“Come in and join us, the water’s lovely” – White Water Safety and Rescue at Canolfan Tryweryn
Whilst a weekend jumping into icy cold rapids is hardly the most inviting prospect – this course is a must for anyone who is serious about paddling on Grade 2 and harder rivers and who takes any responsibility for leading groups. This is the third time Paul and I have done the course and certainly the best so far – not just because we wisely chose August rather than February this time! The course has evolved over the last 10 years and is roughly structured around the concept of SRTRG, (another set of initials to add to the coach’s collection). SRTRG stands for Shout, Reach, Throw, Row, Go. I am not going to list all that goes under each heading – you need to go on the course for that, but I have created my own version to explain why I think the course is so good.
Safe and Simple. A point emphasised from the beginning and throughout the weekend was keeping safe. This is about taking realistic decisions and actions, not about heroics. All rescues start from the principle of not risking one’s own life. One thing I really appreciated was how the course leaders created a sense of safety for us as we tried out various techniques. They also tried to keep explanations and techniques as simple as possible. For an “all fingers and thumbs”, non-technologically minded person this was a relief!
Richness (but not overload). The two days were full of information, useful tips and practical experiences presented in many different ways. We were taught various ways of swimming (vital when you think that we are all “between swims”), of using throw lines, boat-based rescues, then more complex ways to rescue swimmers and finally to evacuate stranded paddlers if necessary. Sessions were both bank and water based. There was also a short river running session focussing on the discipline of paddling safely as a group.
Teamwork. A lot of what we did entailed using a number of people to effectively manage an incident. For instance, to position one person on rocks beside a drop (if safe to get there) with the task of aiming a throw bag a few yards and have a second bank based person holding the end of the line to pull in a swimmer, can be far more effective than attempting a long throw from the bank. Throw line use is, after all, only as effective as the distance anyone can throw with consistent accuracy (less than we might wish to think!) Teamwork does, of course, depend on well-trained and well-practiced TEAMS. Of all the BCU courses, WWS&R is the one course that clubs and peer paddling groups should consider attending together, not as individuals.
R – When we come to the second R, I will be honest about the racing heart! Some examples of activities which led to heightened arousal included: swimming along a stopper line; jumping in at the top of a series of drops hoping that a suitably roped colleague would be able to leap in and grab me, so that we could both be pulled to shore; erroneously chasing an empty open canoe and ending up with it on my spray deck as we “both” descended a drop. I would not normally choose to be in any of these situations. But such experiences have left me more confident and better informed. [The learning from the third example is that it is better not to try than risk making things worse, and, if you do try, stay well downstream of swimmers and boats on descents.]
Getting wet is an inevitability on this course. There was an explicit understanding that participants could opt out of any of the practical exercises and I felt that saying “No” would be treated with respect. A lot could be gained simply from observing and working on the bank. But in terms of personal confidence, I think you do need to “leap into the unknown”. So, if you are tempted to try the course my advice would be:
- Book for the summer months (we thought that August “should” offer good enough weather plus the chance that the water would have had some time to warm up a little.)
- Use a dry suit (bookable at Canolfan Tryweryn if attending a course there) and take a selection of layers to wear under this (one set for each day!)
- Take a scull cap (heads and ears need protecting against the cold too!)
Finally be prepared to feel very tired and hungry by the end of each day. Splashing out on B&B could well be preferable to wet camping as, by the evening, you won’t be wanting any more water apart from a hot shower (or a long soak in a hot bath!)
Sue Wright
August 2007