Every other weekend
River Trips
We try to run a river trip every other weekend, with a variety of different trips catering to all abilities! For beginner trips, we will take you down a fun river section, and coach you on some fundamental skills as we go. This will usually be grade 2/3 water.
01Beginner trips
Before attending a trip, you need to sign up on our Spond! You also need to have paid for membership and have passed the 'wet-exit' check. For the details of our upcoming trips, please visit our Instagram or the Spond event page for the trip in question. Here we will also provide you with an up to date kit list before the trip, and any other details.
The day will usually begin (early!) at Appleton Tower. Though early in the morning, the rivers we travel to are often a fair distance (2+ hrs) from Edinburgh, so it can take some time to get there. Once everyone has arrived, we'll head to the lock ups to collect the following: a boat, a paddle, a helmet, a cag, a wetsuit, a buoyancy aid and a spray deck. All of these items come in different sizes so make sure they fit, and if you're not sure just ask the trip leader for help. We've all been there!
Please bring plenty of warm, thermal layers to wear under your wetsuit and cag! Scottish rivers are cold. Very cold. As there is a good chance you might end up out of your boat, you want to be warm enough. Bring plenty of synthetic baselayers for underneath, and some warm clothes for after.
02Intermediate trips
The intermediate trips follow exactly the same format as the beginner trips, with the sole difference being the difficulty of the rivers being paddled. Where beginner trips usually don't go further than grade 2/3, intermediate trips aim to be grade 3/4(+). Before signing up for one of these trips please speak to the trip leader so they can gauge whether you have the experience to come along. Being able to roll in the pool and having been on a couple of whitewater trips is usually the minimum.
Some of the rivers favoured by the club for intermediate trips are the Etive, the Orchy and the Leny (Garbh Uisge). But Scotland has much more to offer!
03Advanced trips and peer paddling
You'll meet a lot of paddlers when you join EUCC, and some of them like to paddle as much as possible. This is where peer paddling comes in! A lot of our committee members like to dedicate their free time to this, so ask one of them if you're interested in this.
Bear in mind: these trips are unofficial, so you're responsible for your own insurance and safety etc. Peer paddling also doesn't follow the same structure as our club trips, and the grades that are paddled depends on who's coming and what people feel like on the day.
More to explore.
Grade 5 beaters & grade 2 senders welcome
Come and send it with us.
Membership is £80 for the year and includes all the kit, coaching and chaos. Not sure yet? Socials and two pool sessions are free.