Fun times on the Tryweryn

On Saturday 23^rd Februrary a large group of kayakers met at to a very cold sheds for an eventful days kayaking in snowy wales on the Tryweryn.

Once we had arrived and changed we split into 2 groups to paddle the lower. After an initial briefing the first rapids were taken head on. We then practiced skills, eddying in and out and ferrying. Early in the day the river claimed its first swim (the first of a few!).

After a good morning of paddling we came to a boulder garden, once a small group had gone ahead and tackled it the rest of the group followed successfully.

Fiona at bottom of Bala mill falls

The last part of the day consisted of Bala Mill Falls, a rapid leading into a sharp drop. After close inspection form above on the bank it was decided who would run it. The group took it on bravely with Fiona even deciding to take on the challenge side wards. The drop only caused one swim and even then JJ set up for a roll but then decided against it last minute and the last swim of the day was claimed. The portage provided lovely scenery and proved how cold the water was with icicles hanging from the bank into the river.

Once the lower was conquered a small group of paddlers did a couple of runs on the upper. As the rest of the group watched from the viewing point at the centre we saw the paddlers complete the last few rapids and drops. Gareth put on a great show putting in a few rolls whilst going down the last drops. 

All in all I think it was an excellent days paddling and I would like to thank the organiser, river leads and all of the drivers. Rob M’s van was amazing and made packing up extremely easy!

Gareth showing us how it's done

A not so short kit buying guide from the often vacant mind of Earnie...

So you have all joined the best club in the university, and in amongst the drunken antics you have found your self in a boat on a river and decided that kayaking is for you (why wouldn't it be, its amazing) but you are starting to feel that your old tights and some primark pumps, along with the very attractive club kit may not be the most stylish and comfortable thing you could be wearing whilst out on the river, so here is a little insight into buying your first kit and what to be looking out for when you do.

All kitted up and ready to go!

Possibly the most important, and usually cheapest items you need is some good comfy thermals. There are so many different varietys of thermals out there some specifically designed for paddle sports (such as the ir onesizes or the sweet protection gimpy stuff) and although these are probably the best for kayaking they tend to be very expensive to buy, as well as thermals designed for a variety of different outdoor sports which usually have a smaller price tag attached. My advice would be to not spend lots of money on buying one or two thick expensive thermals but to get a larger variety of thin ones so that you can layer up, the benefit of this is you can change how warm you are by adding/taking off a layer as well as having a greater number of thermals to go at so on longer trips and weekends away you dont have to put on the same wet thermals everyday but instead have nice dry thermals to put on (a feeling possibly better than sex on a cold scottish morning). 

Lots of people have had good experience with the base layer thermals available at primark and ones that often come up for sale at aldi, the benefits of which they are cheap and readily available so you can buy lots of sets to keep you warm, as well as the fleecy primark onzies available which are great for wearing under dry kit or to put on after you have been on the river. My advice would be to start collecting together different thermals such as thin base layers, micropore fleeces and the typical tiger onzie with or without the head removed, and keep them together so when you set off to go paddling you can choose which to take depending on weather or take the whole bag and just wear what you need but have the option to decide when you arrive and see the river is frozen :/

Not the best shoes for a day on the river!

The next thing that is important is a good solid pair of shoes to wear on the river, which will not only make walking and swimming more comfy but will keep your feet warmer. Again there are some paddle specific boots out there that you can buy (such as the 5.10 canyoneers or the palm gradient shoes) but these are very expensive. My advice would be to do what numerous members of the club do and get your self a pair of sporty trainers or outdoor walking type trainers that have a good grippy sole on them, the benefits of these are that you may already have an old pair of trainers you can use and if not you can often pick up a pair at sports shops for very little money. Wearing trainers means you will have something that is comfy to walk to and from the river in as well as something that wont come off your feet whilst taking that unfortunate dip in the river and have plenty of grip whilst climbing around on rocks at the riverbank. For all you people that are cold blooded i would recommend getting yourself some neoprene socks (only cost around a tenner) to wear inside then, these will keep you feet very warm and will stop the shoes from rubbing. If you want to spend the money to get paddle specific ones, rather than the cheaper option and spending the rest on beer, i would recommend going for the palm gradient as it offers good ankle support and buckles that dont break like on the 5.10.

Gareth rocking his brighter than bright sweet helmet!

