The weather was miserable and I was tired, everything I had heard about the Tryweryn sounded scary. For ages I had been looking forwards to this trip, but on the morning itself, I found it hard to get out of bed. Consequently, when AJ, John and James turned up I still wasn’t ready. While I packed the rest of my stuff the guys sorted out my kit and boat. Maybe this ‘getting up late’ idea isn’t so bad after all.
Heading up to North Wales put me more in the mood. Chatting with AJ and listening to his CD selections helped, except when he insisted in playing ‘I’m in over my head’ by Lit a few times. At every river we crossed there were signs that the rivers were running high. AJ would not say much about the Tryweryn, though. We had read about it, and heard of some of the features, like “the Ski jump” and “the Graveyard”. These places had reputations, but we were heading to the Upper Tryweryn to where we could practice in a river with a different character to Mile End Mill. That’s alright then, I thought.
We got to the site, with no bother apart from Wade and Pete parking in AJ’s parking space, and James and I saw the river for the first time right by the café. It was big. There was one lovely looking play wave, a large eddy on river right and then a big rapid that had to be taken at just the right angle. Later on we watched one person play on the wave, come off it, into a small eddy but then fail to make the ferry glide and down he went. Second thoughts anyone?
“Don’t worry, we won’t be coming down this far.” This time, the reassurance was wearing thin. This was a lot of water in a small channel. Time to get changed, so we headed off to the changing rooms, which were excellent apart from being packed solid with people going rafting. Then up to the put in. A few warm up exercises and onto the river. AJ got in with style. There is a long slope and AJ used it to seal launch down. Fortunately, for us lesser mortals, there were more gentle put ins.
Once again, I found myself ferry gliding. Three months ago, I struggled at this on the river Tame. If you had told me then what I would be attempting now, I wouldn’t have believed you. Getting onto white water really hones your skills, and after two times at Mile End Mill, I knew I could ferry glide in moving water. No, I couldn’t. The Tryweryn is different to the Dee. It is faster and even on the flattest section, which we were on, there were waves and wave trains. Firstly, break into the jet. This was harder than it seemed. Time after time, I bounced off the jet and back into the eddy. For me, I got round this by using more effort and pushing hard through the eddy line and with just muscle power tried getting across. Sometimes this worked, but after each time, I was exhausted. AJ pointed out that I wasn’t paddling forwards correctly. Even with changing my paddling style and my hand positions, I was still struggling and missing most of my ferry glide, especially from river left to river right. One of the times I almost went over, but a very fast (and loud!) low brace stroke saved me. The practice in the pool helped here without a doubt. The problem was with all the effort; I was pulling some funny faces. At least I stayed upright at this point. James went for a swim, but in a Pyrhana 280 that isn't too hard as it has a round bottom and so will go over easily.
The best wave was upstream, but getting to it required ferry gliding four times and paddling up stream to the final eddy. Each one of those ferry glides put you into another eddy allowing movement upstream. Any mistake and back downstream and start again. One time I messed up the ferry glide and I hit the eddy too low, and was pinned against a rock. It was rock-hugging time again, apart from the fact that the rock was under water. I was stuck, and could not get purchase on the rock to move round it. After a couple of minutes I made it and I headed back to the start. Backwards. James was much more smooth and nailed most, if not all, of his ferry glides and spent much more of his time hitting the wave. This involved breaking into the wave and letting it turn you round and paddling across. It was a great way to feel the power of the water.
Pete was still getting used to his new boat, and found his hips hurting for a while, so he got out, but while sitting at the side, took me through the basics of ferry gliding. He pointed out that there were only three points to consider:
With Pete’s guidance, I managed some smooth glides at last, and James pointed out that the wave trains were diagonally across the river, and getting in a trough would help. This is why it was easier right to left.
By this time James had moved downstream to practice S-turns. Before I could do that, there was more ferry glide practice. Pete’s advice worked, and I was getting them right just about every time.
Eddy hopping was next. This went well, until I got pinned again. The bow against a rock and the stern against a log. Not forgetting to edge the boat, I slowly shuffled the boat across until I could slip between them.
Then it was downstream. My turn for the S-turn. There was a rock in the middle of the river. From about 2 metres up and 1 metre across from the rock paddle towards it (don’t drift) and aim exactly at the downstream corner of the rock at 45 degrees. The difference in water speed at the bow in the eddy and the stern in the jet pushes the boat round into the eddy. This I managed, so we headed downstream to a huge eddy on river right by a long left bend. Looking downstream I saw…nothing. There was a horizon line, and some slalom poles, but the river disappeared. AJ was talking and there was a bit more urgency in his voice. Get into the middle, follow about four or five boat lengths behind, lean forwards and keep paddling. Break out river left. What is the other side of that horizon? Well, I’ll find out soon, as AJ heads out into the jet and I follow. Desperate to stay on AJ’s line, I paddled furiously up to the horizon and down. Dropping into the first hole and through the boil, AJ still in sight and down the next. It became a blur, Water all around and all over as we sped through the water, I actually caught up with AJ, and we were almost side by side through some of it, then the break out. Fortunately, this was a big eddy, and I got into it easily. Then a chance to catch my breath as the rest come down. Next section, same again. Wave-hole then another wave–hole, Each wave being a drop of a few feet and each hole requiring punching through the stopper and boil, all of them of a respectable size. Finally breaking out into river right. AJ then explained we had just run the graveyard. Wow! I would have been really impressed if I wasn’t so dazed.
