Keith and I have to get up early this morning. As we did dinner last night, it’s our turn to
get breakfast and pack the fridge for lunch.
Getting up isn’t easy, as it was 1am before I finished my blog last
night. The plan for today is for the
group to run the Gyronde, and then the ‘big boys’ will paddle the Onde in the
afternoon. Last year this river was NFM
(Not For Me) as it was beyond my capabilities, this year the group seems to
think I’m capable, and after having such a blast on the Upper Guisane yesterday
I’m game to give it a try.
We go to the top get in and drop of those with the big boy
pants on. The very first bit is straight
on to a Grade 3+/4 section so you have to be good and on your game from the
start. Keith, Chucky, Bill, Dylan, Tim
and Jen get on here. The rest of us head
downstream a little way and get on at ‘the pipe bridge’. It’s a little less feisty here, but still a
tough get on to start a paddle first thing in the morning, as it’s still Grade
3. You basically begin at the hardest
part of the river, and it gets increasingly more gentle as you go on. I prepare myself to be on top form by doing
some pilates stretches with Ali while we wait for shuttles to be sorted, and
that first group to come down. Sam has
chosen not to paddle here, but will get on where the river meets L’Argentiere
slalom course, Trevor has decided not to paddle today, and have a rest.
Once that first group is with us it’s a quick decision about
groups and the strong paddlers that have done the top section split up, and
take a few of the rest of us each. Group
1 – Bill, Ali, Alex and Dylan, Group 2 - Chucky, Rob, Matt, Me and Keith, Group
3 – Tim, Gregg, Jamie and Jen. The
groups paddle separately as big groups on this kind of river is asking for disaster. If one of the guys at the front has a problem,
it could quickly turn in to a pile up with a big group. Splitting people up also means that more
nervous, or less experience paddlers have specific support as they go.
It’s soon time for group 2 to go, we are all ready in boats
and we signal back and forth with thumbs up, before breaking in to the flow in
our agreed order, ensuring we all leave each other plenty of space. This gives each paddler time to see what the
one in front does, where the line is and react, and also means if anyone has an
issue, roll, swim or pin, we have time to manoeuvre around them, and find an
eddy if needed. The first 10 – 15 minutes
is really full on for me. It most
certainly was NFM last year. I
concentrate as much as I can and try to use all the techniques and pointers I have
in my tool kit to make it through. It’s
a continuous river so there is little let up in the technical difficulty, and
the size of the wave trains. It then
starts to ease off a little, but there is still plenty to think about and I
remind myself not to become complaisant.
It’s not long before we reach the section where we eddy out and the
leaders inspect a broken weir. It’s
known from previous years that this weir needs to be run on the left side where
the weir is still in tact, but that you also can’t go too far left as the water
is shallower, and it can be a rocky landing there. After a lengthy discussion and analysis by
Bill I’m left wondering if something has changed, and maybe it’s more difficult,
but then they are signalling for the group to move down river one at a time to
go over the weir. It must be fine it’s
just Bill faff. I think part of the
reason Bill is so cool and calm on the water, is that he has a very analytical
mind and likes to plan ahead. Some of
the others in the group find this frustrating at times, but this is why I love
paddling with this bunch of miss fits, all the strong paddlers have different strengths,
and it means the group as whole works really well together.
It’s soon my turn and I head over to Keith who is on the
first Island before the weir. He
explains the line and I set off. Bill is
stood at the weir pointing to the line we need to take to have the best run
through, and he says as I approach ‘PADDLE!’.
I’m floating up to a big drop off, the river disappears in front of me,
and I can just see helmets below! I do
as I’m told and remember from previous weirs I’ve run, to not lean back as I go
over. There is a few rocks to miss
(clatter over) at the bottom, but I’m through, and I go to eddy with the rest
of the group. Phew! I made it!
I’m feeling quite pleased with myself and now there is just
a couple of little pieces to think about before a ‘bimble’ down to the Slalom
course. It’s still grade 2 ish and I
catch up with Keith and we have grade 2 kisses.
Last year I would’ve been shouting at him not to get to close or to lean
on my boat in this kind of water, so it’s a noticeable improvement in my
paddling and confidence! We eddy out on
the beach here and take a wander down to have a look at the course, and to find
Sam. I decide I’m calling it day
here. I’ve had such a good run I don’t
need to tackle the big features of the course today. I get changed and head back to the course armed
with my camera to take pictures of the others.
Chucky leads Sam through and she has a good run so everyone has had a
good paddle.
We have lunch on the benches by the training lake next to
the course and then the group rearranges again.
Sam, Trevor and I, are going to Le Lac for some sunbathing and swimming,
then back to the house to relax, and Sam will start dinner. The others are going to paddle the Onde. We start to worry a little when they don’t
arrive back around the same time as us, but it turns out that Alex had a short
swim, and was paying back her kit chasers with a beer in the pub. Once we are all back we have dinner, and it’s
an early night for us all tonight. I’m
even getting this blog done at a reasonable hour, so I can have a good sleep
too!!!
.... Or not, got chatting while photos where uploading and I'm late to bed again!!!!
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