2010 03 newsletter by Pam Dixon

Newsletter

Frome Canoe Club

Volume 34 Issue 3 ~ March 2010

Annual General Meeting - 17th February

The AGM had a better-than-usual turn out, with 22 members coming along. The Chairman presented his report with a ‘World Domination’ theme. Continued on page 7

The Upper Dart Trip - with its interesting rescue. See page 13 for full details Alex didn’t have his camera today. He said “This is what I saw looking up the river Mike, worried and stuck.” Frome Canoe Club is affiliated to the British Canoe Union and is a Registered Charity (Number 1104728) 1

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THE EXECUTIVE President Graham Warnecke Vice Presidents Richard and Jane Arney Jim and Catharine Croft Chairman Andy Bell Vice Chairman Rich Carter Treasurer John Kent

Secretary Pam Dixon 16 Blagdon Walk, Frome, BA11 2YH Committee Members Andy Avery Howard Charlesworth Hazel Cottle Alun Jones Gareth McGiveron Julie Middleton Martin Spurling Sara Withall

CONTENTS Page Front AGM 2 Committee details/Contents 3 Calendar 4 Calendar in detail - Trips 5 Calendar in detail - Club Sessions 6 Calendar in detail - Volunteers 7 Reports - AGM and Sunday Paddle 8/9 Slalom 2010 - What are we doing? 10 Reports - Dart Loop 11 Reports - Loop and Lower Dart 12 Reports - Lower Dart 13 Reports - Ales’s Upper Dart 14/15 Reports - Upper Dart continued 16 Reports - Amanda’s Lower Dart 17 Reports - Taming of the Tavy 18/19 Reports - Tavy Trip coninued 20 New Membership prices 21 Club Sessions - Wednesdays 22 Letter to the Editor 23 Competition answers 24 Bits and Pieces 25 Bits and Pieces Back Coppernose Clip Points

COPY DATE FOR THE NEXT ISSUE

31st March Please send items for next Newsletter by email to pam@dixon.org.uk

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Calendar 2010 Date

Event

Standard

Contact

River Frome

Passport/1 Star

Andy B

River Axe Race

1 Star

Pam D

Slalom regional training

Level 1 Coaches

John K

Sunday morning session

All

Rich C

Coaches’ Meeting

Coaches/Volunteers

Rich C

Work Party and Paddle

All

cttee

Safeguarding meeting

Volunteers

Alun J

LAST POOL SESSION

all

Pam D

27/28

Tryweryn

3 Star

Tim C

DVD Wednesday

All

Pam D

3-10

Scotland Trip

4 Star

Neil D

RIVER SESSIONS START

All

Pam D

Sunday Slalom Training

All

John K

24/25

Four Star Assessment

Participants

Pam D

Sunday Slalom Training

All

John K

Passport Start Date

Beginners

Pam D

2/3

Loddon Slalom

All

John K

8/9

Two Star (Day 1 and Day2)

Participants

Pam D

15/16

WWSR course

Participants

Pam D

March

April

May

For full details of the events in March and April, please see P4 - 6. For information about River Sessions See page 21 3

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Calendar in detail - Trips The River Frome 7th March

Tryweryn 27/28th March

Organiser - Andy Bell Meet at the clubhouse, 9am Cost £3

Organiser - Tim Cottle

We will meet at the clubhouse at 9am and get changed there in the warm before we hop into cars and go to the start point.

The river Tryweryn is a dam released river so while other rivers are drying up, this one goes! This river is not for novice paddlers as the water is graded 3/4, with some man-maintained play spots in the first 2km and then there is 6km of easier water, the features on this lower section being natural.

A self catering weekend away in North Wales.

The Frome trips are always good fun, and good turn-outs make for a lovely paddle. We never quite know the section we will paddle till the morning we go. So it’s a bit of a mystery trip. It is often Creamery to Langham Farm because this section has some lovely weirs on it, all different and some offering a chance to play in the stoppers. Others are just adrenaline inducing vertical drops! However there is the possibility that we will do the section with the much talked about ‘Zoom Flume’ with its lovely play waves below.

Accommodation: in previous years some have camped and some have stayed in a hostel (£15 per night) so exact costs will vary. Transport: most people leave Frome on Friday evening and return on Sunday afternoon. We will organise the cars nearer the time. Fuel costs will be in the region of £20-£25.

Whichever we do, we will have some flat sections and some weirs to drop over! Let’s hope there is not much walking.

If by any chance there is no dam release over that weekend, our trip will have to be cancelled or rearranged.

This paddle is good for paddlers at Passport and One Star standard and above. See you there!

