CSCC Reports 2011: Introduction to White Water- 24^th September 2011

I admit I’m not a great white water paddler, but I thoroughly enjoy my visits to Symonds Yat these days.  This year Martin, Eleanor and I made the trip up to Herefordshire and the beautiful river Wye.  

The water level was just about perfect and before lunch there were only two or three other paddlers on the rapids, so we had loads of space for practising our ferry gliding and breaking in and breaking out of the eddies.  SY is fantastic for beginners and improvers, because after the buzz of bombing down the rapids, you can work your way back upstream at your own pace, gradually tackling water where the current is stronger and the water whiter.  Martin impressed us by demonstrating ferry gliding backwards and “squirting” (not as offensive as it sounds).  

After lunch we found the river much busier.  There was a large party of Welshmen in identical clothing practising their defensive swimming and pupils from Worcester Royal Grammar School learning how to canoe in Canadians.  Avoiding these other river users posed an additional challenge; forays into the main flow of the river had to be very carefully timed.  At one stage I broke out from an eddy only to realise that I was heading straight towards a canoe heading up stream.  Eleanor told me that a sudden look of shock came across my face, as I struggled to avoid them.  Amazingly, I managed to avoid a swim, in spite of ramming the canoe amidships.      

In fact none of our party swam at any point, but from time to time, we chose to break off from our playing/practising to help with rescues of the boats and equipment of some of the touring canoeists.  Almost half of the touring canoeists capsize going down the rapids and some of the paddlers are quite vulnerable (in addition to children, we spotted a chap in his eighties take a swim).  Martin, in particular, did sterling work, managing to tow a canoe into the shallows so that a safety line could be attached and wading in to help empty the boat.  Eleanor and I managed to retrieve some of the lost paddles which were floating off down-stream.  

One pair of tandem canoeists provided me with great entertainment by descending the top part of the rapids backwards, turning their boat by 180 degrees half way down and then after one had exclaimed “We’re really good at this!”, immediately capsizing.  Fortunately the two youths saw the funny side - they were laughing more loudly than I was even as they were swimming down the rest of the rapids.

On finishing our paddling we relaxed with a cup of tea and a slice of cake at the tea shop by the river.  What a great way to unwind after a busy week in London.  Our thanks go to Martin for organising the trip.