Wyre Forest Canoe Club Blog

Dart Trip Report 11th, 12th and 13th

2011-11-24T17:26:00.001Z

Thanks to James and Sue Diggs De la Touch for taking time out to
write about their experiences.

Roof racks on, kit packed, secret Santa wrapped and pirate
costume made on a rainy afternoon in November can only mean one thing - it was
time for Wyre Forest Canoe Club’s annual foray to Dartmoor. The enthusiasm was
notable throughout the journey as the miserable rain and mist meant that the
likely hood of good water levels for the weekend was high and upon arrival at
the agreed rendezvous point (a nice pub in Widecome- on- the- Moor) we found
that the lucky few who had paddled earlier that day had indeed found this to be
so. Tales of woe involving Crazy’s unfamiliarity with the lighting controls on
his own car amused those who had not experienced the near mortal consequences.
As the evening progressed the small crowd became ever larger and after some pub

The Bunk House

grub and a few beverages we retired to the Dartmoor Training Centre which was
to be our bunkhouse for the weekend.
Upon arrival at the Bunkhouse we discovered it to be immediately
adjacent to the mighty torrent known as the West Dart and after a quick night
time inspection by torch light the cars were emptied into the palatial
bunkhouse. As with every trip away the social stigma that plagues the paddling
community came to the forefront as the suspected snorers including previous
known offenders were herded like cattle to bunk beds where the acoustics would
hopefully benefit the light sleepers. Once our official organiser Steve sorted
the rota for Saturday morning breakfast and the supply of drinks and chocolates
has been sufficiently depleted the group gradually ascended to the dorms.
I joined the breakfast cooks slightly later than planned with
bleary eyes and was promoted to a role of “Chief Toaster”. Once the hoards were
fed and kit donned we departed for Dartmeet to run the Upper Dart and the Loop
down to the Dartmoor Country Park. Saturday was a successful day with many
styling the grade IV features for the first or second time, which when the
features have names such as “Euthanasia”, the “Mad Mile” and “Pandora’s box” is
quite an accomplishment. Steve our leader fell victim to the quality issues
that blight lesser quality kayaks and broke his outfitting in his beloved Hefty
with a violent sneeze, this prompted his fellow Hefty pilot Brett to accompany
him to the Kayak shop to hire two canal barges ready for Sunday. The Après-Kayak
visit to the Plume of Feathers in Princetown for a pint of Jail-Ale ended as
the thought of Sues cooking lured the masses back to the Bunkhouse. As the
smells of the forthcoming culinary delights wafted throughout the Bunkhouse some
of the group could be seen in Pirate Fancy dress with Dan’s ginger wig and my
croc included as props. After all had eaten the giant foam dice emerged to
signal the start of Secret Santa. Those who are not yet familiar with a WFCC
secret Santa will not have experienced the sadist system where a roll of dice
can lead to your bar of chocolate turning into a baby grow, some dried fish or
one of Bill “Del Boy” Maisey’s sim cards. With Chris H the final winner of the
prized baby grow and the rest of the presents being eaten, played with or fired
across the room a new source of entertainment reared its revolting head. Brett
challenged us all to Dried Fish Roulette where those unlucky enough to roll 1
or 6 on the dice had to eat a piece of dried smelly fish originally intended as
a secret Santa present. With most feeling unwell from tackling the fish the
group again retired to the dorms.

Rock Boof!

Sunday was mostly a repeat of Saturday as river levels dictated
the Dart to be the only suitable paddle. Once the complicated shuttle was
completed my group set off the complete the Upper Dart in record time whilst
thoroughly enjoying the changes that the lower water levels had brought. Our
Phil and Mark inspired Faff-Free run saw us pass the herd of open boaters and
some other groups to get an early finish. I believe most had an uneventful
journey home despite local traffic reports indicating a custard yellow Seat had
caused disruptions just south of Bristol.
Many thanks to Steve for his organisation. Thanks to Sue for the
food, and the other cooks and washer-uppers that helped out. Well done to those
who tackled the Upper Dart for the first time even if it was in an open boat.
It was nice to see everyone enjoy their time on or in the water.
Open Canoe on the Upper Dart
Our little team for
the Upper Dart consisted of Brian, intrepid kayaker and chase boater, Andy,
paddler of Savage Skeeter and ‘Man with Local Knowledge’, myself in the Zoom
and Sandie, the River Goddess in the Zephyr.
Lining up for launch
at Dartmeet, Brian was looked upon with a sympathetic eye by Bill who enquired
who Brain was paddling with. “I’m with the open boaters”, said Brain. “Are you
ok with that?” said Bill eyeing me suspiciously for evidence of a hidden weapon
or other bullying tactics. Brian assured Bill that he was fine and could
definitely handle two women in open boats and was, in fact, looking forward to
the trip and all the rescuing. Bill
seemed unconvinced….
We launched at Dartmeet and headed off,
slaloming between the rocks. The Upper
Dart is a beautiful river with a reputation for being the best Grade 4 river in
England. The guidebook says it starts off as a Gr3 and then something about
some 3+ and then 4. We bumbled down the river with frequent stops to empty the
boats and let other groups go past. Andy
said he’d let us know when we got to a Grade 4 rapid; that we might stop and
inspect; what a helpful chap. Anyhow, some mention was made of some slides
– great fun – and some little drops.
After one of these little drops I got an eddy and felt I should empty my
very heavy boat. Only problem was the eddy across the river looked SO much
nicer. Silly really, but I only realised that this was a classic symptom of
‘The Grass is Always Greener’ syndrome when I failed to make the eddy due to
half a tonne of water in my boat so I shot the drop anyway.
Upon looking down I
realised that the line was stupid – oops!
I had the interesting sensation of a stopper being about to munch me up
when suddenly Brian – my knight in Shining Armour - appeared. Somewhat
bizarrely he was upside down, but his yellow kayak was heading OUT of the
stopper so I grabbed it and swam. Brian
rolled up, Andy got to use his towline that had lived on his boat for years
without use and we all laughed. “Where is the Grade 4 ‘Mad Mile’?” I asked
Andy. “Ah, I think that was it”, he said.
I laughed again, somewhat nervously.
“Ok, so when we get to a decent big eddy above Euthanasia just let me
know so I can portage?” There followed a bit more laughing and joking about
stopping above Euthanasia or not stopping.
I did an interesting manoeuvre where I ended up shooting forwards onto a rock with the bow in the air
and spinning round and going down a bit backwards, grabbing a micro-eddy and
spinning to face the right way again. I waited a short while for Sandie and
laughed to see her do the same thing. With Sandie it was exceedingly hilarious
as her boat is so much longer and to see it close to vertical was quite a
sight. After a while I started to get nervous. “Andy, where is it? Where is
this portage?” Andy laughed again and

