Charlotte’s guide to the Lee Valley Legacy Loop assessment

Lee Valley has two courses - one shorter, grade 3 training course, and the 300m Olympic course (grade 4). You need to be assessed to use either course, and you have to pass the Legacy assessment well to be allowed to take the Olympic course assessment. There’s no clear guide on the Lee Valley Country Park website on how good you have to be for each course, what the assessment involves etc. So here is my guide!

You don’t need to be 3* to pass the Legacy assessment! In fact, you don’t need white water experience. I prepared for the assessment following the 2* BCU syllabus (unofficially) on the River Cam, that well known grade 0.5 white water route. I had about a year’s experience of paddling on flat water and playing kayak polo.

You don’t need to be able to roll to pass the Legacy assessment. I had been learning to roll at a couple of pool sessions and in the river, and made my first successful roll ever the afternoon before going on the course. I didn’t roll again successfully for weeks afterwards…

So what does the assessment involve? You assemble outside the reception, get your name ticked off by the assessor and jump in your boat (handy steps to seal launch off or clamber into your boat from). You paddle out across the lake towards the Legacy Loop and pull up near a small jetty. You’re asked to try a flat-water roll – don’t worry if this fails, because you can pop out, pull your boat onto the jetty and get back in. Then the assessor will ask you to paddle over to the course, run it catching as many eddies as possible, and attempt a roll at some point – intentionally or not. If you swim, that’s OK – you just have to swim safely, which may include letting go of your boat and being fished out by Alan the Throw Line Guy, who you will come to know and love (or loathe. He has a sense of humour). It’s best to throw your paddle out on the side if you do go swimming rather than letting it go - if it ends up in the pumps, you’ll lose a paddle and they have to stop the whole course to get the remains out (as they damage the pumps). If you want to do the Olympic course assessment, you need to pass the Legacy Loop with flying colours ie successful white water roll, catching multiple eddies in a controlled manner, surfing, ferry gliding, generally playing on the features and showing off your control, confidence and skills.

Lee Valley assessment, step by step

Meet by the steps and get your name ticked off

Get in your boat

Paddle out

Capsize and roll or swim

Get back in your boat if needs be

Briefing at the bottom of the loop

Up the travelator in your kayaks!

Try to catch as many eddies as you can on the way down

Use the eddies to have a rest!

Planned or unplanned capsize with roll or swim

Meet back at the bottom of the course to find out if you passed

 

If you’re super-fly/feeling adventurous…

Surf surf surf the waves

Ride the eddies up the feature to play on it again

Ferry glide

Join the playboaters in their cartwheel attempts…

Enjoy the rest of the session or move on to the Olympic course assessment!

Thanks to UK River Guidebook forum members for the feedback!