Liverpool University Canoe Club

Links:

• Horrors of the event
• Its for charity
• Team “Dead Ants” Results

Cath: Dave, Cath, Jimbob, Andy, Kev, Ade and some more Wigan people just finished running in the Tough Guy winter event this weekend. Basically it involves running 8 miles cross country up hills and through streams and then completing a marine/SAS style assult course with lots of mud and cold water. There is even some fire running!

Dave: Just a note to say… THIS ROCKED!!! I have never seen so much MUD, and so many varieties of mud…

There was the light brown mud you had to wade through…. the mud that smelt like horse manure the dark brown mud that tried to steal your shoes… the mud that used to be grass and is near impossible to climb up…

IT WAS GREAT congrats to all the finishers, all the starters, everyone who was there

Thanks Will for the initial inspiration, we’ll see you at the start line next year (and wait at the finish for you)

Sponsor Devran House childrens’ hospice via justgiving.com

By MedicDave 

Main issues:

• BUSA Slalom
• Refreshers Fair
• Polo- BUSA, Christie Cup, FOA affiliation
• Equipment
• Advertising
• Social
• Dates for your diary

Present: Cath, Moley, Rosie, Kaylia, Tony, Andy, Martin, Vanny, Laura G, Naomi, Laura M, Jimbob, Helen

Apologies: Rob

BUSA Slalom
9-11th February
Although all applications are in there are still a few problems to be worked out. The two main problems are drivers and accommodation. Steve has kindly volunteered to drive, although this will mean he has to get a permit from the Guild. There are currently 11 people going, and accommodation is in the process of being sorted out. Suggestions such as the F1 travel lodge on Teeside were given. Laura mentioned there was a possibility that the team could stay at her house although Kaylia and Vanny are going to ring round possible places from Monday. Martin and Andy are in charge of deciding on the appropriate boats to use.

Refreshers Fair
Monday 12th February 10am-4pm, Mountford Hall
This will be a static stall, so get there when you can to help out. Vanny has agreed to be in charge of this event.

Polo
BUSA Polo- 20-22nd April
Applications forms are out from 29/01/2007. The deadline for the application forms is the 9th of March.

Christie Cup (possibly 14th March)
Andy has emailed Leeds Uni Canoe Club, who are in charge of the event, for more information, but has had no response.

FOA Affiliation
The club have decided to renew their affiliation with Friends of Allonby, at a cost of £30 for the year

Equipment
Paddles have been ordered, and should arrive within 1-2 weeks, hopefully in time for the slalom.
Helmets and BAs have not been ordered yet, as we are waiting for the supplier, Robin Hood Watersports, to come back with a quote.
Polo goals should be coming our way in the near future, at no cost to the club. Stuart Wade is to be sorting out the cost, providing we come up with a quote. Vanny is to find out an appropriate quote to make two goals which conform to polo regulations.

Advertising
Andy has suggested increasing the publicity of the canoe club by talking to the guy that does the video editing for the courtyard in the Guild. He will confirm that the use of footage is ok by Dave C and the Guild.

Social
The theme for the next AU night will be cupids.
The date for the annual meal will be on the 23rd March.

Dates for your diary
9-11th February- Busa Slalom- Kaylia and Tom
12th February- Refreshers Fair- Vanny
14th February- Paddlers lecture series: Alan Ellard
18th February- Uni Polo League Tournament at the docks- Andy
25th Feb- Day trip- Cath
2-4th March- Deniolen- Cath
7th March- Paddlers lecture series: Fiona Whitehead
10-11th March- National Student Rodeo- Lloyd
14th March- Possible Christie Cup
15th March- AGM, 5pm
18th March- Uni Polo League Tournament at the docks- Andy
23rd March- Annual Meal- Tony and Kaylia
30/31st March- White Water Safety training- Will?
5-9th April- Scotland
21st April- BUSA Polo
25-28th May- St Davids

Yay, thanks Rachel for organising excellent talk, and big thanks to Jim for teaching us many things!

What we learned:

• How to do the Klondyke shuffle
• How to pan for gold
• How to make dehydrated-chilli-con-carne
• What a “Conundrum” is
• That 9 out of 10 bears prefer scout-snacks
• For the coolest shuttles, use a float-plane
• Jim runs trips on the Yukon every year, prospective punters, get in touch, it is an amazing trip!

The yukon pics (I’ll add one or two to this report shortly) were of amazing “braided” rivers. The wavetrains look quite manageable, until you notice the scale of the pictures and find out how darn quick the water is moving (18 km/h). The character of the rivers is quite different to the UK - classic big water features, among sheer gorge walls, don’t explore those amazing undercuts boys and girls!

The gorges are true things of beauty, the backdrop scenery is fantastic and the bear encounters rather, er, close up! But luckily Jim has bear-flares (these are not a 70s fashion-phase apparantly) and a lot of wilderness knowhow to-boot. All in all, an excellent talk, many thanks to Jim and Rachel and to Pete Knowles of riverspublishing. Looking forward to the Allan Ellard talk on Feb 14th, some steep gradient himalayan misty madness, don’t miss it!

National Student Rodeo at Holme Pierrepoint.

BOOK YOUR PLACE NOW

LLoyd needs your name and vital statistics (i.e. your student number) and a small deposit now, in order to secure your place on this trip. Approx cost about £40 for the weekend, including entry fee and camping and transport and a party.
Please email him or phone him by Wed 24th Jan to let him know that you want to go.

