Usk, Sennybridge to Brecon, Sunday 30 Oct.

The flavour of the day was set when I unfortunately felt I had to tell Emlyn and Carys - all kitted out and ready to go at the petrol station on the A470 at 9.54 - that I thought the water level was too high for them to come with us. (This was on the basis that it was tipping down and that a phone call from a couple on the bridge at Tal-y-bont, our intended destination, had told us that it was over the banks and massive). This was a GOOD decision.

We - myself, John C., Matt and Steve W., proceeded to Brecon, for plan B: paddle the Tarell. We met up with one of Matt's friends (Piers?) there, and the couple who I'd spoken to, Jay and Jo, two friends of Steve M. We then went to view the falls on the Tarell, and John C. was still wanted to do it was voted down. This was a GOOD decision. We decided instead to do the section from Sennybridge all the way down to Brecon, reckoning on big, bouncy water.

I made a bit of a hash leading at the first fall, failing to make a ferry and therefore leading down not a perfect route. Still, all made it down. (The falls were washed out and were just a fair sized rapid. Shortly afterwards, Steve took a swim. He caught a throwline from Matt (I think) (and somehow John C. lost his). The boat was broached on a bush a body's length from the bank Wired up as live bait to John, and John roped to Jay, I dived across and clipped a rope to the boat. The boat obliged in being pulled free.

A bit more paddling and Steve took another swim. This one was a bit more worrying. Matt and I were close to him and shouted to him to swim to river right when a stopper and mid-stream bushes (entrapment hazards is their Latin name) came into sight. Steve put in an Olympic class swim, and was guided in by Matt. Matt then did a chase boating demo. for us all marvel at, but Steve's paddle was lost. Steve, of necessity, decided (again a GOOD decision) to walk back to his car.

 The rest of us went cautiously and eddied out once on river left, me thinking that was just above the falls. It wasn't so we started off again. The noise of big water had us stop river right a bit further down. John was last down and scouted the left bank, and confirmed this was the 3rd fall. It didn't look at all as I remembered it. There was no cliff on the left hand. Jay reckoned it was OK just right of centre and we all bravely followed him down through a massive wave. After that my memory of the trip has already faded - but there were a lot of large wave trains.

It all ended happily in the Inn. 4 GOOD decisions: not bad.

Upper Taff, Sunday 23 October

I can't really compete with the reports below of the Saturday trip, so here's just a brief note. John Mort. and I met up with 3 other paddlers (from another -shush - Cardiff club) to paddle from Quakers Yard down to Trefforest. The water had dropped a bit since the previous day to a low middling level. (Note to John: nexst time remind me to read the gauge at Abercynon weir so I can include it in the write-up). The other paddlers being intrepid types shot Quakers Yard weir, and John followed them. They went over in the centre. All had short boats and aimed to boof as the landing is shallow. All failed to boof (as the stepped take-off makes it almost impossible) but their short boats let them get away with it. Not much else to report. A couple missed the line at the Grade 3 Graveyard rapid but all survived. John's playboating is coming along nicely so it was a worthwhile trip.

Lower Taff trip, Saturday 22 October 2005

I had 2 reports of the trip. Add comments to let me know which you prefer. The writer will be nominated for Club Journalist of the Year Award in the next AGM.

Report Number 1:

"Grant, Matt, Ieuan, Dave (new chap) and myself [Andy R] paddled the lower Taff from Radyr Weir to the Rowing club.Water was flowing quite well and grounding was not an issue! Grant lead the trip, and Matt practiced his leading abilities. We all, bar Ieuan, went over the Weir at the shoot on the right hand side. A good thrilling
start to the trip. Punching through the standing wave at the bottom was an exillarating experience. The Weir looked fairly deadly especially on the right side of the shoot was the water recirculating quite quickly. From the weir on down the river flowed fast, making the rapids that we'ren't washed out fairly playable, but the effort it
took to get on them due to the eddies being non-existant was in most cases hardly worth the effort. Matt was doing some useful stuff around leading and of course tail
squirting! Ieuan did well in his new boat and stayed upright throughout, even though he found it a little bit of a struggle due to the fast flowing conditions.Throughout the trip Grant was able to pass on some coaching tips to us all at certain points in the journey. Ferry gliding being a much practiced event. Note to self here, Pyrhana pro-zones are crap at facing up stream, as all they want to do is dive, not much good when your trying to ferry glide across a river. Anyone want to buy a Pro-zone?

Anyway it was a good trip thanks to Grant, Matt, Dave and of course Ieuan. Well worth a Saturday afternoon messing about on the river."

Report Number 2:

"Taff from radyr weir to Llandaff rowing club - level middling to high.  Me [Grant], Matt, Andy, Ieuan & Dave

Started with running the weir - tricky finding the ramp but after my heroicly botched first attempt I was conveniently out of the boat to direct others.  Lots of ferry gliding, breakins/outs and other drills including throwline practice at the rock garden with a live target after dead targets (pieces of wood) were unresponsive.  One moment of
concern when Ieuan and Andy didn't break out immediately after the rock garden but went straight through the next rapid.  I think this was partly lack of clarity on my part and partly the flow which carried down paddlers at quite a rate.  Next time
ensure group knows where to break out and the leader makes the break out first as a marker.  No harm done though and a fine paddle by Ieuan 'grin and
bear it' and Andy 'no roll with my soup' Rees, Cool hand Matt, Surfin Dave &
yours truly."

