The Plas y Brenin Paddlesport Expedition Symposium

Although the word ‘symposium’ nowadays refers to an academic conference, apparently it was originally coined by the Greeks as to refer to a drinking party. Brilliantly, this weekend’s Paddlesport Expedition Symposium succeeded in occupying a very entertaining mid-ground between the two.

The event bought together paddlers of all types from all over the country to, in the spirit of the Ancient Greeks, “debate, plot, boast, or simply to party with others”. The weekend was jam packed with facinating talks, workshops and discussions covering everything from canoe poling, to bear proofing your kit, to leadership styles and group dynamics. With all this going on and a fresh dump of snow there wasn’t a lot of time for actual paddling, however some brave paddlers took to the water to demo our new Mad River Canoes (the Reflection is the best icebreaker in case you’re wondering!).

My personal highlight was a special preview of Justine Curgenven’s new DVD “This is Canoeing”. It’s beautifully filmed and packed with amazingly diverse characters from around the world  – canoe dance anyone? – all with a huge passion for canoeing. You could show your mum this film and be confident she’d be asking to tag along on your next trip. Check out the short preview clip below:

It’s out in early March and we’ve got two signed copies to give away – keep an eye on the Facebook page for a chance to win one.
More here: http://www.cackletv.com/canoeing/this-is-canoeing/

Tarpology, firestarting, woodsplitting and cooking at Jule’s bushcraft workshop was another highlight for many. Complete with cake!

Thanks to everyone at Plas y Brenin and everyone who came along and helped to make the weekend so successful. We’ll see you there next year.

Many more images on facebook