An Opportune Trip on the Banwy – Mike Alter

An Opportune Trip on the Banwy – Mike Alter.

It’s important to practice personal skills, so I took the opportunity today to get out on a semi-new river to me – the Banwy.

I say “semi”, as I had only paddled the bottom half of this river about 20 years ago, and it was in a kayak. This time, we were doing the full trip in a canoe.

We met, got to the put-in, and did the shuttle, which was to a different get-out than I had used. Arriving back at the put-in light, I noticed everyone else had poles. Why are you bringing them? I asked.

Everyone else apparently knew that the get-out was not on the river we were paddling, but on a tributary you had to pole up against the current to reach. Lol, thanks for telling me! But I had all trip to plan my exit strategy. 

Under light skies, we zoomed along the river that was new to me. Good play and learning potential for future trips.

We took care at a natural weir and scouted a rapid, only to discover that a recent flood had removed a lot of the risk.

Soon we were into the gorge section that is liable for tree falls. Care was taken, and we were through to our lunch spot. Strainers are nasty; we need to be careful near them.

Back on, we shot several rapids, discussed all things BCU (Paddle UK), and just had a nice trip out. It was twisty, not frisky.

Eventually, we got to the tributary, the others poled up,  but I just walked up and pulled my boat behind.

Shuttle done, we had a great conversation with a couple passing by in their car. It turned out they were going to the Bloodvein later this year and had been on the Snake River trip that I had attended a talk about at the canoe symposium.

Talking over, it was off to the pub for a post paddle chat and coke.

A great day, a great river that will suit progressive ww kayak trips. Must do it again.

Mike, Ian, Nikki and Martin