The Four Musketeers
The Four Musketeers headed to the T with Adam for
a day of fun and training Sat 24th March
(Jord, Johnathan, Doug & Anto)
River
Report by Simon B
On
Friday we got a text from Zaf to say the ‘T’ was releasing on Saturday rather
than Sunday. Great I/we thought the weather forecast looks pretty good and
guess what when the alarm went off and I lept out of bed to look out the window
the sky was blue and sunny. I thought to myself what a way to start a days
paddling perfect paddling weather.
We
eventually set off, me with my windproof jacket (as I had been to North Wales before
paddling in ‘Spring’ time) I reminded Anto about bringing along an outer shell
to which he scoffed and said ‘I’ll be ok in my hoody’.
Anyway
all was bright and sunny and then we got to passing Shrewsbury
Well
we turned off for Knockin and admired the white capped hills around us and in
the distance. As got closer to Bala the sky turned grey with hail and snow and
started to settle on the road. We eventually arrived at the Chipper car park
and started to change into our yaking gear whilst feeling the benefit of
hail/rain and snow. The inevitable question crosses your mind ‘Am I dreaming am
I really doing this?’
Adam
briefed the lads in the car park and then we all promptly got onto the water
below the Chipper. Those of us who seal launched felt the full benefit of that
fresh cold water from the dam just in case any of us were not quite awake we
were now.
Myself
and Jason chose to paddle and keep a distance from the group being coached.
Stopping occasionally to revive cold hands.
The
four lads Douggie, Jonathon ,
Jordan
Just
before taking a re-fuelling stop Adam took the lads to inspect the next
section, looking down the Graveyard section towards the eddie before the Ski
Jump. Having briefed the guys on the plan for the next section Douggie and Anto
returned to the put in and worked on breaking into eddies, surfing, boofing and
rock sliding whilst taking in Ski Jump, international wave and Fedw’r Gog Falls
eventually paddling down to the café wave and Fingers and getting out at the
raft get out. Back to the café to refuel before the final session.
Having
eaten every last crumb in the café Adam, Anto and Douggie returned to the
Chipper for one final run before the water was turned off. On the way down
building on Adams coaching eventually ending
up surfing on the cafe wave. Anto thought he would demo his role between the 2
café waves as he likes an incentive, managing to role up before going over the
second wave and making the left hand eddie. Lucky…. He later let it slip that
he had caught an edge surfing the café waves got flipped over, in the process
he was left with one hand gripping the paddle which explains why the first role
attempt failed but fortunately the second was a success. At the end of the day
everyone got off the river in one piece and Douggie, Jonathon , Jordan
We all
look forward to the next paddle come rain or shine.
Simon
B
