Lower Taff and Symonds Yat

The last two weekends have seen two easy trips.  Last Sunday, Hywel, Owain, Euros, Emlyn and Nick T. went to Symonds Yat where we also met up with Steffan and Jack B.  The young ones did much rolling, the elder did much swimming!

The previous Sunday saw around 13 venture onto the lower Taff, being led by Andy, Phil and Nick B. A good trip was had by all, according to all accounts.

Saturday 31 January and Sunday 1 Feb

Nick B, Paul Mac, Lewis, Ben, Mark, John C and Hywel tripped on the Ogwr Fawr, from Blackmill to Sarn. The first 4 named are regulars to this stretch but for the last 3 named it was a new river. It was suprisingly pleasant. We had to press our way through the crowds gathered for the hunt at the Fox and Hounds to get park and get on the river. When stting up the shuttle we realised it wasn't a bad level, at least not a scrape. The river description is: go over the small ledge natural weir (usually centre), and repeat n times. There's one substantial boxed weir with three steps - which we inspected. No problem at all on the day (as I suspected I found the second step quite a bit stickier than the first, partly due to the first taking one's momentum away so that the almost immediate approach to the second was quite a bit slower than one might like) but at even a lsightly higher level one could see it might be better portaged. 

Nick B had a go (intentional) at slotting into a stopper. Given there was really no possible alternative outcome than being sucked in, he did the job, rolling in the process before being washed out.

No other news worthy events.

Sunday found Rob G, Emlyn and Hywel gathered at Swanbridge, waiting for Grant, who'd invited us along - and didn't turn up. Given they found a Force 5 eastly freezing wind and moderately rough sea, the 3 wise men decided to have their cups of hot chocolate/coffee in the car, and talk of sea trips, before heading home as dry as when they arrived. A very pleasant trip. Thanks to Grant for organising it! The sea kayaking section goes from strength to strength.

Christmas paddle, 20 December 2008

Two trips - same place, different times. Both on the Upper Taff, one meeting at 8.30, the other at 10, both finishing together.

On the first there was Matt, Phil, Paul Mac, Nick B and Lewis, Jack, and Tom and another from London, Chris W and son, and on the second, John O', Emlyn, Andy, Euros and Hywel.

Andy has posted some video clips:

 http://uk.youtube.com/results?search_query=dragon+paddlers&search_type

Sunday 14 Dec: River Usk, Tal-y-bont to Crickhowell

As it rained on Saturday Matt thought the rivers would be up. They weren't. A good number turned up at Matt's at 9 (apart from Phil who'd insisted on a prompt start: he turned up around 9.15). The others were Hywel, Euros, Emlyn, Nick T, Chris W, Mark, Alan S and mate Jules, John C., 11 in all.

To cut a very long story - of scouting the Tarell, then going to Tal-y-bont and losing contact with Emlyn - short, we got on the river at 11.55, a mere 3 hours after meeting. No matter, it was a nice trip and it gave Nick T a chance to pull-off his first whitewater roll which he did, on two occasions. Only one swim, by Chris right at the end when he tried to practise his roll. Unfortunately, he didn't make sure others knew what he was up to, so when the roll wasn't, he swam and the boat was duly chased and rescued. (I think he scrambled to the bank in case you wondered).

Same again next Saturday?

Sunday 7 Dec. Sea trip: Jackson Bay, Barry to Lavernock Point and back

Dragon Paddlers finally have a sea kayaking fraternity. Hywel, Rob and Emlyn did a 10 mile round trip on a beautiful day, though at one point they got shrouded in mist. But see the tranquility!

Lower Taff Saturday 6 December 2008

Report by Chris W, who was on the trip with his 3 sons, Grant, Phil, Matt, Mark, Paul Mac, Emlyn plus some others - John N and Neil I think:

It's never "just another paddle", but it is always "another great day".  The normal Saturday pool spot could not run on Saturday 6th December so we all headed off to the river instead.  Approximately 12 of us did the lower Taff in nice conditions - enough water for a good paddle and blue skies - what more could we ask for.

 

It was a nice trip for novices who were pleased to get down the river, and a good trip for the more experienced thanks to Grant's coaching. Grant was teaching the techniques needed on bigger trips that can't be learnt at the pool or when you're on that big river but in survival mode.

 

On the river we did have some confusion on terminology: Phil gestured to an eddy for grant, and got a tirade of eddie grant songs from unnameable canoeists !!!

 

The trip made a good intro to some of the clubs youngest and newest members who made a good passage, although mutterings about not being allowed to shoot Radyr weir were heard !!!

 

Phil demo'ed some of his rope resuce skills learnt at a recent white water safety course.  The pictures (below) courtesy of Emlyn are attached.

 

All in all this was a fantastic Saturday morning and made a great alternative to the usual pool session.  Thanks go to Grant, Phil, Matt and Mark for helping to lead the trip.

 

1 November Swan rescue

Just to record the excitement of helping the Swan Rescue folk to catch a swan who'd broken his wing, down on one of the reens down Marshfield way. 2 Dragon Paddlers and one from Cardiff CC turned up and after a short chase we managed to separate the injured swan from the others (about 5 if I remember correctly, 2 adults, 3 other young ones). He then scrambled up the side into the road but his path was bloked by a lorry and the Swan Rescuer managed to grap hold of him. His fate was to be driven to some sanctuary in Surrey.