Euthanasia

pointed back the way we’d come. “That’s
it, that’s Euthanasia”, he said pointing back through the trees. We all laughed
some more, me slightly more nervously.
After that we stopped
in a lovely spot for coffee, sandwiches and chocolate. At Pandora’s Box Andy ran a great line that
involved traversing across the bottom edge of the island and down the slabs on
the far side. Brian ran a line down the
middle amidst cries of, “Oh no!! Don’t run it there Brian, anywhere but
there!!” Still getting down great and
Sandie ran an impossible, impossibly and awesomely graceful line down
diagonally from where she had grabbed an eddy that only existed in the mind of
Sandie.
Brian finished the
trip with a small hole in his kayak where an old weld had split. Andy finished
the trip laughing. Sandie finished the trip having got neither her hair nor her
new dry suit wet. We compared paddling blisters – I consider mine to be
gnarlier than Sandie’s. I finished the
trip completely knackered but with chocolate remaining.
For a boat, paddle
and dry suit there is Barclaycard. A trip on the water with these guys is
priceless. What a great team J

River Dee Trip Sunday 6th November

2011-11-17T11:06:00.001Z

River Dee Trip Sunday 6th November
We all meet at the club house at 8:00am on a crisp autumn Sunday morning.
It was so crisp we could all see our breath. Being one of the less
experienced paddlers I found myself wondering what on earth I was doing
paddling on a cold day like this. We were greeted at the club house by
Norman and Sue to let us in to the school. Sadly Norman was not joining us
for the paddle but that still left us with Ali, Steve D, Trevor, John and
myself with Davey promising to meet us at Mile end Mill . After all
discussing The organizer’s text that morning describing the devastating
pain and illness stopping him from paddling with us, MAN FLU !! We jumped
in the cars and headed up to Mile End Mill.
       After a cup of a tea and a bacon sandwich we got kitted up and discussed
our route for the day. Horse shoe falls to town falls I suggested
jokingly, which to my surprise was meet with a positive response. We
drove up to Llantysilio car park climbed over the sty. At this point I
found myself staring down a nice grassy slope to Horseshoe Falls.
Partially due to laziness and a heavy boat I decided that I was going to
kayak down the grass bank along with Davey and Ali.
       We all ran the falls with no problem and paddled on down to Serpents’s
Tail Described as a entry level grade 4 ! with the ability to unseat a
lot of paddlers. We all decided to run it without inspect as everyone in
the group had run it before and there was a group of people on their 4
star assessments on the banks with throw lines at the ready. Davey ran it
first with no problems followed by myself then Trevor closely followed by
Steve and Ali Following his line. Ali cleared the main boily section of
the rapid but got caught out by the final stopper. John ran the feature
river right and got caught out by a protruding rock resulting in a swim.
Ali and John being the truly committed paddlers, plus a small section of
peer pressure decided to run Serpents Tail again both clearing it without
a problem.
       Eventually we worked our way down to the section outside Mile End Mill
where our boofing techniques were put to the test going over several
little weirs including the rather sticky wier. All this point James C
took a swim, ask Steve D, and I had to use a brace in anger after an poor
run. We all decided to get out and have a spot of lunch and a cuppa. At
this point Steve D, Trevor, John and Ali Decided to call it a day and get
changed. Thankfully Davey was willing to run town falls with me so after
a spot of lunch and half a cuppa we set off for town falls. Or the ‘falls
of doom’ according to Davey.
       As we approached town falls and went over the final weir before the falls
I could see Ali on the bridge and a couple of other people. By the time
we got to the falls in the final eddy there must have been over 30 people
watching us. The pressure was on, I could feel the eyes of all these
witnesses on us. Time to look professional, and with that we were off
Davey taking lead followed by me on a similar line. River left then right
of rock at the bottom. We were both upright in the boats and there was a
cheer from the crowd. We had done it.
All the footage is linked on the forum and the footage from my head camp
is on my youtube channel ‘Chuckywalker110’

Lake Trip Report

2011-10-22T19:44:00.004+01:00

Lakes Trip 14-16 October 2011

Another WFCC sell-out gig saw 24 happy kayakers and 2 open boaters descend upon a sunlit Lake District for a weekend of fun and frivolity... with all manner of prayer and sacrifice being offered to the Rain Gods for a break in the warm and dry October weather!

