Photo of the Month March 2019 # 1 Dock Paddle Tuesday Evening Taken by Kayleigh Campbell 35 votes (42%) # 2 Gareth Jones in a Prospector on the River Wye Weekend by Keith 14 votes (17%) # 3 No Swims for Aleksander on the Wye Koshi Weekend by Keith 11 votes (13%) # 4 Karl Tattum eyes up the Crosby Surf by Dave Rawlinson 10 votes (12%) # 5 U14 Canoe Polo in Speke Pool by Craig Ford 9 votes (11%) # 6 Team Photo on the Wye Weekend by John Coo

Coaching with Liverpool Canoe Club Just a note to let you know that we are running a training weekend for all our potential future coaches with additional modules to ensure you are fully prepared for any assessments later in the summer.  Sunday 24th will be a good day to improve your coaching and leadership skills even if you do not intend to undertake a formal assessment.   All volunteers and potential coaches welcome. Saturday 23rd March will be an 8 hour 1st aid course for anyone who does not already have the award.   Certificates are valid for 3 years.  The cost of the course is £45 but it will be subsidised by the club for anyone willing to be an active volunteer helping over the summer – your cost will only be £15 Click to book a place Needs a code to book – Contact website@liverpoolcanoeclub.co.uk if you need one Click for more details on the course……….. Sunday 24th March will be a training day to look at both leadership and coaching skills at the Docks in a variety of craft.   This day will be ideal for all and all costs are covered by the club.   Just register for a place.  Click to book a place…. Sunday 12th May FSRT course at the docks for anyone who needs an update or the Award.  You will be asked to cover the cost of the certificate £10. Click to book a place Needs a code to book – Contact website@liverpoolcanoeclub.co.uk if you need one Click for more details on the course……….. May and June Paddlesport Assessments arranged with kayak essentials for those that are ready for the award.  Cost of the course is £450 / £480 but will be covered by the club.  You will need to be a full member of British […]

Club White Water Kayak Trip for Improvers 16th February by Dave Gentle and Fiona Gentle Yesterday was the Led – Grade 2(3), meeting at River Active Ltd, aka JJ’s, MEM (Mile End Mill). Nine of us were on the water 11.40am to 2.40pm from Serpent’s Tail down to JJs.  The Dee level was 0.68m, 5.6 on the JJs yellow gauge, a bit higher than our last trip.  There was plenty of action at the Broken Weir surf wave either surfing or using the feature to cross the river. Near the railway bridge we got plenty ferry practice, breaking in and out with a couple of swims, swiftly resolved.  That dogleg weir on the left just above the island took none of the team out this trip. Then we entered the JJ’s site. The first drop caused carnage for three, all swiftly resolved and all came out laughing.  The Hole at 5.4 looked sticky so the Leader went in to try it. It sure was sticky, resulting in a Leader swim which was soon resolved. All in all the team is showing skills and confidence improvement per trip. A good result.

Club weekends and major events for the Club 2019 – for more detail check the online Club Calendar……. You need to be a current member of the club to paddle with us (Insurance and emergency contact details etc) 6th – 19th April 2019 Nepal Sun Khosi River Trip (Kayaking and Rafting) – coordinator Keith Steer 18th April to 22nd April 2019 Easter Bank Holiday Scotland Trip based at Blackwater Hostel – Click for more and to book a place…. 28th April 2019 Club Open Day at the Compound at the Docks. Try different disciplines, junior session, come and try it session for non-members, Sunday tour of the docks. Bring and buy sale for any canoe or kayaking gear. 4th – 11th May 2019 Arisaig – Sea Kayaking Day trips – coordinator John Fay. 17th – 19th May 2019 Anglesey Weekend #1 Click for more and to book a place – based at Tyn Rhos Trearddur Bay – coordinator Peter Massey. 24th – 27th May 2019 Pembroke Bank Holiday Weekend Click for more information and to book a place – based at Newgale Campsite – coordinator Jenny Brown. 25th May – 1st June 2019 Sardinia Sea Kayaking Click for more information – coordinator Kirk Williams 8 – 9th June 2019 Trywern and camping Weekend – coordinator John Cook 14 – 16th June 2019 Anglesey Junior Club Weekend #2 Click for more and to book a place – based at Anglesey Outdoors LL65 2LP  coordinator Keith Steer. 7th July 2019 Hilbre Island Race – Club event for all More information…….. Why not give one of the courses a go. 12th – 14th July 2019 Anglesey Weekend #3 Click for more and to book a place – based at Bodfan Farm, Rhosneigr  – coordinator Jenny Brown. 19th July to 4th August 2019 Alpine Holiday […]

