The top drop that is usually walked 
Wow that was amazing.....................
Lets go again.Thursday, 3 April 2008
Cwm Llan.......... Again
The top drop that is usually walked Lets go again.
Monday, 24 March 2008
Little Update
There has been no water despite Wales being very wet, it's cold and the tourist are starting to block the lanes......... It's getting to the time of year that I like to leave the UK and find a warmer place in the world to spend this summer.
So I have spent the last week or so working on some one2one coaching sessions and rescue training with global rescue.
I have also managed to get out on a couple of interesting rivers. The Ceirw, Gorge section (500m long section which is near impossible to scout and drops roughly 80m in a variety of slides and falls) and my local river which has a perfect 8 foot ledge drop for throwing hammers and things off. Both are steep, narrow and rocky.
Other than this just the usual runs of tryweryn and stuff to relax and keep the fitness up.
So I have spent the last week or so working on some one2one coaching sessions and rescue training with global rescue.
I have also managed to get out on a couple of interesting rivers. The Ceirw, Gorge section (500m long section which is near impossible to scout and drops roughly 80m in a variety of slides and falls) and my local river which has a perfect 8 foot ledge drop for throwing hammers and things off. Both are steep, narrow and rocky.
Other than this just the usual runs of tryweryn and stuff to relax and keep the fitness up.
Monday, 10 March 2008
Canoe Control Rescue Symposium
The first river rescue symposium in the UK for over 12 years, Stuart Woodward had a mountain to climb in organising some of the UK's top name kayaking coaches and enthusiasts to be in one place at one time but through lots of hard work he did it and the River Rescue Symposium 2008 (RRS) was born.
The event kicked off at 11.00 when the clients came flying through the doors ready for a weekend of rescue and safety based fun. Franco Ferrero kicked the event off before handing over to Bob Timms for the first mini lecture of the day. After Bob's lecture on the principals of safety and rescue it was time for the clients to scrum down at the whiteboard in order to secure their place some of the many courses running over the 2 days.
With afternoon workshops starting at 13.00 by Franco Ferrero, Bob Timms, Dave Rossiter, Jon Davies (me), Lowri Davies, Alli Marshall, Peter Knowles, Jules Bernard, Dino Heald, Ray Goodwin, Dave Luke and Dave Manby. There was a wide and varied choice of courses so there was something to suit all levels and interests. After two afternoon workshops you could see the client's brains whirring with questions. By a stroke of genius Stuart had accounted for this and first on the agenda after dinner was a paddler's question time. Which was controlled very well by Franco as it got a little heated as opinions differed.
With everyone winding down from the debate Allen Ellard stepped up to do a presentation on his many adventures and travels, which was well received by all as it proved very interesting.
After a long day of workshops and presentations most were grateful for seeing the bar for a drink and to talk through everything that they had heard and seen through the day.
Day 2 saw people taking to the water in all sorts of ways. Some of us swimming, some in boats and some bank based but all very well received and building on top of the day 1 theory. With the names above providing a range of sessions based around rope work, first aid, awareness and furthering paddler skills.
I was working on sessions about rope rescues, broaches, pinnings and entrapments with Dave Rossiter and Bob Timms. Since we had such a wide range of skills to cover we broke each session into two groups. One which would focus on entrapments and another looking to build good core throw rope skills. I worked with the people looking at entrapments and spent the vast majority of each session sat in the river with the group using various techniques to save me. Which was very productive as it highlighted how fast and accurate these rescue skills need to be to effect a potentially life saving rescue.
With the clients brains full again it was time for everyone to melt away into there corners of the world hopefully having learned a lot and having had an entertaining weekend.
Big thanks to-
Stuart Woodward for organising us all- http://www.canoecontrol.com/
The rescue team I am a member of- http://www.globalrescueservices.org.uk/
The event kicked off at 11.00 when the clients came flying through the doors ready for a weekend of rescue and safety based fun. Franco Ferrero kicked the event off before handing over to Bob Timms for the first mini lecture of the day. After Bob's lecture on the principals of safety and rescue it was time for the clients to scrum down at the whiteboard in order to secure their place some of the many courses running over the 2 days.
With afternoon workshops starting at 13.00 by Franco Ferrero, Bob Timms, Dave Rossiter, Jon Davies (me), Lowri Davies, Alli Marshall, Peter Knowles, Jules Bernard, Dino Heald, Ray Goodwin, Dave Luke and Dave Manby. There was a wide and varied choice of courses so there was something to suit all levels and interests. After two afternoon workshops you could see the client's brains whirring with questions. By a stroke of genius Stuart had accounted for this and first on the agenda after dinner was a paddler's question time. Which was controlled very well by Franco as it got a little heated as opinions differed.
