A kayakers POV - Packrafting the River Usk

This January, Staff from CIWW set off to the river Usk for a Packrafting trip. The aim was to practise and polish skills in these new crafts and to get to grips with the benefits and limitations that Packrafting offers. CIWW has recently purchased several Alpacka Rafts, which are super lightweight handmade boats from a small company in the USA.

We managed to pick a rare January day with sun and blue skies, which made the surrounding Usk valley even nicer to admire as we paddled and walked our way up the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal to our put-in on the River Usk. A short walk separates the canal and river, which was an easy-going downhill walk whilst carrying light Packrafts. 

As a kayaker, it’s fair to say that I had some reservations (or prejudices) about how the Packrafts would perform on moving water, namely the speed of the boats, as well as the stability and rigidity throughout a river trip. I am pleased to report that they are pretty speedy, more stable than a kayak and are rigid enough to have ‘edges’. They were easy to manoeuvre through rapids and they will even surf happily on small waves and stoppers. I can see these boats opening up the whitewater environment for a bigger number of people who might not otherwise have the means to.

The team Packrafted their way down several Kilometres of grade 2-3 water, including the picturesque Mill Falls, where we tried several different routes with the Rafts. We took the opportunity to practise some incident scenarios, one of which resulted in Blinky being stranded on a rock, and his boat stuck in a stopper – the Jury is out on whether either was intentional! After extracting the Packraft and retrieving Blinky, we spent some time on some of the Usk’s small waves, surfing and moving around rapids. We were all surprised how well the boats surf, and how easy they were to control on the waves. Towards the end of the section, Dan and James tried a tricky route through a steeper drop, which resulted in them demonstrating how easy it was to exit and re-enter the Packrafts! After this excitement we reached the end of our whitewater section and walked up from the river to rejoin the canal. We paddled and walked our way back to our vehicle at the start, enjoying the still water of the canal and the winter sun.

This was a new experience for most of us, and I’m happy to say it was a good one. I think these new crafts will allow a much wider variety of people to get a taste of whitewater, as well as opening up new trip possibilities for those with some river experience under their belts. 

Packrafting is more than just a physical adventure; it’s a chance to reconnect with oneself and appreciate the beauty of our natural world. Each journey offers a new experience, and I can’t wait to plan my next trip. Whether you’re a seasoned outdoor enthusiast or a beginner, I encourage you to try packrafting. It might just lead you to unforgettable adventures and a deeper love for nature.

Happy paddling, and see you on the water!