Summat about a Summit

The intention for Friday 27^th August had been to visit the Silver Propeller Challenge location in the Liverpool Docks, meeting Anne and Chris Raine who had booked moorings there for their canal boat.

Unfortunately, events and regulations conspired against them all. The Raines could not reach Liverpool as a lock on the Leeds Liverpool Canal was closed at the last minute for repair. And Robin and David learned that canoeing is not allowed in the Liverpool Docks or on the Liverpool Link Canal. It seemed somewhat ironic that the aim of the Silver Propeller Challenge is to raise awareness of access to the canal system yet, in this instance, it was waterways regulations that denied them access.

But David and Robin are flexible chaps so they selected another Silver Propeller site and re-routed to the Rochdale Canal to canoe a section between Todmorden and Littleborough. In doing so they visited the summit of the canal, high up on the backbone of the Pennine Hills

West Summit Lock No.37 is the highest lock on a broad canal in England. This was revealed to the two paddlers by the numerous locks that they had to portage (carry the canoe around).  

On top of this, they had to carry the canoe along one whole section of the canal that was virtually empty of water. Given the height of the canal at this point, lack of water has meant that drying out has always been a threat to navigation and was a major concern when the canal was being planned at the height of the industrial revolution. Fortunately, our lads could carry their canoes between them, unlike less fortunate folk in larger boats.

So that is the second Silver Propeller Challenge journey completed.... only 18 more to go!