Hi All, Club Open Day / come and try it day – Sunday 29th April 10:30am to 12:30am Everyone is welcome to this traditional summer season opener.   We will have lots of taster sessions / come and try it sessions / Pyranha Canoes and Kayaks are bringing their demo fleet / rolling competition / Sprint championships competition / beer cooler competition? / canoe Polo penalty shot competition  / and bring and buy sale of used canoeing items. This event is open to non-members but they need to sign in and leave emergency contact details if paddling. More details to follow later in the week but right now I need a band of volunteers to help run the event. Eg Coaches and experienced paddlers to oversee the taster sessions and on water activities Car Parking helper Bring and Buy Sale supervisor Welcome and information team Competition supervisors and results coordinators If you are interested in supporting the club in any of the roles please reply to website@liverpoolcanoeclub.co.uk saying what you would like to do and I will outline the task and give details of the briefing on Sunday morning. Many thanks  

Was very very cold on hands today on the River Dee Level 0.86m – Neil superb well done such improvement and also Aaron, John excellent. Ian looked confident – not best weather but hey beats sitting on the couch. Thanks all – the suns coming out in May finally Im sure! Thanks All.

Saturday morning at 10:30am a small group of six LCC members met at the Runcorn Rowing Club to paddle the stretch of the Weaver Navigation up to the Dutton Locks. It was a hive of activity at the rowing club as boats were loaded onto trailers for an away meeting. We weaved our way through the group carrying our kayaks to the launching pontoon with greetings being exchanged.  It was a leisurely two hour trip to the locks so with a stop for lunch we were looking at returning at around 4pm. With everyone safely on the water we were off.  Three sea kayaks, and three crossover kayaks made the two hour trip in decent weather. We had no rain and little wind. Arriving at the little landing point Phil tied all the boats together and we left them floating in a colourful little group on the water whilst we all headed to the picnic tables up ahead.The table was soon covered with sandwiches, biscuits, chocolate fudge cake and jam and “dirty custard  donuts.” It was a welcome break. The weather had turned quite chilly now and so the group headed back. We usually make a trip around to the sluice gates before heading back but today we gave them a miss.  The return trip was done at the same leisurely pace although we did encounter some strong wind in places which made it a little longer than the two hours.  Despite our little group being a bit out of practice having not padded much distance over the winter months we managed the 10 mile trip quite comfortably. Paddlers:- Irene Jackson, Jim Duffy, Phil Edwards, Bob & Sue Hamilton and John Fay

8 days paddling down the Sun Koshi – interactive map at: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1_2GQCWB3luv14RlGozLguZzYRkpN0-mP&usp=sharing

You’ll have 1 soft stuff bag that goes in a dry bag for everything to go in. Valuables or crushables (e.g. sun glasses / bottles of Deet …) go in the Peli-case   Paddling clothes for warm water: Helmet BA Spray deck, remember to check yours will fit choice A and B from the hire list Quick drying long sleeve top (and legs if on raft) to protect from sun (rash vest or base layer) Cag for the afternoon wind, short sleeve fine but if back to back storms it can get cool so still take long sleeve Shorts 3 sets of undies – on, off & a spare in case evening rain prevents a wash drying River shoes that have grip to portage on boulders Consider gloves (socks if rafting) to protect against the sun Factor 50 sunscreen Contact lenses not ideal with water quality and silt after rain or big water splashes Bug repellent (mainly last 2 days) maybe for lunch stops Dry bag to take bits in the boat – you can’t access kit between camps Airbags, check if required before going, there were some with a bit of life in them provided Personal safety kit Throwline? Probably not going to use due to river width and the fact the group don’t stop to set up safety Water bottle, they provide clean water and squash Lots of food at breakfast, lunch and dinner no need for extra snacks   Camping kit: Tents provided but the fine sand got in. You may want to have a bag to protect valuables Summer sleeping bag, they will provide but you may like to use your own Camping pillow or pillowcase to stuff with clothes Roll mat can be provided, taking a thermarest recommended 1 set of shorts, t-shirt, long sleeve […]