Paddling the Lower Karnali River, Western Nepal, November/December 2018 by Roy McHale The Lower Karnali River had been on my hit list for a while and I finally got the chance to paddle it after I convinced several other Liverpool Canoe Club members to join me on the adventure. The team consisted of myself, Tom Morris, Mark Young, Nathan Marsden and Rich & Liz Reeves. We decided to use a company called Paddle Nepal, who the club have used  previously, to supply kayaks and organise the logistics of getting to the river which is situated in Nepal’s remote western region. The Karnali is Nepal’s longest river and along with its tributaries drains most of the far west of Nepal, the Wild West as many people call it. Tom, Mark, Nathan and I flew from London Heathrow to Delhi then onto Kathmandu. We had a pretty good flight with Jet Airlines and arrived on the Saturday before the trip started the following Tuesday. In order to fill the days before the trip we had arranged to go to a river festival called the “Himalayan White-Water Challenge”. Read the full report here………..

Karnali River trip – Nepal, 2018 by Nathan Marsden with Tom Morris, Roy McHale, Richard and Liz Reeves and Mark Young Finally got around to throwing a little edit together from our trip in Nepal back in November paddling the Karnali River. https://youtu.be/CMcVQaMmWAE Start Point: Dungeswar Finish Point: Chispani Day 1 – Long drive from near Nepalgunj to the get in. Left at 5am arrived at river around 11.30 stopped in a crazy village along the way for breakfast of samosa and boiled eggs. River was go from the start big waves trains and the main signal ‘middle middle’. Camp was good, great food and big fire. Camped underneath a tarpaulin. Day 2 – Easier day today, Sayas let us read and run the rapids. Easy sections of around grade 3-3+ big waves trains, mega fun! Camp f@@king freezing, wind blew through the tarp. Day 3 – Starting to get to the meat of the rapids. 2 main rapids first called sweetness and light – steady line that was quite easy to get. Some holes to avoid river left but a big wave train down the bottom. Second rapids called Jailhouse big huge hole river right then another in the middle. Line was left at top then over to the right. Tom took a s*** line and swam in second hole, both shoes ripped off and pants half way down 😂 rest of the day steady. Day 4 – Another big day with 3 main rapids. Gods house (4+) juicer (4) and juicer 2 (flip and strip, 4). Gods house started straight away with a must make line, huge hole on the left then a tongue over to the right. Juicer 2 had a shoot on the left. 2 big  holes in the middle. Line went left, left and left. All followed […]

Photo of the Month Please send any photos to website@liverpoolcanoeclub.co.uk March 2019 Click here to see the photos and to vote for your favourite.

Photo of the Month Please send any photos to website@liverpoolcanoeclub.co.uk February 2019 Top of Form # 1 Crosby Surfing by Paul Harwood 22 votes (33%) # 2 OC1 Paddler on the strid River Lune by Paul Harwood 13 votes (19%) # 3 John Fay and friend – Wigan Lock to Choreley 10 votes (15%) # 4 Ian Open Boat Sailing on Lake Bala by Nikki Aldridge 8 votes (12%) # 5 Crosby Christmas Surfers by Paul Harwood 7 votes (10%) # 6 New Brighton Paddlers by Julie Brookes 7 votes (10%)