Even as sexy as everyone looks in the bright yellow club helmets you might wish to buy you self something with a little more style and a little less "i have to wear this helmet to bed so i dont hurt myself" look to it. When buying a helmet buying the cheapest one is often a very stupid decision, for a helmet to work correctly its needs to fit you well and cover all the important areas of your head. I would recommend three helmets, if you have the money buy yourself a sweet rocker as in my opinion there is no helmet that will look after you as well as this one will, if you want to spend a bit less look at the sweet wanderer still a great helmet but doesn't have much ear protection, and if you are on a tighter budget look at the WRSI rescue pro helmet. All these helmets offer the protection you need as well as offering great coverage of your forehead and the lower back of your head. The decision of which helmet to buy shouldn't be done on price or how it looks but how it fits you (knocking your self out on a river because you are wearing a helmet which wasn't fitted correctly isn't an enjoyable experience) so you need to get your self down to a shop and try a few on till you find something that fits well. 

Entry and exit is not always the easiest

After you have got yourself some comfy shoes, warm thermals and a sexy lid you will probably want to start looking at getting your self a dry cag. As with helmets the more you pay for a dry cag the better it will be, but saying this you can pick up some bargin kit with plenty of life left in it by buying second hand off ebay or the for sale section on UKRGB. Wearing a dry cag will not only keep you dry (duh) but will also keep you warmer by keeping the water out and the wind off. You ideally want to be looking for something that has at least latex wrist seals, semidry neck seal and a double waist band to keep the most water out. The best bet is to get your self down a paddle shop and try some different things on to see whats comfy and see what you can afford, or ask around in the club to see what people think of the cag they have as they will have head regular experience of using it and know all its pros and cons. As a general thing look at the palm gear, great gear with a reasonable price tag and British made if you ever have any problems :)

If you have lots of spare money and think that buying a dry cag is a waste and jump straight to a dry suit this can actually have a detrimental effect as if you are still often finding yourself swimming you can easily ruin a dry suit on the riverbed. Owning a dry cag also means that when you head to the alps this summer (which you all should) you have a dry top that will keep the water off without getting too hot wearing a full drysuit in the glorious sunshine.

Graham in a well fitting BA with plenty of space for kit and crazy eyes!

Next thing to look out to buy yourself is a Buoyancy aid. The club ones are more than adequate for anything you will get up to this year but they are not the prettiest, comfiest or most practical thing you could be wearing. My advice when it comes to buoyancy aids is head to a shop and see whats comfortable as you will be he one that is wearing it so if you get something you need to dislocate a shoulder to put on and off its probably not the best one for you! Things to look out for are; Make sure it has a quick release safety harness so that when the time comes you can be the 'dope on a rope', Get something with plenty of pocket space to carry a knife, sling, chocolate ect and make sure these pockets are easy to get to and dont become too bulky and in the way when full and something that offers you plenty of protection around your core without restricting your movement too much. Again Palm have a variety of great BA's on the market at various prices. 

Check out Roho's website as they have a large variety of equipment from all of the big name brands and i have never been able to find prices cheaper anywhere else! (if you do want to buy something from them let me know and il get you a very good price)

So there is a quick, but not so short intro, into what gear you should be starting to look at getting for yourself. This by no means is the end of the list as in the future you may look into getting your own boat and paddles ect but just something to get you going :)

If you enjoyed this look out for my book "how to drag something out to a million words that could be said in much less"

Stuart Earnshaw

Aged 22 and a half

BUCS slalom

Table wrestling fun

So the thought of BUCS slalom brought to mind visions of greatness, of winning the event, being spotted by Olympic selectors, RBS offering to buy boats and fund training trips to warmer destinations, but enough about the aspirations of other Universities.  We had a greater quest and so, as reality kicked in, we contented ourselves with in the noble cause of chasing the Craic, not forgetting swimmers, paddles, boats and of course table wrestling!

Ben pushing hard

Happy Fiona

So the creepy village hall turned out not to be as creepy as it first appeared, until of course Matlida made her first appearance!  Friday night’s shenanigans left some bruised, some battered, some confused and all slightly pissed.  The course consisted of grade three with some sticky holes, tricky gates and questionable (yet smiling) rescue teams.  We set up camp at carnage corner passing the time watching the event unfold.  Those in the K1 would have two runs.  Most went smoothly and then Ian got on.  After swimming his plan changed from a vague ‘give it a shot’ to a fully fledged half assed approach and proceeded to attempt to get the worst possible score! He failed to achieve this! Adi made a valiant run down the course after throwing up; followed by a safety boater who had forewarned him he would not be taking part in any rescues.  

Gareth not getting the boat

One thing that amazed the whole crowd and brought a sense of awe to us all was the team GB C1 run.  Precision kayaking at its finest and a beauty to be hold.  Sunday provided at least some practice runs ahead of the women K1 and team events.  A back looped Fiona showed us all how it’s done, smiling all the way.  Chris and Gareth took on rescue detail at carnage corner, quickly adopting the cluster fuck approach.  The girls made valiant runs down the course and where well motivated by a cheering crowd the whole way.  Team events brought an edge of psychological warfare, which failed, that’s my fees well spent!  Tolly, Gareth and Ben finished ahead but Dom, Graham and spud certainly provided the most entertainment turning their run into a slalom/boater cross run.  As for Stu’s team, well the mystery of who hit the third gate will probably pass into kayaking folklore.

