HCC Trip Report 5th March 2016: Introduction to White Water: Matlock

On March 5th 2016, 15 paddlers ventured out on the River Derwent from Darley Bridge to Matlock Bath, with Dave Clarke as overall leader, and Richard Matthews, Neil Smith and Martin Stretton as group leaders.
After the inevitable car shuttle, we set out from the start point, however, unfortunately for me this gave me the chance to digest that this was the ‘Introduction to White Water’ trip and that the moving water was substantially faster than the other moving water I’ve encountered, so……therefore……off it went, my little heart at a racing pace…..and so, on this trip, I was able to perfect 1) working myself into a panicked frenzy, 2) being a baby, 3) getting on my own damn nerves!, 4) being totally rigid from fear and forgetting how to paddle, and finally 5) letting out ridiculous pathetic comedy screams….and this all within the first minute of being on the water.
Encouraged greatly by my patient and skilled comrades, I set about practicing my eddying in and breaking out….I still hear Maxine’s kind coaching….’paddle, paddle, paddle, monkey arms, paddle, paddle, paddle, keep going, keep going…..wonderful!’.

Now, this may be hard for you to believe, but before this trip, I’d never had a swim (yes, hard to believe, but true!), however, just 10 minutes in, I managed to perfect falling out….fell in when eddying in…..plop…..out I went, ‘Ah, that’s not so bad,’ I chimed, ‘I’m really relieved I’ve actually fallen in, I think it will do my confidence the world of good!’……and then, plop, over I went again, straight back out when trying to break out! Not quite so good for the confidence or the ego….or, my packed lunch! I had learned to roll (in only 2 sessions, just saying!) before coming on this trip, but managed to forget this on not one, but both occasions of my tipping over, so thank you (again) for your patience and help, Martin Shakey Cattell!

Off we went again, with me giving myself a good talking to, and just as I was beginning to relax and enjoy myself, the fire rescue boat whizzed past us, creating waves which my paddling buddies went off to enjoy with great big grins on their faces, ‘fun’ of the waves ! (bloody death traps in my opinion, haha!). So, there ensued my proper Kevin and Perry moment where I point blank refused to be moved from the safety of my eddy…I’d managed to get in it with no consequence, so was not willing to move out of it…..well, of course, now, whilst writing this, I am totally ashamed and miffed with myself, mostly because I missed the opportunity to ogle hunky firemen whilst I sat in a huff on the edge! Thank you, again, Maxine, for paddling back up stream to fetch me!

So, with another wobble over, I gave myself another good talking to (getting good at that, too), and then we were off to the rapids…..now, technically, this should have been the most scary bit of the trip, but I thought it was blummin’ fantastic and loved it – amazing!!! Off I went with confidence, a great big smile on my face and the kind and encouraging words of my coaching buddies (thank you, Martin Stretton)….bobbing about and having a great old time, what was all the fuss about? I have no idea! This canoeing malarkey is great fun!

After helping each other out with kit and canoes, we changed into our civvy clothes (I was a bit unnerved to see that Martin Shakey Cattell had been wearing a superman onsie under his dry suit the whole time….not sure if I’d have taken his wise and kind coaching advice quite so seriously had I known of this on the water!), we met up for a debrief and inevitable bantering at the pub, and again I was left feeling chuffed that one, I’d survived, and two I’d found a great club to be part of.

Right, then, I’m off to work on my ‘self-talk’, so I don’t have any more wobbles and my series of trip reports don’t turn into a personal canoeing emotional journey blog 

Sara Wright