Canoeing on the Brecon & Monmouthshire canal

Last weekend I went canoeing in Wales with a few friends. We had intended to go on the River Wye, but it was in flood and we'd probably have made it about 100m down before capsizing and losing all our kit, so the canoe hire company wouldn't let us go. Instead, they took us to to Brecon, to canoe on the Brecon & Monmouthshire Canal. While this was less exciting, it was actually very relaxing and enjoyable, as you can see from Phil's laid-back attitude here (note that we were using a disposable waterproof camera, so the quality isn't great):

Fortunately it was sunny, and we were able to cruise along enjoying the scenery, drinking a beer or two as we went.



There was the occasional drawbridge as an obstacle and we had to carry the canoes round, although this one we managed to squeeze under by lying down in the canoes:

Jim also found that kayaks don't work on land:

So we got him in the river:

but then he just ran into the bank:

Actually he was very good in the kayak, I expect one of us had just rammed him off course to get that last photo!

We were staying at the Baskerville Hall hotel (yes, it really is the one that inspired the Sherlock Holmes story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle), which does some very cheap bunk rooms, and staying there also gets you free entry to the infamous on-site club, Clyro Court. I say 'infamous' as we'd been there before a few years ago and knew what we were letting ourselves in for! Some may ask why we went back...

Anyway, it was a good weekend and great to catch up with old friends.

Mike

Click here to read the rest of this post.

Rye Raft Race 2010

Last weekend we went to the Rye Raft Race, on the River Rother. Here's a few pics (from my mobile phone, so not great quality...).

The launch area was downstream from the road bridge, alongside the quay. Here's some of the rafts getting ready to launch:


"Thrust 5", along with "Atlas Business Park", had a petrol engine on the back, not to move the raft but to power a water jet for combat during the race!

Some took it pretty seriously, while other rafts were more decorative.


The top end of the course was a buoy near the road bridge:

Most rafts completed several laps, though I think this one only managed one...

While most of the rafts were pretty big, there was also this one, which actually fell apart, and they tied it back together and carried on!

All in all, good fun to watch - make sure you see it next time, end of August 2011.

Mike

Click here to read the rest of this post.

Frozen river

Today was a day when I was glad to be working at home instead of in the wood. It's not been as cold in Rye as further inland, but still cold enough for the river near hour house to freeze over:
The ducks didn't seem to mind though. They stood around the edge of a pool they'd kept clear by swimming, occasionally jumping in for a wash and then standing at the edge preening. Maybe it's their equivalent of sitting by the pool on a beach resort in Spain?
Mike

Click here to read the rest of this post.