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“As soon as you begin your adventure you’ll notice
two things: firstly the tranquillity; in what is primarily
a very industrial part of rural Derbyshire, you hear
or see nothing to indicate this from the canal. It’s a
quiet, peaceful, meandering route which will make
you look at Ilkeston and Sandiacre in a completely
different way. The second thing you’ll notice is the
greenery! Lilipads, thick bushy hedgerows, weeping
willows and butterfly bushes line the route from start
to finish and create a joyful paddle like something
straight out of a Beatrix Potter book. Neither words
nor pictures can describe accurately how beautiful
this trail is.
“After the first three portages, around three miles
in, you will come across ‘The Plough’ pub and an
old renovated mill building. From here, canal boats
become more common and if you’re inquisitive like
myself, you can see into the beautiful backyards and
moorings belonging to people who live along the
banks of the canal. It might also make you green with
envy though!
“We eventually reached Trent Lock in around 3 hours
by which time we were ready for a pint and some
pub grub! The first trail had been a great success and
we will definitely be back for more in the future. The
trail is a great way to spend time on the water doing
something new;
who’d of thought industrial, rural
Derbyshire would be so beautiful
from the water?
What is Stand Up
Paddleboarding?
My name Is Adam Williams and I’m currently supporting
British Canoeing with the Stand Up Paddleboarding modules.
What is Stand Up Paddleboarding?
It’s gliding along the water on a specific board
for purpose, with a paddle whilst standing
up or in some cases kneeling down.
A brief history
There is evidence that stand up paddleboarding
has been around the past 5000 years. History
tells stories of people using man made rafts
to stand on and paddle for many uses.
Although stand up paddleboarding has roots
all over the world, it seems the Caballito De
Totora was the craft of choice that gives us
the history that stand up paddleboarding has
in fact been around a very long time.
The Totora Reed Rafts (Caballito De Totora) were
developed for fisherman to get out past the viscous
surf breaks in Peru. This was a combination of skill
and knowledge that gave the fisherman a greater
wealth as they could get past the surf breaks
and catch bigger fish for their families. Sizeable
tuna and other fish became a reality to catch
rather than the shore lines they were used to.
The rafts, originally called the TUP paddleboard,
would carry the fisherman and their nets over the
waves and into calmer water. The Peruvian’s even
had a skills programme as the future fisherman
would have to learn and study the sea states, and
learn how to control