Carnage Corner!

All in all it was a great weekend, thoroughly enjoyed by all despite the swims, the racism, the old man jokes and river sickness.  I like to think the complete lack of flaff was down to my mature approach.  We may not have won BUCS but I think loser is a cat provided the only real sport for us, at least in it, everyone loses.  I shall sign off by asking, did anyone else see a tumbleweed roll through the village hall on Saturday night?  It was right after Manchester had to be reminded of their swim count!! Peace to the Madchester crew, always good to meet new boaters.

Coaching with Paul Bull Day 2: The Leven, South Lakes

Paddlers:  Dom, Schneids, Spud. Ruth was meant to be there but unfortunately was in the wrong country.

Coaches: Paul and his mate Gary, another coach who came along for a nice scenic paddle. A very good value coach:student ratio!

Walking down Smithdown to meet Dom at the fairly civilised time of 7.10am, I realised that it was snowing and dreaded another epic 10 hour drive to the Lakes. However, this time our delays were caused by traffic and not extreme weather! Dom picked up me and a rather woebegone Spudley – all kayaked out after a weekend on the Dee and the Mawddach plus having flu. My continual encouragements of “it’s good practice for Scotland!” were not particularly well-received.

We reached the Leven in cold sunshine and got changed – I discovered the joys of owning a cag that is not an XS i.e. I can put it on by myself without suffocating or dislocating a shoulder. Our pre-river briefing included a great talk from Paul on leadership including group kit, responsibilities, CLAP (if you don’t know this, look it up! :p) and how one could go about getting to know the group they were leading. The coaching on leadership principles continued throughout the day, fitting in nicely with our personal skills development. During this briefing it also transpired that Paul had never done the Leven before – this made us think a lot harder about our leading…

The first rapid was a weir leading into a drop on the left of an island. Although it drops suddenly it’s quite friendly and going left either spits you into an eddy or in Dom’s case onto a rock and into a roll. We ran it a couple of times to experiment with angle of entry and using timed power strokes to get to close eddies at the bottom. This was good to make us think about using only necessary paddle strokes to the best effect without wasting energy paddling hard at the centre of everything! Brute strength and speed is not a substitute for technique. The next weir was broken down with several green tongues available, so we ran that many times trying to get various ribbon eddies rather than just picking the easiest route down.

Next stop was a boulder garden, grade 3 at the top running into grade 2. I don’t think I have ever caught so many eddies in 100metres, probably dozens. Paul and Gary set us objectives each time we ran it so by the end we were breaking down the rapid nearly rock by rock so we could get to whatever position of most usefulness we wanted to be in. We felt we had earned our lunch by this point and fished it out of Dom’s boat. After another flat section we came to the weir before Backbarrow Bridge. Avoiding the swans, we scraped down the right hand side of the main weir and carried on to Backbarrow, where we quickly portaged to carry on with our coaching session on the next section of river. I still have an appointment with that rapid…

A natural triple drop weir below Death Weir in the sunshine started us off on the lower Leven which I had never done before. We reached another grade 3ish boulder garden and our eddyhopping began again in earnest. This one seemed more challenging, highlighted by the mine and Spud’s simultaneous pinning. I very slowly shuffled around my boulder (self rescue is the best rescue!) while Spud was getting too friendly with a tree branch in a small eddy. Dom, in the same eddy, just sat there having decided that Spud was not in mortal danger and he couldn’t do anything useful (a fair assessment). Gary, however, took pity on her and came and rescued her. I believe this is a technical.

Next came a huge water slide weir which Spud and I ran side by side. We stopped short of the duo high five as she nearly binned me at the bottom. The last rapid was a blind bend around an island, which put our leadership coaching into perspective. I missed the main eddy at the top and ended up going first around the corner, it was exciting but quite friendly and I caught the next eddy although I had lost line of sight.

Some more sunny flat water brought us to the get out. Once shuttling and racking etc was complete we trooped into the hotel at the get-in to have a hot drink and a cosy debrief with Spud’s lemon cakes. We felt a bit out of place in the hotel as it looked a bit posh for thermals and wellies. To Spud’s dismay she had to change out of her pyjama bottoms.

Once again we had a great day with Paul and Gary – thanks a lot to Paul for the excellent coaching and Gary for providing amusing comments and a helping hand. The lucky chaps are off paddling for another few days, but there should be some photos appearing on Paul’s facebook page soon. Thank you Dom for driving as well.