Scottish Easter Paddling Holiday based at Kinlochleven – coordinator John Cooke PH50 4SG 18th -22nd April 2019 Photos from previous trips…………..  Where is it? Location map  *** PH50 4SG To book a place on this club weekend please put your name down on the club booking page. Click here for more information and book a place…………. 2019 John Cooke is coordinating the White Water paddling Ian Bell is coordinating the Sea Kayaking Opportunities for open boats, skiing, mountain biking and walking On the West Highland Way in the village of Kinlochleven, this simple hostel is a 3-minute walk from the Ice Factor National Ice Climbing Centre and 7 miles from central Glencoe. Rustic rooms have en suite bathrooms. There are also camping pods with TVs, kettles and fridges, plus access to a shared shower and toilet block. Amenities include a full kitchen, a TV lounge, a pool table and free WiFi. There’s a drying room, plus a storage area for bikes. Address: Old Military Rd, Kinlochleven PH50 4SG Phone:01855 831253 BLACKWATER HOSTEL LAB ROAD KINLOCHLEVEN PH50 4SG The area produces excellent white water kayaking, Sea Kayaking and loch touring, good mountain biking, skiing at White Corries ski area, mountain walking and cycling. In the past we have had families joining us to explore the area.

  The club sea kayaking trip to Sardinia 25th May to 1st June 2019 with two options to suit all tastes…..    To express an interest and to reserve a place please contact Kirk Williams for details website@liverpoolcanoeclub.co.uk Rustic Gourmet Option: (Deposit £500 by Friday 8th March) All-inclusive accommodation, food, local wine, kayak gear, transport and guiding. This will involve staying in a fully catered “agriturismo” accommodation with daily sea kayak trips to various top locations around the island. The emphasis here is clearly on comfort but with plenty of getting out and about exploring the stunning Sardinian coastline with our local guide’s knowledge. This option will cost approx €950 per person for a week (6 paddling days, 7 nights accommodation), excluding only flights (see below) and personal spending (up to you, but only minimal necessary). Everything else is covered.    Salty Sea Dog Option: Deposit £250 by Friday 8th March)  For those who prefer the expedition feel and freedom of living out of the boat there is also an option to just rent sea kayaks and equipment and head off on a week’s coastal exploration and camping with drop off, route/stopover guidance and pick up from our local guide. This option will cost approximately €400-450 Euro depending on drop off/pick up point and what gear you want to hire/bring with you (paddles/BA’s, tents, stoves etc) for a week (assuming 6 paddling days, 7 nights “free” camping….), excluding flights and personal spending (this time including food/drink provisions). For either option the equipment available is good quality (mainly P&H Scorpio plastic sea kayaks, some other options, Lendal paddles etc)  All equipment, guiding and accommodation options sourced via Clark at Sea Kayak Sardinia  More details of the Agriturismo accommodation here Flights are available direct from Manchester to Olbia (eg, EasyJet currently looking around £450 return Sat to Sat), or London […]

The Mid Wales WW Weekend Day 2 River Elan 10/02/19 It had rained all night and water was running down the road. We had planned to paddle the section of the Wye above Rhayader but levels looked a lot higher than the day before. The river was brown and swollen below Rhayader so having a mixed group we decided to head up the Elan Valley and put on below the Elan Reservoir. On arrival the water was flowing all across the top of the dam and looked like a white curtain. The rapids below were over bankfull with the river running through the trees. Having not run the river before some took the wise decision not to paddle and head back home early. Some of us put on above the low footbridge above the town. A desperate ferry across in front of a tree caught on the bridge stanchion. I was then I remembered that I had not zipped up my drysuit! This was quickly rectified as the consequences of a swim with a full drysuit would have be very serious. Lower down the river soon eased but was still flowing through the trees. It was not long before we came across the confluence with the Wye at the Junction Pool. Here the blue and brown waters were slowly mixing along the eddy line (just like the Dudh and Sun Koshi) in the 1976 film of the decent of Everest. Looking left we could see Andy`s “railway rapid” from the day before, now just a little washed out. The two groups bounced and paddled their way down the river Wye, beneath a suspension bridge to the egress at the next road bridge at Llanwrthwl bridge. Although the group made the right decision having now paddled this river high conditions it […]

