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Gallery
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Cambridge University Canoe Club |
Venues
The club's coaches are often asked 'what's that river like?' and 'am I up to it?'. To give people some idea about the places we go regularly, we've written some brief summaries, with photos where possible. Note that the recommended ability is a very rough guide and can differ a lot depending on the group going. If in any doubt, ask the person organising the trip. To get a clear idea of how these trips fit together with the organised courses run by the club, see the page on becoming a better canoeist.
Venue |
Picture |
Description |
Recommended ability |
Other useful information |
Flat water |
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The Cam |
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The Cam is our local flat river. Great for playing silly games along the backs, a longer paddle to Grantchester or even some whitewater action in the Mill sluice! |
Suitable for complete beginners. |
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The Leys School Pool |
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The heated indoor swimming pool at the Leys school is an excellent place to practise wet skills in the warm, and learn to roll. |
Suitable for complete beginners. |
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Artificial white water courses |
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Nene Whitewater Centre Grade 2 |
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Just outside Northampton, about an hour's drive from Cambridge, the Nene is a friendly place to learn the basics of whitewater paddling and a great place for your first time on whitewater. |
Suitable for anyone who can paddle in a straight line on flat water, the only requirement is you must have done a capsize drill. Note: on non-club trips, the centre has additional requirements. See here for details. |
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Holme Pierrepont Course (HPP) Grade 3 |
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Holme Pierrepoint is an artifical course in Nottingham. It has some very good wave and hole features for the experienced paddler. However, some of the stoppers are large and all the eddies are fast moving and boily making this a difficult course for novices. Also, the water quality is poor, meaning that some paddlers get a tummy bug for a day or two after paddling here. |
This is a good place to paddle for confident whitewater paddlers, who are finding the Nene a bit tame. As getting swimmers out is tricky due to the slimy banks and the water quality is poor, you should have a fairly good roll. |
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Tees Barrage Grade 2 |
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This course, in Teesside, is easier than HPP, but more challenging than the Nene. As it is tidal, the difficulty of the course changes throughout the day. |
This is a good place for people with limited whitewater experience to improve their technique. |
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Playspots |
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Hurley |
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Argueably the UK's premier playspot, this is a fantastic wave for everything from experiencing your first frontsurf to perfecting those arial loops. |
Some whitewater experiene, e.g. on the Nene would be useful. If you don't have a reliable roll, make sure someone is on hand who'll be willing to rescue you. |
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Shepperton |
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If Hurley is too high, then the odds are on that Shepperton will be a blast. This is a big fast bouncy wave that even getting a front surf will have you grinning from ear to ear. |
It's a good idea to have been to Hurley or HPP before going to Shepperton as the big volume of water and bouncy wave train can be quite intimidating for first-timers. A reliable roll is a good idea. |
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Stanley Embankment |
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Known by locals as North Wales' best kept secret, this tidal playspot in Anglesey has to be one of the friendliest waves in the UK. Easy to get onto, with fantastic eddy service, this is the perfect place to learn to surf and spin. Better paddlers can blunt and cartwheel, and if you're feeling confident, why not try some handpaddling? |
A good place for newcomers to freestyle. The boily eddylines mean that a reliable roll is useful. |
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The Bitches |
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The Bitches is a tidal race in Pembokeshire forming a series of waves and holes with the feel of a big volume grade 4 river. On a big morning tide, surfing the big green top wave as the sun comes up is an experience hard to beat. For the full bitches experience, spend the rest of the day sleeping on Ramsey Island and enjoying the local wildlife, before surfing the evening tide and a sunset paddle home. |
Because of the long paddle across Ramsey Sound and the difficulty of rescues, this is recommended for the more experienced paddler with a dependable roll. |
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Easier Rivers |
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The North Tyne Grade 2-3 |
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A classic run in Northumberland that's dam released and hence quite reliable. An ideal river for a first whitewater trip. |
Some whitewater experiene, e.g. on the Nene would be useful, although confident flatwater paddlers will enjoy this run. |
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River Dee - Classic Section Grade 3(4) or 2(3+) in low water. |
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A fine run in North Wales which is paddleable at most water levels. There are some nice waves and holes for playing in at Mile End Mill, and good places to improve technique. Better paddlers will enjoy the challenges of the Serpent's Tail and Town Falls, whilst beginners may want to walk around these. |
The Dee is an outstanding run for those who've done a little whitewater before (e.g. on the Nene or Tyne). |
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Lower Tryweryn Grade 2+(4) |
The Tryweryn is a dam released river in North Wales and hence has predicatable water levels. The Lower section is relatively fast and continuous at the grade. Bala Mill Falls is a grade 4 drop towards the end, which less experienced paddlers will want to walk around. |
Some whitewater experience e.g. on the Nene is recommended. |
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Dart Loop Grade 2(3) |
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Classic run, ideal for a first whitewater trip. |
Some whitewater experiene, e.g. on the Nene would be useful, although confident flatwater paddlers will enjoy this run. |
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Harder Rivers |
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Tryweryn from the Dam Grade 3+ |
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The Tryweryn is a dam released river in North Wales and hence has predicatable water levels. The section above the start of the lower is a more serious proposition, being very much steeper than the lower. |
This is a great place to train for paddlers who are starting to make reliable break outs into small eddies |
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Upper Dart Grade 4 |
Rather more serious than the loop, you can see the gradient of the Upper Dart as you paddle down. At high flows the river provides a fantastic roller coaster for more advanced paddlers. |
The river requires confident whitewater paddling and the ability to make small eddies. |
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Tees Grade 3/4 |
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We run two sections on the Tees regularly. The Barnard Castle Section is fairly straightforward and would be a good first whitewater run with a good leader and appropriate levels. The Low Force section is rather more technical. |
This provides outstanding whitewater for improving whitewater paddlers who are confident on the likes of the Nene, Tyne and Dart. |
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