River Wye SUP Expedition - Everything you need to know!
We’ve put together this detailed guide on our River Wye SUP Expedition to give you all the info you may need before booking and for simple planning once you’ve confirmed your spot!
We’ll be covering:
Travel to us by public transport or driving
Your arrival
Packing and packing list
Paddling
Where we will camp
Health and safety
DESTINATION
The Wye is one of the prettiest rivers in Britain. It rises in the mountains of mid-Wales and becomes part of the border between Wales and England before meeting the Bristol Channel. In its lower stretches between Hay-on-Wye and Monmouth, where we’ll be paddling, it meanders through the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty which includes dramatic limestone gorges, native woodlands, impressive geology, a rich history of hillforts, castles and a Cistercian abbey, as well as a plethora of valuable wildlife.
LOGISTICS
WHATSAPP GROUP
We will create a WhatsApp group for your trip; please use this to plan any travel together if you wish. This can be helpful to reduce the cost of driving/renting cars, or maybe sharing a cabin on the sleeper train!
You’ll only be able to access the WhatsApp group once you have confirmed your booking with us.
GETTING TO US
Our meeting point on day one is also the end point of our three day adventure. We meet here, sort out all our stuff, leave bags in vehicles there and then take a minibus to the start when we’re ready to hit the water.
Meeting point: Lucksall Caravan & Camping Park, Fiddler's Green, Hereford HR1 4LP.
We will meet you within Lucksall Caravan & Camping Park, near the entrance and café, at 10.30am. If you fancy arriving a bit earlier and having breakfast or a coffee before we meet, the café there is a good spot!
BY PUBLIC TRANSPORT
Option 1:
Take a train to Newport train station (South Wales). You will be collected by a minibus from the front of the station and taken to our start point, which will take about an hour. The minibus will be run by Malpus minibus service. The usual meeting point for the minibus will be outside the main entrance to the station, the minibus will be in the bus stop/taxi area layby (to the left when exiting the station).
Option 2:
Take a train to Hereford train station, and take a taxi to Lucksall Caravan and Camping Park for an 10.30am arrival. This is 15-20 minutes from Hereford in a taxi.
DRIVING
If you are driving, please drive to the layby outside Lucksall Caravan & Camping and park there by 10.30am. The google map location is HERE.
We strongly recommend car sharing - you can arrange this on your WhatsApp group! Aside from the environmental benefits, there is often not much space for car parking at our meeting point.
ARRIVAL DAY
Your first expedition is filled with excitement, but maybe a few nerves, we’re breaking down the first day to give you an idea of what to expect.
On arrival at meeting point (which is also the end point of our adventure):
welcome briefing
pack bags - transfer your kit into our dry bags
leave unneeded kit in the guides’ van or your vehicle
change into paddling gear
When we are ready to hit the water we will then hop onto a minibus and get taken to our start point!
We’ll try to get on the water as soon as possible on day one, but there are lots of moving parts so please be patient.
DEPARTURE ON DAY 3
Option 1
Drop off in guides’ minibus at Newport train station by 5pm
Option 2
Take a taxi from our end point to Hereford train station from about 3.30 pm
Driving:
You will have left your vehicle at the end point (also our meeting point on day one) so you should be ready to depart by about 3.30 pm.
THE PADDLING
We don’t publish an exact itinerary as we have various different routes and campsites and these change depending on the season, conditions, and group. As a guide:
We’ll be paddling between 10 and 20 km per day, downstream.
We will have plenty of stops for tea, coffee, hot chocolate and snacks, or to admire the scenery or look at wildlife.
There are lots of fun “mini-rapids” on the Wye. Our guides will help us navigate these and teach us the best paddle techniques to use on fast flowing water.
On the final day we will finish where our guides’ minibus and our own vehicles are parked. On arrival here we will need to deflate all our boards, hand back our kit and repack our bags, before getting everything into the minibus. People with their own vehicles can depart from here, others will be taken to Newport train station in the minibus (it can be a bit of a squash with all the boards in there too!) for anyone departing that way.
CAMPING
We will be provided with small, lightweight tents. We will be camping in proper campsites near the river. The facilities in these campsites vary, but at a minimum there will be toilets and cold running water. Some may have warm showers, so feel free to bring a small towel. These campsites are basic but can also be quite busy during the summer months. They are not wild campsites as wild camping is illegal in England and Wales. The benefit of being in civilization means we can have a good pub meal on our final evening!
Make sure you bring enough clothes to keep you warm and dry in the evenings and overnight.
There will be some spots where you can wild swim at or near the campsites. Be aware that the water quality in the Wye could be better, so please make your own informed decision about wild swimming - we do not recommend swallowing the water!
WATER & TOILET FACILITIES
There will be running water at all the campsites we stay in. Please make sure you bring a good sized water bottle - there won’t be much opportunity to fill up bottles during the day. Our guides will carry some extra drinking water with them.
As well as running water there will be toilets at the campsites, and some have showers as well.
The biggest question we get before any expedition is ‘how do we go to the toilet’?
We will have the opportunity to use the facilities at the campsites we stay at, so we recommend using these shortly before we set off, as there are not many facilities whilst we are paddling. We stop regularly on the river banks for drinks and “wild wees”.
