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11 things I learnt while canoeing the River Wye

26/8/2016

12 Comments

 
(Because you all like a listicle, right? . . . right?)

After walking 100km from the English Channel to the Bristol Channel, we went on a three day canoeing and camping trip down the River Wye on the Wales/England border. In some ways, this was an extension of last year’s walk across Wales. We hired a canoe from Wye Valley Canoes and paddled from Glasbury to Hereford, staying overnight at Whitney Bridge and Preston-on-Wye campgrounds. Here's what I learnt.
Canoe, river, walled garden
We pulled over opposite this National Trust property to stretch our legs - and had a chat to some people across the river.

It’s easier than you might expect . . .

We’d never been canoeing before (kayaking, yes - canoeing, no), so we really had no idea how far we’d be able to paddle in a day, or how long people generally think “a day” should be when canoeing. We decided to go for shorter sections, just in case - about 10 miles (16km) each day.

Turns out, canoeing downstream is (or can be) pretty easy and pretty speedy. The river carried us along without much effort on our part and we covered the 10 miles in about 4 hours each day. In fact, the first day went so quickly we hardly bothered with paddling after that. Instead, we left our campsites late, noodled around on beaches for leisurely lunches and cups of tea, and slipped silently past hills, woods, farms and fields. One highlight of many was our view of The Weir Garden - we stopped opposite and had a chat to a few people across the river.
River and canoe, hill in background
I'm pretty sure this was one of our, "Well, we've accidentally beached ourselves, so we might as well hop out for a while," rest stops.

. . . But the wind can be a pain in the proverbial

There’s an exception to the idyll I’ve just described. On the second day a strong headwind came whooshing up the river valley and we had no idea how to deal with it! Any onlookers must have laughed as we turned Old Town (our canoe's name) in a giant circle, got ourselves stuck in the shallows, then headed off in long, meandering zigzags downstream. We turned a corner and got a bit of relief: the high riverbank protected us instead of funnelling the wind straight at us; the wind was coming from a different angle; and the miniature storm had almost blown itself out. We did get caught in a mini-downpour, too, but we dragged the canoe up under a weeping willow tree and waited until it passed over. Silver lining: the wind dried us out in no time.
River from above
"River Wye, Hay-on-Wye" (cc) Ed Webster.

Literal pain in the butt: also a possibility

I was expecting to get sore shoulders, back and/or neck from the repetitive action, but I only had a few twinges and no real stiffness the next day. Keeping our actual paddling to a minimum probably helped! I wasn’t expecting to get a sore bum, but apparently there is such a thing as too much sitting down and looking at beautiful scenery.
Red brick bridge with arches over river
"Bredwardine Bridge over the Wye" (cc) David Merrett.

Shut up, chill out

On our last day, barely a breath of wind disturbed the water ahead of us. We slid over a mirror of trees, dipping our paddles into clouds. A deer bent its head to the river to drink, grazed on some leaves, didn’t notice us until we were close. It watched us for a stretched-out moment, until something in our statue-still shapes gave us away as human then it turned tail and disappeared up the hill. A kingfisher splashed out of the river and sat on a dead branch to eat a tiny minnow. All through our trip, kites and buzzards circled over riverside fields, some resting on nearby trees before flapping low over the river and curving out towards the hills. Every now and then the fish would jump. Mostly we heard them, sometimes saw the splash before the ripples. But if we were lucky we’d see them leap in wriggling silver lines from the water towards the sky before flopping back. In our silence we heard the water lapping against the boat, the bees in the flowers, the creak of branch on branch. I thought I saw an otter once, but it turned out to be a fishing line making strange patterns in the water. (At Monnington Falls, Dan spotted an angler beside a rapid just in time to shout that we were coming through - there was no way we could have stopped at that point - proving that sometimes you need to be quiet, but sometimes you need to speak up!)

We spent hours on flat stretches of river, view restricted to the sky, the banks and a few things tall enough and close enough to be visible over the edges. It’s hard to get lost going downstream, but it’s easy to be unsure where you are, especially if you don’t have much of a map and your phone’s tucked safely away. Added to that feeling of nowhereness, it sometimes seemed like we weren’t moving at all. If we looked at the water straight ahead of the canoe, we might as well have been motionless. The only way to check we were heading anywhere was to look sideways, at the trees and flowers and grass on the bank. I used to look out the car window as a kid and pretend I was in a stationary bubble while the world moved past. It was easy to play that game on the river.

In these elongated minutes, I tried accepting each moment as it arose: boredom, the tug of the current on the boat, the direction of the wind, the little itches and aches in my body, the sound of bees and the smell of Himalayan balsam, the sand martins darting in and out of their small round holes in the river bank, my wet feet, the scent of river mud, the electric shimmer of a kingfisher darting low over the water.
Kingfisher in flight
"Kingfisher Hovering" (cc) Kentish Plumber.