Hey you budding playboaters. Or indeed, you expert playboaters.
This is your chance to strut your stuff (or just get swept down sideways, you choose) at the student rodeo.

This event is very fun, very funny, and involves a lot of partying with folk from other unis.

Who can go? Well, you need to be a student to compete, and, well, you need to like playboating. Obviously.

By Andy R 

On a hugely freezing, wet and windy day, i think the biggest accomplishment from everyone was staying in a boat as long as we did, and the 8 that turned up, playing non-stop competitive polo for both teams, from our first game at 9:30 to (almost!) the last game at 1:00 in the baltic conditions.

i think we played the worst polo so far this year, and lost a game and drew another, but seeing as though we were looking to check our paddles were still in our hands, every other second, mebbe in justice wasn’t so bad.

Well done to everyone who stuck around and braved the arctic until the end, it was a bloody cold day, especially for the idiot deciding short sleeve kag and shorts was a great idea!

Cheers dom, laura and martin for the 2 Star assessment, wasn’t too keen on the “you need to prove you can capsize and get out” bit, and feel life draining away…. but cheeeeers, medique davey and myself took two for the team!
- a great opportunity missed here, for more people to be recognised for their paddling credentials, hopefully the opportunity will come again and more will take it.

Well played everyone, at least we gave Sheffield Hallam a Stuffing!

Andy

7.30pm International Lounge, 2nd Floor, Guild of Students

A Very Good Talk! http://www.liverpoolkayaktalks.info

By: Andy R and Dom 

Polo ref course at the docks Sat 20 JanOpportunity to learn polo rules and take the multi-choice polo reffing exam. This is a good opportunity for anyone interested in reffing, or indeed anyone who just wants to know the rules a bit better. See Dave R at the pool for more info

Polo at the docks Sun 21 Jan

sunday is the usual polo tournament at the docks against anyone brave
enough to face us:

so far i have as playing-

Can anyone else play? no margin for error this tournament…..

- Andy R

2* training and assessment at the docks Sun 21 Jan

Alongside (well in between polo matches) me and Laura M will be
available for 2* training and assessment at the docks on Sunday.
If you are interested email me about this so we can organise what we
need to do.

Cheers

Dom

NOTE CHANGE OF VENUE: NOW AT TEA ROOMS, ARMITAGE SPORT CENTRE, FALLOWFIELD MANCHESTER.

Message from Dave Fairweather, Manchester: “I have arranged for the legendary Dave Manby to give a talk and present some slides and videos. “Dave is a bit of a legend, he was part of the group that kayaked down the Dudh Kosi which flows off Everest in 1976 and has been expedtioning around the world ever since. It promises to be a greatly entertaining evening and it would be great to get as many of you along as possible. “The cost will be £3, get there from about 7.30 onwards. ”

Directions Approx 2 miles south of city centre. Directions and Map

Quotes from NMELP website “Dave Manby is one of Britain’s most influential and pioneering wild water canoeists and was an integral member of the group that virtually invented extreme expedition paddling. In 1976 he was part of Mike Jones’ legendary Dud Khosi - Canoeing Down Everest- Expedition; the first to pull off this extraordinary trip. And if this wasn’t enough he then canoed down K2 on the even wilder waters that run off the world’s second highest mountain. Dave is a highly respected character who talks about his experiences in a laconic and entertaining way.”

As of now, (Jan 2007), preparations are in hand for another best-trip-ever to the Alps

“What’s happening?

A canoeing trip to the Alps leaving on the 8th June 2007  there are 2 trips that may be possible either 1 week or 2.

How good to you have to be?

Well in the past we have taken some, ahem, paddlers with a high enthusiasm to skill ratio! Even if you’re quite a novice now, if you apply yourself between now and then and go on a few trips you should be fine. You will improve a lot while we’re there.

How much will it cost?

Approx £150 for the 1 week version, probably £250ish for the 2 week.

How much canoeing will I get for my money?

As much as you can shake a stick at at least 2 sections a day, with the possibility of evening sessions thrown in for those with abs of steel.

So let me know if you’e interested (and haven’talready).

Ade

Alison, Rachel, Penny and Helen paddled the Rothay and Greta (Lake District) on Sunday.

Both rivers were a bit more than bank-full (Quote Mr Potts: “Not bringing my boat as there’s no water”)

The Rothay, which none of us had done before, is pretty gentle, so it was a good opportunity for us to practice group roles, communication and river signals in an easy environment. The river does turn out to have more frequent rapids than the nearby Brathay, and a small natural weir with a bit of a play spot, so maybe we should consider it as a possible early-first-term fresher trip in the future?

The Greta was fast flowing with plenty of tree hazards, as well as a jauntilly pinned canadian in one of the rapids - hope they were OK, they assured us they were fine, and “had a plan” for retrieving their boat. Alison and Rachel’s river leading resulted in a pleasingly incident-free trip, ending up in Keswick for retail therapy, soup and hot chocolate.

Incidentally, doing these two rivers in that order works out perfectly shuttle-wise, like a beautifully choreographed ballet, with niether car ever having to backtrack at any point. Shame I couldn’t keep up this habit of precision logistics once I got home and started to unpack. Never mind, Greenflag very kindly broke into my car and retrieved both sets of car keys from the glove box…..