Aire Waves: March 2007

archives

Automatically keep upto date with the LCC Atom Site Feed

Aire Waves

Leeds Canoe Club Blog. We paddle... lots!
Airewaves used to be Leeds Canoe Club's magazine letting people know what the club was upto. Its quite hard work pulling together a publication letting people know what the club is doing and publishing dates in advance is always hard as things tend to change. Step forth the blog.. Push button publishing for the masses. So here is the idea a few people in the club take it in turns to write up trips and talk about things in the club.

Tuesday, March 27, 2007
When you get stuck amongst the Lune and two rocks, sh1ty

Sunday 25th March 2005 - The Lune

Turned out nice again, water level was a little low, but runnable. Blah blah blah blah blah
You don't want to hear about that, you want to hear the exciting stuff .
Constriction River right, pull into the pool several eddies up, get out and inspect, check there are no log jams, or other problems, look at the safety aspects. The Constriction had a very low, but powerful water level, with possible pinning positions at the top.
There were five of us, which would leave four for the rescue, should there be one. One man live bated up, second anchoring him from above, a third on the end of another line. This additional line has a karabina on the end and is for hooking onto the boat by the first person, then the third person and the spare people pull on the rope to free the pinned boat. That's the theory.
Of the five, two have been watching too many reruns of bulls eye and state that they had a great day so far thanks Jim, but would like to give their other contestants a chance. A big round of applause for the Sensibles. Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap.
I should have joined them, but I've done this twice before, remember the snake like hips, and my impression of Elvis the slaloming pole cat (see previous blogs). I'd just watch two top level coaches do this with little effort, ok one did it with little effort the other one needed a little more effort to stop his playboat going up the wall.
I had my instructions, eddy out above the entrance to the drop, slow it down, enter the feature via the river right slot (not left as previously told, this is where the main flow is going and the least chance of pinning). Slow the rapid down, make it easy. I hurry back to the boat, which is still a small feature away from the constriction. I get in, I paddle off, I drop down the first small drop, which grabs me and forces a roll, a roll which works although brings me up wondering, how I'd gone over and how I'd come up and why was I pointing down stream, eddy make the eddy, back on track I make the eddy, what's going on, I'm perplexed or good, too damn good, my abilities are better than I remembered, I'm paddling with the awesome potential of the two coaches that had preceded me, only wetter. I break into the flow, it all goes wrong the angle of entry the wobble, the direction I'm heading, left shoot (the LCC way) right shoot (the main flow way), I hit the rock in the middle. I fall into the right hand shoot, where I'm caught by the fleshy bit under my arms, by John Lucas, he attempts to right me, flinging me back up right, I'd lost it by this point, my struggle to regain control was over. If my name was Roger the headline could have read "ROGER OVER AND OUT". I'll stop the story a moment and point out that up to now I've not managed to squeeze in the word extreme. Brace your selves, here it comes. EXTREME PIN, known as a broach. My newly acquired big boat wasn't just pinned it was broached at a jaunty 45 degree rotational angle, me on the upstream side of it, force of the water pushing us together, like I'd been stuck to the dish using cornflake juice. After a little soaking I washed under and away, intact but cursing. Disappointed comments are a good clue to as to your state of health, for the other rescuers, don't be afraid to let one sneak out. I eddied out river right, on the gravel beach. I sat for a moment, my water bottle had obediently left the boat with its master and eddied into the same pool, sitting by my feet staring up at me, its little black lid all shiny and wet, must remember to take the little fella for a long walk when we get back.
We got to use the tying a karabiner to your paddle trick, we also used the rope rescue that had been set up so considerately by the team. Ten minutes later we were off again.
The course was excellent and we should now have at least two new river leaders ready and keen to build up some river experiences, perhaps leading down the gentler stuff at first.
Thanks to John and Martin for the time and effort put in to teach and keep us safe.

Today's river snacks were the hastily bought cheese and tomato garage sandwich.
I bet you're glad I kept the 8hr trip tales to a minimum.