The Early Birders

Trip leader Stevie D arrived with James, Chris and Yours-Truly-Newbie in sufficient light to test the three final features on the Kent, including two impressive grade 4 drops; the L-shaped natural weir and the mighty Force Falls. Yours-Now-Truly-Terrified-Newbie was somehow persuaded to join in this jolly jape but happily managed to acquit herself without swimming – due in no small part to the magnet she had surreptitiously attached to the rear of Steve’s boat...!

The Bunkhouse

With the water levels well and truly tested, a pub rendezvous beckoned but first the luggage drop at the bunkhouse... a mile or so up a rough track complete with immoveable herd of resident sheep. It was well worth the effort however - warm and comfy with duvets provided – a particularly welcome discovery for those of us who’d opted to travel light minus our sleeping bags!

The Meet

Luggage landed and bunks bagged it was off to the Bulls Head where much jollity ensued as the happy gang gathered and significant quantities of local ale, lager and wine were quaffed. There followed a merry procession back up the bumpy hill and smug smiles all round from those travelling in the comfort of Eric and Steve W’s suitably equipped 4x4s! In accordance with tradition, drinking and jenga continued until the wee small hours...

Saturday

Saturday morning dawned fine and sunny and the view was indeed a sight for bleary eyes, the bunkhouse being perfectly situated in stunning scenery on the fells above Coniston. An excellent breakfast of porridge and full English was gratefully consumed (thanks to Chris, Sue, Steve, Mandy, Dan and all who contributed).

Despite the best endeavours of the immoveable sheep herd and some dodgy BCU sat nav coordinates, all eventually made the RV at Burnside for the Kent get-in and the gang split into groups, with our recently 4 star trained members (Steve, Amy, Trev, Eric) taking the lead.

The first section of the Kent was a lonnngggg flat paddle but we had sunshine and scenery to inspire us and Gemma’s group amused themselves with some commendable roll practice gathering golf balls from the river bed! Things livened up considerably at the gorge with some nice water chutes and rapid sections preparing us for the main features ahead. All paddlers and open boaters admirably acquitted themselves at Force Falls to loud whoops and applause from the onlookers. Spectacular highlight of the day, however, went to Crazy Gillespie for his stunningly-executed 5 metre vertical seal launch and face-plant!!!

Re-energised by Sue’s legendary lemon drizzle cake there was talk in certain quarters of a post-paddle walk on the fells. James however had other ideas, blatantly leading the charge to the pub... ;o) Back at the bunkhouse, Sue, Norm and helpers excelled themselves with the catering and thankfully no paddlers were injured in the stampede for seconds of delicious beef casserole and Italian chicken, followed by scrumptious bread and butter pudding and apple cake to die for.... mmmmmmmmmmm...

The evening rounded off over several more beers and entertaining video footage of the day’s paddling, thanks to Phil, James, Trevor and all our stalwart photographers.

Sunday

We woke to find our prayers to the Rain Gods answered, but not sufficiently to run Great Langdale Beck, which remained resolutely dry. Stoked up on another excellent brekkie (grateful thanks again to Master Chef Gillespie and his merry band) we therefore headed north to the Lune. This turned out to be approx 6k of lively grade 3 paddling with something for everyone and much fun was had by all.

Notable features included magnetic rock drop (Zaf took an interesting line here!) and the strid, a narrow river constriction where the groups gathered for traditional banter, peer pressure and photo opportunities. Paddlers safely down (including Yours Truly in semi-roll position) a spot of tomb-stoning was the order of the day and Mr Crazy did not disappoint... see Trev’s excellent video for details!!

The afternoon ended with more restoring cake (Sue, what would we do without you?!) and a precisely-timed Lakeland downpour.... cue the queue for the Dyers’ changing room!

All in all, a fantastic weekend... grateful thanks to Steve D for organising and to all the river leaders and caterers. I know I speak for all this year’s newbies in saying this is a brilliant club and I look forward to more fun and frolics in the very near future!!

Ali

St Davids Club Trip Report

2011-09-25T19:44:00.002+01:00

Many thanks to Dave Smith for this report
I could simply say what a splendid weekend and leave it at that but perhaps a few extra details will help us remember what turned out to be an excellent club outing.

On the Friday night we gathered at the Sloop Inn at Porthgain for some food and drink, or rather, most of us gathered there as a few unfortunately missed last orders. The accommodation was excellent as ever and a few cups of tea (beer) were downed, a few games of Jenga and cards took place before we retired for the night in the early hours.