26 km on the River Wye 09/02/19 First day out on the water in mid-Wales after gale force winds and lashing rain all night. There was plenty of water, but the first job was to “suit up!” and dig Craig’s van out of the bottom field. We paddled the Wye from Rhayader to Builth Wells – 26 km of grade 2 to 3. In the swollen river a new grading system was invented: Silky smooth, Fluffy, Stubbly, Goatie & Full on beardy. We had 14 paddlers running the river in one group. With small suspension bridges overhead and tributaries coming in from the side, the river was wide and bouncy and full of wave trains – and was renamed the “mid-Wales Sun Koshi” by Keith. After a cheeky roll from Alexander, a surprisingly bouncy grade 2 caught Andy off guard. To warm up we had a bite to eat on the bank. That was the fluffy section completed. The next section was silky smooth with a surf wave here and there. The brown water of the river Irthon joined from the right – the merging water reminding Keith of the Sun Koshi. We then had another bite and leg stretch on the bank before tackling the 2 “stubbly” rapids before reaching the get out. That evening the rain fell again and Kirk arrived just in time for a cheese butty at the not so nearby pub that doesn’t serve dinner so late. It was big water was on the forecast again for day 2. Did Keith mention it was just like the Sun Koshi?… More Photos…….

The Full Write-up is now published here….. Nepal Sun Koshi Expedition – Day 8 (8th April) by Steve Rose This was our last day on the river and we all packed up quickly and left our beach camp before 8:30am. After a few hundred metres we came across a bamboo raft being drifted downstream by a couple of locals. Before long we arrived at Baraha Chhetra Temple and we had to get out to look around. There were several stalls selling water and religious items to the many worshipers who descended on the Temple. One of the local traditions was to lift the large stone as this would bring the person luck. Just around the corner were some large bouncy rapids, with some smooth faced waves. It was not long before we arrived at the suspension bridge and get out. We saw a gecko skating on the water at the get-out. We were keen to get our skates on and packed up the rafts and kayaks and changed into some fresh shorts for the journey home. After 20 minutes or so we arrived at Chatra Village, parked up and went to a local restaurant for a meal of Dal Bhat and beer. After a quick look around Chatra we climbed back onto the bus and started our long journey back to Kathmandu. We left the paddy fields of Indian plain and treaded our way back to civilisation. We stopped for tea and coffee at the Hôtel United and later at a smart (for Nepal) restaurant with a choice of menu (Dal Bhat/ Momo`s / chow main). After more hours on the road we eventually stopped over night at the “Mugling Guest house”. Darren missed the opportunity to bag a “good bed” as he was busy texting / Facebooking / Tweeting […]

Under 16 Canoe Polo Tournament at Speke Pool 2nd February 2019 We had two teams enter the NW U16 league on Saturday. Our paddlers looked great in club Buoyancy Aids, helmets and face masks and polo boats. For many it was their first go at canoe polo but all did fantastically well. The novice team ended up playing so well together that they can came out on top in first place in the novice league. Playing with an extra small size 3 ball enabled our team to pass the ball accurately and move around the pitch. Ellie was our ace scorer and Adrian turned out to be a daemon keeper. Poppy volunteered to play for the scratch FOA C team and played extremely well. In the more experienced “Development league” we have the makings of a great young side. The team passed well and created many opportunities to score. Dean played very well in goal and if we are able to shore up our defence a little in the zone the opposition would not get near the net. The team is equal first on points having won 3 of the 4 games but have a slightly worse goal difference. We all look forward to the next tournament on 2nd March again at Speke Pool. If anyone is interested in joining in with the U16 we still have places. You should be confident in a small kayak with a spray deck and have experience of paddling at the docks. Our team is aged 10 -16 years of age. Click for more information…. More Photos……