Canoeing in the County of the White Rose: Yorkshire

Yorkshire may be well-known for its Dales, its Moors, its stunning scenery and its history, but if you look a little deeper, you’ll discover some great rivers, a vast network of canals and a coastline tailor-made for canoeing. It’s an ideal sport for those with a reasonable fitness level – you don’t need to be an Olympic athlete – and if you want to try it, the county has plenty of choices to help you learn the basics.

River Mountain Experience, based in North Yorkshire, is a home-grown family business with, as the name suggests, loads of experience behind them. They offer various grades of tuition from basic introduction through intermediate to the more advanced. For the novice, their introductory one day course is a relaxed taster and a fun way to grasp the basics with fully qualified instructors. You don’t need any experience and all your safety equipment is provided.

If you have flat water skills already and are keen to up your game to white water, River Mountain Experience’s intermediate course is ideal. This lasts for two days and, based on your capabilities, can lead to a BCU 3 Star Award. Canoes are available for a nominal fee and paddles and helmets can be provided.

Don’t worry if your abilities aren’t quite at that level yet. River Mountain Experience offer a course designed to increase your skill from flat to moving water. The course lasts for one day and focuses on the basics and differences of gentle canoeing in flowing water. You can hire a canoe if needed along with helmets and paddles.

For a great day out with the whole family, why not try a combined picnic and paddle. Yorkshire’s scenic River Ure between Boroughbridge and Ripon is the venue and you can bring your own picnic lunch or – for an additional cost – River Mountain Experience will organise it for you. Their only requirement is that any children should be over seven years of age. Spacious Canadian style canoes are used and hot and cold drinks are also provided.

With a historic and colourful past, its vast areas of unspoiled countryside and industrial towns and cities, Yorkshire serves up a rich and varied landscape. It’s well-known for its heritage of folk music and dance not to mention its cuisine. Add architecture, breweries and sport to the mix and you can understand its popularity for countless tourists. Include its rivers and that scenic coastline and you realise why Yorkshire attracts so many river sports enthusiasts.

For details about River Mountain Experience call 01677-426112 or visit http://www.rivermountainexperience.com.