Up the Conwy

The Conwy Ascent race is a must for racing or touring paddlers diary. This event is well established and is always run in a pleasingly relaxed manner by Dyffryn Conwy Paddlers.

There is always a 'Le Mans' style racing start with all competitors lined up along the top of the beach. When the word is given, everyone dashes down the beach to their kayaks to launch as quickly as possible, and get under way.

The course starts at 'The Beacons' car park and beach at the mouth of the Conwy estuary and uses the flooding tide as it winds its way 15 kilometres upstream to Dolgarrog Bridge.

The combination of a weak neap tide and strong headwinds meant that no course records were in danger of being broken this time.