Bolham to Bickleigh
This trip along with Symonds Yat provide the best 1st white water experiences for newer SVCC members. B2B provides a gently flowing river with a fair amount of paddling required between Grade 2 ‘features’. Paddlers can arrive at a ‘feature’ calm and unhurried with benefit of foresight, explanation from leaders, and sometimes a recce from bankside…..execute a ‘feature’ and even if it goes wrong there’s flat calm water following from which to rescue and recover.
In the current absence of specific SVCC videos {being uploaded shortly} some insight can be gained from the following; This is one of the shorter videos on youtube that nonetheless covers most of the features and serves to show there’s little to fear on B2B. This is what ukrivers says….do also remember your SVCC guides are quite familiar and will steer you away from the tricky spots.
PRACTICALITIES; Typically we meet at Tiverton Services EX16 7HD at 9am then following a coffee and loo break convoy to the start from there, where we arrange the ‘shuttle’ (how we reunite ourselves with our cars, if you’re new to this dont worry just follow instructions on the day). Preparations to start paddling are generally unhurried so no need to get into a flap! We’re likely off the water at 2ish and heading home 3ish.
In the event water levels prove too high as on the October 2021 trip other options exist 20 mins’ up the road, such as Dulverton to Exebridge:
Symonds Yat
This video guide is intentionally lengthy, slow and detailed as it is intended to put at ease the complete newcomers to moving water that we often use this trip for as their introduction. For impatient viewers here are a few timestamps to salient moments;
0-1m Day trip parking info & toilets
2m12s-3m Launch point, flat water acclimatisation, approaching 1st rapid
3m40s-4m Campsite postcode and approach
4m15s-6m How to walk back up to keep redoing the rapids
10m20s-11m20s Splat rock
11m35s-end Biblins campsite
Dart loop
Cardiff International White Water Centre
An entirely man made course which can be lapped several times an hour in maximum safety under the watchful eye of bankside staff with throw ropes, and no natural hazards. Most typically water is released at 4, 6 and 8 cumecs, meaning the flow and overall challenge of the course escalates with these numbers…though general consensus seems to be that 6 is actually the easier.
Built to provide full facilities including changing/showers/refreshments/kit hire covid has changed things and at the time of writing these things are limited.
Club members have made numerous videos;
Treweryn
Walkham
Lulworth to Durdle Door
Requires appropriately mild sea conditions for a general club trip. Not too far to paddle and Man-O-War beach allows for a substantial rest.
Surfing