Saturday morning was a beautiful morning, but a bit windy. Our early risers prepared a fantastic breakfast (many thanks to bill and Dave and Big Phil and Yvonne) that set us up for the day. We headed for Whitesand Bay where there was some excellent surf to ride. I’m convinced that all who ventured out enjoyed this thoroughly and there were a lot of big smiles on peoples faces. After a break for lunch we tried a bit of coastal exploration but retired for an early visit to the Sloop as the swell on the sea was quite large by late afternoon.
A splendid evening meal of pasta Bolognaise (heavily laced with black pepper) was prepared, many thanks to Chef Bill and an early night for many followed shortly after.

On Sunday we woke up to another excellent cooked breakfast (the scrambled egg was particularly tasty), many thanks to Bill and Dave for their devotion to the culinary arts.
Our next consideration was where to paddle. Unfortunately the St David’s coastline was suffering from Gale Force 7 conditions making an adventure on the sea a little too scary for our happy group. We therefore decided to hunt for a south Wales river and decided to try our luck on the river Usk. We didn’t have huge expectations of the river believing it would be a relatively gentle grade two experience with a few minor rapids and a couple of ledge drops to slide off. We arrived at the river to find it flowing fast and brown but not too high. It was also raining to help raise our spirits for the forthcoming paddle. We set off in two groups with the first group confidently led by our Chairman. The trip went well with some excellent paddling and notably Jordan did well. It won’t be long at this rate before he’s leading his father on the river rather than the other way round. However……..when we encountered the third ledge of the trip things didn’t go so well for some! Chairman Eric boldly paddled over the ledge (Big Phil had made it look easy) then boldly stopped paddling and was drawn back into the stopper below the drop by a hungry tow-back (he should know better). One thing led to another and after a refreshing dip Eric was grateful to be thrown a line and hauled out by Steph. Good work Steph. Eric did say that if any of this was mentioned after the trip he would simply deny ever being there altogether……….

Club Paddle 11th/12th June, The Washy!!

2011-06-16T21:23:00.004+01:00

Fast & Furious - The River Washburn

The Paddle http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R286XedqWlo&feature=related

The Washburn is a delightfully Fast and Furious river. Being narrow, it has short, sharp & re-circulating eddy lines. It has one large grade 3 drop followed immediately by another grade ? drop. The paddler is spoilt for choice. Even though the river is barely a mile long. You can make the paddle last as long or as short as you wish. You can get out and re-runs many if not all of the features, if you wish. It’s just a blast. On Saturday we had a few rolls but no swims. On Sunday again we had a few rolls and two swims. They shall remain nameless. (Not Me! Ed)

The Shuttle http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvbp82n3j-g

It is worth going to the Washburn just for the shuttle.

Theory being more people you have in the van less likely you are to fall out. Each lift starts with the safety warning from the driver to the packed passengers. Hang on tight the back door can swing open.

The Demo

Number of people took advantage of the availability of Pyranha Demo boats.

So much so, Richard D wondered why he had gone to the bother of bring his own boat.

Richard demoed the Burn, the Karnali & the Jeffe Grande. However none of them came up to his new found love for the Nomad. (Which he had tried a week earlier at the Dee.)

Steve D tried the Everest – commenting it’s fast and incredibly stable.

Steve W tried the Jefe, found it responsive and more importantly he looked good in it...B-)

I tried Steve W’s Burn found it skittish and fast. However the test was slightly misleading as my spray deck had popped allowing a few gallons of water to get in.

The Rafting

For a nominal fee the YCC had set up a rafting trip. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtykIOj9XQU

Mandy & Paula took advantage of this with a trip down

Overall

The Washburn is a wonderful Grade 2 river that will push you because it is fast & furious.

It is within the comfort zone of all of the Alpine paddlers. However it does stretch the average paddler. It is a fun river. I give it 9 out of 10

What started out as a single day in the Wyre Forest Canoe Clubs Event calendar, turned into a weekend paddle. It has limited water release days. So given the opportunity It is Worth visiting for a day or a weekend. Recommend it being made part of next year’s calendar. Especially an alternative to the T

Zaf

Saunton Surf Weekend

2011-05-24T21:39:00.002+01:00

Oh yes...it was the time for the annual trip down to Saunton Sands for a fun filled weekend of sun, sea, surf and salt up your nose...Confucius say...man with bad roll use many Kleenex.

Many made their way down on the Friday even some enthusiastic souls on the Wednesday and Thursday; tents, kayaks and BBQ’s packed.

Unfortunately I was stuck babysitting my lovely college students but I am reliably informed that I have an accurate account of the shenanigans that took place upon arrival on Friday.

Dave, Lynn, Trevor and Yvonne didn’t know what hit them as the spirited members of the club descended on Lobb Fields Campsite throughout Friday day and night. There were plenty of tent related jokes and “pumping” of airbeds and camp was set up.

Most people had come prepared bar some...Zaf in his infinite wisdom had decided to go green this year and had brought solar powered tent lights that he erected like the entrance to an expensive nightclub by the door of his tent. Unfortunately this being England the solar output was limited and therefore the lights were lacking in power much to Gee’s despair! Confucius say...man with crap light have unhappy wife!

