Canoe / Kayak Expeditions and Training Weekends with ProAdventure
Why Canoeing or Kayaking?
Throughout the generations the canoe, be it an open canoe or a kayak, has been used as a method of making long distance travel easier. The Open canoe has been found in all indigenous people the world over being used to transport large amounts of goods for minimal effort.
The skills we use today in paddle sport mainly hark back to the voyageur days of the trapping and hunting companies that opened up Canada and North America as a trading location rather than just a wilderness. The Inuit (Eskimos) used kayaks as a means of hunting whales and transporting whole families across the freezing arctic seas.
We are not suggesting that doing your expedition in canoe or kayak will get you hunting or trading, but being able to learn the skills that have been used for thousands of years to propel yourself and all your kit across the water, with ease, is a rewarding feeling. Link this to the fact that being able to travel somewhere that only people with the relevant skills can, gives you a unique view of the world and lets be honest you don’t have to carry your bags, and you don’t have to walk much. On top of all this, you have to work as a team, which is always going to make the expedition easier and more fun.
So not only do you get to cover more distance carrying more kit for less effort, but you get to see the landscape and the variety of wildlife in a unique way, that makes the expedition so much more memorable.
Where possible the camping will be by wild camp, on the side of the water, where you will be able to put up Tarp shelters, and cook over open fires. Part of the training will be looking at these wilderness camping (Bushcraft) skills which go hand in hand with canoeing.
One of the other major advantages of a canoe expedition is that if there is anyone if your group who is disabled and finds walking difficult, they will be able to canoe, be they physically disabled, blind whatever.
Why ProAdventure?
We have been teaching outdoor activities since 1991. We work with all types of people from the young to the elderly, the fit to the not so fit!
We use national governing body qualified staff to ensure the quality of the work we do. We can offer you that unique expedition that you are looking for. We primarily run expeditions in canoe or kayak but we can also organise walking expeditions if needed.
Our Canoe expeditions can be run all over the country but we will unless requested to do so run Bronze expedition in North Wales at places such as Bala Lake or part of the large canal network. We run the Silver expedition in a variety of locations such as the River Wye, River Severn, Lock Ness, Loch Sheil or River Tay. We run the Gold expeditions in similar places to the silver but over a longer stretch of the river.
Also we can run trips in places like the Ardeche in Southern France if you want to go somewhere in particular speak to us.
What we do…
We run the expedition as the guidelines of D of E with our experienced instructors. So the framework for the bronze silver and gold is below.
Bronze
Silver
Gold - Standard - What we suggest
1 training day 1 days training
4 day 3 night training expedition 3 day 2 night training expedition
4 day 3 night assessment expedition 4 day 3 night assessment expedition
For the Gold award depending on the experience/capabilities of the group we can do a shorter training expedition.
We are very flexible we will change the way a course is delivered to suit your requirements. If you want us to come to you for the training, that’s not a problem.
All the awards have a training day this is similar for all the courses. The basic skills that are required the “core skills” are in appendix 1. These skills are basic canoe or kayak handling skills. The other essential skills that will be covered are the expedition skills, this covers navigation, cooking in the outdoors and equipment.
What we provide…
We at ProAdventure provide and make sure you pass all aspects required for the expedition in Canoe or Kayak. Canoes are excellent for this kind of trip due to the greater space and lets face it this is what they were designed for!
We provide all the canoes, paddles and safety equipment including buoyancy aids and helmets. This depends on what kit the participants already have if any.
Part of the expedition getting yourself to the start. So we will normally meet you there with the equipment.
Our expert instructors will give you all the training required to ensure not that you never get anything wrong but you know what to do if it does!
What you require…
If you don’t have something mentioned then speak to us we may be able to help, we can supply a full kit list. The basic items you will need are camping gear e.g. tent, sleeping bag and bed role. Cooking equipment although we do have some e.g. pots, pans, cutlery and plates. You will need suitable clothing / footwear this is probably the most important we will give you advice on exactly what to bring what is suitable and when to where what clothes and last but not least you will need food! Again we will help you with what is appropriate in the great outdoors.
When should we plan to go?
As mentioned above we are flexible, when we run expeditions tends to go with the weather. The weather can make expeditions a lot harder or lot easier!