# posted by MT @ Tuesday, March 27, 2007 0 comments

Monday, March 26, 2007
Kings of Linton

Well possibly a slight exaggeration but as I sit here listening to Molly's Chambers it seems an appropriate title.

The day starts as a gentle beginners trip on the Wharf. Only one actual beginner Andy, yes another Andy in the club we're going to have to start limiting the numbers soon or just calling everyone Andy. Water levels are ok, A little scrapey in sections but not too bad. Time to set off and after telling Andy not to follow my line down anything just to be safe off we all go.

Coniston falls and the first test for our beginner and me as I needed T rescuing last time. Eddie goes down the centre to start to show how it should be done and Steve takes the Horseshoe to show off. After the Canadian is lowered down it's my turn. Lean forward and keep paddling all the way this time no problems. John follows with our beginner next, first drop complete and no swimmers. Andy is sat at the side in his boat with a big grin on his face.

Approaching Ghaistrill Strid and the decision is made to run the first part without inspection so as not to put off Andy. Steve and Eddie go ahead and get ready for any swimmers but everyone does fine. An inspection of the next section and today Simon's not put off and nobody takes the chicken shoot. The Canadian goes first piloted by Don and Rob. A bad start as they run aground almost straight away and Eddie has to push them free. It looks a bit bumpy down the right in such a big boat. As they go over the rock on the right and drop down Don at the back is sent up as if on a see saw and the boat is pinned. They both abandon boat and drag/swim it away the first swimmers I've seen from a Canadian.

Canadian clear, Russian Paul heads down the right channel I attempt to follow Steve and Eddie's line. Start right and cut left just after the tree branch and go down the centre. Clearly I'm in two minds as I approach the turning point and don't get a positive turn early enough. A moment's panic as it looks like I might end up going down the right hand side before my frantic back paddling gets me into safety and all is well as I turn round and head down the last bit. Two rapids run and no kayak swims only Canadian.

More paddling and scraping and we're approaching the end the weir as usual proves no problem we head on down to the get out and to have a look at Linton Falls. The beginner has made his first river trip with no swims, nice one Andy.

Eddie and I stand by the bridge looking at the falls. The last few trips to the Wharfe the waters looked high enough for it to be run able but neither of us has had the confidence to give it a go.
"Looks run able".
"Yes it does!".
"I'm tempted to give it a go. What about you?"
"Yes I might do it if you're doing it."
The conversation goes on for a few minutes back and forth. Finally Eddie cracks, "Right I'm doing it." and we both head back to our boats while the two Steves and Paul grab their throw lines. Of course we're not mad we're talking about the chicken shoot drop on the left not the main channel on the right.

The approach is a bit scrapey giving us both chance to get a little nervous and regret our decision. By the time we're in position what had been a group of 3 or 4 paddlers watching has now built up to a bridge full of on looking spectators this could be embarrassing if it all goes wrong. Thankfully no one from the club has a camera with them.

Eddie goes first and disappears around the corner and out of my sight. A few moments later I get a signal from the bridge to wait as Eddies swimming. Apparently he got down the drop fine but went right at the bottom instead of left. Got through all the boily stuff ok then swam just as he was about to raise his paddles in celebration, of course at this point I'm not to know that. I get the signal to go and I run through a boof in my head. As I approach the drop I mess up the boof and pencil in but keep paddling, (I think I'm finally getting it but keep shouting at me anyway) and I head left down the last bit then right to pick up Eddies paddles. A big smile on my face, my first thought now damn no one had a camera.

After some level of success on the Washburn followed Abbey Rapids, Linton Lock the other week and now Linton falls my confidence is up. I may be in danger of a little too much bravado so if anyone sees me thinking of attempting anything beyond my limited ability just wag your finger at me and say "No don't be silly Richard".

# posted by Richard Gatehouse @ Monday, March 26, 2007 0 comments

Sunday, March 25, 2007
Canoe polo div2 24-03-07

Last match of the season for Leeds Panthers A, the club's yorkshire divison 2 team:
Leeds 2-1 Swat A, goals from Andy Hall, Pyro
Leeds 2-1 Kingston Kaos, goals from Paul Dockray, Pyro
Leeds 2-2 Yorkies, goals from Pyro, Andy Renwick
Leeds 1-1 Green Star, goal from Curly
Leeds 1-4 Kingston B, goal from Andy Hall

I think this means we finished 6th out of 10 for our first season in division 2.
Next matches will be at the Hull International competition in July.

