Pugneys waterpark

Monday 25th May 2009









A bit of paddling, and some rescue practice









Not living anywhere near the coast always means that I'm hankering after some more time in the kayak, so with the weather looking promising we decided to take a trip up to the Pugneys lake at Wakefield.




Adele and the kids would be able to do a lap of the lake, and I would paddle around, have a picnic on the bankside, and then do some rolling practice and if the water seemed warm enough maybe a bit of self rescue work.









The car park on arrival was gwetting quite full so much later and we wouldn't have got in.




I got all the kit together and headed down to the water, there was a strong constant wind coming across at me so I decided to have a go at paddling into, away from and across the wind in various directions. This allowed me to deploy the skeg, and experiment with different amounts to combat weather cocking etc. It really surprised me how difficult it is to stay on a heading when there is a cross wind at an angle.








We all made our way to the far end of the lake and found there was a small pebble beach, and if I'd have know it would have been a good place for Connor to get into his little sit on top kayak. Maybe next time!

We had lunch and it was time for me to get wet. The bank side was now a mass of picnicers, some of which had obviously not packed their sun cream, they'd know about it in the morning!

I got back into the boat, and paddled over to the safety guys boat to let him know I was going to get in and not to flap about me.

I did a couple of nice straight forwards rolls and came up well.

I always like to do my practice rolls with some forwards movement if I can though, as its not often a kayaker ends up rolling whilst sitting still. I didn't quite make the 1st attempt, so I dropped back under and composed myself, this time I made it. I noticed some cheering, and some laughing from the crowds!




Now I had to get wet, and do some self rescue practice.......

I'm useless at this climbing on the stern type rescue! Ive fell in every time up to now, quite good at paddle float rescue though will add a vid tommorrow.

A small boy, and 19 Km!

Saturday 23rd May 2009

I still carn't believe he did this:

I took Connor out to Ladybower, starting at Fairholmes car park we set off up the tarmac closed road as we did the last time.
The difference now was that I had altered the gearing on Connors bike makinbg it easier for him to pedal. He was flying up hills that a couple of weeks ago he was struggling with.
We went way on past where we had managed last time, and when we reached the gate where the tarmac gives way to the gravel path beyond I had to make a decision: 'do I risk going all the way around or do we turn back'.
It would be easier to pedal back, but is actually shorter on the gravel side. We took the gravel side.
Soon after we rounded the top end and crossed the bridge Connor started asking me to go back, its difficult to reason with a young child, as they don't see the reality like we do. I knew it was now shorter to get back this way.
I managed to encourage Connor by joining him in riding through all the puddles we could find, the wind however kept gusting in our faces and it felt cold on our exposed skin.
I had taken a drink but had not remebered to put in any snacks so the thought of getting back for a hot dog was playing on my mind.
I lost count of the number of people that asked if Connor had been all the way around and 'how old is your son'? When I answered just 4 they were all amazed.
We reached the car park, and Connor had two hot dogs and a bar of chocolate! He'd earned it.

I wandered over to look at the map of where we'd been and was shocked to discover that the distance was listed as 19 Km!

Keep it up Connor!

A stressfull biking night!

Thursday 21st May 2009

A real long ride, some road rage and a useless light

Tonights ride was going to be hard from the start, leaving the garden centre at Abbeydale road, Sheffield and heading right out to Redmires reservior and back.

The majority of this ride would be pedalling, with very little descent, and when we would it was right back down low again meaning: MORE climbing.

We did 'the drop of doom in Ecclesal woods, it is a longish track down a bank to a stream that is quite steep. There are now 2 fallen trees near to the bottom, which would test anyone who tried to get over them.
Geoff tried on his 1st attempt, came off but managed to run it out!
He placed a rock before the last log for his second attempt, this should allow a bit of a kick to help clear it. Oh yes! He cleared it, but the landing.... well it wasn't really a landing, he ended up hurtling over a steep drop minus the bike which suffered twisted bars.
Adam had a go but managed to avoid the log all together, finding an alternative route just before.
We left the woods now and climbed up to Wirlow Park, and on to Ringinglow, where we had a Range Rover driver overtake us all 10 metres before a junction with motorbikes and cars coming the other way, hand on the horn all the way! Amazing the driver waited whilst we had turned the opposite way to them and started shouting abuse through the window at us.

