Press Release

October 24-26 2008
Hemel Hempstead Canoe Club's Steely Dan Tames the Teifi and Tim's Team Treks the Thames

Tim Burtwell organised a trip from the Cuttys Sark to Westminster Bridge and back. Twelve went including HHCC's chairman John Bennett. Travelling with the tide they went and had a picnic lunch on the steps opposite Westminster, and waited for the tide to change and then went back with it. Trekker Tim said, "On the return we had some big waves allowing for some exhilarating surfing. It was a great day out!"

Meanwhile two more intrepid paddlers went to Wales for the Teifi Tour. Travelling in Dan Wollacott's converted van, Dan first showed his nerves of steel in telling the toll man on the M4 his great white van was a car, but remarkably he got away with it. Maybe it was pity as it was 20 minutes from when we first had the toll in view till we arrived there, in most motorised vehicles it seconds.

Another memorable moment, several hours into the journey, was when we were on track 132 of Dans incar MP3 playing stereo and he announced there ought to a track he liked soon. Some hope thought fellow paddler Robin Oakley!

They eventually arrived at Llandysul and the canoe centre where they'd managed to get a room. There were many students attending and they were camping in the field by the big marquee. This housed the RiverLegacy bar and disco. It was apparently open to 2am on Friday and Saturday night but we were there to paddle and all our partying was on the water!

On the Saturday, after a cheap full breakfast from the club, they got their boats ready. At this point Dan's first aid kit should be mentioned. It was huge, but then if you live in a house with a Damien Hurst Chemist Shop type sculpture in the kitchen you're likely to have a big one. Robin would have prefered he had a throw line, as the kit was of little use if the patient was washed out and off down the river.

Anyhow they caught the shuttle up to Llanfihangel Bridge. There was four miles of simple grade two paddling, a decent warm up down to Llandysul. They stopped to play on one wave. Else it was unremarkable apart from the odd Kingfisher and the water being fairly high and a floating drowned pig.

At Llandysul Bridge, by the centre they were staying at, is a slalom course which was about grade three and a fun paddle. At the bottom is the Cauldron where there was a lot of safety cover and scared students but the Hemel pair passed this OK.

Then it was four miles to Pentrecwrt Bridge and the weir just after it. The weir was very straight and retentive with a big tow back - so it could pull you back and hold you in/under the water. However there was a narrow chute. The Hemel paddlers stopped and inspected from the bank and Dan decided to run it. Despite missing the chute Dan got passed it ok in his creek boat, soon after a paddler in a less appropriate playboat got passed but then sucked back in and had to swim to get away. Potentially very dangerous. The guidebook said to portage. That's what Robin did.

After the weir were some good grade three rapids which sadly only lasted for 500m. The river then became grade two for three miles, down to Henllan Falls. These had full safety cover. There was a four or five foot drop into a gully where the water was quite boily and turbulent. Most got over the falls but relaxed too soon and got caught in the turbulence just after, as happened to Robin. Dan went past with no problems, they then got out and took the shuttle bus back to Llandysul. There they rested and fed in readiness for the next day.

There was a fancy dress competition at the disco in the RiverLegacy tent and Dan did very well dressed just in his usual T shirt! There was an indoor pool as well, where there was canoe rolling but it descended into a general pool fest. Robin had gone to bed but Dan stayed for some of the festivities.

The next morning, after rain all night, the river was in flood. The safety team decided they could provide cover in the conditions. To the joy of many of the students they just had the first four mile section to repeat. However the HHCC paddlers were more experienced and decided to do the planned trip anyhow, the only two from over 350 In addition they decided to start with repeating the Llandysul to Henllan Falls section. Dan shuttled the van down to Cenarth Falls.

It was a tale of two rivers, with the paddle down to Henllan totally different from the day before. With the river up several meters all the features were washed out and it was a torrent with waves , boils and trees to contend with. At this level there were a lot of trees obstructing the fast moving water and potentially a big hazard for the unwary or inexperienced.

At Pentrecwrt Bridge the weir had a huge wave and Dan estimated the tow back was six metres so they both portaged it. Henllan Falls was no longer a falls, instead a roaring rapid. Robin went over in the big waves and rolled up but when he was caught a second time he didn't manage to get up. This was probably due to having broken his paddle the day before and having a borrowed one at least half a meter shorter than his usual one. Dan soon rescued Robin and they paddled on.

The weather had become sunny and it was very enjoyable. Several cormorants were seen and a wild horse in a wood. Some large majestic birds of prey too. With fields flooded you cold paddle across them to see the cows as well.

At Newcastle Emlyn there was a safer diagonal weir, the boys shot this and avoided the huge wave they saw on the left as they went over. Robin said, "I knew there was a big wave to the left but was really shocked to see how big it seemed from my boat, but I had to focus on the ensuing rapid and it's huge waves. I was pleased when it was soon over but also felt I wanted to go back and do it again!"

They carried on in the flood the four miles to Cenarth Falls. These were washed out and another roaring torrent. Nothing seems too much for Steely Dan who went down easily first. Robin got down the big wave OK but then got sucked into a big hole and flipped over. In the grade four water his roll failed again and he swam and went downriver into a safe eddy with Dan.

This was where Dan's van was and he explains, "I was really amped and this was the most exciting water I'd been in in the UK. So while Robin provided safety cover I ran it a couple more times. It was fantastic!" The boys soon packed up and embarked on the long drive home, very satisfied with some exhilarating paddling and widened experience.

Also see picture gallery here

See the LLandysul Paddlers website here.