And finally, the clocks go forward this weekend so there is one less hour for rest/ recovery / drinking / general socialising etc! 4

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Calendar in detail - Club Sessions Sunday Morning Sessions 14th March

Wednesday DVD Nights

At Market Yard, 10 - noon. Cost £2

7 - 9 pm at the Clubhouse We meet, chat and watch canoeing DVDs. This month we might have a chance to see again all the home grown movies that our members have made. They are impressive!

This will be the last Sunday morning paddle of the winter season because weekly Wednesday sessions start in April. Last month we had a large turn out in spite of cold weather. See page 7 for a photo.

The evenings are good fun. A chance to meet fellow paddlers, you can find out the latest news in the club. Do come. Tea and cake are thrown in!!

Meet at the Clubhouse, 10am till noon. Paddling is not essential! You can just meet, chat and relax.

This will be our last DVD night this year, because April sees the start of our ‘normal’ Wednesday sessions. See page 21 for more information.

Pool Sessions Fridays 8-9pm at the Leisure Centre, Frome £2.50 youth members, £3 adult members Pool sessions run all through March. You need to bring a towel and swimming costume. We provide the boats and paddles. If you bring your own boat, be sure it is clean and leaf free, and bring it in through the Fire Exit door. If you have never been to a pool session before, tell Pam when you book in at the door and she will introduce you to the supervisor - the person who will help you get started on poolside. Pool sessions are good fun - you should try them! 5

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Volunteers and Coaches + Cartoon Safeguarding meeting Wednesday, 24 March

Coaches’ meeting Wednesday, 17 March

Clubhouse 7pm - 9pm

Clubhouse, 7pm - 9pm

A meeting to look at the issues around child protection

A meeting to discuss the programme for 2010 and to sort out the Instructors for our courses.

All our coaches AND volunteers are invited to this meeting. To be led by Alun and assisted by Pam, this meeting will get you up to speed on all the good practice around safeguarding. And we can answer any of your questions about the issues.

Work Party and Paddle Sunday, 21 March Clubhouse, 9am till 12 noon. We need help to check the kit, repair any boats, tidy up the store room, work to the river banks and all those other tasks that need doing before the Wednesday sessions start

Think about coming if you are new to the role of volunteer or if you want a refresher. Note: this meeting will be in place of the normal Wednesday club session.

After the work is done we will have a paddle!

Cartoon by Alex. 6

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Reports—AGM and Sunday Session Continued from front page

Rich remains as Head Coach. The meeting agreed with the proposed membership increases, so Youth £16.50, Adult £26.50 and Family £42.These prices take effect from March 1st. There was discussion by members about the electricity bill, and trips. The discussion threw up some ideas for the committee to follow up and finally Graham thanked everyone for the support they give to the club. It was a good meeting.

John talked us through the annual accounts. Apart from spending much too much on electricity at the clubhouse, we are doing fine. Pam told everyone about the successes of 2009 and then we voted in the new committee. The Chairman, Vice, Treasurer and Secretary remain the same. We lose Tim, Carl and Steve from the committee and they are replaced by Andy Avery and Howard Charlesworth. And

Thank you to everyone who came. Pam represent youth views.

Sunday Morning Session—February 14th

20 paddlers turned up along with a few others who came just for a chat. It was great to see so many of our past members and catch up with their news. The very cold weather that had been promised didn’t materialise and so the session was unexpectedly popular. We had open boats out, the Topo Duo, the usual kayaks and all manner of slalom boats accompanied by a few minutes of serious training (I jest. Andy L trained for a full half hour!). And we ended with a mass raft and some raft standing with compulsory singing. The on-lookers were captivated! They thought we were mad. Ed : One more Sunday morning session, on March 14 th. Be there! 7

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2010 SLALOM - What are we doing this year? "We're the tenth biggest slalom club in the country"

says Andy A confidently, because John did the stats on this. John took all the FCC bums in boats in 2009, looked at the ranking lists and did some big sums. Andy goes on to say "But we're aiming for more in 2010! With two ranking slaloms, lots of coaching, and a series of mini fun slaloms through the summer to fire up the enthusiasm for our Olympic sport. Here’s what we’re doing to help everyone! Over the spring and summer paddling season we are going to run three different sorts of courses: Introduction to Slalom, Intermediate Slalom Skills and Advanced Slalom Techniques. Choose the course(s) that are right for you, sign up and get going! Introduction to slalom A fun introduction to this exciting Olympic sport. This three evening course is designed give you everything you need so you can enter your first slalom with confidence. Aimed at 1 Star or Passport standard paddlers who have not entered a slalom before, the three sessions will cover everything from paddling slalom gates, the rules, equipment, how to enter an event, and what to expect on the day of your first slalom. Largely based on the water this course needs no special equipment, and we'll be paddling a wide variety of boats.

