Year: 2020

On Sunday 23rd of February seven Nomads led by Matt converged on the Grand Union canal at the Grove in Watford to paddle the canal and river Gade back to the aquadrome. The scheduled trip to the Abbey Stream had been cancelled due to very high water in the Thames and all other local rivers were in flood, so the plan was to take advantage of the high water to explore the Gade through Cassiobury Park, which is usually too low to paddle. Despite a poor weather forecast, we set off in pleasant sunshine with only a moderate and slightly gusty wind portaging the first two locks past the golf course and into the park. The turn off into the river Gade was a little overgrown and Matt scouted out…

On the 18th and 19th of January six Nomads led by Matt traveled to Builth Wells to brave freezing conditions and paddle the middle Wye with good water levels. Matt arrived friday afternoon to inspect the river in the light, being joined by three more at the B&B that evening and two the following morning at Builth car park. Levels were high but not spate, 2.05m on the Erwood gauge which promised good paddling but fewer features, unfortunately for Tony on his first proper river trip and needing a few eddies to practice breaking into and out of. Instead he got plenty of practice with big waves. The killer wave 100 yards down from Builth bridge was miraculously avoided by all and we enjoyed playing in and surfing the many…