Now the next section. This was different. AJ sorted out hand signals and went first. Then he signalled for me to come down. What was this going to be like? Down the wave and I went over. A very quick low brace was just enough to hold my head above water, but I hit the stopper and boil on my side. By now I wasn’t hitting the water, I was sculling for support, but the force of the water was such that I didn’t need to move the blade. Through the boil and then I pushed myself up. By now I had missed the eddy and paddling hard, managed to break out further downstream. One by one, the others came down, much more smoothly than I did. When we were all down, we were told that that had been the Ski jump!
Time for a break. This meant taking our boats back up the river to the cars. Most of them headed off, while Pete, Wade and I stood around talking and I had a cuppa. When we headed off, we realised that we didn't know the way. Then Pete found a path, so we followed him, but I noticed that his were the only footprints in the mud. One interesting thing Pete spotted, though, was a big puddle filled with tadpoles.
We found the main path, and followed the river up to the top. We were almost there, when we heard John laughing and pointing to the river. Wondering what was so funny we looked and we saw James' boat, but without James in it. Moments later we saw James running down the bank towards us. Pete and wade jumped quickly into their boats and chased it downstream. John told me that he saw AJ put his boat on the bank and James dropped his by it, but it bounced - down the bank and into the water. Then AJ said he watched it happen and asked James if he was going to go and get it. It was then that James went off in hot pursuit.
Finally time for something to eat, talk about the mornings paddling and take the micky out of James for losing his boat. Then off again, firstly we watched a demonstration of AJ eddy hopping down the Graveyard. He made it look so easy, as he chose each eddy in turn and hit each one perfectly, while playing in some of the holes and rescuing a raft stuck in a very retentive stopper. Wade gave a commentary, so that we could spot the techniques that AJ used, even though the chance of us using those techniques at the moment was extremely slim.
We were then given the choice about what to do, run the river again, or do some more ferry gliding practice. As much as I wanted to go down the rapids again, I knew that I needed the practice, so I chose that, and, as ever, the group were more than happy to oblige. AJ headed up to his huge seal launch and I watched, until someone said, "Do you want to do that?" No! That was way too big, I wasn't going to do it. Then, and I will never forgive him for this; James said, "I might try that". Of course, if James tries something, I can't be left behind. He tried to reassure me with a line that will become a legend "It's not bigger than we have done before, it's only longer". When we had finished laughing, I realised that he was serious. He was going to do it.
AJ went in first, then Pete. That put two experienced people in the water first, ready to pick up my body and arrange a decent burial. James went in next. Unfortunately he did this perfectly, curse him. John was next. He went completely underwater, though he stayed the right way up. It was me next. I put my spray deck on and could hear my heart beating. Wade moved to the back of my boat, out of my sight "Don't you dare push me!" I said, but he explained he would just tip me over edge. I had already been tipped over the edge, I thought. He asked if I was ready, and I lied that I was. Down I went, very fast and almost instantly was under water, like John. I bobbed back up in one piece. I was so surprised I missed two eddies before I gathered my senses and broke out.
More ferry gliding. More mess-ups. This was worse than the morning. Now I could break into the jet without bouncing off it, but the water was pushing me round. Pete offered to help again, and said he would watch. Maybe that is the secret; getting Pete to keep an eye on me, as my next ferry glide worked.
Then we were given a choice, get out now or do the rapids again. Well, what would you do? There was no real choice, the rapids it was. This time I was determined to stay upright at the bottom, and it was time to go back to basics. Keep paddling, lean forwards, point boat downstream, well, now I am told that we should angle the boat to the jet for more control, and of course, KEEP PADDLING. I followed AJ's line down, through the slalom gates. AJ whacked them as he went through, so along with watching my line, I had to watch for swinging tubes of plastic. I was following AJ very closely again as we came to the eddy. AJ went straight over the rock that was making the eddy. Quickly, I chose my own line and missed the rock but still made the eddy. Now it was only the ski jump. AJ first, he set up line of sight and then it was my turn. Lean forwards, keep paddling. Whoosh, down the slope and into the stopper and boil. Through that and catch the eddy. I had done it. Everyone else came down well, except for James, who went over after completing the whole thing. This was exactly what I had done at Mile End Mill last time I went, but on a much easier rapid than this one.
We got out then and some went up to fetch the cars while a couple of us waited with the boats. Pete noticed that part of the underside of my spray deck had stayed dry all day. The boats were loaded and driven down to the centre, while Pete and I walked down by the river to look at some of the features we hadn't looked at. We watched AJ play on the centre wave for a while and then went to get changed. The showers were fantastic, and, feeling refreshed we headed to the cafe for something to eat and drink. It was time to say goodbye to AJ, Pete and Wade as they were heading off to stay the night near the river so that they could come back on the Sunday. John, James and I drove up to the infamous dam to take in the view. This was very relaxing, and much quieter than the roar of the river. Finally the sun shone, and the view across the reservoir was beautiful. Then home, and with James choosing the music, it was a calming drive back with only the speed camera warning system adding any urgency. It may be a while before I am back on white water, but at least I have a very satisfying day to remember until next time.