Laughing we headed along the road across the top of Porter Clough, numerous cars and motor bikes passed us without incedent, but as geoff and myself approached the switchback narrow bridge, a white van passed Geoff, and then to my surprise drew along side me just as I entered the bridge.
Now any one who knows the bridge will agree, it is not a place to pass, so rather then get knocked off I sped ahead to get clear, this was not the result the driver was hoping for, and he began to press the horn, shout through the closed window, and wave an angry looking dog at me!
I attempted to stop, he stopped, so I set off again (uphill) so did he, now attempting to squeeze me into the bank i was left in the edge as all the other riders passed him on the outside.
My atempts to appologise (whatever I'd suppossed to have done) this didn't work, so I just carried on. He had pulled over his van and appeared to be on the phone or something so I made haste to catch the others up.
It was a couple of minuits later when I looked back that I noticed Andy way behind. Had he been held up by the driver?
It turned out not, and upon catching us up he said you guys are fit! Not fit, just SCARED!

My legs were now burn't out, and knowing how far we still had to go I was not happy. I thought about how I could cut the ride short but could do it without using footpaths instead of bridal way.

The descent from Stanage edge, a rocky steppy thing that is meant to stop errosion is a bone jarring ride to say the least, it was pretty quick tonight, and most of us also tried the rock jump at the bottom, the Lake District skills coming in again.
We now had to climb out of the valley and make our way to Fox house, and up some more to the woods leading down to Dore.
on reaching the woods Geoff anounced he was doing it with out lights, I would have normally but was so tired from the long ride and the terror induced sprint earlier that I decided to use mine.
WRONG! The light appeared to be flat or broke or something, so it was decided, I'd do it in the pitch dark.
The fast flowing track initially has a good surface but has ruts and muddy sections here and there. Both my self and geoff made it though.
Through Dore village, and past a really nice smelling indian restaurant, hunger had set in now, just one last blast in the very dark woods to the vehicles at Abbeydale.
All relieved to be back I think, we packed up and headed for the pub.

My performance: All things considered, not bad, managed to climb all the hills in the end and all the downs without lights.
Thoughts on the bridge incedent? If I was given a second go at the same situation I'm pretty sure I'd have done the same thing. Its not normall to stop when someone is over taking, but i'd better watch out for vans next time.

Paddling the 'Mac'

16th May 2009

16 miles on still water

At midday Friday I suddenly though that the weather wasn't going to be good for family stuff, so maybe it was a good day to exicute our planned trip on the Macclesfield canal. I sent a message to Dad, who agreed it would be a good day, if it wasn't going to be torrential all day.

I checked the web for forecasts, and found they all differed but generally it would be mixed.

So, we decided to do it. I went shopping for snacks and lunch late on Friday night, and by the time I returned it was too late to be rattling around the house gathering my kit together, so I decided to get up early, make my sandwiches, and chuck everything in the can.

So much for early, I was meeting Dad at 0700 and managed to not awaken until 10 past!

What followed was a blurr, of frenzied panick, and the constant thought I would forget something really important. I have noted this mentally, it wouldn't hurt to not have some item or other on an inlnad canal, but could make a life or death situation difficult or deadly at sea.

SET the ALARM, get EVERYTHING ready the NIGHT before.

So we arrived at the car park at Higher Poynton in glorious sunshine!

Getting on the water can be testing on a canal, some of the edges being quite high, we made it in without incedent. We hoped there wouldn't be too much traffic on the canal, as we thought we would be travelling at the same speed as the barges and boats. We noticed a boat backing out of a yard, waited but were called forwards by the guy at the helm, we paddled past and he came behind us in pursuit. Next time I looked back we had left him.

All along the canal the bridges are of a design that radius's back around into the water, there were 'stop' boards and their slots in the edge stones on every bridge.

These 'stop' boards are nescesary here as there are no locks for nearly 20miles, therefore if the canal needs to be drained for maintenance etc, it would require all the water draining without the boards. They are slotted into the edge stones and hold back the water enabling the section below to be drained.

There were also very deep rope grooves in all the bridges from the ponies that once towed the boats.

Further along the canal we found this overflow drain, it is designed so that if there is excess water in the system it slowly diverts into a drain and keeps the levels correct.

We had planned to stop and eat lunch at the old Clarance Mill just before Bollington, but when we arrived the landings were all taken, and in any case the step would have been amusing to say the least. Also the cafe appeared to be a trendy modern affair that we would have been way to over dressed for in the kayak gear!

We paddled on and soon found a little canal side cafe, the guys here were really welcoming, and even allowed us to eat our own food whilst sipping the fresh coffee they provided. A most civilised lunch stop!

On the return leg the weather held out, it had rained on and off all morning. We cruised back to Higher Poynton in no time at all, so we went straight past and on to the road bridge a mile and half further on.

