Tryweryn

From Wikipaddle

Tryweryn
Grade	2 to 4
Distance	total 8km / 5 miles
Location
Country	Wales
Region	Bala
Lat	52.947138105743136
Lon	-3.653898239135742
Directions, Google earth

The Afon Tryweryn is the best of the small handful of rivers in Wales that are dam released and offers 8km of classic Grade II to Grade IV whitewater. The dam releases are dependent on a number of factors including rainfall, local river levels and extraction needs, however, on average, the Tryweryn enjoys over 200 days of water a year, which makes it a popular destination for boaters across the country. The river is also home to the Welsh National Whitewater Centre (Canolfan Tryweryn) which manages the river and offers an excellent range of coaching and guiding services. The centre has also hosted numerous competitions and events including 3 world championships and is constantly improving the facilities for visiting river users.

The whitewater rapids have been modified by placing boulders in strategic points along the course of the river to create eddys, drops and play spots.

The Centre charges a fee of £14 for canoeists (BCU membership grants a 50% discount) and issues a day ticket to be displayed whilst on the water. Season tickets of various durations are also available and if you plan on going regularly these can be a great bargain! The water fees allow the centre to provide, maintain and up-grade their many facilities. This means hot showers, riverside parking, an on-site café as well as outstanding rapids and playspots. The river is also used regularly for rafting – but then, if you paddle abroad, you quickly get used to this.

There river is generally split into three sections: Top Site, Centre Section and the Lower Tryweryn.

Top Site

This section of river leads from the setting basin below the Llyn Celyn dam along to the chipper. This section is a nice Grade II coming onto Grade III, with a good play-hole (the "Top-Hole") and a playful weir. The section is often used for safety and rescue courses, as well as freestyle competitions. Officially there is no raft or canoe access to this top section except on courses arranged with the centre.

• The Chipper

This is a metal fish trap, so called because it resembles a chip-slicer at the top of the Tryweryn. It separates the "Top Section" from the rest of the river and marks the get-in for the "Centre Section". It does have a sluice gate on the left side, but this is rarely open and paddlers should NOT attempt to paddle continuously from the Top section down the rest of the river.

The Centre Section

This section (also commonly known as the "Upper Tryweryn") is the main part of the river. It runs for approximately 2km from the chipper down to the Tyn Cornel camping site, and is a good Grade III.There is a large car park (the same one as used for the Top section) and access to the river can be made downstream of the chipper via steps, or for the more adventurous on the raft's slipway.

The upper Tryweryn contains most of the main features of the river (in order of occurrence):

• The Graveyard - This is a fast and furious grade 3 section with plenty of opportunity for eddy hoping and acts as a good warm up to the rest of the river.

• The Ski Jump - So named because of it's resemblance to a ski slope, the river is channelled here to a short shoot with a stopper at the bottom.

• Fedwr Gog Falls (aka "Miss Davis' Bridge", or "Stone" bridge) - This drop runs under the river-right arch of a big stone bridge, and features a large stopper. There is a big eddy river-left below the bridge, or a smaller recirculating eddy on the right.

• Café Wave - This is a typical park and play wave. Being right next to the Café, many play boaters just hop on the river here and play for a while.

• Fingers - If you see this section while the water is off you'll know why it's called "fingers". Right below fingers is the Raft Egress, a large eddy with a concrete slab for getting out on.

• NRA (National Rivers Authority) Bridge - Another good play spot. The centre often change this wave around, and recently added a "box" to the river-left bank to narrow the flow.

• Chapel Falls - This is about a 1.5m drop ending in quite a retentive stopper. There is a big bulge of water in the centre and going straight over this paddling hard is the best rout to take. It can also be shot on the sides, but make an inspection first if you're unsure. There's good access for getting on/off the river here on the right bank.

The Lower Tryweryn

Running the 6km from the Tyn Cornel camp-site down to Bala, this is a good Grade II bordering on Grade III section which finishes spectacularly at Bala Mill Falls (an easily portaged Grade IV drop. This section is not managed like the upper Tryweryn, although the centre has been known to remove fallen trees and other obstructions/hazards quickly.

It can be run straight on from the Centre Section, or alternatively there are get-ins at the Raft-Egress below the centre, below the NRA Bridge, or below Chapel Falls. The last possible get-out before the camp-site is just above a short section of wave trains, by the camp-site gate. To use the camp-site's own access point you must either be staying at the site or pay a fee (unknown, and in addition to the Canolfan Tryweryn river ticket).

The river is mostly upper end of Grade II coming into III in places and is an excellent alternative for those not yet up to running the upper sections. There is plenty of opportunity for eddy hopping and the river can be mad as easy or challenging as you like.

Bala Mill Falls

This is a low Grade IV drop at the very end of the paddle, which can be easily portaged by getting out river-right in an eddy on a tight right-hand bend, watch out for a flat pool with a distinctive house up the hill on the left bank (with signs saying no canoeing!). There is now a new egress in place much further up stream which involves a longer walk around for inspection or portage. This egress is well signed from the river, and starts just above a man-made weir which formed the old Leat/ mill race. The Centre has asked that this egress be used to appease local land owners.

New Portage Rout around Bala Mill

Mill falls is one of the first Grade IV's many paddlers attempt, and is quite a nice ending to an enjoyable day on the Tryweryn. Inspection of the falls is recommended, as is bank cover below with throw lines.

There is a short section of rapid and a first drop leading down to the falls. The main flow washes up against a rock in the centre, and there is an eddy on the left just above this. It's best to hit this eddy in one's and two's, signalling to the next person above to come down when you move off onto the main drop (the eddy has some hidden rocks in which make entering and leaving a little difficult).

From the eddy you'll see the main falls flowing off to the right of the rock, and a small amount flowing off left down a chute affectionately known as the "chicken run" (although once in the eddy it's probably best to run the main falls as this cute often has trees or debris in). Be wary of being drawn out of the eddy down this chute backwards! Once you're pumped up and read to go you need to break-in as high up in the eddy as possible and get across to centre-right of the flow to avoid the big rock. There is a smaller rock poking out at the top of the falls which you may hit if you're too far right (watch out for a rooster tail). The best line is to be going over the centre of the main drop. And remember, Don't Stop Paddling at the bottom!

For the more adventurous there is a second smaller eddy on river right just above the falls which can be ferry glided into from the main eddy, and offers a slightly better view of the falls.

Below Mill Falls is a nice play-wave which is especially good for squirts and popouts. Below here is basic Grade II water with a short slalom course which acts as an interesting distraction. A few hundred meters downstream is the road-bridge into Bala, and the get out is a small man-made eddy cut into the bank immediately bellow on river-right. There's a big car park (pay - but now Free on Sundays!) right next to the get-out.

Safety Hazard Below the bridge there are several small but meaty weirs. These are dangerous and should not be run.

Formal Access Agreement

From: Llyn Celyn Dam To: Bala

Time of year: Whole river: all year round (pending dam releases)

Conditions: River is a managed facility; contact Canolfan Tryweryn in Bala (01678 521 083) to check when they're releasing.

External links

• Canolfan Tryweryn Website
• Tryweryn Release Schedule (Note: Subject to change unexpectedly)
• Tryweryn River Guide