After a race through the darkening winding roads to get to the hotel before nightfall, we drew up to the impressive stone building just as the last of the dusk was fading. Rucksacks and bags were dumped on dormatory beds and we found the bar along with the other canoeists. It was the night before the YMCA Wye Challenge, 60 miles down the River Wye in Wales, paddling in Canadian canoes over three days.
A few hours later the morning was sunny and bright and we set off to pick up our boats from the two companies that were hiring them to us. Each boat seated two people - one boat had three - plus a waterproof barrel to put food and spare clothing. Just in case we fell in! Or were pushed.
We were split up into three groups of approximately eight boats, and as part of the A-team, my group set off first. It appeared we had picked up interlopers on the journey down - in one boat, a pair of Vikings with horned helmets and long blonde hair, faces covered in blue woad, were drumming a war beat with their paddles on the prow and calling war cries. Otherwise known as Sam and Rob, they soon settled down to a rythmic paddle as the sun leached them of any berserker tendencies.
The Wye was flat and calm and mirrored the high woods on either side, reflecting the startled herons taking off as we floated round the corners. The water was broken occassionally by the swifts and swallows dipping in for a drink, and bigger ripples were caused by fish jumping for gnats and dragonflies. Occassionally the river was bordered by fields and the young cattle came down to look at the strange apparition of humans travelling in boats. The sunlight reflected off the water and danced on the underside of our hats and the heat made us feel lazy. But no time for that, we had 20 miles to do before tea.
After a couple of hours we stopped at a waterside pub for a comfort break, a cup of coffee and some provisions, then set off again looking forward to lunch. Two hours and one water fight later, we rounded the corner to see the support team on top of a bridge, waving to us. We all filled up with huge sandwiches and fruit and lots of water, and as we relaxed on the riverbank, B team turned up. We had already done 15 miles and only had 5 to go. The river was quite low, and it was odd to see one person from a canoeing pair dragging the boat to deeper water because it had grounded on the river bed.
As the sun was finally calming down, we came to our first campsite, nothing more that a field, a portaloo and a water tap. The support van came bouncing down the track to set up a field kitchen, and we all offloaded tents and rucksacks and set up camp. The one pub nearby wasn't open to watch England playing, so the sounds of radios and mini TV's filled the air for a couple of hours. After victory, we played frisbee in the river in lieu of a shower. We then settled down to some seriously delicious meatballs and pasta and a few glasses of red wine. A short trip to the pub for last orders, and then lights out as the stars started to glimmer.
The next morning the tents were struck and we were quickly on the river. Again the day was hot and glorious. Some people had suffered serious sunburn the day before - they were covering up now. Muscles were aching and arms had increased in girth due to the constant paddling. The river was getting wider, and we started to see flotillas of tiny white flowers where the water weed floated near the surface. At one point we passed through 100 swans, feeding on the weed. We also saw lots of cygnets, some geese and goslings, ducks and ducklings and even grebes and grebelings. We made our lunch stop in the middle of Hereford, with a fantastic view of the Cathedral, and an ice cream stall nearby. Lots of people watched us come in to land, and we wondered why until we remembered the Vikings. We even managed to get some sponsorship money from a couple of people in the park where we stopped.
The afternoon was hot and languid and it was hard work to keep paddling as the muslces started to seize up. We still had 8 miles to go, though, so we cooled off with occassional water fights and managed to make it to the next campground in good time. That night we had hot showers in a posh campsite with manicured grass and proper toilets. We ate a huge chicken curry, played a game of american football, a game of rounders, drank a few glasses of wine and then went bed under another starry sky.
The final day was bright and sunny and even hotter. Everyone's muscles were sore and cramped by now, which had been compounded by lying in a tent all night. We made it to the lunch site with no problems and even caught up all the other groups. We all had lunch together then set off for the last stint.
As we paddled, a plan formed and A-team decided to stage an ambush. We found an appropriate spot on a bend in the river, then waited for B and C team to catch up. An almighty water fight ensued, with Ian Burks (CEO of the YMCA) and his wife Pam getting a boat full. A couple of boats were capsized by those with a bit too much testosterone, and the rest were laying low on the river having taking on a bit of excess water. After the fun, we all got out to put things to right, and then gently began the final stretch.
The wind picked up and the paddling was hard. We waited for Caroline and Adrian to catch us up. We were the last group into Ross on Wye. The Vikings decided that we had to take Caroline and Adrian hostage, so we tied them to the back of the Viking boat. As a triumphant entry to the town, we powered down the river, 8 boats abreast with captives trailing behind, calling our war cries and drumming on the boats. We were met with laughter and applause from the rest of the canoeists in the garden of the Hope and Anchor pub, and strange looks from the rest of the pub garden. But we didn't care, we had just completed our YMCA Wye Challenge 2006.