White Water Rafting in Wales

It was with some trepidation when I signed in at reception. Can you swim over 25 metres, do you have any physical disability, an asthma sufferer or any back problems. Yes, No, No, No.

I had been rafting twice before - in New Zealand and the French Pyrenees. I loved it, real activity adventure, nothing virtual about it at all.

It wasn't the activity that caused concern, I was really looking forward to that.
However the wetsuit was a major worry!

Once I had managed to shoehorn the excess body into the figure hugging suit, added a kagool, a yellow buoyancy aid and a bright red helmet, I looked like a cross between a sumo wrestler and teletubby! The centre was overrun with bright little waddlers hopping from on foot and the other in anticipation.

Our instructor Jon managed to look like a dude in his all black Darth Vadar kit minus the cloak, led us to a waiting raft on the grass verge.

After a tour of the 14 ft raft.
I noticed the raft had holes in the bottom along the sides.
"Why does the raft have holes in the floor"
"Letting water out, its self baling"
"But don't they let water in?"
"Yes, but the buoyancy keeps us afloat"
"Sounds a bit Irish to me".
Jon didn't comment, the look said it all

We undertook a series of dry land manoevres, which saw us paddling into thin air, move from one side of the raft to the other and back again before all dumping ourselves onto the floor - very snug.

Jon explained that for him to have control the raft we needed to be travelling faster or slower than river. For direction we either paddled forward or backward, sometimes the leftside paddled forward and the rightside paddled back. Jon shouted some instructions "leftside back, rightside forward, everyone over to the right, everyone get down.....Its amazing how a group of educated adults can forget which is their left from right. The scene was a mass of bodies that was more suited to a Swingers party than a co-ordinated action. A mash of bodyparts with red helmets popping out at all angles.

Jon had seen enough.

We loaded the raft onto a trailer, the 7 smiling sumos into the minibus and took the short drive up to the top of the river. The Treweryn is a natural flowing river with the added benefit of being dam controlled, so unlike natural flow rivers, you are guaranteed white water through the summer months too. A real bonus for recreational adventurers such as me.

The first part of the river was gentle which allowed Jon to risk further mayhem by going through the procedures again before the river got serious. I think the impending danger focused our attention, as we completed the drill without incident. The relief on Jon's face was palpable.

We could hear the rumble of the river and further down and see the water cascaded over hidden boulders.
Jon shouted "Paddle forwards". I thought paddling back was a far better idea. Our adrenalin was flowing and so were we headlong into rapids. Water sprayed over the front of the raft soaking the front two, we bounced off a rock and sped into the next rapid turning the raft to the left. "Rightside back, leftside forward" came the instructions as the water filled the raft and magically disappeared. Self baling rafts a great invention.

The white water course is 1.5 kilometres long with a series of quick firing rapids. Unlike the New Zealand and French rivers which only had a rapids every couple of miles or so. We crashed through rapids aptly named Ski Run, Graveyard and Donkeys Kick.

Our rafting session lasted 2 hours and we managed 4 descents of the river. The first time we were a little tentative, the screams and shouts were mainly of apprehension not knowing what was going to happen next. The second descent came whoops and screams from pure exhileration and so it progressed. As we become more confident, Jon found other ways to keep our adrenalin pumping.

White water rapids are graded one to six. One being the gentlest and six is considered commercially not raftable. The rapids on the Treweryn are graded 2-4 very challenging, but under the guidance of the qualified instructor well within the ability of anyone with an active mind.

All specialist kit is included:
- wetsuits,
- buoyancy aids,
- helmets
- and footwear.
You need to bring: swimming costume, long sleeve t-shirt (if you feel the cold), towel and wash kit.

Minimum age is 12 years.
Any medical condition must be declared

Minimum number with Adventure North Wales is one person.

For more information please call 0845 330 8584 or go to UK Adventure Tavel specialist

Do not forget mention "RSS" and " Active 4 Action " to obtain £5 discount