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White water rafting
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Geraint Rowlands from Bala gives us the low down on his favourite outdoor pursuit, white water rafting. But is there enough white water here to have a go?
How did you get started?
I used to live in Cardiff and I started at the Cardiff Canoeing Club. Then I joined the Welsh slalom kayaking team until I was 19.
Where did you go from there?
I went to university in Nottingham where I was introduced to rafting. I was a raft guide all over the world before I came to Canolfan Tryweryn.
For me, it's reaching inaccessible places that you just can't get to by any other means. The travelling aspect of rafting is fantastic.
White water rafting has also got this element like snow boarding or skate boarding - it fits into those sorts of activities - there's just a great thrill to it.
What clothing and equipment do you need?
You need personal protective equipment, like a helmet, buoyancy aid and in the UK some sort of thermal protection like a wet or dry suit.
It's best to start by booking yourself onto a level 1 raft guide course which is recognised by the International Rafting Association. They provide everything that you need and will provide all the necessary instruction.
What's your most memorable experience?
Rafting down the Grand Canyon - it was the scenery more than anything. The volume of the rapids was inspiring as well.
I've never lost anyone on an expedition, but I've been on a river in Nepal where helicopters have landed on the rafting site, told us glacial damns have broken upstream and we're all going to die if we don't get out because floods are coming, so we evacuate!
But on the whole, as far as outdoor activities go, rafting can be perilous but has the lowest accident rate of most watersports.
Have you got a favourite place?
In the UK, rafting is more commercial than recreational. The best place is the National White Water Centre on the Tryweryn river. There's a damn on the river which releases water down from Celyn Lake to Bala Lake.
Water is judged between one and six, one being flat water and six being impassable. Tryweryn is about a three, with rapids that score four.
Any other points?
Before you get on a raft for the first time there'll be full instruction - where to sit in the raft, how to paddle and how to keep safe on and in the water.
It's a team sport and there can be a maximum of seven on the raft. In crude terms, the raft guide is the steering wheel and the crew is the engine.
On the raft, it's like a big game of Simon Says - the raft guide sits at the back, calling out commands. The faster the crew can respond, the more control you have over the raft.
You use a combination of strokes to guide the raft - you can push water to/from you to turn or drag the paddles behind to keep the raft still.
Water confidence is definitely a key thing - any experience that you might have on white water is a benefit before you go rafting.
You do need to be quite strong, but just give it a go and see how you do. Even if you haven't got huge physical attributes, great skill levels can compensate for that.
You have to be 18 or over to become a qualified rafting instructor. To have a go with friends, like on a hen/stag weekend, you do need to be over 12, be able to swim at least 25 metres and be reasonably physically fit.
We've got special seats on rafts adapted for people who don't have use of their lower limbs. The seat helps to stabilise you in the raft, gives extra support and has quick-release straps so you can get out quickly if necessary. People with sight or hearing difficulties also come rafting with us - it's a really inclusive activity.
Where can I have a go?
You can go white water rafting at Canolfan Tryweryn or over in Llangollen.
Useful websites:
www.ukrafting.co.uk
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www.ukrafting.co.uk
www.bcu.org.uk/
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