Generally we run expeditions between April and October due to the cold and also the water levels! But this also depends on which level of expedition you are doing and the capabilities of the participants.
The same river in august can be completely different in January with some snow and higher water!
Costs
The costs below are for 10-14 people, and we can take more if required or less but the cost increases. Please contact us for details.
Bronze
£250 per person
- 1 training day
- 2 day 1 night training expedition
- 2 day 1 night expedition assessment
Silver
£350 per person
- 1 training day
- 3 day 2 night training expedition
- 3 day 2 night expedition assessment
Gold
£400 per person
- 2 training day
- 2 day 1 night training expedition
- 4 day 3 night expedition assessment
If you want extra training days or a different format don’t hesitate to contact us and we will see what we can do for you.
Group sizes…
D of E - The group sizes for D of E need to be between 4 and 7 or 8 if tandem in canoe.
Us - We can run expeditions for any number above 4 but the cost is less for 10 – 14 people. We can run multiple groups at the same time doing the same route. We find that groups always run at different speeds.
Possible extra costs…
This depends on where you plan to do you expedition the transport to and from can cost depends on if you do it in North Wales or Scotland?!
We can organize trips to France or other foreign destinations if required.
Food is a cost but this depends on how much you spend!
Campsite costs this is only for the nights but depends on which campsites you chose, this can be reduced to nothing depending on whether you wild camp or not!
Appendix 1
Core training skills
Lift and Carry
• Know how to safely lift and carry the craft. Lift and Carry if boat allows. Safe portaging
techniques relevant to the environment
Launching and disembarking
• Know the importance of safe manual handling enabling participants to launch and
recover craft from a variety of locations including steep, slippery banks.
Loading and storage of kit
• Know how to waterproof kit properly and how to load the craft efficiently and secure kit
within the craft. Secure craft onto trailers or vehicles
Forward paddling
• Demonstrate the ability to paddle forwards in an efficient and economical manner,
participants should demonstrate a fluent and rhythmical paddling stroke including where
required simple steering strokes to enable them to maintain good cruising speed and
control.
Reverse Paddling and stopping
• Demonstrate slowing and stopping the craft using controlled reverse paddling strokes
Turning
• Ability to turn the craft whilst stationary and whilst on the move using appropriate
strokes (there is no requirement for specific strokes providing the craft can be
manoeuvred effectively)
Moving sideways
• Ability to sideslip the craft to avoid obstacles in the way of the craft or to come alongside
(there is no requirement for specific strokes providing the craft can be manoeuvred
effectively)
Capsize and recovery
• Ability to self-rescue – swimming self, paddle and boat to shore, recover, empty and relaunch
craft.
• Where the craft cannot be capsized demonstrate ability to recover paddlers and kit back
aboard.
Rescues (where craft permits capsize drills)
• Demonstrate ability to be rescued from craft
• Appropriate rescue techniques for rescuing paddler and craft – appropriate to the
environment, for example throw line techniques suitable for moving water.
Rescues (where capsize is not possible)
• Be able to rescue a team member back on to the boat
• Perform an all in rescue where all team members have to get back onto the boat
• Man overboard drill
Towing
• Simple towing techniques (flexible and adaptable)
First Aid
• This should include water borne elements including secondary drowning and aquatic
hypothermia.
Ongoing Risk Assessment
• The ability to make decisions based on the weather and water conditions; for example
being weather bound
Equipment
• Selection and Maintenance of equipment
• Care and simple repair of equipment
No Trace Camping
• Include methods of disposing of human, food, kitchen, cooking and dirty water waste.
Local advice on these matters should be sought and followed.
Training Weekends
The easiest way to cover the training requirement as laid out by D of E is to offer open training weekends covering essential canoe skills, rescues, navigation and map reading, wild camping, fire lighting, cooking methods over open fires, packing and any other skills deemed necessary at the time.
These weekends will be run in North Wales utilising large lakes, slow moving rivers and our bushcraft wild campsite.
The idea of the weekend is to give everybody an action plan of what extra experience is needed to progress on to training and assessment expeditions. For some of you this will be a small action plan equalling a short period of time before assessment, for others it could be more involved. We feel this is the fairest way to allow you to show us your breadth and depth of knowledge, plus makes it the cheapest way for you to get to assessment
Click here to book on our next open training weekend
