.It's not easy to find. Under the railwaybridge and the road becomes a tee

junction. Here you'll find a kayak secured to a fence with an arrow(pointing left) on it. I was not the onlyone to miss this directional feature.End of the road and it's on your left,though even then it does not jump outat you.

Step inside (take a coat - it's cold) andthere is a small shop area with a displayof cags and accessories etc. To theside of the shop is a large display of boats, covering quite a range. Paddles,

trolleys, and other larger items are tofound here.The staff seemed quite friendly, thoughthe opportunity to test their knowledgewas not fully explored.The shop was offering a 20% discounton the day and I tried on a Palm semidry top, sort of a cheap sidewinder, butas there was a manufacturing fault withthe item I did not purchase. The shop,however has offered me the same

discount should I choose to purchaseanother top from them.We seem to be in a spot where wehave a considerable choice of retailers.Berkshire Canoes is part of group and issimilar in style to Brookbank. For thoseto the South of the river this could be awelcome addition to your retailingportfolio, but for many of us to theNorth & West Brookbank is possiblyeasier to get too. But wherever youlive I wouldn't forget our localindependent retailers. Paul (Marsport)and Rob (Riverside) can often offer thatlittle bit extra that is so often missingfrom the larger shops. That said, it's

got to worthwhile having a little look.Please note that Berkshire Canoes hasno connection with the previousretailer, also involved in the canoe /kayak business.

Click on logo for website access.

Did you do one of our 1* courses thisyear (or higher) and want to considerpurchasing some of your ownequipment but not quite sure what?Either see us down at the club oneSunday or maybe give a call to one of the committee on the back page forsome advice. A good cag and thermalswill help you paddle into the colderseasons (water conditions permitting)but if you are not thinking of returninguntil the Spring / Summer, I think agood paddle makes a big difference toyour paddling enjoyment. Call foradvice if you need it or look at some of the many discussion groups on the net.


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MARLOW CANOE CLUB

32nd ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

MONDAY 28th JANUARY 2008AT THE KINGS HEAD, LITTLE MARLOW

All members are invited to join the committee and other members for a free buffet andpre-meeting drinks from 7.30pm. The AGM will commence promptly at 8.00pm

AGENDA

1. WELCOME & APOLOGIES

2. MINUTES OF THE 31st MEETING HELD ON 29 JANUARY 2007

3. MATTERS ARISING

4. CHAIRMA N S REPORT - Ad ri an Co op er

5. TREA SURER S REPORT - Pau l Cri cht on5.1 Adoption of accounts

5.2 2008 subscription rates

6. SECTION REPORTS

7. ELECTION OF THE COMMITTEE

8. APPOINTMENT OF TRUSTEES

9. PRESENTATION OF MARLOW CANOE CLUB ANNUAL AWARDS

10. ANY OTHER BUSINESS

11. DATE OF 2009 AGM - Monday 26 January 2009

THE KINGS HEADLITTLE MARLOW


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WHAT'S ON, WH EN AND W HERE

The complete and authoritive guide to all that the club hopes to do in theforthcoming months. Please note that at the time of going to press dates cannot

be guaranteed and that the programme is subject to changes.

ALLSUNDAYS

CLUB SESSIONS; ON THE WATER FOR 10:00am. SEE D.O. FOR FINI SH. CHECK NOTICEBOARDS FOR SPECIAL EVENTS D.O.

ALLTUESDAYS

CLUB SESSIONS; ON THE WATER FOR 7:OOpm. SEE D.O. FOR FINI SH. CHECK NOTICEBOARDS FOR SPECIAL EVENTS D.O.

01 & 02 DEC WHITEWATER IMPROVERS (OPEN CANOE) - RIVER DART AM03 DEC COMMITTEE MEETING - GEORGE & DRAGON for 19:30 AM08 & 09 DEC WHITEWATER EVEN MORE SPECTACULAR - RIVER DART JP11 DEC NENE WHITEWATER CENTRE CP

14 DEC CLUB CHRISTMAS DINNER @ 'THE GEORGE & DRAGON' ML16 DEC 4* WHITEWATER TRAINING - RIVER USK RW26 DEC ANNUAL BOXING DAY PADDLE FOR THE BLOATED ?

