Rivers Duad and Gwili near Carmarthen

At last I have a video of me for a change - thanks Steve L. I have always liked this stretch of water and this clip is on the lower part of the Gwili often called Tunes Pool. A bounchy bit of water and the site of many a capsize for the unaware. Anyhow play this and see what you think. Oh yes I have to say I got the best line today - you can check it out by seeing Steve L and Steve P in the longer video below.

This is the extended video of our recent trip - Photos and write up will follow.


Steve showing us how to get 3 boats into a ditch! Ilove ditch paddling but this one was only 25 metres as a access to the Duad - a bigger ditch, no seriously a reasonable river with a slope!
The river was just off spate and dropping so it is a good level for a Sunday morning run. This is a small and snsitive river so please anyone running it small groups and do not make it too obvious. The locals are friendly and as long as you are well outside the fishing season you should not get any opposition.
Today there were 3 of us all in open boats. The sun was shining, it had stopped raining, the wind had gone, the sky was blue and the birds were singing - so all must be well with the world, well it was OK with my world for a while - good water, good weather, good company and a good boat (Mad River Synergie - thanks Huw from White Water Consultancy - 8 ish years and still in good condition - and I do hit rocks - ask my mates!)



Oops sorry mate but I couldn't resist this one. I got through by fluke - a nasty tree across the river caught us all out to some extent - fast running water, sun in your eyes and small gorge and a tree blocking - recipe for disatser but we negotiated it well, ok so a little capsize - hey that's paddling. The water was runing very fast here and Steve did well to recover this without incident - nice one I think I would have had a huge swim here. Anyone paddling - we have moved the tree enough to allow a reasonably clear passage (top part of the river as you start on one of the small gorges, near the house with the big tv mast - check it out on the way up to the put in)

Well Steve is smiling now!










Anyhow here is a web album of the day - Click on the photo of the boats for more.

Afon Gwili, River Gwili November 2006

Usk November 2006

I thought I would attempt to develop a small Blog for some of my canoeing trips on local Welsh rivers. This is the start, although I have been padddling in the area for over 15 years.



NOTE This is not me, in fact there are very few pictures of me paddling because I always end up taking photos of everyone else

This clip is from last Sunday's paddle . A gentle grade 2 run with some friends to get back into
the swing of things after a long break through the summer months (yes I only paddle in the winter!). It is surprising how little water there is around in the last few years. Nothing like a cold winter morning to get you into the mood for a good paddle.





So as usual it was the mad rush from the cafe in Sennybridge down to the access point at Aberbran. It is always a mad time this and I always seem to get the shuttle wrong - but hey today was going to be different - drop the boat off and then down to Brecon to leave my camper at the egress point - nice warm changing room at the end - perfect.


I just love the logistics of going canoeing - the mad rush, the checking of kit, getting all the food, cameras, safety equipment organised - most times Ithink I need a rest after just that - OK those who know me will be chuckling - I am gadget man and so my boat and kit are, well lets say, well equiped - look you guys its just as much fun for me !!!

The Usk is a very pretty river with enough to keep even the most hardened paddler involved - you cannot but be impresed by the scenery and the small but sometimes technical parts of the river - not grade 5 but at least you can chat and relax as you follow the river downstream to Brecon. The river seems very clean but after a good downpour it turns brown and its character changes considerably - you can do the trip in about 3 or 4 hours with normal water but I have paddled it in spate and done the trip in 1 hour!!! Rollercoaster stuff!





The start of the run is under a bridge where there is a small but deceptive weir - this is the one that freaks out new paddlers and catches the more advanced if the are not careful - I chalenge anyone to get down cleanly with water this level and not bump a rock. Good to play in though and warm yourself up.

After this the river meanders through open fields with tree lined banks, with a sunny day like this the light can be quite special and the river sparkles as it ripples through small runs and mini rapids.