We were up for tea and coffee at 6am followed by a massive breakfast at 7am – fruit salad with granola, scrambled, egg, fried veg, toast and a selection of peanut butter, jam and marmalade (which also came out every lunch time with salt, pepper, ketchup and chilli sauce). Drinking water had been prepared over night for us to fill our water bottles with a choice of squash. With the camp packed up and the rafts loaded by 8.30am we were told the line as we went straight into the first named rapid of the trip. The big holes were relatively easy to avoid and we were soon all safely down and playing in the bottom wave while waiting for the rafts to catch up. Then, while the vultures circled overhead we set off down the river. The scenery was great and the water was getting bigger as we paddled up to a new rapid formed by a recent avalanche which will now be known as ‘Keep Right or Get Munched’. We paddled for about 3.5hrs until lunch – plenty of biscuits, bread, beans, coleslaw, spaghetti in a dressing and oranges. We continued for another couple of hours before setting up camp and tucking into prawn crackers and hot drinks. Just before dinner (veg curry) was a rain storm so the guides quickly assembled shelters from oars and tarps. After dinner we sat out by the campfire used to burn the rubbish from the last 2 days before heading off to bed. While collecting wood the guides also put rocks on our tent pegs, they could tell a few squalls might pass us while the odd rumble of thunder could be heard some distance away. With more rain overnight the river lived up to its name and was turned gold […]

We were off at 5.30am in 3 taxis racing through Kathmandu to the Paddle Nepal bus. Slightly over shooting our driver doubled back straight into the on coming traffic with a honk of the horn…pretty standard driving for Kathmandu! The bus was quickly loaded and then we were off on the first bouncy ride of the holiday, climbing out of Kathmandu past the Buddha on the hill. After about 3hrs we made a breakfast stop. Sugary coffee/spicy tea, boiled egg and a spicy chickpea mix self assembled in a wrap. Finished off with a sugary donut – yum! On we went through little villages to the get in, which required some off roading by the bus down a rather steep makeshift slope. The kit was unloaded and the rafts assembled with the bus’ roof racks suddenly turning into the centre pieces to take the oars. While we changed the driver took the opportunity to wash the bus in the river, where he parked to keep the tyres cool. We paddled off and were soon through a couple of wave trains, which at this point in the holiday felt quite big. After an hour we stopped for lunch and had our lesson in the rigorous hand and dish washing procedure. Biscuits went round while the loaves were sliced, coleslaw was freshly prepared and beans were served with bananas and the choice of orange or lemon squash to follow. We had a few more hours paddling through tiny villages and bouncy wave trains where we saw monkeys on the bank and vultures in the air, before arriving at camp – nicely positioned at the top of what looked like quite an intimidating rapid known as Meat Grinder. We were shown how to put up our tents while dinner was prepared. A spicy […]

I wasn’t able to join Kris’s Mersey trip last month so decided to do my own on Easter Day. Having checked with Mersey VTS before starting to cross the channel, an incoming vessel bound for Gladston Dock raised an objection so I had to return to the East side.  With a Spring Tide in full flow, staying put wasn’t going to be easy but there was a convenient eddy just by the big red cranes.  Eventually I made it across to the Wirral side but it was a frustating 15 minutes with all that free energy being wasted. My target was the cafe at Eastham Ferry but there was no easy exit there so I continued to Eastham Lock where the Ship Canal starts.  The entrance lock is huge, I’ve never seen anything like it.  Lunch was taken on some stepped banking nearby. With the tide having turned, it was a quick ride home.  I followed the Eastham markers first then crossed to the Garston side for a different perpective on our familiar stamping ground.  Drifting along with the tide is a great way to see Liverpool seafront close up. Mersey VTS was working well; it was reassuring to hear my presence being announced to any relevant traffic. On returning to Blundellsands, the shoreline had turned to gooey silt. Fine for the birds but it was a messy process for me to gain firm ground.  Crosby Lifeguards were patrolling nearby so I called them for guidance as to the best route up the beach. As Kris said, this estuary needs to be paddled more 🙂

The Sun Koshi is the longest trip in river miles offered in Nepal and is rated as one of the top ten river expeditions in the world. Starting near the Tibetan border and draining off the Eastern Himalayas all the way to the sacred Ganges River in India, this river offers big volume whitewater. Full report to follow but 9  club members paddled some of the biggest water that they  had seen.  It was a great trip and Paddle Nepal were superb.