Our most recent club member and our newest superhero Mr Max Dodge arrived in the dark with his sidekick (Kayleigh) in toe with a tent bought from TK-Maxx and a double airbed. However he had made a rookie mistake...Confucius say...always check airbed fit in tent! This error resulted in a very bad night’s sleep with Kayleigh in the tent on a flat airbed and Mr Max Dodge in the Car. Let’s hope this doesn’t put them off!

The rest of the crew descended on the Dyer’s old faithful frame tent where the conversation turned to the usual banter and Eric earning the new nickname of Love Machine. As the tent started to steam up from the bodies sheltering from the wind Sue and Norm finally kicked out the gatecrashers and went to bed. Confucius say...man with big tent has little sleep

A leisurely start to the morning...except for James, Hayley and I who were storming down the motorway at half 7...yawn!! At Lobbs everybody ate the breakfast, chatted about who they heard doing what in the night...many blaming the nearest tent to them!

When everybody had RVed at Lobbs and Hayley had done the most important job of tent supervisor, making sure everything was up to her exacting standards we all pilled in the cars and made our was down to Saunton sands to start the surfing!

Most braved the exceptionally windy conditions on the water...not ideal surfing conditions; however the waves were a decent size, a bit messy and caught some people unawares. This was Jordon’s first time kayak surfing and he seemed to really enjoy it...made it look easy surfing like a pro! Paula came out of the waves with a huge beam on her face and when I enquired why this was, the reply was...I ROLLED IT!!! Well done Paula...first roll in anger in her new boat! For those that stayed on the beach the conditions were not much better and we might as well have been in the Sahara during a sand storm...Confucius say...don’t erect beach tent on sand during big wind!

It was an early finish on the Saturday and everybody did their own thing on the Saturday afternoon...some to the pub...some to the shops...and some back to Lobbs.

At about 6 o’clock the BBQ’s were lit and everyone congregated around Dyer’s old faithful and the ever practical heavy duty gazebo, kindly provided by Andy Davis and DIY SOS!!

During the cooking process a peculiar conversation arouse about how many camels James would be worth and that one day he would make someone a lovely wife...Confucius say...man with food worth many camels, man without food only has hump. As usual there was far far too much food and everyone ate until they could eats no more!

To avoid a repeat of Friday night Mr Max Dodge and Kayleigh were lent one of the Dyer’s many tents and the double airbed fitted perfectly...this made Kayleigh a very happy lady!

Everybody crowded under the gazebo slowly making repeated trips to their tents to add layers as the cold wind started to bite! Some of us started to look like Michelin men or women in Hayley’s case not that all the layers muffled her voice. There were also likening to certain aliens and or people from various films...Steph...as ET...Steve... as PG Tips...Eric... as Obey One Canobe...Surfer Sue...as Compo...and Hayley as the Double of independence day Alien...welcome to earth! Everybody slowly retired to bed with the usual tent shaking and mischief.

Again a leisurely start to the morning; the smell of bacon sarnies filled the air as the tents were packed away. After a group photo or two the convoy of cars with kayaks headed off to Putsborough beach meandering down the very narrow lanes which required a bit of manoeuvring at times. Confucius say...man with big car has hedge in window.

The waves were much better on Sunday; smaller but clean and it was not as windy. Never the less many took a trashing with the greater percentage coming out of their boats than staying in them...all in the name of fun!!

Those that chose not to partake in the trashing found the cafe a lovely place to sit and quietly (but not in Hayley’s case) snigger at the misfortune of our brave kayakers!

After everybody had had enough of the waves it was a quick off and change followed by the usual giving of marvellous cake provided by super Sue and into the cafe for a cup of hot stuff. After which everybody packed up and left for home. Many passing others on the motorway on the way home gesturing as they passed...naming no names.

All in all a very good weekend, lots of stories and jokes brought back. Thanks to Norman and Sue for organising and to James for helping me do the BBQ

Confucius say...many laughs make happy campers.

Gemma

North Wales Weekend

2011-04-19T17:19:00.001+01:00

Saturday
Where to start... 14 club regulars signed up for a white water improvers weekend in North Wales. The idea being that the more experienced members of the crew could lead the improvers down some mildly tricky water!

James the organiser had chosen to Fynnon Wen (round the corner from the Tryweryn) as our operational base, ideally located for a raid into Snowdonia to chase the water, the backup being the Tryweryn and the Mile end Mill

RAIN!!! Friday night caught us all by surprise, the Conwy catchment area was running well so the Llugwy was the chosen river. The lake, to Forestry Falls.

The assembled throng that had rendezvoused at the Cafe in Bala all mounted up and moved out! The Chairman confessed that he had retired the Nimitz for something altogether greener...a seven seater no less....a Discovery 4! Replete with 10 litre V12 diesel and a tow Bar so that the long range fuel tank could be coupled to the vehicle.

As we drove to Plas Y Brenin, the sun came out (Another sign of global warming?) and so a beautiful day began. Once the shuttle was out the way we got on and warmed up. It took Bill some time to find his boat though...once on the water we divided into two teams Bill leading the A team with white water god “Big Dave Smith” riding shotgun, James and Gemma took charge of the Second Team.

Start at the Lake, Snowdon in the background

Having never done the Llugwy before I wasn’t sure what to expect, I’d heard of Cobden’s Fall but didn’t realy know what or where it was, I also knew that there was a fall on the river called Pont Cyfnog (Grade 6) but hadn’t a clue where it was either! Better keep my wits about me then.

