I arrived on the Saturday and was put to work straight away helping to set the course up. This was a great icebreaker and was soon chatting to several different people in the club.

The course consisted of 18 gates both up stream and downstream all set to make things a little bit difficult.

Everyone went off in there different directions for dinner and then met up again ready for a coached session. This consisted of practicing running parts of the course. With a coach on hand to give hints and tricks to make the paddling better. My own problem was using 7 or 8 strokes to get through a gate instead of 3, also a killer gate 17 where we had to go through an upstream gate cross some fast water and go through a down stream gate sat on an eddy line.

Then at about 5 when I thought we would be getting out, someone suggested an impromptu team race. We quickly split into teams got to the start and set off. It all went okay only hitting 1 or 2 gates until the dreaded gate 17 where I ran straight across the front of it, and on the second run I went too low and ran across the back of it.

In the evening there was a barbeque and everyone sat around chatting. I found out that the coaches we had during the day were David a current prem division paddler and Helen a retired prem division paddler (don’t dare say premier, it’s not football).

Sunday. Race day not an early start, but still a bit of time to get some last minute practice. Registration for the race at 10 and race start at 11. Everyone gets 2 attempts at the course my attempts got final times of 169 seconds including 4 penalties and 161 seconds including 1 penalty. Not bad for a first race. The top times came in at around 120 seconds. Then it was pack the course up, pack up the camp and say goodbye to some new friends.

This was a great weekend with a very friendly club, just a shame more people didn’t take up the offer. Manchester canoe club have invited us to go for a weekend at Marple. If anybody is interested let me know and we will organise a date.

Euan Clouston