Saturday Improvers River Trip by Daniel Leather

Carrog to Eisteddfod Car Park

The plan was to paddle the Grade 2 section of the Dee from Pont Carrog (B5437, Corwen LL21 9EH go past the Carrog railway station and campsite to the bridge) [code to paste into google = XMMJ+97 Corwen] to (Eisteddfod Car Park in Llangollen LL20 8SW) [code to paste XRFF+R2 Llangollen].  This section requires a small portage around Horseshoe Weir to the Canal with 1km down to the cars at Eisteddfod.  We will NOT be paddling over the weir and caution should be taken when getting out near the weir on river left.

All met at the car park before heading down to the launch spot.

We were taught hand signals to remember and were then split into our groups.

John then gave me some advice about how to join the river and some quick tips on how to stay upright…I then forgot all that was just told and proceeded to imitate a giraffe who hadn’t seen water for months, and face plant into the rather cold Dee.

Turns out all those flip drills in the Kingsway swimming pool mean absolutely nothing when I can’t even tell which direction is up!

Well there goes my humility, dignity and the stress of falling in out the way! 

My team did an amazing job at stepping in and rescuing me and the kayak. After a quick pit stop on the side for me to adjust the kayak, so I was comfier and could utilize my legs better (read as ‘so I could actually use my legs’) and away we went…

The rest of the trip was really enjoyable, plenty of valuable advice and guidance left me more and more relaxed and enjoying myself more for the rest of the trip!

Glad I did it and no doubt I shall do it again!

Thanks again to all who helped organise and lead today, definitely chose the right club to be apart of!

Daniel Leather