Welcome to Mallaig and District Canoe Club Junior Section
If there's anything YOU'D like to see on this page contact Sheila.|
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| Touring |
| Open boating ................. |
| BCU awards |
| Constitution |
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Junior Pool Sessions last session 2 March 2010. Will start again after the October holiday.
Activities 2010
Foundation Safety and Rescue Training day - Sunday 14 March.
Outward Bound kayaking and canoeing weekend - for groups one and two. 11-13 June 2010.
River trips - CONTACT JOAN FOR DATES
big thanks to the 2014 Communities Big Lottery Fund for funding these sessions 
Sessions on the loch and estuary May/June/August in kayaks and open boats
4 sessions on Loch Morar from 6.30pm-7.30pm on the following dates
Wed 25th Aug
Wed 1st Sept
Wed 8th Sept
Wed 15th Sept
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Junior Committee members - this year's Junior Committe members are Connie and Rebecca, so speak to either of them if there's anything you'd like to know/suggest etc.
Mallaig & District Canoe Club Junior Weekend 2010
On the weekend 11 - 13th June, ten junior members of the Mallaig & District Canoe Club attended Outward Bound Locheil, where they received tuition in two star canoe and kayaking skills.
On arrival they were shown to their rooms and around the centre which they were sharing with ninety pupils from Fettes College in Edinburgh. The afternoon was spent practising canoeing skills on Loch Eil across the road from the Centre. This proved rather exciting as there was a strong wind blowing and they were jockeying for position with the entire Fettes contingent who were trying out canoes and kayaks of various shapes and sizes. However, the Mallaig youngsters set themselves the task of paddling round two sailing boats anchored in the bay and all managed to return to the jetty without incident. After dinner their instructor took them to the zip wire which they all enjoyed (apart from the midgies!!).
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On Saturday the group loaded up a trailer with canoes and kayaks (loading and securing boats is all part of the 2* syllabus) and set off for Loch Lochy. They unloaded the trailer where the river Arkaig enters the loch and split into two groups. One group spent the morning in canoes and the afternoon in kayaks while the other group did it vice versa. Everyone had a chance to practise their skills in both types of craft and learned a lot. In the evening they all had a chance to try the trapeze and the parachute jump in the grounds of the centre before supper and bed.
The next morning Loch Eil was flat calm so it was decided to undertake a journey to the other side of the loch in canoes. After tidying rooms and packing, the group got together to discuss safety for the journey before setting off across the loch two to a canoe. On the far shore everyone got the chance to right a capsized canoe before returning to the jetty where they undertook rescues which involved everyone getting very wet and a lot of laughs!
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Before setting off for home the group had the chance to share what they had learned over the course of the two days and to thank their instructors. They can now look forward to attaining their 2* level of competency in the near future! A big thank you to all those who contributed financially to the success of the weekend including: parents and children for bag packing, The Cameron Mackintosh Foundation, The Arisaig Fund and The Morar Community Council. And last of all thank you to the juniors who were a credit to their community!
Glenmore Lodge Activity Centre - 18/19 July 2009
Six junior members accompanied by Joan Smith and Colin Biddulph, attended a weekend introduction to whitewater paddling at Glenmore Lodge near Aviemore from 17th to 19th July. They settled in to their chalet on Friday night after enjoying fish and chips in Aviemore, then went to “stores” to collect wetsuits, buoyancy aids etc for the adventures ahead. Instructor Iain Murray joined them on Saturday morning and everyone chose their kayak for the weekend. Saturday morning was spent on Loch Morlich practising the kayaking skills learned in the pool over the winter. After a picnic lunch by the lochside, it was off to the river Spey to get a first taste of moving water. Working in pairs, the juniors practised moving around the river, crossing eddy lines and “ferry gliding” across the current. On returning to Glenmore, it was into the pool to practise some rescues. The rain had persisted all day Saturday, and concerns were raised that there might be too much water for the group to safely tackle a river trip on the Sunday.
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| On Loch Morlich - day 1 | Ready for . . . . . . . ? | Bathing beauties | Kayak train-ing | |
Sunday dawned drier with blinks of blue sky and, having checked river levels, Iain decided that the river Ness was the destination for the day. The “put in” was at the first lock in the Caledonian canal as it leaves Loch Ness. The first excitement of the day was paddling over a weir. Everyone got a good line down this intimidating rapid and excitement was running high. On the flatter sections of the river the juniors took turns in leading the group and finding suitable eddies behind “sticky-out bits” on the river bank. The final challenge was running a second weir, on which it was essential to get the right line to prevent getting sucked on to some jagged looking rocks! With shouts of “Paddle! Paddle!” ringing in their ears, all the juniors made it down in one piece and the right way up!! The take out was at Bught Park in Inverness where the Inverness Highland Games were in full swing. Then it was back to Glenmore Lodge to check and clean all the gear and put away kayaks. After tea and cake (a Glenmore ritual!) the group had a final meeting with their instructor to see whether their hopes for the weekend had been met. They had had fun and tackled some awesome rapids, so everyone agreed that the weekend had more than met their expectations. |
This year some of the Juniors gained BCU 2* and 3* qualifications - in some challenging conditions!
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| Canoeing on Loch Morar | Sculling for support for 2* | Embarking at the pier | Reversing | 3 star lads ready to go |
Younger Juniors have the opportunity to work towards Paddlepower Awards.
Paddlepower is a scheme designed to meet the needs of young people. It’s colourful and youth centred approach aims to :
- Encourage more young people to come into and stay in the sport
- Provide progression and reward achievement in a wide range of topics
- Show them all aspects of the sport – both competitive and adventurous
- Provide signposts into Clubs where their skills and development can be nurtured
- Provide a flexible structure for delivery according to venue/situation
The Paddlepower Scheme consists of 5 youth friendly awards all with a colourful and youth friendly approach to provide an apprpriate pathway for young paddlers.
The Paddlepower Awards:
Paddlepower Start
An entry level award suitable for taster sessions or as part of a series of sessions.
Paddlepower Passport
Four progressive levels based on 24 topics which can be grouped into Safety Awareness, Paddling Skills, Varied Experiences, and Supporting Knowledge. The award is equivalent to 1 Star.
Paddlepower Discover
This follows on from Passport with a further 4 levels to take the young paddler to equivalent of 2 star standard.
Paddlepower Explore
Three different levels take the paddler on an extensive journey exploring the great variety Paddlesport, with topics focused on participation in events and journeys in the competitive and non-competitive disciplines.
Paddlepower Excel
Three levels to test the paddler on all elements of paddlesport including being responsible for self and others, participation in journeys, coaching sessions, training, events/competitions in a variety of disciplines, background knowledge of the sport; access, rules, environmental, nutrition and goal setting.
BCU Star Awards
Older Juniors can work towards BCU Star Awards.
Child Protection Policy
The Club adheres to the following Child Protection Policy - available here.