Weather was low cloud at around 350 – 450 metres grey overcast with lashings of rain throughout the day; however, spurred on by this we all met up at the old little chef/Texaco Garage on the A470 @ 9.30 am to paddle the Usk from Talybont to Llangynidr Bridge.
Club Roll Call: Matt; Piers (who I was calling Dave all day); Phil; Ben McDonald; Paul McDonald; Dave; Rob; Emlyn; Nick Thorne; Nick Bradshaw; Andy R.; Steve M.
A good mixture of experience and novice which would prove invaluable on a river bloated from the continuous rain fall over the past few days. At the get in point at Talybont, the sub-structure stanchions were just about visible from the bank with a good force creating the bow wavein front. The field at the get in point was not flooded but certainly showed signs of recent watery coverings.
Once the logistics were sorted and an ill fated search for a shop selling cigarettes for Matt was abandoned by Dave, we started to organise ourselves for the trip down river. We spent 10 minutes getting the newer arrivals acquainted with the river at the get in ferry gliding across from one side to the other. No one capsized at this stage which we took as a good sign and started our journey down stream.
Most of the features on the river were washed out as you’d expect from a river in flood, so we occupied ourselves with eddying, breaking in and out, ferry gliding and more exciting rescue techniques which Emlyn, Nick and Nick wanted the rest of us to perform on them just to keep everyone busy before we reached Mill falls.
Before we approached Mill Falls Matt and I put the game plan in to action and discussed who should do want and picked the order of decent in order to give ourselves a fighting chance of performing proficient and safe rescues in the advent that anyone went for a swim we could recover live bodies and kit.
Mill falls looked a fantastic sight as we approached the first set of rapids before eddying up on the right prior to taking on Mill Falls . Everyone got down safely and the newer members did really well getting themselves in to the eddy. Once everyone was down, it was time to put the action plan in to action. Dave, Steve and I went down first, with Steve occupying the top eddy and Dave and I staggered our positions at the bottom of the falls.
Everyone did very well attempting of getting down the main part of the falls with very few capsizes. One notable capsize was Nike Bradshaw just after the falls, with Piers shadowing Nick in to the eddy and Phil, Dave and myself running down the bank with throw bags at the ready trying to get below Nick to a position that was clear of tree debris. Piers didn’t look impressed as he floated down with asking us politely to throw a line. Phil obliged, and was spot on with his throw. There were a few other side issues occurring at the same time with people get back in to boats etc, but the main thing was everyone made it down. We were by now spread out across the river bank in small groups awaiting individuals to get back in to boats etc. While this as going on Emlyn capsizes in an eddy followed by Ben.
Ben had a nasty experience as he found he was pinned but got out after a bit of a fight. Meanwhile Emlyn rescues Ben’s boat but loses his own! Emlyn goes in search of his boat which has been rescued a bit further on down the river. Emlyn is then reunited with his boat and we all head down the next large wave train which takes us to Llangynidr Bridge and egress. However, while at the egress Nick T goes over and is ceremoniously rescued by Matt, Phill, Dave and Steve.
Good day had by all. Much experience gained through sheer ignorance and good company plus another war story to be added to the portfolio.
Andy Rees
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