The Cynefin Beacon Information & Inspiration

Graduating Class of 2022

It is with great pleasure and countless fond memories, that we say a very big and well deserved congratulations to our Graduates of 2022:

BA (Hons) Outdoor Adventure Education

Aaron Reddy* -- Finley Broadhead -- Dominic Hole -- Samwise Buckley -- Daniel Hardy -- Jordan Thomas -- Cameron Grant -- Tamin Trongklang (Award Winner: Endeavour)

* Diploma Outdoor Adventure Education

BA Adventure Filmmaking

Tom Smith -- Will Sharp -- Liam Newitt -- Joe Barthorpe -- Jack Latham

We wish everyone of you the very best with your future adventures!

Photo: Graduation, 2022

Climbing Olympics

For the first time, since the inaugural games in, 1896, the Tokyo 2020 / 2021 Olympic Games saw the inclusion of Climbing as a medal sport.

From the moment it was announced in, 2016, climbers all over the world started gearing-up for the worlds first, Climbing Olympics! However, Tokyo 2020 / 2021 took the conventional format of competition climbing (Bouldering and Lead Climbing) and introduced a very contemporary, yet horizon changing new format, which quickly became adopted as the Olympic Format:

Speed -- Boulder -- Lead

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Speed

The new addition to competition climbing, where a standardised route is used for two climbers to race up a 15m vertical wall, head-to-head, in an electronic timer controlled, straight knock-out format.

Boulder

Where each climber has 4 minuets to progress as far as possible through a set boulder problem, up to 4.5m high, hoping to reach the zone hold (half way), or ideally, the Top, in as few attempts as possible.

This is followed by 4 minuets rest. Followed by another 4 minuets to attempt the next problem, and so on.

Lead

This is conventional climbing, where, one at a time, climbers lead up a 15m high, 6m overhanging wall, clipping their rope for safety as they progress, as far as possible within a time-limit. Each hold is numbered to mark progress against the time it takes to get there, or ideally, to the Top.

Scoring

Further to this, there was a savage scoring system introduced where climbers ranking from Speed, was multiplied by their ranking from Boulder and then again by their ranking from Lead - designed to reward excellence as well as consistency - which lead to a nail-biting conclusion to the men's final!

If you didn't watch it, its worth catching up!

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Full of excitement from watching this world's-first, we have decided to organise our very own:

(This was originally planned back in February but was cancelled due to sports hall renovations!)

UWTSD Climbing Olympics

We are organising an Olympic Format competition, which will be open to all Sport, Health Outdoor Education, and Adventure Filmmaking students.

UWTSD Climbing Olympics will be held between the UWTSD Sports Centre Climbing Wall, the Cynefin Bouldering Wall and, The Hangout at Haverfordwest Leisure Centre.

Routes and Problems will be from celebrity route setters, including BA OAE Graduates, Fin Broadhead, and author of the new South Wales Bouldering guidebook, Eliot Stephens.

Spaces are limited.

Good Luck!

We'd also like to take this opportunity to say a huge thanks to our sponsors, without who this event wouldn't be possible:

Pembrokeshire Leisure -- Llandysul Paddlers -- UWTSD Sports Centre

Photo: Olympics, Climbing

Cyfleoedd i ddatblygu Cymraeg wrth astudio ym

Mhrifysgol Cymru y Drindod Dewi Sant

Croeso i Brifysgol Cymru y Drindod Dewi Sant! Tra’n astudio a byw’n Gorllewin Cymru efallai byddai gennych ddiddordeb i ddefnyddio bach o Gymraeg neu byddech yn hoffi cael y cyfle i ddysgu ambell gair yn Gymraeg. Pa bynnag cam i chi arno – medrwn eich cefnogi.

Fy enw i ydy Heddwen a gallaf eich helpu chi gyda’ch astudiaethau. Boed yn elfennau o fodiwlau (at level 4, 5, 6 & 7) yn Gymraeg neu wrth gefnogi chi’n cyffredinol. Yn academaidd, ar lefel 4 – ceir modylau ‘Dysgu yn yr Oes Ddigidol’ a ‘Heriau Cyfoes : Gwneud Gwahaniaeth’ ar gael yn ddwyieithog.

Cliciwch ar y linc yma i wylio fideo byr o Jon fi’n cloncan. Pob dydd Iau am 1.30pm dewch draw i adeilad Yr Egin ac yno mae caffi o’r enw - Y Sied. Yma, bydd cyfle i gloncan yn anffurfiol dros baned yn ein sesiwn o ‘Paned a Sgwrs’ gan ymarfer defnyddio’r gieiriau sydd yn y fideo.

Mae cyllid ar gael oddi wrth Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol ac mae gan y Brifysgol fframwaith ‘Bwrsarïau ac Ysgoloriaethau’ i roi i fyfyrwyr sy’n astudio canran o gredydau, sef, 10 credyd o’r cwrs yn ddwyieithog neu drwy’r Gymraeg. Mae’r ffurflenni cais ar gael ar safle we yma.