Intermediate slalom skills This six week course aims to get you down a slalom course faster, WITHOUT paddling any harder. Both water and land based, we'll cover efficient paddling, slalom strokes, gate technique and sequences. This course is for paddlers who:  have entered a slalom before  have been on the introduction to slalom course or  are experienced paddlers who have not done any slalom technique before The objective is to move you towards becoming a ranked Slalom paddler and elusive promotion into the Slalom Divisions.

Start dates for courses 14th April 2nd June 30th June

Start date for this course: 12th May 8

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2010 SLALOM - What are we doing this year? Advanced slalom techniques So you've already proved you can paddle a slalom course fast, you've got promoted! Now the challenge of this 6 week course is to shave those fractions of the second off your time, while keeping it clean. Aimed at all ranked slalom paddlers this course will look at advanced paddling techniques, and concentrate on the wide variety of ways to run a gate sequence, and how to pick the fastest. Alongside paddling we will also cover mental preparation, visualisation, training and course reading techniques. Everything you need to prepare for suc-

cess at the upper levels of competition. Start date for this six week course 28th July Pease note: 1. Every session will start on dry land, with video, skills, theory and simulations. So all parents, family and carers are really encouraged to come along to watch, have a cup of tea, and maybe learn too! 2. All courses are primarily kayak, but canoe paddlers are also really welcomed. 3. Pam.

Competition calendar Sunday 2nd May. River Loddon Divisions 3 and 4. Race 1. Monday 3rd May. River Loddon Divisions 3 and 4. Race 2. The Loddon is near Reading. We stay for the two days and camp in the field next to the course. Saturday 22nd May. North Walls Winchester Division 4 and Open. Sunday 13th June. Course preparation for Langham Farm slalom. Saturday 2nd June. Langham Farm Divisions 3 and 4. Race 1. Sunday 3rd June. Langham Farm Divisions 3 and 4. Race 2. Sunday 18th July. Market Yard Division 4 and Open. And some additional slalom training on Sunday mornings: Sunday 18th April. Slalom training at Market Yard from 10:00 to 12:00. Sunday 25th April. Slalom training at Market Yard from 10:00 to 12:00. Sunday 6th June. Slalom training at Langham Farm from 10:00 to 12:00. SLALOM UNRAVELLED: More from John about slalom in next month’s edition. You can also go to www.canoeslalom.co.uk for more information. 9

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Reports - Rich’s Dart Loop Trip The Loop Trip 7th February Rich Carter

Then came Triple Drop and the fun started on the middle drop. The Gruesome Twosome had clear instructions about how to proceed. “Go to the right and be sure to miss that rock over there” Well that did not happen. They chose the route on the left, hitting a rock and plunging nicely into the pool – upside down. The sight of this panicked those behind and I had to work hard to reassure them that they’d be fine. Stu and Bex did better on their second attempt, but overcompensated so that they went too close to the right hand side and hit a different rock but Bex is good at saving Stu, so they didn’t capsize again.

Another cold and grey morning. We struggled with the complications of the transport, bearing in mind that there were three separate trips going on today – Lower, Loop and Upper, but by 8.15 we’d cracked it. However no-one wanted to leave. Chatting was certainly dryer than paddling, and possibly warmer. In our group we had eight boats and nine people. Yes, the Topo Duo was with us! It was going to be fun today, I think. Everything was going fine, water was a bit on the low side, but we enjoyed the easy rapids in the run up to Washing Machine followed by more easy rapids and then on to Lover’s Leap. As we approached Lovers’ Leap we could see groups of paddlers backed up. Was there something big here? It was obvious that they were debating which line to follow, which rock to miss and so on. Undeterred by this I got the group to paddle on past, shouting instructions on the move to them, along the lines of my usual: “Keep the boat pointing forward, paddle faster or slower than and no one has a picnic hamper on the way down.” Well the looks on the other paddlers’ faces were a picture. We just sailed on by.

On to Spin Dryer, Holne Bridge and then Holne Weir. Here the line was tight to the left hand side and everything was going fine till Ali (guest paddler) hit a rock and went sideways into the stopper where she remained for a good 30 seconds. Meanwhile Andy L came over the weir and got a front end pin which stopped him dead in his tracks. I was concentrating on what Andy was doing and didn’t spot Ali till later. But Ali, not enjoy10

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Reports - The Dart: Loop and Lower ing the ride in the stopper one little bit, decided to stop waiting for help and sort herself out. She pulled her deck and was disgorged into the water for a 150m swim over shallow rocks till she was rescued.

The Lower Dart Trip 7th February We didn’t faff about at the get on today unlike the last time we did this river. Pam chose the spot and we got on. But we were all very disappointed to find the Max had forgotten his buoyancy aid and what was worse was that the Instructors didn’t bring any spare kit. So Max had to put up with a meal in a pub with Julie and Lauren. Paddle or Pub-Grub, which would you choose?