# posted by andy @ Sunday, March 25, 2007 0 comments

Wednesday, March 07, 2007
The gap between swims seems to have gotten a little shorter

Salmon leap falls (AKA Dog leg falls) (AKA The S bends) Sunday 4th March 2007
I provided a little safety for a number of paddlers, at the top end of the rapid, this was for very selfish reasons, as it was to allow me to look at the entry into the feature and work out what I was going to do. My turn eventually came. I set off, ready for this, armed with the knowledge.
I'd seen numerous paddlers, take an array of different lines. The drop in, run far left a 3 foot drop puts you into the flow without the need to react to the change of direction later down the flow. The slide in, run far right which requires quite a big physical change in direction, and the near right, which seems to be the better line for me, longer slide, edge on and paddle.
I chose the latter, the near right slide. Positioned myself at the top of the rapid perfectly, hit the slope exactly where I wanted to be, slid the slide, edge on. My boat spun over with such speed that I don't remember which way, or how I ended up upside down. I had obviously hit a time line, a line where time is distorted. Not only had the spin over been so fast that I hadn't had time to see what I did wrong or where my paddle had gone, but now I'm under water I seem to be in slow motion.
I reach forward to grab my deck, whack helmet takes the first of many blows, I was laid over my back deck, with water too shallow to straighten up without hitting rocks, I try again, Whack, Whack. Its definitely too shallow to get forward enough to reach my deck. One more go for luck, Whaccccck. This isn't working. Time stops and I think that maybe its time to learn how to hand roll, I think I'll ask some one about this on Thursday, maybe take this huge boat of mine, even though it might be a bit of a bind to clean in the showers.
I decide that in the light of my lack of a hand rolling skill from my kayaking repertoire, I decide to contort my body, into the shape of a corkscrew, a mean feat for some one of my size. This doesn't work, maybe I just needed to do a left hand thread, being right handed I'd scuppered myself.
Where was I, upside down, unable to straighten, unable to roll (no paddle), unable to hand roll (no ability), contorted. It was time to do something, other than try and dig a furrow with my helmet. One thing that you're taught to do as a kayaker is to dislocate the lower half of your body from the top, not like worms, just for balance purposes, it helps if the bottom half of your body becomes boat and the top half of your body becomes the kayaker. I decided to take back my legs, to reattach them and kick like mad. This resulted in the breaking of my knee grip and the ejecting of the now semi-frantic paddler. I had travelled down the rapid a distance of about 10 feet.
I emerged just in time to spot the first drop. (At this point I should stop the description process, and hand over to Bobs video footage, which might hit the website one day, just after they invent internet telekinesis, and the footage puts its self there).
Needless to say, I survived, I thought that I'd broken my ankle, but after the chocolate on a high shelf jump test, this seems not to have been the case.

Don't let this put you off, this is one of the best thrills I have as a kayaker, plus there is always sympathy chocolate at the end. Todays river snack was the Mars bar.

# posted by MT @ Wednesday, March 07, 2007 0 comments

Thursday, March 01, 2007
Between Swims

I read recently that all kayakers are simply between swims. They may get better so the gaps between swims grow longer or they may be starting out, in which case the gaps between swims may blend into one larger swim, either way don't be put off paddling by the inevitable, this really is just a sign that you are making an effort.

I like to think that I make a regular effort, unlike some of the others in the club who don't appear to be taking this seriously at all. Some members of the club have been seen placing things loosely into their kayaks or taking expensive photographic equipment or attaching things to their heads that could be detached should an opportunity to apply them selves occur. Do you not realize that you are missing your chance to become extreme?

From extreme
beginnings,
extreme paddlers
are made........
................
................
................
....extremely wet

# posted by MT @ Thursday, March 01, 2007 0 comments

Recent Posts

archives