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Canoe from Lake to River

22 March 2024 Flat water skills and BCU personal paddle award training
23 March 2024 Moving water technique
24 March 2024 River trip

3 days progressing towards river paddling

This is an opportunity to progress your canoing skills towards river canoing. If your thinking about comming on a river trip or just fancy having a go this may be just the ticket.

Three days = three stages choose where to hop off (and hop back on another time)

We have bult each day as a seporate offering some may fancy having only a go of the techniques taught on the lake - and maby you’ll hop on the next tidal day.

Each stage progresses as does the dificulty of the environment in both skill and difficulty of access.

Getting wet adventure

On each training day your going to get wet practicing emergency procedures as part of the skill set. The only day you might stay dry is on the river.

Two empty camping charis look out over the water

Overview

We have developed this course to help people transition between paddling on flat water to river paddling. This is a great into to how we would paddle on our longer trips in Scotland.

We have sepoerated the days to allow people to jump off at differing stages depending on your needs and desires. You can do 1, 2 or 3 days.

We focus on the skills each day - if you would perfer to just go canoing we have loads of other options.

The days are progessive so you would need you to do day 1 before day 2.

Day 1 - Paddle Skills

Based at the Acrtive Base Fell Foot Windermere this day focuses on paddling in a style compatable with river paddling.

For many of those who have flat water previously there will be much to gather about weight distribution, paddling without outriggers and paddle strokes that work with flow.

There will also be a great ammount of time dedicated to capsize, rescue and recovery.

This is also a great day for open water paddlers looking to be able to keep themselves safe on big areas of water or canals.

We will work with you on the British Canoe Union Persoonal Performace awards at either “Start" or “Discover" level with you depending on iniital experience level and the ammount of time we have together.

Book day 1 only Accessibility Guide lake day

Day 2 - Moving water skills

We have a fantastic venue for first experiences of moving water - a natural tidal flow playground near Greenodd.

We get on the water in relatively flat conditions but soon the tide turns and creates flow, eddies and obstacles.

The greatest thing is that the environment is mostly sand: a fantastic low risk place to capsize and an easy place to be rescued and recovered.

Get some great expereince of managing your boat in moving water.

Book day 1 and 2
Accessibility guide moving water

Day 3 - First River

The river Lune is a great stretch of river to start on. It’s relatively safe, beutiful and a lovely trip.

We meet at Kirkby Lonsdale

Today the focus is not on drills or technique but on the journey and adventure.

Book day 1, 2 and 3.Accessibility guide river

Dates and Costs

Lake Day
22 March 2024
Meet at Fell Foot Newby Bridge @10am
£98 per person
Tidal (moving water technique) Day
23 March 2024
Meet at Greenodd Service Station @9am
£226 per person (2 days)
River day
24 March 2024
Meet at Kirkby Lonsdale River Carpark @10am
£358 per person (3 days)
Depart : Approximaltely 3:30pm each day
This is a non-reisdnetial trip

What is included?

Use of canoes, paddle any safety and adaptive equipmet needed
Wetsuits, and waterproofs
Lunches on all 3 days
British qualified Canoeing Instructors
Transport from and to the train station
Storage waterprooif storage containers for your spare clothing and essentials

What do we actually do

Brush up your Canoe skills
Introduce the tactics and pricipals of paddling with flow
Introduce dynamic balance and body positioning to stablise your canoe
Practice escaping to eddies and renetering areas of flow
Practice recovery back into a canoe
Practice rope based rescues
Have a good laught and sleep like logs each night
Meet some likely adventuire buddies to join up with for more fun.

Lake Day Accessibility

Vision

Suitable for people able to navigate short stretches of rough ground unaided and longer walks with assistance
We are well staffed for this trip, a lot of help is available for support both on and off activity time
Or
Come with an adventure buddy
Or
Arrange an Anyone Can volunteer guide

Cognition

Suitable for those able to self manage without dedicated support or with a dedicated carer
We will help with meals, reminding about medications etc
Participants should be capable of understanding and acting appropriately around fires and at the water's edge without constant supervision
Or
Come with an adventure buddy

Mobility

The trip is possible for robust and adventurous walking aid users.
The active base has: Good surfaces, level access toilets, showers and chainging place, level access cafe and lunch room
This day is possible for an adventurous wheelchair user who can self transfer and bum shuffle
To be clear the experience a mobility impared person will have on this day will be physical and bruising.

The drills involve both physically reentering canoes from in the water, propelling yourself along in your bouyancy aid and being towed by rope to shallow water to bum shuffle independently accross rocks and slippery terrain to the shore.

This is the reality of preparing for moving water there is little time to gently manage sitiatuions in the river envronment

Auditory

Suitable for people with most auditory impairments that do not require signing to communicate
A BSL assistant instructor is occasionally available
We have radios and Tloop transmission units to aid hearing when seperated in differing boats - at times these will be of no help (swimming)
Or
Come with an adventure buddy
Or
Arrange an Anyone Can volunteer guide