With less than a week to go and the river pumping, there's some definite excitement building around Avon Descent 2008. So what's all the fuss about?
It's an awesome annual event that happens the first weekend in August. Starting in Northam, paddlers and powerboats race down the Avon Valley for two days, starting around 7.30 on saturday morning, generally shrouded in fog. Through some exciting grade 3/4 rapids, some twisting flowing sections of flatwater and through the challenging ti-trees. 133km later, the race finishes back in Perth, on the Swan River through Bayswater on sunday afternoon - some of the first competitive paddlers will probably be finishing around 11am. It's always difficult to predict but we'd be guessing that most of the paddlers from the club will through bells rapids around 12noon and reaching the finishing line around 2pm.
It's a great fun weekend for competitors and spectators alike. If you feel like a day out in the country, Saturday is always fun out around Toodyay. Sunday is always fun out at Bells Rapids (mid morning through to lunch) and then following the race the whole way down through Upper Swan, Guildford and through to Bayswater (lunch to mid arvo). If the weather is fine and you're feeling energetic, it's great fun bike riding along the way whole back from Bells to the finish line.
This year, the following club members are booked in for the race:
Jon W (solo ski) Murray B (solo ski) Karen S (solo ski) Xavier H (solo kayak)
Simon W and Zoe T (team of 2) Mohamad J and Brendon D (team of 2)
Erin H, Paul T, Joel D and Mareike G (team of 4)
The official race website is www.avondescent.com.au
For current water levels, check out http://www.whitewaterperth.org.au/water-level
For maps on where to spectate, check out https://console.clubsonline.com.au/customitem/attachments/Avon%20Descent%20maps%202008.pdf
We'll be posting all of the competitor numbers during the week. Hope to see you out there.
Simon.
Indoor Climbing
