ORIGINAL POST DATE: SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2009
Gorge Games Training for the Waterford I.T. crew began good and early this year. Having floated through the the first half of first semester with little or no water things certainly kicked right off at the end of October with numerous floods. The first days training was a warm-up / welcome back to your creek boat session, on the the River Nire near Ballymaccarbery on October 29th. The day didn't go so well, about 10 minutes in Mr Tony Walsh came a cropper on a tree and baled out. Having narrowly missed the full length of a 20m throw rope by an arms length, what followed was a mile and a half long swim for Tony during which he lost his boat, paddles, throw rope and deck. Tony was safely recovered slightly battered but it would be a couple of days before all his gear would be recovered, his boat being the last, turning up lodged in a strainer not far from Clonmel on the River Suir!
The very next day a group of us set out in search of Tony's gear and some much lower water levels. The Nire was much more welcoming and Colm, Darren, MJ and myself set out. Cold, clear water had replaced the brown torrent from the day before and an enjoyable days paddling produced a number of swims and some good lines on the big rapids by our newbie Colm but unfortunately none of tony's gear.
Darren Flynn shoots through the first tough rapid on the Nire with ease and class and a very dodgy paddling face!
Colm O'Neill on the big rapid on the Nire
With plenty of day light to spare and good water levels reported on Colligan Gorge itself we set off. The levels were very high indeed and a mock race from the start line ended in another swim and a victory for MJ. The task of having to carry our boats back to the top without the aim of the gorge games bridge proved to much for some and so we messed about in the Salmon Leap for a while.
Body boarding at the Salmon Leap begins!
Closer inspection of a pile of rubbish in an eddy beside the Salmon Leap produced a body board which provided all the entertainment till dark. Disposable probes MJ and Colm experimented with "mid rapid aerial take off" maneuvers, "body board eddy break outs" and a full run of falls for MJ emerging slightly winded but in one piece!
MJ in full flight, body board in hand
Colm breaks out in to the big flow, eddying out will be a very different story
A short dry spell, combined with Tony gathering his many lost pieces of gear stalled paddling for a while but the week in the run up to the games saw us on the gorge almost every day, even up until 6pm the night before. Paul, Eoin, Tone and Paddy were busy making good warning signs, fancy banners and one kick ass new bridge! While they were busy myself and Tony made us of the high water. Getting in multiple runs before a bit of surfing in the hole at the bottom of the salmon leap.
Tonys a blur at these kind of levels
How much edge is too much edge? I try to nail the line outta of the Salmon Leap
Surfing the hole in my creeker
All our prep was done, now all that was left to do was to enjoy the day which we did and the party after!
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