Kayaking / Canoeing

Come rain or shine, there is always time to explore your wet and wild side at the Summit Centre!

Wikipedia says, "Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving across water. It is differentiated from canoeing by the fact that a kayak has a closed cockpit and a canoe has an open cockpit. They also use a two bladed paddle. Another major difference is in the way the paddler sits in the boat. Kayakers sit in a seat on the bottom of the boat with their legs extended out in front of them…"

The Summit Centre set in the beautiful Taff Bargoed Valley, runs exciting kayaking adventures all year round to suit all ages. The centre is located less than half a mile from our two purpose-built kayaking lakes, in the Parc Taff Bargoed, a fun and exciting community park situated between the three small villages of Bedlinog, Trelewis and Treharris. The park is open all year round, attracts all ages, and offers various leisure and sporting activities, the most popular of these being the kayaking sessions run here at the Summit Centre.

Our kayaking coach and technical expert is proficient to level IV kayaking, and we have all the instruction, top of the range kayaks, and safety equipment to ensure your adventure is as safe and as comfortable as possible. Weather permitting, three canoe weirs provide an adequate challenge for beginners and intermediates alike. A half-day session is available for local flatwater adventures.

We can also arrange custom kayaking expeditions outside of the controlled area of the park. Exciting new river trips can push your kayaking experience to the limit, and can range across a variety of rivers and lakes in South Wales. You should expect an exciting full day of flat or moving water kayaking if you want to tackle a remote location. Contact us now for details on booking a full day at the secret spots only our expert guides know about!

Starting Out- What’s In It For Me?

Kayaking is a great activity for encouraging team-building, leadership and self-confidence, as well as having useful problem-solving applications. It can be the most intense and the most serene of pastimes, whether conquering exciting whitewater rapids or paddling at a slow pace while watching the sunset.

There are also various health benefits to paddling your heart out once in a while! Kayaking works every muscle group in the upper body, as well as using some lower body muscle groups and enhancing coordination and balance. Moving at an average speed of around five miles per hour will burn over 400 calories in an hour. A half-day session of kayaking at the Summit Centre puts you in the water for about three hours, so that’s an average of 1200 calories burned in a single session…a weightwatcher’s dream!