The initial run was a mostly flat, to grade II, but set against a backdrop of the Snowdonia National park in glorious sunshine it didn’t matter, we played around in various waves etc playing tag with the leading group.

And so to the main event!

About a couple of hours in, we (the second team) rounded a corner to find most of the leading group on the bank, Bill still in his boat.

“This is the get out for Cobden’s if you want to portage it” I was reliably informed...so we got out to inspect, walking 50 yards down the bank I joined the group looking at a single diagonal feature, “That can’t be Cobden’s?” I thought but not wanting to be ridiculed for my lack of knowledge I kept quiet, Bill having been given the all clear ran the grade III drop and pulled into an eddy river right to await the rest of his group. Next up, Rob, too far river right.... he’s found the rocks that form the rooster tail in the drop! Followed by... a technical exit from the cockpit!

Bill sprang into action like leopard, immediately upon his prey to affect a rescue, Green Eric, in hot pursuit (Like a hyena looking for the scrap’s from the carcase) The Vice Chairman; Vulture Like? fancied a piece of the action too, Jumped in his boat and copied Rob’s line and... subsequent technical exit!!! Unbelievable!!! “What is going on? It doesn’t look that bad!

After half an hour of waiting around for the swimmers to return we ventured down the bank to find out what was taking soooooooo looooooooong????

There was the splendid site of the Vice chairman perched on a rock mid stream whilst his boat made a decent job of side surfing the stopper above what I realised was Cobden’s falls...all on its own! Luverly!!

Scene of the crime!

The vice chairman was then subjected to the ignominy of been thrown a line and being pulled safely to the shore whilst having James and Bill rescue his boat in front a significant audience assembled on the bridge at the foot of the falls, the shame of it!

As for the rest of us well, Green Eric had an incident leading to a bit of Swimming in the falls too.

We walked back to our boats and proceeded onwards. James and Steve Wall were the penultimate pair with me and Amy following behind all was going well until Amy decided to inspect the stopper that The Vice Chairman’s boat was in a while before necessitating another rescue. Bill threw a line to Amy who clipped herself on then swam to the river left pool before climbing down a swimming out. Well done Amy.

Cobden’s Cleared we continued down river in a fairly uneventful way. The portage at Pont Cyfnog gave us time for a breather and to inspect this incredible series of falls.
I was on for a clean sheet until about 100 YD's from the get out when I decided to go for my customary swim!

Off to Fynnon Wen for dinner and Beer, if the events of the day weren’t still fresh in peoples mind James reconstructed the VC’s excursion using Jenga bricks, a toy boat and an action man ...Brilliant!
Eventually the giant jenga bricks were put to good use, a game of Jenga! This lasted at least 6 pints by which time we were fairly merry, and with no clear winner we all retired to bed!

Sunday

Dawned grey cold and hung over! No rain followed by a quick “Old Skool” inspection of the Conwy confirmed what we already knew; we were off to the Mile End Mill. Once there Rob and I occupied the VC with small talk as Bill applied the traditional “Bomb” to the VC’s Play boat! A badge he earned on the Llugwy yesterday!

Over the river and up the canal we went heading for the horse shoe weir to the start of our run down. In the pool above the horse shoe weir the smell of the dead sheep tangled in a tree wasn’t helping with my hangover at all! But hey ho, off we go, in one fairly large group this time. The serpent’s tail offered its usual fun, at the chain bridge hotel rapids we all stopped to play for a while, James leading the no paddle stroke s ferry glide game. Great fun. A little further down the serpent’s tail offered its usual fun, Amy ran the falls in several boats (the Fluid Solo looked particularly impressive) the VC looking good in his play boat too! Continuing on down to the get out at JJ’s at 4.00pm for an early get away.

Special thanks to James’s for organising, Bill for his impeccable river leading and rescuing. Sue for the cakes, and Rhi and Naomi for fetching me some beer.

Good weekend, all in all, defiantly one for next year’s calendar!

Steve

Club paddle-lower Tryweryn 20th of March

2011-03-23T11:35:00.001Z

The day started bright and early with a bacon sandwich and a cup of tea at the cafe, with four paddlers venturing onto the upper section, excellent fun was had and lots learnt! Thanks Steve and Chris!

Fingers of fate...

All was going well until dad dropped a mega clanger at the cafe wave! Caught sideways in the stopper, unable to free himself! Following behind, unable to avoid him, I rammed him out of the stopper and ended up capsizing and heading off downstream towards the fingers. Meanwhile thanks’ to Eric’s timely arrival, speed and agility a rescue operation was put into action (never seen you move so fast Eric...was it really you?) With Stevie D and Chris in hot pursuit of the little Joe (a green spec in the distance) after a bumpy ride downstream, got the grazes and bruises to prove it! Eric managed to save me with the line from a plummet down chapel falls - my hero!
Unfortunately Steve had to don his Speedos for a swim, in the process of rescuing the boat. Chris was then left to single-handedly salvage two boats - Awesome stuff!!
What an eventful start to a day’s paddle!

