River Tryweryn and Youth Series Freestyle: A North Wales kayaking weekend
- 21 hours ago
- 4 min read
by Louis Cousins
Most paddlers have heard about the brilliant rivers in North Wales, and quite a few have paddled them. But some people still don't know that the Dee and the Tryweryn offer some of the best kayaking in the country. I’m here to help anyone starting out to learn about these fun, adrenaline-filled rivers.
My North Wales kayaking weekend adventure started on the River Dee. We drove west from HPP (Holme Pierrepont), resting along the way before waking up early to a lovely bacon buttie. Our base was TNR Outdoors in Llangollen, a really great activity centre.
One of the best things about TNR is the location; we practically didn't have to walk at all and had three beautiful play waves right there. After a quick briefing and splitting into groups, we hopped on the water.
North Wales kayaking weekend: Day One - Youth Freestyle Series on The Dee
This session was also part of the GB Freestyle Youth Series, giving younger paddlers a chance to learn from some of the world’s best kayakers and have a go at freestyle in a fun, welcoming environment. You didn’t need to know any moves to join in—just some experience on Grade 2 water and enthusiasm to give it a try. Lisette and Bethan from Seren Dŵr were there to help out at the event, as well as other members joining in with the days activities.
The first wave was a very nice boof spot with a sublime tailie section. We played there for twenty minutes and discovered a great rocksplat rock. After that, we headed to the second wave—a sticky stopper about 6 meters long. It was great fun to play in, and even if you’re nervous, there are plenty of diversions and smaller waves around it.
The third wave was my personal favourite. It’s where I progressed the most, and I saw lots of other paddlers learning new tricks like flatspins, blunts, and roundhouses. Along with the good stuff, there were some "sketchier" parts—nothing too hard, just some rapids that are fun above the waterline but a bit rocky when you're upside down!
Once everyone had a chance to warm up and practice, the event moved into jam-style heats, where paddlers had a set amount of time to get as many rides and tricks in as possible. Everything counted on the scoresheet—paddle spins, loops, and even Cosmic Donkeys. It made for a brilliant atmosphere on the water.
Towards the end, we found a large rock outcropping. As you’d expect, we had to do some jumping and seal launches. I even attempted a loop (and failed!), but after some fun drops, we paddled across to the get-out for a well-earned pile of pizza.
To round off the day, there was a prize-giving, with categories for boys and girls 12 and under, 15 and under, and 18 and under. I was really pleased to finish 3rd place in the 15 and under jam competition.
Find out more about the Youth Freestyle Series here.
Photos via GB Freestyle.
North Wales kayaking weekend: Day Two - The River Tryweryn with Seren Dŵr
The second day was a club paddling day with Seren Dŵr, heading to the famous River Tryweryn at The National White Water Centre for more whitewater fun.
This trip started like many do: an early morning. We arrived around 9:30 AM and headed to the river to scout the features. Seeing the water gave me "nervous butterflies," but those disappeared the moment we got to the get-in.
The adults went in one group and the youth section headed out with Raoul. After a warm-up, we headed down the first section for some rocksplats and fun competitions. Then we hit the first main rapid, the reassuringly named Graveyard. (Don't worry, it’s just called that because the rocks look like gravestones!) We carefully manoeuvred the rapid, staying on the V-shaped waves and playing in the eddies.
Further down, I hit a beautiful rocksplat rock called Everest and continued through a 200m stretch of rapids before finding a lovely double wave. If I timed my boof right, I went flying!
After a few laps of the upper section, we grabbed lunch and decided to head down the Lower Tryweryn toward Bala Mill. We paddled past Chapel Falls into some more picturesque, quintessential Welsh scenery.
The water here wasn't particularly challenging at first, though there were some tricky rapids with overhanging trees. I kept rocksplatting everything I could find until we reached Bala Mill Falls. On paper, this is a Grade 4, making it one of the more challenging rapids of the trip, but it felt quite manageable. We finished the trip at the campsite, got changed, and headed home.
The whole weekend was a massive success. It was challenging yet rewarding, made even better by the people I was with. If you ever get the chance to go, I would jump on it!
The Paddler’s Glossary
Boof: A technique used to keep the bow up when going over a drop.
Tailie: Sinking the back of the boat to lift the front into the air.
Flatspin: Spinning the boat 360 degrees while on a wave.
Blunt: Sticking the bow in the water to flip the back of the boat over.
Roundhouse: Similar to a blunt, but with a smoother rotation.
Rocksplat: Using a rock to stall the boat or perform a 360-degree move.
Seal Launch: Sliding the kayak off a rock or bank into the water.
Loop: An underwater frontflip in a kayak.
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