Matlock Slalom Course is Back

Posted By: Paul Published: 20/07/2020



Peak UK are proud to support and supply Matlock Canoe Club with all the lines needed to reconstruct their slalom course after it was hit by the massive floods last Autumn.




Back in November the Derbyshire Derwent hit its highest levels since 2000, perhaps even since records began! Unfortunately huge trees and 400 hay bales were swept down which completely destroyed Matlock Canoe Clubs slalom course at Matlock Bath. As the flood debris came through it ripped out all the line anchors from the A6 roadside wall and destroyed the floodlighting system entirley.




The current corona virus pandemic and the re routing of a footpath to the Heights of Abraham cable cars added further delays and complications to the rebuild. Finally after the ease of lockdown measures and completion of the new footpath the course has finally been re build. The club’s chairman Colin Matchett, armed with a new cordless drill, headed up a trusty team of club volunteers. They have set up three key sections of new gates, enabling social distanced training groups of six to get back to honing their canoe slalom fitness and skills.




Team GB’s Adam Burgess and Chris Bowers visited the site to test it out. They were joined by Derbyshire Dales MP Sarah Dines. 




Pete Astles, owner of Peak UK commented “ It’s really great to support our local club and to help get the gates back up. Canoe Slalom is our legacy. It’s where our business began and the sport that shaped our lives. It’s the least we can do.. “




Massive thanks must go to the Matlock Canoe Club team of volunteers that helped get the course back up and into its best shape ever. Great work crew! Thanks also the “dudes” that rebuild all the rock walls that create the eddies. They’re in great shape! Special thanks also to the Heights of Abraham for their continued support and access to the site.




The floodlights will be reinstalled before the Autumn time with new state of the art low energy Led lights. Funded kindly by Sport England. Local paddlesport clubs may hire the site and lights for their own sessions. Please contact Matlock Canoe Club for more details. secretarymatlockcc@gmail.com