2017’s Touring Plan (see below) looks set to be a great year of Kayak and Canoe trips.
Touring is one of the most enjoyable parts of Kayaking and Canoeing. Many people on our tours comment that the tours and trips are why they started kayaking! Imagine a warm, sunny summers day, paddling along a river through the English, Scottish or Welsh countryside with friends and a Kayak…..what more enjoyable way to see the outdoors?!
Touring is just that – an extended trip along a waterway, lake or other waterbody in often stunning scenery, with either the peace of the countryside and the odd minor rapids and weir (unless you choose to “portage” these (get out and go around them). A trip can last a day or multiple days involving camping. We take our food and equipment with us in larger touring kayaks or open canoes that have watertight hatches for our equipment. Some of us use touring kayaks up to 16 feet long, traditional open canoes with either one paddler or two (tandem) and even canoes with sails!
Some members’ touring Kayaks and Open Canoes, before a day trip
After some great trips in 2016 (see year in review page <insert hyperlink>), 2017 promises to be another great year for our touring calendar.
With a mixture of some old favourites on the list of trips – River Wye weekend, River Trent and Rudyard Lake among them, some new venues are planned as well, including the River Witham around Lincoln, River Welland near Stamford, The Tame and others.
Mixture of Open Canoe and Kayak on a recent trip on the Trent from Hazelford to Newark
There is another great trip to the Isle of Skye again for some more amazing sea kayaking following the success of 2016’s trip, along with more Scottish paddling and Windermere in the Lake District, too. There is a proposed trip along the River Tay in Scotland from Loch Tay through some of Scotland’s most beautiful scenery around Abefeldy and Pitlochry then downstream.
There is even more experience in the club this year with many newer members fast becoming seasoned tourers, as well as our excellent coaches and senior members ranging up to Four Star and Level Two and Three coaches, along with other members who are studying and training for their Four Star Touring and Three Star Open Canoe in 2017 also. This means that whether you do all the trips or only a couple, you are sure to get the best out of them and some great paddling. Kayak or Canoe, these trips are great fun and very popular. We often try to get some skills development done or navigation training while we are touring too.
HPPCC members setting off from Elgol Harbour on a two-day Sea Kayak expedition in 2016, Isle of Skye
So, if the description and photographs have got you wanting to come along, what are our plans for this year then?! Currently, we have plans for several major trips and also once the longer summer evenings are upon us, regular shorter evening trips along the Trent, Soar and other local waterways. The calendar for these shorter trips will appear here nearer the time (April – May).
Trip Calendar
Our current planned Trips and expeditions are:-
| Proposed Tours and Expeditions – one day or more | ||||
| Date(s) | Trip | Start point | Finish point | Distance |
| 05-Mar | River Trent | Trent Lock | HPP | 16km |
| 19-Mar | Rudyard Lake (Peer Paddle) | Circular tour | 9km | |
| 8-9/04/2016 | Club Trip River Trent overnight | Alrewas | Swarkstone | TBC |
| 07-May | River Wreake | TBC | TBC | C 9km |
| 21-May | River Tame | Kingsley | Alrewas | C15km |
| 3/4 June | Lake Windermere and Brassenthwaite Lake/River Derwent Trip with camping | Circular tour
And River Derwent Trip into Bassenthwaite Lake |
C10km each | |
| 8-9 July | River Wye | TBC | ||
| 30/07 or Aug | River Nene | TBC | TBC | 10km? |
| Last week August | Skye (Sea Kayaking) | Various multi day | N/A | |
| August Date TBC | River Tay, Scotland | Loch Tay | TBC 2 or 3 day | TBC |
| September TBC | River Severn | TBC | TBC | 9km? |
| 01-Sep | River Welland TBC | Stamford | Market Deeping | C 9km |
| Oct-17 | River Witham Lincoln Trip | Lincoln | Bardney Lock | C 9km |
| Nov-17 | River Trent | Hazelford | Newark | 15km |
| Dec date TBC | River Trent or River Soar | TBC | TBC | C10km |
As you can see, there are some really exciting trips planned and something for everyone. Each trip is fully risk assessed. There are potentially more trips to be organised also, so keep an eye out, while there are currently some great ideas even for 2018’s touring calendar – there aren’t enough months in the year!
Several members are getting more involved in Sea Kayaking too and this is fast becoming a keen interest for some adventurous members! There are some ideas for more trips being discussed and this area of Kayaking is sure to develop more within the club over the next year or two.
Some members have been known to rig a sail to an open canoe or two on days when the wind allows and do some canoe sailing – one of the oldest ways to take a trip in an open canoe!
Each year we try to come up with new trips in interesting locations and “old favourites” where we know members love to paddle. We make sure shuttles are organised at the end of the tour and as a club, we look after each other and ensure we all have a safe trip and a lot of fun.