West Wales Paddling Trip Oct 2004
With the quality of the British weather of late, and following the highly successful white water safety course it was time for a paddling weekend abroad (Wales) to hone our skills. With keen interest from a dozen intrepid paddlers it appeared the weekend would be spent enjoying some of the touring/grade three rivers that south west Wales has to offer. However, with the un/timely withdrawal of Dom and Baldrick the group was now looking towards some of the more challenging grade four rivers the area has to offer.
The final line up included the following:
Matt “Wild Horse” Jones, Matt Gilbert, Martin McDermont, Spoon (Taunton Paddlers), Boy (Taunton Paddlers), Ian “Coach” Mackey, Jim “Kitchen Bitch” Ratcliff, Jenny Jewell (Ratcliff ?), Reg “Dad” Morris, Nick “River God” Clendon
With the exception of Spoon & Boy we all arrived at the Bunkhouse near Llandovery (2.5miles away) on Friday evening (15th Oct 2004). With the fridge stocked with beer and a healthy supply of kayaking porn we settled down to discuss the options for the following day’s paddle. After a quiet discussion and a democratic decision it was decided that we would paddle the Afon Irfon in the morning.
During the night a heavy rain fell and ensured the early rise of the excited occupants of the bunkhouse, also a cooked breakfast at 8am did its part. By 9am we were on the road and following inspection of the gauge (steel pipe) across the Afon Irfon (water approx 2-3feet below the pipe) we headed to the get in just below the Camddwr Bleiddiad Gorge.
The water level was too low for the first rapid to be run as it was a narrow slot (it was less than a boat width Harvey, it just won’t go) so we put on below and ran down to the next drop. This was also a narrow slot with all of us deciding to pass it by. However Dad got in his boat above the rapid and ran it anyway, the rest of us organised safety cover with highly trained precision, ensuring Dad’s safe descent. The following 3 or 4 rapids were all hard threes or easy fours and generally run by the whole group, with “Coach” and “Wild Horse” pushing the boundaries and running some sweet reverse lines to spice things up a bit.
Leaving the moors behind we proceeded to the lower section and a gentle amble to the first of the three lower rapids.
The first drop is a three plus beneath a bridge, which provided opportunity for some individual diversity. Coach once again setting the technical standard, ran a sweet backwards line.
The second drop was a bit more of a challenge and under the careful guidance of Dad and Matt G’s instructions from the bank I ran a less than orthodox yet upright line down a pushy grade four rapid. The whole group ran the rapid with Martin using the tried and tested technique of PLF (paddle like %@&!) to make it safely down.
Moving downstream about 100 metres we came across a pleasant V-shaped slot to dwell over. After some thought and the expert allocation of safety cover Matt G lined up the drop. With a nice boof at the head of the slot he stayed high and dry, making it look o-so easy. However with “Wild Horse” not entirely satisfied the drop was safe for the remainder of the group, he ran himself up side down into the heart of the drop and was safely washed free and able to roll up. With a loud ‘cheer’, which we all took to be ‘all clear’, River God and Dad both ran it upright. With the best of the rapids behind us, we bimbled quietly on down the river towards a small rocky grade three drop, which Martin attempted to do on his face. With a valiant effort he clung desperately to the paddle with one hand while hand rolling with the other. Still smiling at the bottom we all proceed to the get out.
Thoroughly satisfied with the mornings paddle and the imminent arrival of Spoon and Boy, Martin, Matt G, Dad and I all decided to plan a quick afternoon blast. Following a quick discussion the Afon Dulais was picked as the lucky target to host Team Wales’ afternoon jaunt. Setting off we caught up with the Tauton Lads just outside Llandovery. We headed to the get in and quickly changed and shuttled the cars. First inspection revealed a narrow (5m wide) river with decent gradient moving quickly through a dense forest. The river follows the road for the 6km run and during the drive up disappeared through several small gorges.
Thinking it would be a half hour blast at the speed the water was travelling, we were not too concerned about the 4pm put on with a good 2 hours of daylight left, and got under way. A hundred yards down our first tree blockage appeared; with some desperate scrambling for micro eddies we all got out and portaged the first blockage. Unphased we carried on for another two hundred yards before meeting a brand new wire fence across the river. Another portage ensued, Spoon (as the name implies) dropped his boat over the fence and into the river, and quite happily took off down stream faster than Spoon’s short legs would take him. The rest of us climbed the fence and got back on the river. With a change in tactic we began eddy hopping and proceeding with extreme caution (at least for Bristol anyway). About 500m down stream we found Spoon and his boat (in the middle of the river). As Martin was the only one with a throw line he had to climb out of his boat and wade into the river to tie one end to the beached boat. After much complaining and several weak throws of the safety line in to nearby trees, we eventually retrieved his boat and most of the padding and proceeded onwards. The following two hours were spent jumping from micro eddy to micro eddy avoiding trees and barbed wire and running some excellent grade three drops. Boy had one tactical exit after getting pushed under a tree branch and then getting caught on barbed wire. Keeping his cool he managed to stay up right, exit his boat and untangle himself, by ripping his cag, (nothing duck tape cannot fix) without too much hassle. With dark setting in and another fence to tackle we called it quits and walked the last 500m through town to the get out. Contrary to popular belief all the locals we met were very friendly and sorry that the river was not in a better condition. With a chainsaw and wire cutters the Afon Dulais could be a classic grade three river, with a decent gradient and numerous pushy grade three drops to catch the unwary.