With everyone winding down from the debate Allen Ellard stepped up to do a presentation on his many adventures and travels, which was well received by all as it proved very interesting.
After a long day of workshops and presentations most were grateful for seeing the bar for a drink and to talk through everything that they had heard and seen through the day.
Day 2 saw people taking to the water in all sorts of ways. Some of us swimming, some in boats and some bank based but all very well received and building on top of the day 1 theory. With the names above providing a range of sessions based around rope work, first aid, awareness and furthering paddler skills.
I was working on sessions about rope rescues, broaches, pinnings and entrapments with Dave Rossiter and Bob Timms. Since we had such a wide range of skills to cover we broke each session into two groups. One which would focus on entrapments and another looking to build good core throw rope skills. I worked with the people looking at entrapments and spent the vast majority of each session sat in the river with the group using various techniques to save me. Which was very productive as it highlighted how fast and accurate these rescue skills need to be to effect a potentially life saving rescue.
With the clients brains full again it was time for everyone to melt away into there corners of the world hopefully having learned a lot and having had an entertaining weekend.
Big thanks to-
Stuart Woodward for organising us all- http://www.canoecontrol.com/
The rescue team I am a member of- http://www.globalrescueservices.org.uk/
Wednesday, 6 February 2008
No Water
As the tittle says there is no water in wales and I am bord so here is a few photos from the last week or so....
Just drying some kit out ready for next time.....
The dog look rather bord as everything comes out the van......
and last but not least a classic piece of welsh parking at a friends house.
Thursday, 10 January 2008
Sunday, 9 September 2007
AlpKit Plastic Fantastic Kayak Comp
The 8th and 9th of September saw the first AlpKit event to be held at Canolfan Tryweryn, North Wales.
The freestyle was the first event to kick off on the Saturday morning, unfortunately I was pre-registered as Rick (fellow SquareRock paddler) and I were providing safety cover for the event - which meant that I had bib number one. So I was first up on the wave, which I neither liked or had paddled more than twice. But there was a good crowd, all very willing to cheer me on as they weren't tired or concerned about their own runs that were to come later in the day. All three runs went pretty well and as it was a "best two count" format, I was perfectly happy to be consistent if not the big move man.
To my surprise, about an hour later I had made the semi-finals which I was really pleased about as it was my first comp for nearly a year and first time out in my all new Jackson All-star. So off I went again to do my best and once again I stuck my moves, playing it fairly safe. Despite my grandparents arriving mid-way through my second run and my sister telling me so over the stereo system!
In all honesty, thinking my job was done and the comp was over for me, I went for lunch with my Nain and Taid. Sat in the cafe, Rick came in and said "Your only bloody third - you made the finals". I nearly choked on my panini and chips (a true athlete's food).
The finals came around in the knockout style and I made it through two rounds, taking me right up to third which was amazing! I was quiet happy to have made the semi-finals. It seems on a feature that caused a few blow outs I paddled consistently, coming third in both rounds.
Results of Expert Men were:
1st - Chris Chapman
2nd- Stu Parry (junior)
3rd- Me (Jonathan Davies)
While in Expert Ladies, my sister (Lowri Davies) fresh back from the Four Borders Expedition took first place with Molly Crisp and Emily Wall taking second and third respectively. Team SquareRock were pretty chuffed to take top three in both men's and women's!
Day Two was the downriver race/boater-x which was held down at Bala Mill Falls. This was the event Rick and I were providing safety as despite being easy if you get it right, it could inflict some painful injuries if a paddler did capsize on the drop, which in the heat of a race can easily happen. This event also went well for me, as I progressed through to the semis once more, only to be destroyed by fellow SquareRock paddler Chris Chapman - mainly due to my bad choice of line when trying to overtake him. Never mind.
Entertainment also came from watching the "Speeder Challenge", where six fools agreed to paddle from the centre to below Bala Mill - one pinning at the top of the falls, capsizing and eventually swimming at the bottom of the falls.
A wicked weekend was had by all and everyone left smiling with loads of prizes. Well done AlpKit for a top event!
Tuesday, 4 September 2007
Building Houses and Changing sponsors
The title basically sums up what I have been doing for the last few weeks.
I have gutted and start to rebuild a large flat and shop with fellow Squarerock team member Rick Foster. So far it's going well and due to the rubbish British weather we haven't been distracted by the rivers.
Well just 2 trips to Llangollen, 2 to Tryweryn and once to HPP which isn't much in 12 days. Umm maybe we won't be mentioning that is half of the work days to Ricks wife who was at work.
Anyway heree's a pic of me and Rick posing with a banner in frount of the new house.
Hope to see you guys soon and preferable on some wicked water.
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