Recent Posts
- Tyne Tour
- It must be great to have such good mates......
- Sleningford Slalom
- Wharfe AppleTreewick..
- Wild Water Race
- Liffey Decent 2005
- The wild roller
- While everybody were in the Alps trip...
- Austria
- Bavairian Munching Water
archives
- May 2005
- June 2005
- July 2005
- August 2005
- September 2005
- October 2005
- November 2005
- December 2005
- January 2006
- February 2006
- March 2006
- April 2006
- May 2006
- June 2006
- July 2006
- September 2006
- October 2006
- November 2006
- December 2006
- January 2007
- February 2007
- March 2007
- April 2007
- May 2007
- June 2007
- July 2007
- August 2007
- September 2007
- October 2007
- November 2007
- April 2008
- June 2008
- January 2009
- February 2009
- March 2009
- May 2009
Aire Waves
Leeds Canoe Club Blog. We paddle... lots!
Airewaves used to be Leeds Canoe Club's magazine letting people know what the club was upto. Its quite hard work pulling together a publication letting people know what the club is doing and publishing dates in advance is always hard as things tend to change. Step forth the blog.. Push button publishing for the masses. So here is the idea a few people in the club take it in turns to write up trips and talk about things in the club.
Thursday, December 01, 2005Wales
As we drove into Snowdonia we could see the snow on the side of the roads. Driving up the Llanberis pass to Pen Y Pass youth hostel we could see more and more snow and could hear streams running in the dark. getting up early next morning we could see more water than we expected as we drove down to Aberglaslyn Gorge. Streams were running white from Snowdon through Cwm Dyli.
I've looked at Aberglaslyn a number of time but its only recently that I have felt good enough to seriously attempt this paddle. http://www.canoewales.com/framesX.html?porthmadog/glaslyn_frame.htm
Its looks hard and is hard. Although most of it can be seen from the road the crux of the gorge is tucked away from view and needs some good inspection. We paddled down to the river and got out to have a better look and set up safety. Water levels were good for us as it was our first time down. the levels were medium, low only a few bits looked as though they had pinning potential and we had people with lines on them. So off we went. Rachel,Paul, Steve and myself went on the first run down. Paul andRachel disappeared off and Steve went down the drop in front of me. Next thing I see is Steve's paddles in the air and his boat going over. I paddle down to see what's happen but I was too late. I paddled down the gorge passing Steve's boat which has now lodged itself on the next drop. I break out above the next drop to check my line. I didn't see Paul and Rachel go over had no idea which line was best. As I sit there I recon I can make the line on the right but Dave assures me that the middle line is the one to go for. Nick nods the same and I boff and clatter down the drop. Big sigh of relief as I finish at the bottom.
The next group walks up to the start. Dave paddling his little play boat had been the subject of much winding up and was abit worried but the paddle stepped up to the mark. Not least because Steve had already gone to have a go. No (peer) pressure. Andy Hall and Dave paddled with Nick. Nick breezed the run and Dave followed him also making it look pretty easy. Andy followed Dave. there is a great bit ofvideo of Andy crashing into one of the rocks and getting completely back looped. Last 2 down were Andy Renwick and Julian. Andy had a clkean run down more or less but Julian looked glad to be at the end of the run.
By the time we finished the Glasllyn it was mid day and we wanted to get another river in. We headed off to the upper conwy. We had called the guage early in the morning and the level was low. Now it was at a medium level. Much easier than the glasllyn it finished saturday off nicely.
Sunday was another early start and we did the Cobden falls on the Llugwy as a warm up with the main aim of doing the Ogwen.
the Ogwen valley and the area around Tryfan is a great place to go climbing or walking and the Ogwen river from below Bethesda is a great river to paddle. Due to time we got on at the Scout hut bridge and paddled down to the old A55 bridge. A pin ball run all the way to the A5 bridge. I think the only down side to the Ogwen is the amount of rubbish in the river. However the paddling is great. Chris Scullen whoc we meat int he alps 2 years ago came out paddling with us and led us down the Ogwen. He made everything look easy. Mark took one of the earlier drops on his shoulder or head and took a bit of a swim. Home in about 3 hours makes this a potential for a long day trip...?
Pictures from the Weekend http://www.leedscanoeclub.org.uk/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=48
© Leeds Canoe Club 2010