For those of you who will be on your period during the expedition, we have all had this experience and are happy to address any questions you may have about this! We will need to dispose of any waste properly; if you do not use a menstruation cup, remember to bring extra zip lock bags for your waste.
TICKS
There are ticks in the countryside around the Wye. We recommend avoiding walking through or weeing in long grass (where they live and can transfer themselves onto you), and to tuck your trousers into your socks in the evenings off the board to avoid gaps in your clothing. Use insect repellent. Our guides will have tick removal tools with them and can help remove ticks if you find them. Ticks do tend to like warm, damp places, so make sure you check yourself over every day, especially in your groin, armpits, and torso. If you have had a tick and later develop a “target rash” around the bite area, please seek medical advice for Lyme Disease and do let us know so that we can follow up. This is rare, and ticks are nothing to panic about - but it is best to be aware.
SAFETY
This adventure will be managed by a WSA Expedition Guides who will act as head guides on the expedition. We will be carrying a group first aid kit and communication suitable to the environment. All our guides are qualified and insured to work in this environment.
WEATHER
We paddle come rain or shine, so please pack a waterproof jacket and trousers and other appropriate clothing if the forecast is wet. We will monitor the weather leading up to the start of the journey and during and if we feel the weather conditions are unsafe or too challenging, we will notify you as soon as possible. We do reserve the right to postpone or cancel the journey due to weather, should it be necessary.
FOOD
We can cater for all dietary requirements and will request this information when you book. If you are not sure you have made us aware, or have changed dietary requirements since booking, please make sure you let us know asap.
Please ensure you arrive on day one having had a good breakfast and bring a packed lunch for the first day. On night one, we will eat a boil in the bag expedition meal for dinner, which is nutritious and surprisingly tasty!
We will provide two breakfasts in the form of porridge pots (days two and three), two fresh lunches (days two and three) and one dinner (day one). On our second and final evening, we will have dinner at a pub near the river. This dinner is not included in the price.
We will also provide some snack bars, but we recommend bringing some of your own as well to supplement these. Paddling is hungry work and staying well fuelled is key.
SPENDING MONEY
You will need money / cards for your meal and drinks on your final night at the pub, and there are various places to buy food and drink at some of the campsites as well.
TRAVEL INSURANCE
Please make sure that you are covered by a medical and personal accident insurance policy that covers paddleboarding.
THE GUTSY GIRLS APPROACH
At Gutsy Girls, we aim to create a community for women seeking adventures, taking on new challenges, facing fears and having incredible experiences together. Gutsy Girls is for all women; using the outdoors to unite them: women of all races, ages, sexual orientations, cultures and backgrounds.
We offer our guests the opportunity to discover new sports and activities or to pursue old ones, and promise them that this will take place in a supportive, non-intimidating and fun environment - to help them push their boundaries and discover a new, more confident version of themselves, discover new passions and meet new friends.
We are passionate about providing the best experiences and service and recognise our responsibility to the people and places we visit on our trips.
PACKING & LUGGAGE
It makes sense to pack fairly light for this trip since you will be carrying everything on your board. However, please don’t skimp on warm or waterproof clothing, and make sure you have one full change of clothes in case you get rained on or fall in! Be aware that as well as the kit you bring, you will need to fit in a small tent and your food and snacks which will be given to you at the start.
PACKING LIST
The water can be cold and the weather can change quickly. Off the water we will be living outside, so warm clothes will most likely be required.
WE PROVIDE:
Stand up paddleboard and paddle
Leash and waist belt
Small, lightweight tent
Sleeping mat
Buoyancy Aid
Long John Wetsuit (a 2mm wetsuit with long legs and a vest style top section for ease of arm movement. These do not tend to be too tight or constrictive.)
Dry bags - one 75 l and one 25 l, plus two smaller lightweight dry bags.
Water/Windproof paddling jacket
If you would like to use your own equipment, please send us the details on the board you have so we can check its suitability.
YOU WILL NEED:
KIT
Sleeping Bag (2 or 3 season)
Head torch (including spare batteries)
Mug (plastic or metal)
Spoon / fork / spork
Warm wetsuit boots or shoes to wear on the board - with a sturdy sole for walking on sharp rocks
Inflatable / camping pillow (optional)
Water bottle (1 ltr at least)
HYGIENE
Wash kit including some toilet paper
Towel (Microfibre/fast drying)
Suncream (waterproof / reef safe)
Any prescription medication
Trowel (lightweight)
Insect repellent
CLOTHING
For paddling; depending on the temperature, we recommend wearing swim wear or sports style underwear, then a thermal or lighter running top underneath your long john wetsuit, with a thin fleece and the waterproof paddling jacket (provided) on top if it is chilly
Cap
Warm hat
Swimwear
Sunglasses
Trainers / boots for dry land (waterproof recommended)
Waterproof trousers
Insulated jacket
Warm clothing for the evenings (base layers, fleeces)
Sleepwear
OTHER STUFF
Camera (waterproof, remember GoPros sink without a float!)
Battery pack to charge your phone / watch (or go technology free for the weekend!)
Waterproof case for your phone if you want to take pictures
£1 coins for the showers at the first campsite
Snacks
