A new toy and some coaching

Second slide of Swallow Falls (Photo: Tom Laws - on my camera!)

Everyone knows that the most important part of whitewater kayaking is the photos that make you look gnarly to all your mates and more attractive to the opposite sex. Bearing this in mind I recently purchased a digital SLR (Pentax *Ist if you’re interested) and aquired a variety of lenses. This is all well and good, and hopefully, in time, my photography will start to show some improvement, however, everyone also knows that being the photographer means that you get no good photos of yourself. Bearing this in mind, I took my expensive new toy across to North Wales this weekend where I was coaching on a Steep Creekin’ course with Tom Parker and gave it to Sarah and Tom Laws to play with and take photos of me while I got on with the coaching.

Wales via Birmingham

Tom isn’t tired, he’s just remembered spending £6 on a Gin Martini…

The gear box in my car appeared to implode this week, gutted.Ho Hum, these things happen and thanks to the great British railway network, boat loans from Sarah, and lifts from Chris, I was still able to manage posh drinks in Birmingham for Chris Eastabrook’s 21st, an evening run of the Ogwen, a big night out in Bangor and a day on the Cwm Llan.

A Day in the Lakes: River Clough

I didn’t get many photos of the River Clough, so here’s one of Brian Clough instead

Today was the first time that I’ve ever paddled in the Lake District, a few of us drove up to the Clough this morning to find it at a superb level. It was most enjoyable. There were some drops with some sticky holes which had a habit of stopping and backlooping the guys in playboats. I was happy to be in my creek boat. Just after the Clough joins the Rawthy, a broken weir forms a nice, fast play wave, which made me wish that I’d taken a play boat. Stupidly I left all the memory cards for my camera at my desk and was left with just a 16 meg card that allowed me to take a grand total of five photos over the day.

Festive Fun all over the country

Tea boy at Hurley weir on two gates

 

It’s been a pretty hectic week or so over the Christmas period with plenty of partying, paddling and catching up with friends from around the country. There was also a fair bit of driving involved.