Weekend trip to Bala for a splash on the mighty Tryweryn. Possibly travel up on Friday to get a sneaky paddle in or just arrive in the evening in time for for a lemonade or two followed by an early night...
Accommodation:
There are many campsites (Maeve suggests
Tyn Corne that is right next to site), bunkhouses and B&B's . I'm sure someone will organise it.
Provisional itinerary:
Friday drive the 190 miles (takes about 3:45 if M5/6 isn't too slow) to Bala in North Wales. If you arrive early enough, you could get an afternoon paddle on the Dee at Llangollen or the Tryweryn before they shut off the water. Then back to the bustling Bala for food and drink.
Saturday - Lots of paddling. Possibly the lower tryweryn in the morning, followed by an afternoon on the Upper section?
Sunday - We will stay on the upper section only on Sunday. Aim to leave around 15:00 as it is a long drive home.
Bala and the Tryweryn
Afon Tryweryn is Dam fed, which means that the water is released by a time table at a regulated rate. This means that the river is predictable, and is a regular summer retreat for dehydrated paddlers! (Even if the water is a little bit cold!)
N.B. because the WW centre the river is fed by dam release, if it isn't releasing it can't be paddled. The centre has no control over releases and they are announced only about a week before. So no guarantees we will be able to paddle . See http://www.canoewales.com/water-level-info
The
Upper section of the Tryweryn is rated as continuous Grade 3 and is similar to the large features on the Dart Loop or Middle Tavy. There is a short 'warm up' section just below the chipper and before the graveyard, which is perfect to hone your skills before tackling the main features. Calum's video will give you a taste
www.youtube.com/watch?v=yB4QTzoFW_Y
The
Lower Tryweryn is much more beginner friendly, generally considered grade 2 all the way down, with one Grade 3 feature at Mills Falls. This is easy to portage around for those not wanting to paddle it. Here is another video of the Lower section
www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2_0Gz2WM58
Whilst this trip is open to all Club members who have passed ITP or 2 star, it is very advisable to have had some previous white water experience. The river is very shallow in places and fast moving which adds up to considerable pain if you don't stay upright .
Transport
Depending on numbers, we will most likely take a convoy of cars. The trailer is available if anyone is happy to tow it. The cost of transport will need to be organized between each car load. Estimate about 500mile round trip, so it should cost £60-100 per car (potentially divided 4 ways).
Everyone will need to register for the weekend.
If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact me at dpafilter@gmail.com
Jon