Club updates & Slovenia 2024 information
We just wanted to provide everyone with an update on our club activities over the coming weeks. As most of you will know our weekly sessions have unfortunately been on hold due to the short notice closure of the pool at Yateley Manor. The club volunteering team have been hard at work trying to find alternative pools, but this has proven difficult; we are continuing to investigate a couple of pool options but have not been able to come to a final agreement yet. We are also looking into running paddling sessions on the Basingstoke canal at weekends, to keep everyone paddling together in the event that we cannot secure use of a pool prior to Yateley Manor reopening (hopefully in January).
In the meantime we do have several events coming up over the next couple of weeks.
Halloween Paddle – Saturday 28th October
To celebrate Halloween this year we’ll be doing an after-dark paddle on the Basingstoke Canal; this will be a joint trip with Basingstoke Canal Canoe Club (B3C). The club rarely paddles in the dark so this will be a chance to experience a new type of paddling. You may also come dressed up for the occasion in a Halloween costume, provided it is safe for paddling in (this will need to be assessed by a club volunteer prior to you getting on the water – please do not wear anything which will impair your ability to paddle / get out of your kayak safely, or significantly limit your vision).
B3C have allowed us to make use of their equipment for this trip, but a significant number of their members will be paddling (and will understandably have priority when it comes to access to their club’s equipment). Therefore if you do have access to your own equipment then please bring it. They have also invited us to join them “for hot drinks and Halloween themed games” at the canal centre function room after the paddle.
If you are interested please sign up here (and indicate whether you need to borrow equipment) as soon as possible (if you haven’t already done so), so that we can advise B3C of the numbers we expect to attend.
Dartmoor Whitewater Trip – Friday 3rd – Sunday 5th November
Our yearly trip to Dartmoor will be taking place in a couple of weeks’ time. We will be traveling down on Friday afternoon / evening, and paddling on Saturday & Sunday (heading home Sunday afternoon / evening). We will be staying at the Prince of Wales Bunkhouse in Princetown; and paddling either the River Dart, or other rivers in the area depending on river conditions and the experience of the group.
If you are interested please sign up here, accommodation at the bunkhouse is limited to 10 people and spaces are filling up fast. You may make your own accommodation arrangements if you wish.
Weekend Whitewater Sessions – Sunday 19th November & 3rd December
Following on from the Dartmoor Trip we will be restarting our bi-weekly moving water sessions. The venue for these sessions will be decided a little closer to the time, but they are typically held at local weirs or at whitewater courses such as the Nene or Lee Valley.
Slovenia 2024 Information Session – Wednesday 8th November
In the summer of next year BVCC will be heading to the beautiful Soča Valley in Slovenia. This meeting is your chance to find out more about what this trip might look like, what Slovenia offers as a kayaking / travel destination, and ask any questions you might have. Following this meeting we will look to get a list together of those who are interested, so that we can start planning the trip as a group. While this won’t be the deadline for signing up for the trip; being involved in the planning from the beginning will give you an opportunity to influence how we run the trip.
We will be meeting at the Willems Park Brewers Fayre in Aldershot at 7 pm on Wednesday 8th November. If you cannot make this meeting, but are interested in the trip then please get in contact with us, and we can provide you with more information / put you on the list of those who want to come.
If you want to find out a bit more about the Slovenia trip (including photos and videos from previous years) then check out the event page on the club website, if you would like to come to the information evening then please sign up using the form at the bottom of the page, so that we know who to expect.