Following a change of clothes and a dash back to the bunkhouse we were greeted by the sweet smell of Kitchen Bitches chilli con carne and a well stocked fridge. The evening was spent emblemising the day’s events and debating the coming days paddle.
We all woke early again thanks to the lure of a fry up and had cleaned up and packed the cars by 9am. With a small amount of rain over night we headed to the river gauge for the Afon Doethie. Upon inspection of the gauge the river level looked good enough to run so we quickly changed and enjoyed the scenic drive (one hour) to the get on. Upon inspection of the get on there was some doubt as to whether this was a river or the nearby sheep had simply knocked over his water trough at the site of the Wild Horse and has marigolds. Still unsure, but with no where to go, we got on and paddled down some very steep grade two with a couple of grade three drops.
After about two kilometres we were met with a fence and a very tree choked gorge. So with the sun shining we shouldered our boats and had a pleasant stroll through Welsh moorlands for about ten minutes. Finally with the fences and trees behind us, and following a few less than friendly comments about what we were doing, and the Coach looking less a pacifists and more the wild bush man, I quickly got on the river.
The next section provided to be much more entertaining with a nice couple of kilometres of grade three river with the water level having been topped up by several side streams during our walk.
The Boy running a bony drop on the upper Doethie.
Portaging a tree choke gorge on the upper Doethie.
We continued downstream merrily with Matt G leading and Wild Horse following closely behind. Having paddled with Wild Horse on several occasions in the past I was acutely aware of his paddling ability as the ‘clubs best paddler’ and was therefore several eddies back. Dad earlier pointed out that a ‘wall’ marks the entrance to the first grade 6 drop as it goes round a 90 degree bend before entering a slot, however some confusion ensured as the first ‘Rock Face’ approached. Within moments Matt G was clinging to the rock face in something less than a micro eddy. Keeping his cool he assessed that the gap was unlikely to fit him and his boat, but before any decision could be made, Wild Horse having realised what was approaching and following too closely, abandoned all dignity, dived for the nearest rock. Using his nails to hold on, He released a noise that resembled a pig being towed behind a Ute with fishing line (or the noise a 12 year old girl might make at a Britany Spears concert). The rest of the group, unable to block their ears and hold their paddles, broke out and came to help. Wild Horse, having lost bowel control by now, also let go of his boat and paddle and experienced a wet exit (swim). Having saved his own skin he was unaware that the weight of the RPM crashing into Matt G’s boat would also force him to abandon ship, and like wise experience a wet exit (swim).
After some time spent utilising our new found skills acquired at the safety course, we retrieved all the kit, which had managed to negotiate the slot on their own, and following some rock splats and cart wheeling displays by the Boy and Matt G we proceeded downstream.
A pleasant grade three gorge followed before arriving at the second grade six drop. The rapid actually consists of three smaller drops in the lead in, before a final big drop into a collection pool. The water levels were to low for the final drop to be run and a portage followed. In slightly higher water levels this would be a nice 4+ drop, once a tree is removed from the bottom of the final drop.
A grade four gorge followed before 2-3 kilometers of grade two down to the final two drops above junction pool. The first drop was quickly inspected by Matt G and Myself, with Spoon waiting quietly in his boat. With a reassuring ‘it will go’ from Matt G, Spoon ran a tidy line through a very tight slot which plunges about 2m into the pool below. Matt G seemed boasted by Spoon’s fine line and proceeded to line himself up. Not so sure, I stood and watched. Matt G did not disappoint and proceeded to go side wards through the slot using a mixture of his arms, helmet, and hands to save his face. Landing in the pool he was pushed up against a rock wall and took several attempts to hand roll up, still grinning. With the rest of us taking that as a sign we proceeded to portage the slot. With Dad, Spoon and Matt G in the pool below and me on the rock below the slot (everybody else had left), Boy decided to run the slot and managed to make Matt G’s line look good. He face planted the other side of the slot and was piled into the heart of the hole; coming up with out paddles he exited his boat. Thinking he was safe but unaware he was being sucked back into the slot, the four of us were telling him to swim Boy, swim. Needless to say he didn’t and was once again sucked down into the hole where he spent a large amount of time before finally resurfacing and clambered onto the nearest rock. Where for the first time, possibly ever, he sat silently while the rest of us had a good laugh at his stunned expression. The peace wasn’t to last and with in a few minutes he was back in his boat and once again talking shite. The final drop into Junction Pool everybody ran where we spent a little time admiring the final section of the upper Tywi. We all got out and the drivers headed off on the two hour round trip to pick up the cars, leaving the rest of us to play I spy and stuck in the mud from a warm west Wales bus stop. The Owner of the local Royal Oak Inn wouldn’t let us sit outside his pub before opening time as he was a welsh so and so. We boycotted the pub and saved our money for a much more friendly meal and drink in Llandovery.
The Afon Doethie is superb river and would be an awesome blast in spate. But a shuttle bunny is highly recommended.
All in all a good weekend, very pleased with the local rivers and accommodation. With the Lyn Brianne spill way and upper Tywi still beckoning, another trip will undoubtedly be planned for the west Wales region in the near future.
Nick Clendon