Schn

http://www.paulbull.co.uk/

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.541780019173950.126723.187783434573612&type=3#!/PaulBullCoaching?fref=ts

The Mawddach Mission

Paddlers: Stu, Lloyd, Liam, Kim, Spud, Greg, James

It was a cold and rainy start at sheds at 7.45, exacerbated by the fact that we had to wait for Lloyd to arrive as he ‘forgot how long it took him to get ready in the morning’. (It’s not like you do it every day :P). We got racked and headed off to the Mawddach, hoping that levels would rise as rainchasers said ‘empty’ for most of the journey.

We turned up a very sketchy road to the get on and did the mission of a shuttle. James managed to take the wrong turning (I think he was following the sheep) but we finally got on the river.

Everyone was hesitant and feeling the nerves of the great Mawddach and after a little nervous swim from me we gathered up our confidence and set off into the depths of coed-y-brenin.

Greg was leading the way, with great speed, leaving the rest of us scattered throughout the rapids. After a few grade 4 drops and inspections we reached the first grade 5-the waterfall! Everyone pondered it for a while and Stu and Greg played paper scissors stone to see would go first. Greg won and set off, apparently missing his line but I was failing to take a photo of him at the bottom so didn’t see. Anyway his “deck popped”. Lols. No it actually did and he rolled up and paddled to the side almost completely submerged. Fairplay. He claims he styled it. Stu followed with a nice line. Liam and Lloyd enjoyed face planting but overall everyone did very well! Spud, James and I selflessly volunteered to do safety and take photos at the bottom and therefore didn’t run it :P

Immediately following this was a constrictor rapid. It was tight. There were some interesting manoeuvres and facial expressions on this one whilst everyone was avidly trying to avoid the syphon on river left. Spud rolled. We continued down some more grade 4 drops, with spud rolling, often stopping to inspect the ominous horizon lines. A few of the rapids were curlers on walls and one of them got the better of James who was spotted modelling the bung action of his new Jefe. The second grade 5 was reached and this looked more horrendous than Spud trying to cook a meal from scratch (those of you who don’t know-beware). We portaged.

From then on it was scout scout scout for the infamous Rhaeadr Mawddach. No one got too close when the immense horizon line was spotted. We walked around it whilst Liam and Stu contemplated which line they would take if they ran it (as if!). Lloyd was swiftly back on the water above the next set of rapids and began to ‘watch tap’ as the rest of us faffed around deciding where to get back on as we had seen a rather pinny tree in the second rapid of the set. Lloyd was blissfully unaware, but ran them unscathed. After much debate we decided on the best place to get back on, which was still horrendous, and carried on. The river eased off slightly and we flew. Until Greg, leading, ran a rapid blind and smashed his shiny new boat into a rock at the bottom. We wisely portaged.

The three nasties were upon us. They didn’t look overly clever so everyone besides Lloyd and Stu portaged. They ran them because they decided it would be easier than portaging however I think Stu regretted this decision when he was being worked in a hole and Lloyd had left him for dead by paddling off downstream. The portage was truly horrific and the get in was even worse resulting in my boat catching the current with only one of my legs in it (bit of a Scotland de ja vu moment). Technical.

We carried on blasting down until we arrived at a sort of rocky 90˚ angled wall bashing thing. Whilst everyone was inspecting it Liam shouted BOAT!! James had positioned his boat securely enough on a rock, with paddles inside, that it had somehow wobbled its way free and solo’d the rapid. At least we knew the gap was wide enough for us to fit! James and Lloyd set off downstream chasing it; Lloyd in a boat, James scrambling along the walls of a vertical gorge.  Greg, Spud and I were left to run it. I decided to go first and showed her how not to do it resulting in me swimming and spud rolling. Liam and I practiced live baiting so that was fun.

Everyone gathered downstream as James hopped back in. By this point it was 4.45pm and we were losing light fast. We blasted downstream, not caring what was in our way. A few rolls were had, a few welds were unwelded, a new boat was scratched, you get the drift. Oh and at some point, I can’t quite remember where, Spud rolled and scraped her head and face along a rock, completely removing GoPro and mount from her helmet. Don’t worry, she was fine.

We saw the confluence with the Eden and knew we were almost finished. The last big thing we encountered was a slot with about a 5ft drop on the other side. Lloyd inspected it and said ‘keep straight’. With these precise instructions everyone pencilled and ended up in a lovely recirculating boily eddy. At one point Stu, Spud, James and myself were in there. With some excellent advice from Greg on how to leave an eddy, we all exited successfully. Thanks Greg!

Finally we ran public toilet falls with excellent boofing skills and got out. We thought it was over, we thought we could eat, we thought we could go home. But James lost his car keys, for about half an hour! He had opened the car at least!

Exhausted, dehydrated, hungry, aching, but full of the joys of the Mawddach we set off home.