Recent Posts
- Kings of Linton
- Canoe polo div2 24-03-07
- The gap between swims seems to have gotten a littl...
- Between Swims
- Pin on the Tees
- 3 Washburn cherries popped
- Canoe Polo div - 24.02.07
- Wales Weekend Video
- North Wales 16th-18th Feb (or "The Valentines Padd...
- North Wales 16th-18th Feb (or "The Valentines Padd...
archives
- May 2005
- June 2005
- July 2005
- August 2005
- September 2005
- October 2005
- November 2005
- December 2005
- January 2006
- February 2006
- March 2006
- April 2006
- May 2006
- June 2006
- July 2006
- September 2006
- October 2006
- November 2006
- December 2006
- January 2007
- February 2007
- March 2007
- April 2007
- May 2007
- June 2007
- July 2007
- August 2007
- September 2007
- October 2007
- November 2007
- April 2008
- June 2008
- January 2009
- February 2009
- March 2009
- May 2009
- June 2009
- July 2009
- December 2009
- January 2010
- April 2010
- December 2010
- January 2012
- February 2012
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, 2007When 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.
© Leeds Canoe Club