For the 4th year in a row a trip down the River Barle marks the start of my winter white water session here in the Uk. The river Barle being my second white water kayaking trip seems like a long time ago, paddling for survival in one of the University of Surrey Canoe Club boats on my second trip since starting university. Now 4 years on I find myself drifting down the river in my play boat drifting along enjoying the sights. This year I joined Blackwater Valley Canoe Club for the trip, along with 5 other ex-Surrey students.

After spending the morning in university on Friday the quickest packed I’d managed to do in a long time, we hit the road and headed for exmoor down the A303, a road that I normally get to know quiet well over the winter months. For the weekend we were staying at Dulverton Residential Center, somewhere we have all stayed a number of times before. The hostel has to be one of the most confusing layouts that I have experienced in a bunkhouse, with a basement kitchen, and 2 upstairs floors of bedrooms connected by what seems like a maze of staircases. That said it is one of the most comfortable bunkhouses we stay in each year, combined with central heating which is well worth it given the freezing temperatures that we’re forecast each night.

This weekend there seemed to be a lack of water in the river, just enough to float down the river but continuous rock dodging especially on the Saturday where we paddled from Tar Steps to Dulverton. The paddling on the Sunday was much better, aided possibly from some rain on Saturday night where we continued down the river to exe bridge.