What a day we have had on the River Wye today! It started early and after a hearty homecooked breakfast, we headed off to Wyedean Canoe Centre for some training, expertise and fun on the water. We learnt how to dress appropriately and safely, then we practiced paddling forwards, backwards and sideways to follow a given path along the river.

Once we had mastered steering, we then played some great football, catch, chase and turning games to really get to grips with working reciprocally to handle and paddle a canoe. After a bit of a soggy lunch hiding under a tree, we then headed back onto the water to embark on our River Trip for the afternoon.

This comprised the most beautiful scenery, amazing views and would you believe it, some rapids! Yes, that’s right, today Year 5 successfully conquered the Raging Rapids of The River Wye through their teamwork, canoeing skills and reciprocity on the water. Keep an eye out for live footage of the event coming soon! With only a few groundings, we all got safely through to face the next challenge, completing the 6 mile trek to Monmouth, our collection point.

We are blown away with the resilience of the class today as this was a long journey and time to be continuously canoeing. There were no complaints and nothing but dedication and enjoyment from every single member of the class. We all relished this chance to take part in an activity we don’t often get to try, especially with all our friends in the same canoe, on possibly one of the most beautiful rivers in the country.

The day ended with a brilliant campfire full of games, songs, laughs, marshmallows and maybe even a visit form an elephant?!

Well done Year 5, this was a fabulous day, enjoyed by all and definitely one to be proud of. We are pretty sure some of us are going to sleep tonight gently paddling because of the non-stop efforts from today!