Not far now till the get-out. Andy L missed the get out, sailed over a weir and then chose an interesting place to disembark - a little island, leaving him stranded away from the rest of the group. We pulled his boat and paddle across the river using throwlines, leaving Andy to shuffle along a horizontal tree. He said he wanted an extra little challenge but this cunning manoeuvre was deemed to be a technical rescue and incurred 2 points!

The stretch of the Dart, called the Lower, is beautiful and gentle so there were no surprises for anyone on today’s trip. However we got some early points when Amanda, unsteady at the get-on decided to calm the nerves with a quick dip.

Paddlers and points Ladies: Bex (3), Emma, Ali (3) Boys: Ben N, Rowan, Men: Andy A, Andy L (2), Rich, Stuart (3) Post trip comment:

Lia enjoyed the big wave trains and was actually heard screaming (in delight?) all the way down as her boat bounced through them. Ben M toyed with the surfing waves at each of the play spots, positioning himself right up high in the rapids and waiting till John, Howard and Pam had finished playing and then having a little go. Howard was using this trip to try out a Dagger Mamba, and he did have some fun playing in rapids that he would never had done before. His face was a picture! He 11

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Reports - The Lower continued with fingers and brains not working properly) and in the process Amanda found that she was off! Round the bend and into the rapid! There was

said he is buying a Mamba now. The first rapid and boulder garden were easy and good fun. No problems or points today but Lily racked up two points when she launched herself fair and square on top of an underwater flat rock. Pam sailed by leaving Howard the pleasure of paddling back up, getting freezing feet as he got into the water to rescue her.

hastily. Cold fingers were forgotten as others followed quickly now, not wanting Amanda to have all the fun. There was no stopper on the right today so we paddled on by. But we did manage to stop in an eddy half way down this rapid and yes, we got that photo!

Amanda’s second swim was unexpected, there not being any white water at this particular spot. But Ben did the honours and got her to the side on his boat. Well done Ben.

On to the end, and a muddy climb out finished a lovely trip.

Paddlers and points Girls: Lia and Lily (2) Ladies: Amanda (6) and Pam Boys: Ben M Men: Howard and John

On through more gentle rapids to our lunch spot, after which a photo shoot was called for. No chance! And why not? Well, we slowly got back into boats (people were cold now,

No Sam! New helmets are 12

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Reports - The Upper The Upper Dart 7th February By Alex Nicol

wanting to make full use of our new first aid kits. Perhaps the Tivi weekend was too fresh in his memory?

Well what a trip! Very eventful. I think Rich made a wise decision to let Arthur lead those who chose to do the Upper We started the trip like any other with a shuttle, but even while this was happening Sam nearly had to save a foreign man from jumping across some rocks.

We then approached the notorious Euthanasia rapid which thoroughly deserved its name. Somehow this most technical rapid caused no I decided to walk this one as we were not 100% confident. This wasn’t straightforward however as we had to walk on a narrow path next to a vertical cliff and Mike is scared of heights. Enough said. Slightly embarrassing for me after getting on below this rapid I decided to play in a wave and had to make sure my roll was up to scratch (another point).

We all got on the river and only a few boulder gardens in, I had created our first problem. Attacking rocks just as Arthur said, I found the bottom of the Dart isn’t very nice. It removed one of the blades from my paddles, which subsequently made it very hard to roll or punt off the bottom. Consequently I swam and my boat was pinned on a rock. This gave Sam and me a good opportunity to put Sam’s new safety gear into practice to rescue the boat. It was a good job that Arthur had a pair of split paddles with him or I would have had a long walk to the finish..

And then it got really interesting. Surprise Surprise was like any other rapid: we got out, inspected and decided on a line. However that is where the planning ended. We all followed the planned line but I managed to capsize before a required break out and went for my second swim. Mike was following me down and to his surprise there was my boat pinned upright against a rock. Obviously he was attracted to it and got pinned front on, into my cockpit. He spent the next five minutes looking very cross at me, sitting in the middle of the river in his boat with

Soon after we came to our second problem: Arthur plopped over a drop and ended the wrong way up which then caused his first point i.e. a roll. After emerging from his roll he came up with a blood trickling down his face. He brushed this off and said he was fine, despite Sam and me 13

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Reports - Alex’s Upper Trip continued Sam ready to rescue

James waiting

Vital eddy

Mike stuck in his boat, inside Alex’s boat Alex’s

boat

Eventually we all got back in our boats and on our way, after a good 40 minutes of rescue practice. We paddled on to the next rapid where we found and recovered Mike’s flask in a fallen tree. Mike then spoke too soon and said “I’ve had enough of capsizing and getting wet today.” This inevitably led to him ending upside down on this rapid and clocking 3 points. He also ended up on the wrong side of the river with a large rock face to scale. James told Mike to walk around the cliff. Arthur and I went off looking for him to help him

freezing water pouring down his back while a rescue plan was conceived. James eventually came to the rescue saving Mike and his boat, then my boat from its difficult position. Mike collected two points here for a very technical rescue. While all this was happening I was sitting at the bottom of the rapid collecting all the loose articles from the two boats, which were floating on down the river including lunch boxes, foam, flasks and paddles, but not Mike’s flask which was lost during this fiasco. 14

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Reports - Upper Trip continued argument for that isn’t there? And what about his broken paddle? Does that not get extra points?”

cross the river and lost him for a while. After eventually getting Mike back in his boat again we found his flask was missing again, but this time it was for good.