Rest Bay, 15 Oct

The surf was so big none of us even really thought of battling out beyond the break but we all - me, Matt, John C., Tim, Rob and Jon - all semed to enjoy ourselves in the white stuff. A fine, sunny day, topped off with a coffee in the cafe with future surfer Luke (aged 5 months?)

Minutes of AGM, Thurs. 6 Oct. 2005

Present (at the Plough, Whitchurch): Andy (Chair), Steve (Vice-C.), Hywel (Sec.), Grant (Training Officer), Matt (Memb. Sec.), Phil, Richard W., Emlyn

Apologies: received from Les (Treasurer)

1. Minutes of previous AGM (9 Nov. 2004): had been posted on the blog (see below). A copy was circulated for info.

2. Reports

Chair: had made enquiries of SportLot but had been told we could not currently be considered for a grant as we had not provided a report on the last one. Action: Sec. to search for record of report which he and Steve remembered completing. Chair to enquire again in Jan. when we could be eligible again. Sec. said Minor Equip. grant from the Sports Council may be another option.

Sec.: reported problem with web site had been solved and that it is now again found easily via Google. He asked members to let him have any trip reports or photos which he would load up on the blog or web site.

Memb. Sec: reported we had 37 paid-up members, including child members.

Training Officer: reported around 6 had passed 1*-2* in the last few months. Matt had just passed his Canoe Safety test. A 4* inland training day was planned for 13 Nov. (details on the web site). (Sec. reported another member planned to attend a sea kayak training course at Plas Menai latter in Oct). 

No reports were available from the Treasurer who had apologised he could not attend.

3. Appointment of Officers: Chair, Sec., Memb. Sec., Training Officer were all re-elected.

Steve indicated he would happily step down as Vice Chair if someone else would like the job. It was agreed that Andy P. would be approached.

John N. would be approached so see if he wanted to stay on as Equipment Officer.

Grant volunteered to be Child Protection Officer and was duly elected. The Sec. was also asked to record that the following had CRB clearance: Grant, Richard W., Andy R. - enhanced; Steve - standard.

4. AOB

Trip dates:

- there would be a trip on the lower Taff on Saturday (see report on blog below).

- another would be run on Saturday 22 October (Grant to lead)

- Sunday 20 Nov. should be kept clear as another possible date, as should

- Sunday 11 Dec.

- Hywel was asked to arrange another trip on the RIver Dart (Loop G2/3 section) "as usual", i.e the 1st Saturday of the Feb. half-term holiday (18 Feb.), and to investigate the availability of tickets for the Upper Dart (G4 section)

Annual Membership: the Treasurer sought the following increases in subscriptions:

Individual (member of WCA) - up to £15 from £8
(non member WCA) - up to £20 from £15
Junior (member of WCA)  - up to £10 from £5
(non member WCA) - up to £17 from £12
Family (adult member of WCA) -up to £28 from £23
(junior member of WCA) - up to £30 from £25
(non member WCA) -up to £35 from £30

These were agreed but the Treasurer was asked to bring forward other options for consideration including i. membership which included pool fees, and ii. the possibility of termly payment.

Lower Taff, Saturday 8 Oct.

Some rain at long last meant that running a trip might be possible. On Friday evening arrangements were made at the last minute, and finalised at the pool session the following morning.

We met at Forest Farm at 2 - 2.15 and after almost an hour of phaffing around with kit and shuttle arrangements we were all on the water around 3pm. The water level was low but there was enough there to allow us to float, rather than scrape - apart from at the start.

Grant led and coached Emlyn and Carys, Ifan and Bleddyn, and Dana, while Matt and I acted as tail-end Charlies and I gave some coaching to John who had come along to a pool session for the first time that very morning. (Readers: fear not, he was not an innocent novice thrown straight onto moving water for the first time, but had some experience of sea paddling).

Anyway, Matt and I ran Radyr weir to join the others below. Ifan put in a sterling performance, as did big brother, and the rest. Middle-aged men make the best swimmers, so Emlyn showed us how on the one rapid. Da iawn Emlyn. Cofia gadw dy gau yng nghau. (Meaning: "Remember to keep your mouth shut". Note Dana - useful phrase for GCSE Welsh).

I looked at Llandaf weir at the end but an inspection when dropping off the cars had revealed number of nasty looking bits of steel work and as I couldn't see any of them when on the water above the weir it seemed wisest not to try to run it.

A very nice trip came to an end with a pint in the Plough. Very civilised. Must repeat.

Thanks to all involved especially to Delyth who couldn't paddle because we couldn't figure out how to get her a boat - and who shuttled us all, as well as looking after her boys.  Diolch Delyth.