Down to the Wye this weekend for a bit of camping, a bit of canoeing and a lot of rain. The original plan had been to carry everything in our boat - hence the playing around with the Akto and footprint to get a tent for the two of us that we could fit in a barrel. In the end we all opted to put most of our gear in the shuttle, but kept on with the minimalist Akto approach.
The first night at the campsite at Hay on Wye proved that the Akto pitched fly-only worked in a cosy fashion as a two man tent. Arriving late and pitching near the entrance of the campsite meant that we didn’t need our lanterns or torches - the streetlight near the entrance took care of that… for most of the night.
Saturday morning saw us down to the river for some traditional canoeing faffing about, shuttling, waiting and eventually unloading the canoes from the hire company. The weather forecast wasn’t promising - rain and gusting gale force winds. After a safety briefing and explanation of our get out options, we were on to the river.
The first few miles on the river were sheltered from the wind, and we accustomed ourselves to the boats and the rhythm of paddling. For the two of us, who were used to paddling our own canoes (or kayaks), it took a little while to work out the balance of effort between the paddler at the front and at the back. Eventually, we settled in to it, and enjoyed the rhythm, the flow and swirl of the water and the scenery passing by.
Canoeing on the Wye 05 July 08 (1)
Canoeing on the Wye 05 July 2008 (2)
As the day got on, the wind picked up - we could see the gusts skidding across the surface towards us. Tighten the chinstrap on the hat, head down, plough on. Then came the rain. Head down, plough on.
We eventually arrived at the campsite at Byecross, cold and wet and hurried to set up camp among the trees, get into dry clothes and get a brew on. Then to the nearby Yew Tree pub in Preston on Wye for four walls and a roof, shelter from the rain, a pint (or two) and a bountiful roast dinner - recommended (make sure you book ahead).
Canoeing on the Wye 05 July 08 (3)
We woke up to a damp Sunday morning. The rain pounding on the fly in the night had released a light spray of condensation on us - next time I try this approach(?) I’ll remember to bring my bivvy bag. Gear was packed up, damp clothes were put on to warm them up and dry them a little. A warm mug of chorridge (=hot chocolate + porridge), some moving around, a hint of sky and things were looking better.
Camp on Wye canoe trip 06 July 08
At the get-in, the river was noticeably higher than the previous day, chocolate brown in colour and with the occasional clump of foliage drifting by. While the others shuttled, we watched several groups lower their gear down the bank and set off.
Canoeing on the Wye 06 July 08
On the river, we settled into the rhythm that we had worked out the day before. I’m afraid that my wildlife recognition skills are not up to much, but even I could recognise the swans (many, many swans and cygnets) and occasional kingfisher that we passed. The weather stayed mixed, but with less wind than the previous day. Sometimes, we got a little advanced warning of the rain as a line of raindrop splashes raced over the river surface towards us.
A little after one, we reached the get-out at Hereford rowing club, just next to the Beer on the Wye festival. Tempting as it was, we got changed and headed off on the journey home.
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