River Wye Trip by Colin Opie

This was organised by Spirit of Adventure as an extended Bank Holiday weekend canoeing trip for novices/improvers. The team were John Diplock and Sandy Simpson from Spirit of Adventure and an extra campsite support member, Jamie. The complete professionalism and enthusiasm of Spirit of Adventure really is outstanding and must be, to a large degree, why people keep coming back to the company for their adventure holidays, skills courses and corporate programmes. To be invited along as a member of the instructor / campsite team that was to lead the weekend was truly a privilege.

Friday 23rd saw the four of us winding around Sainsburys in Exeter collecting up the necessary food supplies for the campsite meals. A breakfast of cereal and full fry-up, followed by a "here’s the bits, make your own lunch pack" was to be the start of each of the three days so plenty of provisions were called for. I think Jamie and I got carried away with the bread order as we still had enough left over at the end of the weekend to open up our own bakery. There was also some talk from those on the weekend about the size of the cucumbers we bought but it’s best not to get into detail over that. After clearing out Sainsburys it was time to head up to Ross-on-Wye and prepare the camp. Everyone coming on the weekend was sent a detailed letter explaining that we would meet up in the evening, not at the ‘not-so-easy-to-find’ campsite, but a local pub called the ‘Hereford Arms’. It’s a pity really its name was changed to ‘The White Lion’ three weeks earlier! Still, tenacity came to the fore and the entire group enjoyed a hearty evening meal before settling down in their luxurious and well-prepared tents.

Day 1 (Saturday) was designed to be shorter than the following two and consisted of 13 miles paddling between Whitney-on- Wye, where one of the few remaining private toll bridges exists, and Preston-on-Wye. The campsite for the night was the edge of a field alongside the river. The egress is straight up the steep bank. Mind you, most egresses along the Wye are up a steep bank so who’s counting! Unlike the luxury of a permanent Portaloo (with a hot water tap!) at our previous campsite this field was it, so a truly portable loo was placed amongst the trees with a beautiful view of the river. Much was going to be made of ‘washroom’ facilities at the local pub only to find that (at least in the mens) it was being built/refurbished and there was no door. We might just as well have enjoyed the view of the river really. John and Sandy were bivouacing again that night but John was having second thoughts when a car entered the field and started driving straight towards him! Luckily he stopped but imagine the poor guys fright if all of a sudden a green lumpy thing had sprung up in front of him from nowhere! Come morning we were getting organised for the day when a shout went up that someone was in the river. After the initial heart-attack it turned out to be some hardy soul from another group in the field going for his morning swim. I was relieved really as it meant a) we didn’t have to go and fish them out and b) we didn’t have to certify anyone in our group.

Day 2 (Sunday) was a longer 19m paddle down to Holme Lacy Bridge. The journey took us through Hereford where we stopped for lunch. John and I were at the front of the group and passing under the first bridge just after the rowing club there was a ‘plop’ in the water beside us. Fish? We thought. ‘Plop’, ‘plop’, another ‘plop’. Fish my Aunt Nellie, this was two youths up on the bridge playing let’s concuss a paddler for fun! Ignoring them as best we could it was a few swift strokes to get out of range and a much more pleasant lunch stop. Although we couldn’t stay at the campsite by the river, on arriving at our day’s destination, we did move on down to a similar site not far away. This was complete luxury as it had showers and baths and both were free. Our skin wondered what had hit it but you got the feeling the rest of the campers appreciated our efforts. It was back to ‘The Green Man’ pub near Holme Lacy for supper where many a happy (?) hour was spent playing such games as ‘A face, two eyes, etc.’ and ‘My rabbit likes porridge, but.. etc.’ Of course it was only funny if you got the idea. If you didn’t it was funny for everyone else as they persisted relentlessly in showing you up for the dumbo you are! Back to the campsite and John really ought to realise that bivouacing is dangerous as a group member tramps all over him trying to get to her tent in the dark. Of course a bright colour for the bivvy bag might help instead of camouflage green!

Day 3 (Monday) was the final 20 mile paddle down to Ross-on-Wye and the long trek back to Devon. Each day was warmer than the previous one and my eyes were beginning to suffer. Next time it’s a pair of those flashy specs of Sandy’s for me that wrap around the eyes with go faster side mouldings and a tint that looked like someone had taken a blow-torch to a sheet of metal. We had in fact spent the weekend with about 250 other paddlers involved in some kind of organised marathon run. During the three days we spent many a moment trying to tell officials on the banks that we were not part of any of the other groups and no they should not count us. Arriving at Ross-on-Wye we were welcomed with rapturous applause as the first ones in past the post. There were thoughts of finding out what the prize was before telling them the same sad story but once again we owned up early and they had to go on waiting. Not for long though. A few minutes after we got in the river was awash with every colour imaginable as group after group arrived.

After loading up, going back to our original campsite to change and collect cars, the usual fond farewells were struck. All in all the group enjoyed the weekend’s experiences and learnt a few extra things in the process. I measure success in smiles and whispers of carrying on in the sport and/or returning to us (read Spirit of Adventure in this case) for other things. This was a successful weekend and I hope I remember and apply the principles demonstrated to me by the more experienced leaders to make future activities likewise.