Kayak Season Gets Underway - It's Raining!

The BBC weather chart is showing a good fat raincloud over most of the country, so after a dry summer, it's time to get those boats out again. OK, so we don't normally cover much kayaking on OM, because Jon tells me he only likes water in frozen form:-(. We like a bit of variety though, and wet rock isn't good stuff to climb up. Going down it is a different matter though. So, as a one-off, OM takes to the rivers ...

Getting Started

If you've never tried kayaking but fancy giving it a go, the British Canoe Union is a good place to start. It's the kayaking equivalent of the BMC and although you'll hear mixed opinions amongst kayakers, it has a handy directory of clubs where you can search for one near you. They're all coded to tell you what type of canoeing/kayaking is on offer so you can find out in advance whether they're beginner friendly or dedicated to plummeting off waterfalls in Scotland:-)

There are loads of different disciplines in canoeing - something for everyone, as they say. If you fancy longish expeditions, or gentle river trips, you can join the ranks of the beardy open boaters - or sea kayakers for an expedition with tides as well. Then there's surf kayaking (which doesn't involve standing up in a kayak, whatever non-boaters may think), slalom (which you've probably seen on the olympics), marathon racing (for those with an appetite for self-punishment), white water racing (as fast as you can go down a whtie water river), polo (the only sport in which you're allowed to remove your opponent's ability to breathe) and playboating (find a wave and do fancy spins on it). That's the brief (and stereotypical) version - apologies to open boaters - but you there are clubs with all different tastes where you can find out more.

The Grading System

It's nowhere near as complicated as the climbing system. Forget about your French grading system, English system, bouldering system, Peak bouldering system, trad grades, Font bouldering system, and every other climbing system in existence. Kayakers only go by the numbers one to six. When you see a grade six, think 'skull and crossbones'. Grade one means 'still as a millpond'. And then there's everything in between ...

The Season

Unlike in many countries, the main season in the UK is in the winter, when there's enough rainful to fill the rivers. In the spring, the world and his wife heads out to the Alps to paddle the snowmelt, from about May to July. Then you head to Canada or, if you aren't that well heeled, there are a few dam release rivers that keep going all summer, the best being Tryweryn, near Bala, in North Wales. There's also the National White Water centre in Nottingham, Holme Pierre Pont, where you should wash your hands very carefully after you've paddled. It's grubby, and that's the understatement of the year on OM:-)

Equipment

Most clubs have some of their own boats to lend beginners, until you decide whether you like the sport. In general, if you're new to kayaking you'll find yourself in the biggest club boat - that way there's plenty of buoyancy to get you through the rapids. Later on, you'll want something more manouevrable, and if you turn into a hard core playboater you'll end up in the smallest most agonising boat money can buy. It takes all sorts ...

Each discipline also has its own specialist boats so there's a whole new world of kit buying potential open to anyone who gets involved:-)

Five Favourite UK Rivers

You can kayak at any level, and we're just about mediocre. Here are five popular paddles in the UK that we enjoyed ...

	High Force to Low Force - this is one of many fantastic sections of white water on the River Tees, culminating in the sixteen foot drop of Low Force itself, which is benign in low water and munching after a deluge. Beware the waterfall just above Low Force - while nowhere near as high, it's much more serious, and only suitable for the very experienced. Also beware the cameras clicking as you capsize in the plunge pool beneath Low Force itself:-)
	The Dart - The upper section of the Dart is continuous, and potentially quite serious - the clue's in names like 'Euthanasia Falls'. It's a great upper intermediate paddle in low water though. If you're newer to the sport, the Dart Loop offers gentler sounding names like 'The Washing Machine' - you come out the other end clean and refreshed, but still able to breathe:-). The Loop's one of the most continuous grade 2/3 paddles around.
	Tryweryn - This is the place to be on summer weekends. It doesn't come cheap - £14 a day, or £7 for BCU members - but it's one of the few really good rivers that doesn't vanish off the map in the summer. Not much more than a mile of grade 3/4 water releases from the dam at the top of the valley, followed by a longer 2/3 section lower down. Then, when the authorities turn the tap off in the evening, the river's reduced to a mere trickle and you wonder what on earth you were floundering around in it for.
	Washburn - Another summer run, a bit like an Alpine stream, that's hidden away in the Yorkshire Dales. It's very continuous and fast flowing but doesn't have much in the way of major obstacles. Beware the trees on each bank, and give yourself a pat on the back if you manage to catch any eddies.
	Vyrnwy - Back to North Wales for another 2/3 run, culminating in a fantastic 3/4 gorge. Save yourself some energy for the portage back to the road though and god help the person with the heaviest boat.

We confess to having miserably neglected Scottish rivers - of which there are many - as we've tended to paddle in England, Wales, France, and Slovenia:-)

Random Facts

The French term for 'white water' is 'living water' and you find out why pretty early on:-). The more lurid your boat, the better. That way, when you're upside down, you're easy to spot. The sensation when you roll up after a capsize, and the freezing cold water all drips away from your head, is called 'ice cream head'. Say goodbye to ever having a clean, dry car again...

Further Information

• The UK Rivers Guidebook is a good place to read up on the best rivers to paddle and the obstacles you're likely to face.