Don’t drink and paddle

There was a group of eight guys who we passed and who passed us at various points. Possibly it was a stag weekend. They certainly weren’t interested in paddling anywhere fast. They certainly were interested in imbibing various substances. Perhaps that’s one reason we found two of their party standing waist-deep in the river in the middle of our second day. Their canoe had capsized and their various belongings were floating off downstream - including a large quantity of beer. They rescued most of the beer (they told us when we crossed paths again), but one of them had a very wet sleeping bag.
Two blue barrels
Watertight barrels, life vests, paddles, canoe and pick-up at the end were all included in the hire cost with Wye Valley Canoes.

Rapids are fun

Who knew? OK, pretty much everyone. But I’m not a thrill-seeker and I was a bit worried before we left. Yeah, I know they’re small (Grade II maximum in the section we paddled) but as I’d never managed to come out of a rapid facing the right way, before . . .

I needn’t have worried. The river was deep enough that we weren’t likely to get stuck, shallow enough that (for the most part) we’d be able to stand up and walk out of danger if we capsized. Once we got the hang of things and stopped worrying, we actively looked forward to the riffle stretches: lining ourselves up for the most likely-looking spot, noticing the current grip us a little tighter and the canoe speed up, then feeling the distinct descent as we crested the first lump of water, enjoying the rocking motion through the wavelets, digging in the oars and maneuvering the canoe into the turn at the other end.

There was only one point, at Monnington Falls, that required any significant steering through the rapids. And it was so fun, I wished we could go back and do it again! Whee!
Small river rapids
"034" - rapids near Glasbury (cc) Ian Haskins.

Just because I can’t do it now doesn’t mean I can’t do it

Followers of our outdoorsy exploits might be surprised to find out that I am not by nature a particularly physically confident person. I’m usually more at ease reading up on a new theory, trying out new musical instrument or even starting a new job than attempting a new physical activity. I feel clumsy, vulnerable, anxious, ashamed - and as a result I am less likely to practice and therefore unlikely to improve. But I’m also quite stubborn. So when I commit to (and pay for) three days of canoeing, I’m not going to bail out early!

It was good to begin something with very little experience, to go out without anyone to guide us or fall back on, to get frustrated at myself (and Dan - sorry, Dan!), but to gradually gain confidence and to noticeably improve over a relatively short period of time. Unsurprisingly, we were a much better canoeing duo when we hopped out opposite Hereford Cathedral than we had been when we set out from Glasbury.
Canoe and river
Some of the riverbanks like this had lots of little holes in them - sand martin nests!

Some people are back-of-the-canoe people

One way to improve is to play to your strengths. In a double canoe there are two quite distinct roles: the person at the front provides most of the paddle power, the person at the back provides most of the steering. My strength is steering - I find the physics of it pretty intuitive and I enjoy paying attention and being in control of our course. Dan brings zen to the situation - he’s OK with letting someone else do the steering (even if it seems like we’re heading towards an obstacle) and with powering on when necessary. You can read our weaknesses into that yourself!

But whichever role we took on, the most important thing was communication. It was something that we got better at as we progressed. It’s surprisingly difficult to give coherent directions whilst also focusing on paddling or steering, looking at the scenery, dodging a flotilla of hissing swans and/or bobbing down riffles. It’s harder to say, “There are rocks ahead,” or “Swap sides now,” or, “Turn right!” or “Let’s have a break,” than it is to say “Go, go, go, nooooo!” or “Do the, the, the thingie! No, the other thing!” or “Aaargh!”.
Bridge, river, cathedral
"Hereford, UK" (cc) Swee Oon.

Even experienced paddlers have bad days

We met a couple who’d done quite a bit of kayaking and canoeing. They were spending a few days out on the Wye in their inflatable kayak and were having quite a good time - until an unfortunate encounter with a low-hanging branch knocked them out, capsizing their boat and sending a pair of brand new, £300 prescription glasses into the depths of the river. Whoops.

Glasses aren’t the only thing paving the river bed around here. The guy who picked us up at the end of the trip was surprised when we said we hadn’t fallen in. He reckons there’s probably a cottage industry in diving for GoPro cameras at the bottom of each rapid. Hearing how many people have lost their cameras in the river made me glad that we’d kept our things ziplocked or drybagged and stored in the barrels - even though this means we don’t have many photos - and none taken while on the water.
Tent in sunny field
Our second campsite, which we had entirely to ourselves. Lovely. The river's behind the pink flowers.

You can take the kitchen sink . . .

We’d just come from a long walk, where we’d kept our gear to the bare minimum. As self-powered travel goes, canoeing could hardly be more different. One person we met likened these big, open canoes to pack horses and said he’d known people to bring their duvets and pillows along.

Although we didn’t bring any luxuries, we did have our Aspect 2.5 tent (which isn’t huge, but weighs almost 3kg), all our sleeping kit, food and cooking gear. This all fit easily into two waterproof barrels - one large, one small. We could have taken more if we’d needed it. Not carrying all that kit on your back makes things a lot easier.
Picnic table with drinks tray
Now this is what I want to see when I crawl out of my tent in the morning: hot drinks ready to go!

