(A Very Cold) HPP



I guess we have been spoilt for way too long with warm weather, but with the floods now residing, the cold weather has finally hit. Although I have paddled in colder temperatures, I never have at HPP, and with the head submerging nature of inlet gate, I felt the full force of the cold. 

The day's main reason for big loops became to keep my head out the water, but this did also mean I was less keen to try moves where I knew I would fall on my head, including McNastys. I could only manage 3-5 rides a session, but to compensate did lots of mini sessions, seeking refuge in the warmth of main building. 

When I did pluck up enough courage to throw myself into the water, the moves I was trying were relatively successful. After some tweaking of inlet, it took a couple of rides to adapt, but soon it felt just like normal. (It even felt stickier than normal, but that could just be because I was cold.)

It was a tough day overall but I did enjoy it, despite the frozen face and hands. I mainly practised loops and spaces, but did try some cartwheels and McNastys. Not only was the cold physically tough,but also mentally, especially as it was very quiet due to the river still being too high. Continual dunkings in icy water definitely pushed my limits of perseverance, particularly with those risky moves. 

In some ways, by being forced to do shorter sessions, I was more productive and focused, which is something to consider in the future. 




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