© 2010 Halifax Canoe Club Ltd, Greenups Mill, Wharf Street, Sowerby Bridge

Registered Company No 2612775

We met at the club early Sunday morning, and left with no faff to arrive at the car park at the planned time (possibly a club first!). Everybody turned up at Sleningford Campsite around the same time including Cliff who had somehow missed our speedy getaway from the clubhouse.

 

With everyone changed, we organised the cars and boats to get everyone up to the start point. After negotiating ourselves and the boats down the precarious mud bank and getting on the river, we split into three groups to do the trip.

The sun came out by the time we reached the first weir giving most of us a chance to practise ferrygliding, breaking in and out and enjoying a good surf.

The water levels were slightly higher than expected, so we paddled down the next few rapids without too much scraping on the rocks. At the halfway point we all got out for a quick lunch break, with all of us commenting on the fact that we had no swimmers so far.

After lunch we continued on the trip through beautiful scenery, passing idylic villages and stunning bridges. Once we had navigated the notoriously ‘evil’ weir (with Mark helping everyone over the rocks at the bottom) we soon came upon the epic bottom section by the campsite that was running at around grade 3. Again to everyone’s amazement - another rare occurrence for the club - no swimmers !!!.  About half of the group walked the few hundred yards back to the beginning of the last section and enjoyed an extra run.

Everyone who came had a really enjoyable time, most notably Jan who stayed dry all day and is probably still smiling now !

 

A big thanks to Les for organising the day!

 

Jess Acheson