Watch out Alex! Extra points may be coming your way! And for those interested, here is Alun’s version of events:

Well, despite this very eventful trip we all had a good time. Mike, Sam and I want to thank James, Arthur, Alun and Mark for bearing with us on our first descent of the Upper Dart. But I guess they had good rescue practice and sharpened up their skills. Paddlers and points Men: Alun, Arthur (2), James and Mark Thank you Alex for this revealing report of an exciting trip! Arthur has an interesting take on the rescue, however. Read on!

Arthur’s comments explains Michael’s rescue in a bit more detail. He says they had to “use umpteen throw lines and Michael was eventually hauled out of Surprise Surprise along with his and Alex’s boats”. Arthur then went on to ask the question ”Should Alex also pick up the points for someone else having to live bait (swim on a rope) to release his boat when, on the warm up rapid at the start, Alex bailed out and his boat got stuck. Arthur adds “There is an 15

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Reports - Amanda’s Lower Dart The Lower Dart - 7th February several rapids later I am suddenly in the water again – not sure how. Lia’s fading voice held out long enough for her to croak ‘swimmer’. Water was deep and fast. Ben came to my rescue, whilst the others went after the boat. Holding on to Ben’s kayak until we reached a bit shallow enough for me to get to my feet, I scrabbled up onto the bank and waited for my boat to be towed back across from the opposite bank. At least I never let go of my paddle this time so perhaps I am improving after all.

By Amanda Reeves Reassured in advance that there was a small group willing to take on the Lower Dart, I decided to have a go! I had feared that only the extreme adventurers would be going and opting for the Upper or the Loop only. Far too scary! I cadged a lift in the mini-bus and anticipated the joys to come. Gentle teasing and bets on the number of (swimming) points I would After all I stayed upright for the last 3 trips I went on – I might just manage to stay dry again.

Howard couldn’t convince any of the girls that an ‘agreed way to reduce coppernose points’ was to dive off the dodgy looking plank at the place where we later stopped for a quick lunch. Pam wanted a photograph of the group – but known for my avoidance of cameras I am not sure they believed me when I got caught in the current and was heading down stream before I knew it. I managed to break out and wait for the rest to catch up. It wasn’t deliberate – might have been if I had thought of it though. Pam didn’t let it pass and got her picture after all.

All kitted up, those of us not involved in shuttle arrangements moved the boats across the side creek to the river bank. Howard’s hire boat was, I promise, carried with extreme care by Lily and Pam. Then John gave short briefing of what to expect and the skills needed – tuition I am in dire need of, but this didn’t stop Lia and me expressing our nervousness. I did my usual and got my first points before we even set off. After negotiating the first rapid I felt much calmer even if I was a bit late turning into the eddy. Then Lily, Lia and I watched safely from one side whilst the other four took the opportunity to play in the waves.

I had great fun! Thanks to everyone for not agreeing with me, when I said I bet they all wish I had stayed home that morning. 16

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Reports - 4 Star Training at the Tryweryn came because they like to remain dry and warm, and watch people fall into nasty cold water. Their plan was foiled because despite the water looking very cold we knew that unlike most substances when water freezes and becomes a solid it gets less dense and of course it floats as ice. This allows the denser water to form a warm layer below the surface so we were able to play happily safe with the knowledge that we would be warmer in the water than out of it.

Taming the Tryweryn By Alun Jones The Tryweryn is a red headed wild child of the mountains with a quick temper and likes to play rough. She is full of energy and very capable of handing out a spanking to those who ask for it, but she can be tamed and becomes less intimidating the longer you stay with her, however if you go all the way with her you may get nasty surprise at the final hurdle. Some came by day, some by night, others in the morning, and some only just made it over the mountains and through the snow but we all met in

We split amoeba like to form two smaller groups and began to learn about the ‘clap’, last man down and Eddie

Lots of talking—when’s paddling starting? hopping all terms that mean something to the expert river runner. A practical session using these practices followed on the rapids leading up to the graveyard during our morning session.

the cafe at the white water centre on the Tryweryn surrounded by a fresh layer of snow to be trained for the 4 star river leaders qualification. A full compliment of 12 course participants plus Arthur and Rich who were observing Neil and Steve the primary coaches, Peter and Pam

During the lunch break I was able to chat to Steve. I was pleased to hear 17

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Reports - Alun’s Taming of the Tryweryn continued he was familiar with the new type of buoyancy aid that I have bought to replace my old cork filled friend. He described it, as a ‘Kogg death vest’ and said it as though that was a bad thing, he was able to list a number of ways in which it could lead to my demise! So much for new technology.

