Dear Paddler
Welcome back into the new paddling year, and it is great to see more paddlers starting to return to the Saturday morning sessions.
We are releasing the next set of pool sessions this Thursday at 8pm which will be for the weeks of the 19th and 26th of February.
Due to the very considerable popularity of the sessions we are requesting that paddlers only book one or other of the sessions, not both.
In this way more paddlers can get the chance to use the pool and to start the rolling process. We appreciate that this isn’t ideal, but with two years of new paddlers, and more members than ever we want to be as fair as we can.
We are also getting cancellations right up until Saturday morning so please do check back at intervals to see if any sessions have been released back where people have cancelled.
We are now not running a reserve list as this was proving too complicated to make it fair, so sessions will be released back if they are cancelled, and good luck if you can snap one up.
Our touring team are working to bring forward a day trip list and hope to produce a grading system which will allow paddlers to work out whether the trip is suitable for them or not.
We also have two weekend trips to offer.
Windermere in the Lake District incorporating the weekend of the 14th and 15th of May. This will offer the opportunity to paddle on large open water in the Lake District, and is suitable for paddlers with experience as the trip can be prone to wind. Suitable for SUPs, Open Canoes and touring kayaks. You should have done either some club trips or paddled on Saturday mornings up to Trent Bridge and back, and be confident that you could paddle further than that and paddle for the whole day. If you have any questions about this trip please contact Trevor Tarlton-Weatherall on recreation@hppcc.co.uk
With the Windermere trip paddlers should sort their own accommodation, either in B and B, camping, caravanning or hotels. You will also need to transport your own boats to the lakes.
River Wye – June 10th – 12th. (Provisional dates and to be confirmed) This club weekend trip has a strong social element with club members booking in to one campsite, either camping, caravanning, or staying in the on site camping huts. Paddlers who wish to stay offsite may do so and meet up with the group each day, but you will miss the social gathering in the evening. Paddlers should book directly with the campsite for their pitches, and be warned this is a very popular site so it fills up quickly. Site details are here: https://www.lucksallpark.co.uk
We always paddle this trip with the flow so it isn’t a tiring 2 days of paddling, but be aware that there aren’t stopping places to cut the journey short so you have to do the full 14km on each day. Suitable for SUP, Open Canoe, Touring Kayaks, and general purpose kayaks. This is gently moving water with the opportunity to paddle Symonds Yet Rapids at the end of Day 1 if you want to.
This is always a really friendly family weekend and non paddling partners can go walking, shopping or site seeing in nearby Hereford. For more information about this trip please contact me on Chair@hppcc.co.uk
Please be aware that with both of these trips you are responsible for booking your own accommodation. Both trips will be led by experienced qualified leaders, and if weather conditions are not suitable the paddling element may have to be cancelled, where possible we will try and organise some other paddle but this can’t be guaranteed. The club isn’t responsible for any accommodation costs you may have incurred if the paddling doesn’t go ahead. The good news is that in 12 years we have only not been able to paddle the Wye once.
We look forward to seeing you at the pool or on a trip.
Kind regards
Dawn Scott
Chair of Trustees