Saturday Nov 7th 2009

Peter Mackereth, Production Director for Pyranha & P&H Sea Kayaks, wanted to do some product testing on a Scorpio, and had chosen the beautiful Mawddach estuary in Mid Wales. Graham Mackereth wanted more testing on the new Cetus MV & Chris Hopkins had his trusty Yellow Cetus with him. We all wanted to escape house chores & decided Pete needed some support, so we all turned up at a car park, just East of Barmouth to put in on a fisher-mans ramp. Sadly Bob Campbell couldn’t join us this time as he was running a course.

Winter can often produce some of the most fantastic days paddling, and we’d had one here last year, finding a smugglers cave for a lunch stop, in bright sunshine and fantastic light for some photography, with the snow capped peaks of the Cader Idris range glinting in the sun directly across the estuary from us. We also hadn’t checked tide times, so some of us did more walking across sand banks than we’d hoped for!



This year however we’d learned and we set off up the Estuary at 9.30, 1 ½ hours before high water, with deep water almost everywhere. The wind was generously pushing us as well and we blasted up Estuary, often just surging down the rollers, with paddles raised for the wind to push us faster. Tucked up in our breathable cags, and thermals, we were thoroughly enjoying the morning despite some persistent drizzle.



After just over an hour and about 6 miles under our belts, we ran over the top of the tide and into the fresh water of the lower Afon Mawddach, continuing for about a mile before passing it’s confluence with the lower stretches of the Afon Wnion/Clywedog and up to a magnificent old multi arch bridge just past Llanelltyd near Dolgellau. After a few minutes playing in the currents under the bridge, we turned and headed back down for a coffee, under the ancient wooden toll bridge at Penmaenpool and to the George 3rd pub. 2 cups, and 2 digestives later, and of course a warm in front of the fire and we got back on the water to face the head wind, and wind over tide as it ran back down the estuary.



All very pleasant until the last bend and the full force of the 4 mile fetch to Barmouth hit us. Despite the tide going our way at about a knot and despite paddling hard we made slow progress for a mile. The wind was blowing spray in our faces and the waves were solidly broken, with the wind over Force 4. We plugged away, for a while until that warm fire seemed attractive again, so we turned back for the George as the sun went over the yard arm. Well it must have done if you could have seen it, as by then it was raining hard, followed by a bit of hail.

A shuttle was duly sorted, and just as the pick up arrived, the sun came out and we had the most fantastic double rainbow. Chris’s phone camera doesn’t do it justice, but it was a double across the sky, then mirrored across the pub car park to our feet. Our first time at the end of a rainbow, so we quickly put the Cetus back on the quay wall for the photo. Our second winter paddle on the Mawddach –a very different but just as good a paddle and more to learn –Strong winds demand payback.