Ski slope, through cafe wave, NRA wave, where Andy went vertical and Chapel Falls where Arthur tested the warmer water theory. It seems that subjective testing does not support the theory.

We continued downstream down the

safely, a couple of us however

The river which is artificially fed from a dam releasing water on The afternoon session began with a most weekends has been manipubrush up of personnel skills. In Stelated to provide ‘’interesting’’ feave’s group we tures of were lucky to grade three have advice on and four on a new way of the top sectackling Miss tion. After Davies Bridge, a this it reverts big drop that to its natural has a fearsome state of stopper at the grade two bottom and which alwhere many lowed us to paddlers have take turns in taken a spanking. leading the More talking. When’s paddling starting? Steve gave us a group an vartop tip and suggested we would be ious sections and get an underbest served by dropping down the standing of the way the strategies RHS sideways and leaning into the we were learning could be implestopper that would simply usher our mented. boats into the eddy and to safety. At the end of the section we padSome said ‘we never go down that dled there was one final challenge, side, it’s easier on the left’ but Steve the notorious Bala Mills Falls, a is the expert so off we went. Not all grade four drop after a short secagreed with Steve’s top tip after the tion of rapids. Steve led the way event. and most of the group followed 18

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Alun’s Taming of the Tryweryn continued out’. He was rewarded with prize of a bottle of beer. Regretfully the Jaffa oranges, and seedless grapes were not forthcoming. The crumpet has also been withdrawn for safety reasons for the short term.

were held up whilst some research was carried out on the abrasion resistance properties of kayak helmets and buoyancy aids. A brave tester adopted an unorthodox line and capsized at the top and was able to remain upside down with his head and back in full contact with the riverbed for the full length of falls.

More snow greeted us on Sunday morning and Joe was found to be unable to take part in any activity that was too far from ‘the facilities’.

The last of the group took the normal line and we paddled to the get out point to enjoy a change into dry clothes in a cold car park.

In the absence of a dam release at the Tryweryn it had been agreed that we should paddle a section of the river Dee at Llangollen. This meant a 40-minute drive in the snow and ice to arrive at the renowned JJ’s white water centre.

During the evening a large contingent decide that we should support the Bala economy and spend some money in the pub. There were two menus for the evening meal, one in Welsh, and Day 2. Personal skills training? another in English with a vast choice of dishes, most of which were not available. We soon found out that the menus were of course a type of bingo card and when you ordered a meal from the English menu We were able to change and get that was also on the Welsh menu and together to discuss the equipment therefore genuine you were out. Carl that should be carried on a river won the prize for most unsuccessful trip and how it should be used. orders before he finally managed to I was pleased that the majority of choose a meal that had not ‘just run 19

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Reports - Alun’s Taming of the Tyweryn continued us could, on demand produce an array of illegal daggers and lock knives that would be the envy of any inner city gang and would qualify the owners for an ASBO. The rest of the morning was spent in groups practising leading on a short section of river and playing on a couple of stoppers to keep the adrenaline going.

in the cold, also Rich, Arthur, Pam and Peter for all their help during the weekend. Thanks also to the drivers who needed to stay awake for the home journey and a special thanks to Audi’s ABS system for which at least four of us are very grateful. Participants and points Steve’s group: Alun, Andy B, Carl, Danny, Mark (1) and Tim. Neil’s group: Alex (1), Andy A, Bill (5), Darren (1), Gareth (9), Joe (5) and Sam (2). Rich and Arthur (5) were observers and Peter and Pam were in the support team, checking we were getting some decent coaching (only joking Steve and Neil!)

A break for lunch and a session of playing in the stoppers brought us to the end of the course and the trek home. Based on the smiling faces during the weekend, I am sure the whole group enjoyed the course. Assessments come later! Thanks must go to Steve and Neil for their patience and commitment

Thanks to Helen’s Mum at

New Membership Prices Youth Adult Family Groups

Frome Signs

£16.50 £26.50 £42 £42

We have loads of new club stickers for labelling kit thanks to Helen’s Mum. Helen is a past member of the club, for many years now, so we were NOT expecting Mrs Marland to

Exe Trip report just missed the

be so generous.

deadline for printing and so it will be reported in next month’s edition. However the points accrued on the trip have been included on the back page. 20

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Wednesday River Sessions Wednesday sessions - start on April 14th Market Yard, Cost £2 We start our River sessions on April 14th. These sessions provide opportunities for training and for having fun! There will be some small changes from last year! But lots stays the same! Passport (7-8pm)

Same

Passport is for young beginners. Two courses this year. Start dates for courses are 28th April and 16th June. Cost £30

Yellow Group (7-8pm)

Same

This is for young paddlers who are just starting or those who want to play games. Starting on 14th April and running all through the season.