Lower Tryweryn

The sad news that Norman couldn’t join us was soon forgotten after chomping on a Mars bar or two. (We missed you really Norm!) The mighty 10 eventually got going on the lower section! The sun was shining, and all was well, thankfully a safe run down, without too much drama! Finally Bala falls loomed ahead...well done to everyone who made it down, especially Paula who conquered the falls in style!
The rumour that Sue’s cake had been left behind was devastating... But unfounded! Sounds like Eric made a ‘special’ detour to collect it- A hero yet again! No paddle would be complete without Sue’s cake!
Thanks to everyone for a great days paddle! And thanks to Rob for the shuttle.

Amy

Club paddle 20 Feb 2011 Vyrnwy Pont Logal to Pont Robert

2011-02-27T19:39:00.005Z

This one was down to the "Vice" Chairman to organise.

River gauge at the dam was reading .4

River gauge at Pont Robert was reading 1.29

The Meet Up

14 keen members assembled at the club house at 0800 in preparation for the day’s event.

Dave Doing 50 MPG

As the vice chairman's angst over the mpg of the transport on offer has reached a new peak, and in an effort to break the 50mpg barrier in his car he promptly got into Jason's super frugal Passat! (“It does 65 the gallon" he gleefully advised me....Yawn!) Along with Bill who still traumatised by his speed awareness course couldn't drive anywhere!

The USS Nimitz (The car not the boat!)

I had drawn the short straw and was allotted a place in Green Eric's USS Nimitz (Jag) as the chairman had been the beneficiary of an advanced driving course I hoped the fuel bill wouldn't be too bad, however it seems that advanced driving entails stamping on the accelerator as hard as possible at every opportunity! (Oh my neck) I put my cards on the table..."you drive as fast as you like, but I'm only giving you a fiver!"

River Level

The winter drought continues, the forecast rain for Friday and Saturday failed to materialise, I even washed the car to tempt the weather gods to provide some H20 for us to play on but even this extreme form of sacrifice didn't pay dividends. Some members took "matters" into their own hands and attempted to top the river up manually. All to no avail so another low run was commenced. The shuttle at the Vyrnwy is a long one but the cold dampened enthusiasm to the point that none of the usual shenanigans occurred, boats in trees Etc! Bill (chief coach) took the opportunity to explain to Paula the design differences between various types of kayaks...Seems Paula is looking to buy a new boat!

Shuttle over Adam and The Vice Chairman picked the groups, playground style! Oh I hope I don't get picked last...

The Paddle

As predicted the run to Dolanog was an uneventful affair, Jason was so bored he practiced his roll several times. I managed to avoid paddling Back into the stopper at Dolanog that was the scene of my comedy swim the previous week And Paula who also had a bit of an off the previous week cleaned this section too.

Next up was the gorge section, billed as a grade 3+ section this perked the day up a bit. The crux of this section is towards the end of the gorge and features two drops in succession requiring a break out into the eddy river left or right before lining up and running the second feature which required a clean boof, our group having run this once elected for a second go, the author (me) needing some photos of the day set himself up in a quiet eddy positioned such that I could get some pictures of the groups descending this section. I discovered that operating a camera whilst side surfing a small stopper equals a comedy swim, much to Gemmas delight...Doh! As it was I have the dubious honour of being the only casualty of this section! Well done to Zaf and Paula who successfully negotiated their way safely down without incident and to Sue who piloted her OC down with aplomb.

From here the river is a fairly flat affair to the get out.

Après kayak victuals were provided by Sue Dyer, Tea loaf this time, yummy...look out for a full report by Big Phil in the Bakery section soon.

After scoffing the cake we went to the pub!

Vyrnwy from WyreForestCanoeClub on Vimeo.

Steve

The Dynamic Duo Paddle The Lower T!

2011-02-22T15:11:00.003Z

A few weeks ago North Wales was knee deep in water, several rivers rose to new record levels on the EA gauges. Brett and Cakey ran the lower T at a hiddious level...Now thats what I call "Bank Full"!

HD Version Available Here

Dart Trip 29 & 30 Jan 2011

2011-02-09T13:42:00.001Z

Well story of the weekend was rain or ......lack of it! However there were a few other threads that entertained the drought ridden massed thronging to Powder Mills on Friday night for the annual WFCC Dart weekend.

Friday

The gig was sold out so an early arrival at the bunkhouse was preferable in order to bag a prime bed for the night. I’m not sure who got there first but in his haste to bag top spot Zaf forgot his sleeping bag, Ouch! Steve wall promptly lost his after consuming copious quantities of G& T! All was not lost though, they elected to sleep in the lounge for the night, (it was touch and go if Steve could have made the stairs anyway), and had the log burner for heat as well as “Shared Bodily Warmth!

Saturday

Euthanasia

The day dawned dull cold and dry, the various chickens and goats that had been sacrificed to the rain gods had clearly failed to work, so, with a little reluctance in some quarters we climbed into our cars and assembled at Dartmeet or Newbridge to attempt the relevant section of the mythical Dart. Looking at the super low water level in the West Dart at Dartmeet, we elected to send Big Phil Neath down to clear a channel! The rest of us following behind. The trip down was interesting to say the least, aptly described as Pinball by some and a “Comedy Run” by others. As an Upper Dart virgin your scribe found the going fun interspersed with periods of Irritation. (Note to self sacrifice more chickens next time). Being inquisitive I thought I’d at least try to learn the river a little, “Where are we?” I enquired periodically to which the veterans response was generally “don’t Know, Can’t recognise the features at this level!” .....On the whole though, it was a bit of a blast. Well done to Amy and Steve, the other two newbie’s to the upper who made it look easy. Once at Newbridge we did the decent thing and went to the pub!

