So on the Yukon there is a decent size rapid - called five finger rapids its a set of rocky outcrops that make 5 channels (the 5 fingers). Four of these offer imminent death, the fifth is runnable and a piccy from the Skagway News shows a voyager going through, like this
We decided that we needed a bit of rough water paddling and persuaded others at the club that they fancied a trip to the Wye which creates the border of England and Wales.
Day one we paddled from Ross on Wye solo to our campsite at Symonds Yat East. 15 miles solo, arriving home about 6.5 hours after we set off, at a leisurely pace, against a strong wind all the way.
There were thoughts of camp cooking in the evening but to be frank the weather was not co-operating and the food in the Saracens Head pub is good. You could tell that its been a good days club canoeing when the conversation just gets bizarre. We played pictionary and solved pandas' infertility problems on only 2 pints each.
For a change we had more ladies than gents but the club seems to be moving that way
Sunday morning Esther and I left the group playing on the rapid for the first 2 hours and practised some windy paddling - wind over current was kicking up the kind of waves that every so often filled Ester's lap with water - it was great. We paddled up stream fighting until we could go no further (1.6 miles upstream) before turning around, hitting the really bumpy wavy bit and then doing it all again - we covered about 6 miles in under 2 hours which we are happy with as we were paddling against current half of the time.
We then donned helmets before heading towards the rapid. Usually I like to stop and play in eddies on the way down but we were on a mission and were aiming to go down keeping the stroke rate up and it seemed to work with us pulling into an eddy at the bottom to have a chat with friends.
We then practised breaking out and in and ferry gliding as a tandem (I'm a solo whitewater paddler preferring to tip myself in the water). As we worked up the higher parts we slightly lost our ferry angle and straightening out into an s turn caught the edge on the eddy line and were off swimming down river.
2 lessons from this:
1. Esther is to keep hold of the boat as on the Yukon you can't hijack Phil and his boat to to and catch up.
2. Always make sure your long line (and not the short one) is on the boat that way you only have to swim yourself and the end of the rope into shore and not keep the whole boat on one arm, the paddle on the other and oops there is no arm to swim with.
A few more crosses and it was time for lunch and soaked to the skin I called it a day. However we had forgotten about getting the boats back to the centre so in jeans and dry clothes we got all of the unused boats back up the river. After that I wandered along the path and took photos of the others playing on the rapid.
It was great to combine training with a fun weekend away with friends and there are a few more like it planned.
S
Well done! Yes, never, ever, let go of the canoe or it is away never to be caught again. Also, tie everything to the boat you need IF you flip, at least you have stuff to continue with (we secure everything). You two have trained hard and have what it takes to do well in this wilderness race. I expect a good finish, unless of course you loose the boat, get trampled by a moose, eaten by a bear or digress to your primitive selves and live happily like hermits on some deserted river island the rest of your lives.
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