Discover

NEW

This is for our young paddlers who have achieved Passport and wish to progress to a level of paddling, equivalent to the BCU Two Star. Starting on June 9th, it is a 15 week course and runs for the rest of the season. Cost £45.

Slalom

Same

Slalom groups for young paddlers remain at 7-8pm and for adults and experienced paddlers at 8-9pm.

Slalom Courses (7-8pm)

NEW

In addition to the normal groups (above) we are introducing some discrete coaching courses for beginners, intermediate and advanced paddlers. For more information see P8/9.

Polo (8-9pm)

Change

This session is changing to have more of a games focus. So some polo but also some other fun things. And we are offering this activity only in the 8-9pm slot.

Taster

Same

For first-timers to the sport and those wanting to play games.

(7-8pm)

7.30-8.30

Polo (now ‘Polo + Fun’) starts on April 28th and runs in the 8-9pm slot only.

FCC ‘THROWLINE ’ CLUB MAGAZINE

Letter to the Editor Dear Ed. I write to you about the Coppernose points system and what seems to be some heavy handed, inequitable treatment. I have been paddling happily with Frome Canoe Club for many years and I feel very disappointed that I am having to write to you about this. On the 24th of February, our club went on a trip on the River Tavy. I am sure that you are aware that on this trip many points were 'earned', which I feel is very commendable, as it shows that people were pushing themselves to their limits! Unfortunately it would appear that the point scoring system, which has been in place for many years has been altered without any consultation what-so-ever! It would appear that now points are awarded totally inappropriately for no apparent reason. The victims of these miss-carriages of justice being given no notice of right to appeal. I feel that the unfortunate victim in this case, namely Stuart M should be given a public full written apology (and maybe a large sum of money) to help console him after such a traumatic experience. Who made these changes? And under whose authority still remains a question. I look forward to your response. Anon. Dear Writer Thank you so much for drawing our attention to the plight of Stuart M and a possible flaw in our system. The club tries very hard to be equitable in every respect and the Points System is no exception. It is possible that the move for which points were attributed to the paddler you mention, derives from this shot taken by a trigger happy young gun in the club. Have a look and see what you think. It does look remarkably like the driver in the front of the Topo Duo was doing a big punt off the bottom when the high brace by the powerhouse in the back had failed. Do you agree? In answer to your question about who keeps the points: We have a Points Fairy (rather like a Tooth Fairy who deposits coins under one’s pillow in exchange for the pearls left there.) Our Fairy does a similar job and deposits points in exchange for reliable photographic evidence! Does that help? Ed. 22

FCC ‘THROWLINE ’ CLUB MAGAZINE

Answers to last month’s competition This is Andy Lyall, 15 years old at the time of the photo, which was taken at Guildford Weir, circa 1976. He had not started canoe slalom at this point, taking it up a bit later on. He says “A lot of my subsequent success was because I was a member of a club where we had the British Team Slalom C2 and two Premier Paddlers in 1984. We all trained together every day and went to the competitions together at the weekend. To succeed you need to be dedicated and be prepared to do what ever is necessary to win even at the expense of everything else. I strongly believe that you need encouragement from your colleagues and it helps if there is always somebody better than you, as you have something to strive for.” The clue we gave you about Andy gaining fame but not fortune at the recent Social was because he won the Club’s very prestigious Bayman Trophy for 2009 as a result of his successes in national slalom events last year. He is currently ranked at 67 in Division 2 K1 Mens, the highest ranking in the Club. This is of course Andy Avery. The photo was taken at Washburn, in 1981, when Andy was in Division 2 . He went on later to get promoted into Division 1 - no mean feat! In fact Andy was so successful he achieved a place in the English Youth Slalom Squad, many years ago Andy started paddling by default at the age of 12, having had enough of swimming lessons, canoeing seemed an easier option. In youthful days he competed in boats from 6 to 36 feet, and most sizes and shapes in between, before being reluctantly introduced to the "delights" of tupperware at College, and spending winters leading rivers all over the Yorkshire, North Wales and the Alps, and teaching paddling in the summers. Apart from a brief interlude to complete in the DW, where he came 13th, Andy has been away from paddling for a long, long time . . . 23

FCC ‘THROWLINE ’ CLUB MAGAZINE

Bits and Pieces Advance Planning - Dates for your Diary Biblins - 29/30th May A camping and paddling weekend in the Forest of Dean. Fully catered. River trips on both days. Langham Farm Slalom - 19/20th June Two days of slalom competition when you can compete in a National Slalom on home ground. We also need lots of help to organise this weekend! Market Yard Slalom - 18th July A one day event. An easy slalom using the stretch of river by the Clubhouse. Surfing weekend - 14/15th August A relaxing weekend of surf, sand and sun. A self catering camping weekend. Moving Water Training - 9/10th October Tiverton weekend. Learn how to paddle on moving water. Fully catered . More Moving Water Training - 6/7th November The Dart weekend. Fully catered again with coaching on both days.