Here we had a coffee stop, just as we were packing up to head on back, the heavens opened, and we had to get back in the boats and quickly head under the bridge for shelter.

It wasn't long before we were on our way, and the short run back into the wind was a bit of a strain on the body now.

All in all I really enjoyed this trip, no moving water at all had worried me initially, thinking it might be a little taxing but there are so many interesting things to see it is actually really good and eduacational.

The one thing that really stood out for me was at one point I looked out in a Westrly direction, and I could see a long way out towards Manchester airport, and the ground was dropping away from me. Not spectacular I know, but its not often that you get to look down at anything when your in a kayak, normally looking at sea cliffs or river banks.

We managed 16 plus miles all paddling and surprisingly my back held out very well, I had made some adjustments to the seat base since Anglesey and it seems to have done the trick.

Bakewell Station ride

Thursday 14th May 2009

Hardly any walking!

This weeks ride started from bakewell's dissused railway station, once and impressive structure, it is now a industrial/office complex, and has the Monsal trail running through where the tracks were.
This ride can be an energy sapper, as it seems to be all uphill. The early part is along the railway track, then we leave and climb up onto Longstone edge where the quarries are. What can only be described as the worst descent in the Peaks was our way down, almost arrow-straight it is a mix of small stones, slippery white slab rock and large boulders. I hated every bit of it, and was just glad to be down, what now follows is an energetic mix of tracks that go through woods, water splashes and up the longest most demoralising tarmac climb I know.
At the end though there is a treat in the descent through the woods from Ball Cross back down through the golf course to Bakwell station. Some locals have built a cracking set of small jumps that wind down into the very rutted but fast finish.
There were no falls and no injuries, no punctures and no mechanicals!

My rating:
I only walked the bit that had us all off, getting much better at climbing, new skillls are helping.

Lake District skills day

Friday 8th May 2009

A bit too much to drink, some low flying and a very wet ride

For Christmas last year, Amy (one of the bikers) very kindly organised with our wives/parners to have us all go to the Cycle Active guys in the Lakes to participate in a skills training day.

Now I know this sounds a bit 'cocky' but there were some of us, wondering what on earth they were going to teach us, after all we are all very experienced arn't we??(!)

On arrival in the Lakes it rained. Whats new then? We found the campsite to have these lovely 'pods' for hire so we ditched the tent in favour of a couple of these. They really did save the day!

We then went to the pub, I had way too much, and then after staggering home through the rain had some whiskey, ( cheers whoever brought it, it really hurt my head)!

I got up the next morning with a proper head ache, and after some coffee thought I'd have to sit out the training.

I squeezed my helmet on over my woolley hat and spent all morning wondering why my head wasn't getting better.

The skills course, was a revelation to most of us, there was a lot of sprinting around cones, braking sharply and learning to 'lower your heels'.

Then there was some going baclk to basics on wheelie-ing, it may seem a bit silly or childish to some but the new techniques we learned have really helped me.

We ventured out to some locall woods after lunch, and spent quite a lot of time doing 'track stands' the art of just balancing without moving is a good grounding for staying upright on very technical trails.

There was then some climbing and descending training, the climbing bit turned my attenion off at 1st, (I always walk up hill normally), but actually, I did listen, and have applied the ideas and find I can get up hills I previously didn't, my back-side is complaining a bit about the technical climbing position though! (You guys no what i mean!!)

After this we did a little jumping in the woods, and had to try and remember to use all our newly aquired skills, to my knowledge no-one fell off, and everyone 'cleared' the jump

We all learned something from this excellant day out, (thanks Amy, and the wives).

Even the sceptics amongst us came away with something to talk about, and now before during and after our usuall Thursday night rides there is always someone practicing something. Personally, as I already said, my uphill technical climbing is better, and my wheelies are coming on.

We had an excellant (restrained) night in the pub that evening, and awoke packed away our gear, and drove down to Ampleside for a very wet ride. Having had severe back trouble on the run up to this weekend I was always ready to miss out this ride in order to protect the old back, and after the initial climb I made a decision to cut short this ride. George wasnt feeling too great so we both cut across the centre of the route and as it happens wasn't a bad idea. The west side of the hills where the others were was absolutley horrendous by all accounts, windy, cold and extremeley wet.

We reached Elterwater, our re-join point and I noticed that the rain had penetrated my under wear, and my shoes were full of water. We sent phone messages to a couple of the others and headed on, waiting was not an option, it was freezing when we stopped.

The final descent was a cracker, but was tainted by the amout of people who had braved the weather to get some walking in. We did however enjoy this water splash during the ride.

A cracking weekend away. Good times.