This Easter, while most people were busy pretending they liked Cadbury Crème Eggs and dodging family lunch politics, UOBCC did what UOBCC does best: squeezed far too many boats onto car roofs, loaded up a playlist featuring both Taylor Swift and DnB (we’re a club of extremes), and set off to North Wales in search of whitewater, Type II fun, and, ideally, only minor injuries.
The trip kicked off on Thursday, with cars full of enthusiastic paddlers heading to the River Dee. After a smooth drive (shoutout to the 10% of club members who can parallel park without crying), we geared up and hit Serpent’s Tail. Some took it in style. Others took it in… spirit. Town Falls followed, big cheers to those who sent it straight away, and an even bigger shoutout to those who sensibly waited until they’d reevaluated their life choices on Day 5.
That night we arrived at the bunkhouse and did something unheard of: went to bed early. We’d love to say it was due to discipline and tactical rest, but realistically, everyone was just shattered from tying paddles onto roof racks four times in one day.
Friday morning was Tryweryn day. The Lower delivered some juicy lines and the occasional unplanned freestyle performance at Bala Mill Falls. Meanwhile, a lucky few demoed boats on the Upper (courtest of Radical Rider). There was definite “new boat energy” in the eddies, with at least one paddler claiming the Ripper 2 had single-handedly improved their skill level overnight (jury’s still out). Our inters gave the Upper a proper go in the afternoon; challenge eddies were caught, rolls were (mostly) hit, and several creative new ways to backwards-surf Café Wave were discovered.
Saturday brought a change of pace with a trip to the Glaslyn. Think stunning views, tight lines, and enough ferry gliding to make a GPS dizzy. A solid skills day all round, and especially good for our canoebies, who put their newfound whitewater knowledge to the test. We scoped out Aberglaslyn Gorge afterward, but with low water and vertical rock walls in play, we decided to give it a miss. It’s not going anywhere. Next time, maybe.
Sunday, we returned to the Upper Tryweryn, this time as a full club convoy. Watching beginners confidently eddy-hop through Graveyard and surf like pros at Café Wave was one of the best parts of the trip. There’s something pretty special about seeing paddlers who swam on Day 1 now styling the same features with dry hair and big smiles.
There were, of course, the usual battle wounds: one paddle (almost) lost to the river gods, a few bruises with great backstories, and a couple of unfortunate run-ins with rocks (spoiler: the rocks won). But considering the group size, we came away in remarkably good shape. We rounded off the day with an Easter egg hunt that quickly descended into tactical warfare. Chocolate was secured. Dignity was… optional.
On Monday, we squeezed in one final Dee lap before heading home. Serpent’s Tail? Crushed. Town Falls? Conquered. The difference in confidence from our now-seasoned canoebies was seriously impressive; same river, same paddlers, just with four days of carnage, learning, and tactical swimming under their belts.
This trip also saw the birth of Fresher Cam. Turns out, sticking a GoPro on an enthusiastic kayaking fresher makes for some quality content. Watch below as canoebie, Kieran takes on the Dee in his trusty Z.One on our final day in North Wales. This first instalment documents the effects of four days of paddling on both kayaking technique and general grip on reality.
All in all, it was a classic UOBCC adventure: big rivers, bigger enthusiasm, and a healthy mix of chaos and competence. Huge thanks to everyone who came, drove, led, demoed, rescued, rolled, and beatered. North Wales delivered, and so did UOBCC.