Alex gains a grant for the Club - Thank You Alex!

Alex, already ranked highest C2 in the Club, was not content to leave it at that. He wanted a better boat to give him and his partner, Ben, even more of an edge in 2010. So he decided to seek sponsorship for a NEW C2 and look what he got from the Lions Club of Frome. Ed: Thank you Alex. Ok everyone! Who else is up for some C2 paddling? It’s great fun but you do have to work as a team! Umm . . . 24

FCC ‘THROWLINE ’ CLUB MAGAZINE

Bits and Pieces Courses 2010 Full details are now available in the new leaflet. Also on the website. In brief:

Passport £30 An introductory 6 week course for under 14s. Wednesdays 7-8pm. Start dates - 28 April and 16 June.

Discover £45 This follows on from the Passport course. 15 weeks and designed for under-14s. Wednesdays 7– 8pm. Start date 9 June

One Star £35 An introductory course in a weekend, for over 14s. 3/4 July 21/22 August

Two Star £50 A course over three days. 8/9 May and 23 May 4/5 Sept and 12 Sept

Three Star White Water £60 A course over three days. 10/11 July and 24 October

Canoe Safety (FSRT) £30 10/11 July

Aquatic First Aid £25 An 8 hour course: 25 July

Ed: Our two regular sections: ‘What’s New In Kit’ and ‘Guess What?’ have had to be postponed for one month. Sorry. All due to lack of space! We look forward to them next month, Alex! And we will have two more competition photos for you to guess who.

Another Newsletter. You might like to know about the BCU South West newsletter which comes out every month. I get an electronic copy which I can forward on to anyone who wants it provided they give me their email address. Alternatively you can go to - http:// www.bcusw.org/ and click at the top of the page where is says ‘Want to receive the South West News Letter Click Here’. It’s easy - Pam Apologies to anyone who didn’t receive their February edition of the Newsletter. We used rather poor quality labels which may have peeled off in transit. If you were one of these, and you want your last month’s edition, email Pam and she will post out another. However you will be pleased to know that we have spent some money .... and bought new (sticky) ones!

NEXT MONTH Read about ‘live-bait-Arthur’ on the Bolham rapids in the retrieval of Vicky’s paddle. When finally extricated from the rocks, the paddle was well and truly broken. Who was carrying some way? 25

CONTACTS Chairman: Andy Bell 01373 468030 Vice Chair: Rich Carter 01373 864623 Treasurer: John Kent 01225 765168 jfkent@blueyonder.co.uk Secretary: Pam Dixon 01373 473836 pam@dixon.org.uk Youth Rep: Gareth McG 01761 432281 gmcgiveron@talktalk.net

www.frome-canoeclub.org.uk Check out the photos of club events or put a comment on the message board!

COPPERNOSE CLIP POINTS Gareth McGiveron 15

Amanda Reeves James Hannan Kate Johnson Bill Fryer Alex Nicol Hazel Cottle Dave Bloodworth Arthur Belbin Joe Gregory Lily Charlesworth Stuart Miles Michael Topp

12 11 9 9 9 9 7 7 6 5 5 5 George McGiveron 4 Louise Bastable 3 Richard Norman 3 Karl Waldeck 3 Vicky Bennett 3 Sam Charlesworth 3

Ben Nicol Pam Dixon Jack Hobbs Jonathan Howell Steve Scammell Emma Spurling Ellie Howell Andy Lyall Rich Carter Mark Baines Tim Cottle

3 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 1 1 1

We have an omission in last month’s tally which needs an apology! Dave achieved an excellent total of 7 points on the River Tavy trip and in doing so came very close to Hazel’s 9 points on that trip. Dave had two swims and a roll and his subsequent comment to us was “I forgot about trying to roll up - I just bailed out on the first two capsizes. I did better on my we? So this make the total trip points for the Tavy

Get all your canoeing things from the Family Adventure Store at Hilperton. BA14 7PJ

Another high scoring trip was the 4 Star training which got a massive total of 29 considering we are talking of some of our ‘best’ paddlers! Gareth was the winner on this trip with a total of 9! And the Exe trip, just gone, got a grand total of 40! Keep paddling everyone!

Canoeing and kayaking are “Assumed risk” – “Water contact sports” that may carry attendant risks. Participants should be aware of and accept these risks, and be responsible for their own action and involvement. 26