{"id":37831,"date":"2022-07-11T09:36:19","date_gmt":"2022-07-11T08:36:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.alananna.co.uk\/blog\/?p=37831"},"modified":"2022-07-12T08:21:47","modified_gmt":"2022-07-12T07:21:47","slug":"aber-kayakers-bala-trip","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.alananna.co.uk\/blog\/2022\/07\/aber-kayakers-bala-trip\/","title":{"rendered":"Aber Kayakers Bala Trip"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What a weekend to pick for a paddling trip to North Wales. Wall to wall sunshine, temperatures in the mid to high 20’s and a good group of people to share it with. Camping at it’s finest!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I’d had a chest infection for a couple of weeks so had been coughing like mad. I had however just got over the aching muscles, headaches and all the other symptoms. So I decided to considered myself fit to go. Next decision was what to do whilst there. I could take the canoe or SUP and play on the lakes. However, there was also an opportunity to have my fist go on whitewater in a river kayak. The latter sounded the more daunting option, but it’s also good to push myself and learn new things so that’s what I decided upon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The plan was to spend Saturday in a kayak seeing how I got on in some fairly tame whitewater on the Dee at Llangollen. Sunday would be a trip to some more lively whitewater on the Tryweryn. I think it was kind of assumed I wouldn’t be quite up to that after just a single day in such a boat. I therefore also took our homemade canoe<\/a> so that I kept my options open and could go canoeing on the Sunday. Our canoe doesn’t get much use really so it would be good to get it wet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Camping<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I didn’t paddle with the club on Thursday evening as I was still feeling a little under the weather. I therefore simply turned up at the harbour to collect a suitable kayak and some paddles for the weekend. That gave me the rest of Thursday evening to load up the camper and pack what I needed. The beauty of the campervan is that most things are kept in there anyway and it is always stocked with food and supplies. It didn’t take too long therefore to tie the boats to the new roofrack<\/a> and pack some clothes and paddling kit.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Loaded<\/a>
Loaded and Ready to Go<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

I was ready to go straight from work on Friday. It was only about an hours drive to a large campsite (Ty Isaf)<\/a> just outside of Bala. There I set up camp. Setting up camp isn’t really that involved for me, it is just one simple action – parking! Some of the others were already there and others were arriving in dribs and drabs. I help Pete set up his tent, chatted to everyone and just chilled in the sunshine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Campsite\"<\/a><\/figure><\/div>
\"Camp\"<\/a><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Dinner that night was at the Bryntirion Inn which was a short drive past Pal\u00e9 Hall. Anna and I stayed at the very posh Pal\u00e9 Hall<\/a> a few months ago. Bryntirion Inn<\/a> wasn’t quite up to those standards, but the food was good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Back at the campsite it was off to bed. I didn’t sleep much thanks to coughing all night. I also felt as though my coughing might be keeping the others awake too so I tried to suppress it as best I could. I therefore got up at about 3:30am anyway. The following night it was even worse and I felt so bad about the noise I was making that I got out of bed at around 1:30am and headed off for a walk so that I could cough, cough cough as much as was necessary our of earshot of the campsite!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paddling on the Dee<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We had a relaxed start on Saturday, leaving the campsite around 9:30am and heading to the Dee in Llangollen. Half the group headed to Bala with Canoes and SUPs. I’m not 100% sure what they did, but they had a glorious day paddling around the entire lake in the sunshine. They even managed to rescue a flamingo!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Canoeing<\/a><\/figure><\/div>
\"Bala\"<\/a><\/figure>
\"Flamingo<\/a><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

In Llangollen we split into a couple of groups. I was of course in the ‘whitewater introduction’ group along with Chloe, Mike and Tomasz. I was the only complete beginner. Chloe seemed fairly experienced really but hadn’t been on whitewater for a while thanks to lockdowns etc. Mike was in a similar boat (pun not intended) and Tomasz had done some before but not for a while and also had the benefit of youth on his side! I on the other hand was a complete beginner but have of course paddled surf ski for a few years now – I didn’t however have the benefit of youth on any side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the usual briefing and explanation of my ‘health issues’ it was onto the water for a gentle introduction. The group was led by Andy (Steve’s Son!) and supported by Ollie, Phil and Jason. Not a bad ratio that, 1 to 1 tuition! I don’t learn that well by being told to do certain things and then doing them. I tend to either over think things or not really try hard enough to make it obvious that I’m doing them. Instead I learn better by just throwing myself into things and working them out! It might not be the most efficient way but it usually works for me. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Having a few pointers and knowing what the aim was to start with worked well though and we then worked our way down through a few features on the river. This involved a few small drops and some faster moving water. We all did OK and before long it was time to stop for lunch. <\/p>\n\n\n\n