Wild Women SUP Symposium 2023!
And that is wrap! For the 2023 Wild Women SUP symposium. The 2023 WWSUP has been and done! And what a great 4 days it was! The Wild Women SUP Symposium at Cannich was an empowering event celebrating women in stand-up paddleboarding. It featured workshops, networking, and adventures in the stunning Scottish Highlands.
This year the weather gods treated us to some amazing conditions!
Great start to the weekend
22 women registered for this years Symposium, with a good mix of some new faces and some old faces. This years weekend was spread over 4 days with the opportunity to attend workshops on the Friday and finish on the Tuesday with the end of the Mini SUP expedition. The symposium was based out of Cannich, located just off of Loch Ness. Nestled in the glen a perfect location for paddling, camping and sharing our experiences!
The Friday start with a bang, with Jess Philips taking a group for the River SUP! River SUP in the Highlands offers an exhilarating experience, combining adventure and scenic beauty. Paddlers navigate through rugged landscapes, encountering thrilling rapids and serene stretches amid breathtaking Scottish nature.
The ladies were taken down the River Affric, starting at the power station. At the same time another group took advantage of great conditions to do a long distance paddle on Loch Beinn a Mheadhoin. But as we know when there is no wind in Scotland there are MIDGES!
“It was great a good mixture of river skills and just getting through the tricky parts unfortunate moment caught on video where I went over the bumpy bit backwards but she talked us through it all!” Babara Roemmelle (2nd timer on the WWSUP)
Saturday Paddle Session
After the official check-in on Friday night and a few light drinks around the fire, we were all set for Saturday. Four workshops were on the agenda: a long-distance paddle with Helen Trehoret from Barrachou Paddle, River SUP with Emy Mcleod and Jess Philips, Beginner SUP techniques with Clare Scott, and SUP yoga/fitness with Leanne Bird! The variety of workshops allowed paddlers to mix and match their sessions and experience all aspects of SUP paddling.
Saturday night featured the traditional meal and presentation. This time, Margaret Lewis shared her inspirational story about completing 60 things before turning 60. The meal of Chilli Con Carne was a hit, and we ended the evening on a high note with a few drinks before heading to bed for the last day of the event!
Sunday Paddle Session
Sunday’s session was lighter, with Leanne Bird hosting her SUP yoga sessions to alleviate the aching limbs from the day before! I led the distance paddle in the morning, and we finished with a presentation on how to plan a SUP expedition
This was the last official day of the weekend. Next on the agenda was the mini SUP expedition, designed to consolidate the skills learned over the weekend and put them into practice. The plan was to paddle to the end of Loch Affric and set up camp, but the weather gods had other plans. We were forced to abandon this plan and retreat to the more settled Loch Beinn a Mheadhoin, following the principle that flexibility is key when making plans.
SUP Expedition
That night we set up camp in a settled pennisula of the loch, set about making fire and preparing food. As a gift from the gods there was a slight breeze meaning that there were no MIDGES, yet not too windy. After a good night sleep under the stars, wind, rain, and sun, we rose to a sun rise and a slight sprinkling of midges. We packed up and headed off the loch, parting ways after a last coffee, and cake! This
This years event was a great success, the vibe was positive, and encouraging for the 2024 version. For this reason we are changing the location to Arisaig to keep the event fresh. More importantly after listening to the stories of the ladies involved in event I have decided to donate 5 pounds from each of the registration towards Brest Cancer. We also welcome 2 new instructors next year Leeane Mackay and Pat Mcdonald! If you are interested in registrating for next year’s event on the 6 th and 7th September then head over to our page Wild Women SUP Symposium !