Reports from the group on the loop section indicated that fun was had by all and that no rocks needed portaging. The chairman, replete with his new dry suit apparently practiced his roll only to discover that you need to “Burp” a dry suit to prevent any mirthful incidents revolving around the amount of air trapped inside preventing a full inversion of boat and jockey...

Saturday evening saw a superb spread of food, Chicken Tikka Masala, Chicken Tangine and a beef and Chorizo casserole. Trimmings included rice sweet potato mash, followed by no less than two puddings. Many offered to trade their kayaks for Sue the chef, but Norman was having none of it!

Entertainment then followed. Secret Santa, those that had forgotten their presents made a commando style raid into Princeton to acquire a gift, although their stop at the Plume and Feathers for mental stimulus had clearly clouded their judgment.

The sort after prizes included a hat? A torch and a fireman’s outfit that Paula and Rob seemed desperate to acquire......Cakey made it his mission to go home the herbal Viagra provided by some kind soul.

Sunday

The day dawned dry, clear and cold unfortunately. Inspection of the west dart at Dartmeet revealed that the river had dropped a further two inches overnight!!!! The depression amongst the assembled paddlers deepened (Unlike the river!).

Some brave souls went for a second run down the upper; your author threw a hissy fit about the lack of H2O and promptly changed into his civvies and went for a walk instead.

Norman decided that this was the time for his maiden run down the upper... after much bullying by the vice chairman...The smile on Normans face at the get out told us all we needed to know, well done Norm!

Other notable moments included the Vice chairman being horrified at the prospect of his share of the fuel bill, for car sharing with Eric Steph and Steve Bamforth, apparently the USS Nimitz (Eric’s Jag) does less than 2 gallons per mile!

All in all a good time was had by all despite the weather, a special thanks to Rob for organising yet another cracking Dart weekend, Paula Dan and Rob for the breakfasts and Sue for the evening meals

Here’s to the next one, later this year in November.

Welcome to the WFCC Blog

2010-11-16T19:19:00.003Z

Here you will find Trip reports, River level information, river guides and other resources for Wyre Forest Canoe Club members

Dart Trip 29th & 30th Jan 2011

2010-11-16T18:11:00.006Z

See you all at Powder Mills Bunkhouse, meeting at the The Warren House Inn, Postbridge Devon, PL20 6TA, Friday night for Beer and Food!

Home-made Soup of the day, served with roll & butter £3.95

Warren House Ploughmans £6.95
All served with Westcountry Cider & Apple chutney, Pickled Onion, fresh Baguette and garnish. Local Mature Cheddar – Blue Stilton - Traditional Ham – Cornish Brie - Cornish Yarg

Warreners Pie, with Chips & Vegetables £9.95
(Our famous home-made rabbit pie made to our own secret recipe!)

Steak & Ale Pie, with Chips & Vegetables £10.50
(Our own home-made pie, using tender Dartmoor pieces of steak, cooked in strong ale and topped with short crust pastry.)

Steak Sandwich, a tender Dartmoor Sirloin served in a whole baguette £6.95

A Whole Fillet of breaded Plaice, served with Chips & Peas £8.95

Quorn Sausages, served with Chips & Beans £6.95

Spinach & Ricotta Cannelloni, served with Crusty roll & Garnish £8.75

A selection of freshly filled baguettes, including, Brie & Cider chutney, Beef, Ham, Tuna, Prawn

Garlic Bread, A whole Baguette, with lashings of Garlic butter £3.00

King Prawns, breaded & deep fried served with garlic dip £6.25

Braised Dartmoor Lamb Shank £11.75
served with a rich Red Wine & Rosemary Gravy, Baby Potatoes & Vegetables of the Day.

Cajun Chicken £9.00
Chicken Breast cut into strips, marinated in Cajun Spices and pan fried, served with Cajun Dip, Chips and garnish.

Homemade Mushroom Stroganoff £8.50
A Homemade Mushroom Stroganoff, with Cream Brandy and Parsley, served with Rice

Westcountry Gammon Steak & Pineapple £11.50
A Grilled Westcountry Horseshoe Gammon Steak, topped with Pineapple and served with Chips and Vegetables.

Smoked Haddock & Spring Onion Fishcakes £8.95
Luxury Breaded Smoked Haddock & Spring Onion Fishcakes, Deep fried and served with Chips, Peas & Salad Garnish.

Home-made Homity Pie £7.95
Potato, Cheese, Onions, Garlic, Parsley & seasoning in a Pastry Case, served with Chips and Salad.

Warren House Steaks

Sirloin ~ Fillet ~ T-Bone

All Steaks are tender cuts of Prime Dartmoor Beef cooked to your liking, and served with Garlic Mushrooms, Grilled Tomato and a choice of either, Chips, Jacket Potato or Salad.

A selection of home made desserts from £4.95