2025 Canoe Symposium – Bala by Mike A
What is a symposium? It’s a fancy name that describes a great get-together of paddlers.
The 2025 canoe symposium was held in Bala, with several members attending – some keeping it rather quiet!
Anyway, please consider attending a future symposium as they are pitched at many levels. Attendees of all levels will find something for themselves, in addition to the fun of catching up with fellow paddlers. Ruth and I camped, but staying in the accommodation is an option. Breakfast, packed lunch and evening meals were provided. To give a flavour of the event, and some of the coaching you can receive, see below for a list of sessions;
Flat water basic skills
Polishing flat water skills
A group paddle around Lyn Tegid / Bala Lake
Improvised sailing of canoes
Sailing using canoe sails
Rescues
Freestyle (note, this isn’t WW freestyle tricks, this is more like gracefully dancing)
Introduction to moving water at TNR
Led trip down the River Dee from Glyndyfri to Horseshoe / the first moving water trip
Bushcraft and tarps
Poling
Being led down the Lower Tryweryn
Leadership down Lower Tryweryn
Paddling Upper Tryweryn
Horseshoe to TNR
OC1
And more!
As you can see, lots of sessions that cover multiple levels of paddlers. There are also retailers in attendance and evening lectures. Friday had two lectures, with three on Saturday.
The best lecture was, of course, the 2024 LCC trip to the Bloodvein talk. Nikki and Martin had kept it quiet that they were going to deliver the keynote speech!
Anyway, Ruth and I had a great time on the Tryweryn and Dee. I will leave it to John and David to talk about their choices. All I know is that they seemed to enjoy it.
Next year it’s the turn of England to host at Lake Windermere, before Scotland in 2027.
Give it a go, its grand