. . . But this campsite brings a cooked breakfast to your tent

Yes, really! We spent our first night at Whitney Bridge - a tiny campsite wedged between the road and the river. It’s more a picnic site, really, and I can’t believe that there are more than four patches flat enough to pitch a tent! Anyway, we set up close to the river, with a charming view of the old wooden bridge, which is still a toll bridge and which the campsite proprietors operate. In the evening, we made a fire (they had an enormous supply of firewood) and invited the only other campers, the inflatable kayaking couple, to join us for a chat and a stare into the flames.

In the drizzly morning, we opened the tent to find a tray with a huge flask of hot water, milk, various teas, coffee and hot chocolate all ready to go. In a plastic pocket, an order sheet offered breakfast rolls, omelettes and toast. We ticked the relevant boxes and popped it up to the house - a few minutes later, another tray was ferried over with our breakfast goodies and sauces to boot. If you have never had a hot, freshly cooked breakfast delivered to your tent, I highly recommend you try it. Luxury!

(Our other campsite at Preston-on-Wye was at the opposite end of the spectrum. It was a riverside field with the following facilities: a landing platform, portaloos and a tap with drinking water. It delightful in a totally different way and we had it all to ourselves - except for two curious sheep.)

All in all, this was a fantastic way to spend a few days. I hope to return to the Wye to walk or paddle another section - or to do both, because Symonds Yat is beautiful enough to visit by land and by water! Read more about our previous adventures in Wales here.

12 Comments
Zoe at Splodz Blogz link
26/8/2016 20:26:24

Oh wow this looks like such a good way to spend a few days. Sounds wonderful and I really enjoyed the way you told the story, too. I've always had "canoe expedition" on my bucket list and you may it look so easy to organise and do I think it's one I just need to get on with. Although I'd definitely have to learn my left from right as "the other left" isn't going to be helpful is it?!

Reply
Jonathan link
26/8/2016 21:33:13

Oh, you should definitely go for it if you're interested! I'm pretty sure we had a few "the other left!" moments. I think it's a fairly safe bit of river for beginners (so long as you're sensible) - quite forgiving of a few steering mistakes. And even then, most likely the worst thing that can happen is capsizing, in which case . . . you'll be wet? Not such a terrible thing.

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Ruth Turner link
26/8/2016 20:38:50

Ah what a fantastic post, I loved reading it. My boyfriend and I have always wanted a canoe but havent got anywhere to store one so its great to hear about this hire service so close to home. I'm not a very experienced paddler so it makes me feel better reading about your experience.

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Jonathan link
26/8/2016 21:40:16

Thanks! Yeah, storage is a hassle, isn't it? We thought about buying an inflatable double kayak, because you can get a decent one for £300 or thereabouts, but then there are all the extra things to buy and worry about: paddles, life jackets, waterproof barrels and how to get to/from the start/end. Hiring took all that stress out of it. There are plenty of other hiring places along the River Wye, too, if you didn't want to start at Glasbury.

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Sarah | The Urban Wanderer link
26/8/2016 21:22:12

Ah, I do love Hay-on-Wye! I have just been reminiscing about our spring camping trip there. The river is great and we enjoyed watching the canoes going along while we walked and hiked.

I haven't conoe'd in years and would love to get back out in the water, you've got my ideas flowing now too! (thank you!)

I very much like the way that you told the story too - makes me want to give it a go, sore bum possibility and all. :)

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Jonathan link
26/8/2016 21:43:34

Thanks! It's such a lovely area - one of my favourite places, I think. I remember walking by the red brick house on the west bank near the rapids just up from Hay-on-Wye and seeing some canoeists get themselves stuck on the weir. I was careful to pay attention to the folks at the hire place as to which side to aim for, because I didn't want to provide the same amusement for others. I'd love to hear about it if you do go canoeing!

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Clare link
26/8/2016 23:15:08

What a Wonderful trip. I've toyed with the idea for a long time, but I must confess to being a bit wimpy with the water. I'd definitely be a back of the boat type and as persuasive as your writing is - those rapids ...just no! Well unless I drank that floating beer first...

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Jonathan link
27/8/2016 01:40:39

You'd be fine! You could always do a guided session, e.g. from Glasbury to Hay-on-Wye, so you've got a professional alongside you for support? Or else, there are plenty of pubs in the area...!

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Lucy Edwards link
27/8/2016 03:48:51

Wow this sounds amazing, I've never canoed but I'd love to try it. I'd definitely end up losing my phone/camera in the river as I wouldn't be able to keep it stored away!

Reply
Jonathan link
27/8/2016 05:20:02

It was a struggle to go without the camera for long stretches, but I think it was good for me! While I was trying to chill out and accept the moment-to-moment nature of the trip I realised just how much I tend to use my camera - my first thought when I felt a bit bored was, "What can I take a photo of?"

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Katy link
1/9/2016 01:48:46

Looks like you had a lovely trip! The Wye is such a good paddling river, it really does have a bit of everything. My preference is to kayak the whitewater stretches, but sometimes you can't beat just drifting down a flat bit enjoying the scenery. Especially if there's ice cream at the end.

Reply
Jonathan link
1/9/2016 02:52:47

How did you know we had an ice cream at the end?! (The end of any trip is better with ice cream.) Have you kayaked the section downstream from Hereford before? I heard that there were a few bigger rapids there - hoping to try them out sometime!

Reply



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