DECEMBER SUNDAY SESSIONS AS USUAL ON 02,09,16,23 &30th. VARIOUS D.O.'s

06 JAN 4* WHITEWATER TRAINING - RIVER USK RW07 JAN COMMITTEE MEETING - GEORGE & DRAGON for 19:30 AM15 JAN NENE WHITEWATER CENTRE CP26 & 27 JAN WHITEWATER EXTRA SPECTACULAR - RIVERS DART & BARLE JP28 JAN AGM - SEE WHOLE PAGE INSERT INSIDE AM

04 FEB COMMITTEE MEETING - TO BE CONFIRMED AM16 & 17 FEB CANOE EXPO - STONLEIGH PARK COVENTRY.17 FEB 4* WHITEWATER TRAINING - RIVER USK RW

FEBRUARY SUNDAY SESSIONS AS USUAL ON 03,10,17, & 24th. VARIOUS D.O.'s.

EVERYTHURSDAY

EVENING

9.00 - 10.30

SWIMMING POOL SESSIONS AT GURNELL POOL, WESTLONDON.

GET TUITION IN ROLLING, OR PRACTISE 3* SKILLS, ORANYTHING YOU'VE GOT A BIT RUSTY ON. SEE WEBSITE FOR

MAP AND DETAILS OR CONTACT JOHN PARKIN orJOHN NORRIS.

JP

ORGANI SER / MCC CONTACT CODE FOR ABOVE EVENTS

AC ADRIAN COOPER 01844 344580 [email protected] AM ANDY MAXTED 07730 852760 [email protected] DL DAVID LYDIATT 01753 887773 [email protected] JOHN NORRIS 01494 483833 [email protected] JOHN PARKIN 07973 820515 [email protected] MARTIN PLAIN 01628 483252 [email protected] TB TERRY BELCHER 01628 851001 [email protected]


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THE COMM ITTEE AND OTHER USEFUL N UM BERS

A list of those members who serve on the club's committee, their role and acontact no. should you need to contact them.

POSITION NAME CONTACTNO. E-MAIL

PRESIDENT TIM WARD 01494482959 [email protected]

CHAIRMAN ADRIANCOOPER 01844344580 [email protected]

SECRETARY ANDY MAXTED07730852760 [email protected]

TREASURER PAULCRICHTON08708806962 [email protected]

COACHINGTIMTWITCHEN

07833995289 [email protected]

NEWSLETTER JOHN NORRIS 01494483833 [email protected]

MEMBERSHIP RODEDMONDS01753671389 [email protected]

EQUIPMENT CHRISPORTEOUS01628485049 [email protected]

MARATHON DEBS HARDY & JAMES FARQUARSON.

LONGRIDGE MARTINPLAIN01628483252 [email protected]

WOMENS REP. DEBS HARDY 07812

[email protected]

YOUTH REP ALEX SHIEL 07707953124 [email protected]

SOCIAL MELINDALIVETT [email protected]

WHITEWATER JOHN PARKIN 01628476384 [email protected]

INLANDTOURS

GUY MADDIESON

01844275418 [email protected]

SEA JOHN NORRIS 01494483833 [email protected]

OUR NEAREST RETAILERS / SUPPLIERSRIVERSIDE OXFORD 01865248673 http://www.riversideoxford.co.uk/

MARSPORT READING 01189665912 http://www.marsport.co.uk/

WWC SHEPPERTON 01932247978 http://www.whitewaterthecanoecentre.co.uk/

PADDLESPORT COMPTON VERNEY 01926640573 http://www.paddlesport.co.uk/

BERKSHIRECANOES READING

01189425640 http://www.berkshire-canoes.co.uk

Please advise the editor if any contact details are wrong or if you wish to add an alternative no. / e-mail address to the list.

Newsletter 118 Winter 2007 04

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