Friday Evening Div4 Slalom
The Bala Mill slalom site is on the river Tryweryn, half a mile from the town of Bala on a dam regulated river. With a deep pool below the Mill Falls it provides a year round training and competition site regardless of water release from the Llyn Celyn dam. Bala Canoe club owns the site on one side of the river and with permission from Mr Robin Price of Rhiwlas and the Environment Agency has access to a 500m stretch of water for slalom gates and a further 600m of flat water down to the road bridge in Bala.
Bala Mill falls provides the main feature of the Premier and Division 1 course (it also hosted International and GB selection races in the 1970s and 80s) and can only be used with a flow over 9 cumecs. The rapid falls out of Rhiwlas pool and consists of a progressively technical whitewater for 75 meters, culminating in a rocky drop guarded by a large haystack wave and a cross flow that also drops down the chicken shoot, which is also used by wild water racers as an alternative to the main drop.
The site below the falls itself consists of a pool hosting the training site and division 2, 3 and 4 slaloms. This can be used at any water level, but with a regular release of 9 – 10 cubic metres provides a tongue of fast water, some quick eddies and features and a steady flow to the bottom of the course with a small chute at the egress. On a winter release of 5 cumecs it makes a good training venue under floodlights, with 20 gates giving plenty of variation for technical and physical workouts.
The site is owned and managed by Bala Canoe Club, and includes a large field for parking and occasional camping. Following a lean period, the club is re-establishing itself with over 100 local members, of whom 20–25 take part in regular slalom sessions on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at the Mill, Saturdays at Canolfan Tryweryn and on the lake on Mondays. The club also run freestyle, whitewater and lake sessions on Fridays. Any monies raised by the club at events are used to develop the site, the road and paths are kept in good condition and maintain a building which hosts toilets and a kitchen. Following a spate of vandalism a few years ago, the club building has been required to have a tenant there, so please respect the property if you are using it for races or training and keep to the public footpath or river bank.
If you want to use the site for training, groups can contact Chris Leesmith at Paddleworks in the High Street in Bala, while individuals can join the club (contact Richard Lee on 01678 520337 or richardlee.wca@virgin.net.
Alternatively you can buy a ticket at Canolfan Tryweryn and enjoy 5˝ miles of fresh whitewater 200 days of the year, with releases most weekends between March and October. Check the water info line on 01678 520826 for release information. A comprehensive river guide is available at www.CanoeWales.com.
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