Mae ein Gwasanaethau Myfyrwyr yn ennill cryn dipyn o ganmoliaeth gan ein myfyrwyr ac mae swyddogion profiadol yno sy’n medru’r Gymraeg fydd yn barod iawn i gyd-weithio â chi yn Gymraeg neu’n Saesneg. Mae eu harlwy hwy’n eang iawn - e.e. gwersi ar sut i gyfeirnodi a helpu gydag ysgrifennu academaidd.

• Campws Caerfyrddin:
• Ffôn: 01267 676830
• E-bost: gwasanaethaumyfyrwyr@pcydds.ac.uk

Petai chi eisiau gwybod mwy am unrhywbeth nodwyd amdano uchod – plis peidiwch oedi rhag ebostio fi Heddwen.davies@uwtsd.ac.uk. Pob hwyl!

Ysgrifennwyd gan Heddwen Davies (Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol & Darlithydd PCYDDS)

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Opportunities to Develop Your Welsh

Whilst Studying at University of Wales Trinity St Davids

Welcome – Croeso to University of Wales Trinity St Davids! Whilst studying and living in West Wales you may be interested to learn and use some Welsh, or you may like to be able to brush up on the Welsh you already know. Either way - at whatever stage you are – we can support you.

My name is Heddwen & I can help you either whilst you study some elements of some modules (at level 4, 5, 6 & 7) in Welsh or by supporting you in learning some Welsh in general. Academically – at level 4 - modules such as ‘Learning in the Digital Era’ and ‘Contemporary Challenges : Making a Difference’ are available bilingually.

Click on this link to watch a short video of myself chatting with Jon. Every Thursday at 1.30pm in the Egin Building – there’s a café called - Y Sied. Here, there’s an opportunity to chat informally over a cuppa and the phrases used in this video will be used in ‘Paned a Sgwrs’.

Funds are available from Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol & the University have Bursaries and Scholarships to give those who study as little as 10credits worth in Welsh. Bursaries are available for studying some of your modules and credits Bilingually and/or in Welsh. more information can be found here.

Our Student Services are highly praised across all campuses & here are experienced members of staff there who would gladly support you with your academic work in English and Welsh.

• Campws Caerfyrddin: / Carmarthen Campus:
• Ffôn / Phone: 01267 676830
• E-bost / E-mail: studentservices@uwtsd.ac.uk

If there is anything you’d like to know more about or anything you’d like to know I haven’t mentioned - please do not hesitate to e-mail me at Heddwen.davies@uwtsd.ac.uk . All the very best! Hwyl fawr!

Written by Heddwen Davies (Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol & UWTSD Lecturer)

Photo: Welsh Flag

OAE Expeditions 2023

Our annual programme of expeditions proved extremely successful in 2022. So much so, we are back with a bigger list of OAE Expeditions for 2023!

Hot-Rock Climbing

Sea Kayaking & Wild Camping

UK Rock Climbing

Snowdonia Scrambles

Bikepacking Wales

Keep your eyes pealed for you OAE Expeditions newsletter coming very soon!

A Wet and Windy Scottish Canoe Trip of Many Plans

Every good adventure starts with a road trip. Ours started at 5.30am in the university car park in the dark and rain. Coordinating 25 people, each with a week’s worth of kit, 2 minibuses and canoe trailers, along with 16 canoes is no easy task. By 7am we were finally ready to leave. Just over 24 hours later we arrived at our first wild camp site. Early the next day, we headed into Fort William for last minute food and kit purchases. Once our shopping was completed our 2 groups went our separate ways. My group headed to look at Loch Shiel from Glenfinnan, but the wind was too strong there, so we continued to look for another spot to start paddling. Several hours and plans later, we ended up on the shores of Loch Moidart by Tioram Castle. We had lots of time on our hands, so we set up a camp village with all our tents and tarps. We did our best to get a fire going but the wet conditions defeated us in the end, so we retreated to the lecturers’ camp and fire to make dinner.

The next day saw our first day of paddling on Loch Shiel from Acharacle. For some of the group it was their first time in a canoe, so two of the canoes were tied together in a catamaran. Once our boats were sorted, we had our last proper bathroom trip for a few days. After that, we were ready to get on the water, heading northeast. We made our way steadily up the loch with plenty of rest breaks for those getting used to their canoes. After a little while, we decided to try our hand at sailing all in one big group off one sail, which ended with us just drifting to the other side of the loch only to eventually paddle back across. There’s an interesting ancient burial ground on an island which we stopped to have a look and made use of the old moorings. The next stop of the day was to find a camp spot and the 1st year Adventure Filmmakers did us proud with the spot they found. We had 2 successful campfires that night and had fun chatting round both.

The following day we had a lazy morning of tasty breakfasts including pancakes. My canoe partner, Lewis, and I were given the chance to paddle ahead of the others on our own which felt freer than sticking together in one big group. After a brief meet up, we set off again to find a spot for lunch, which we did on what we christened Lunch Island. On the way there, and once we arrived, we were battered by wind, hail, and rain with random bursts of sunshine and rain. From there we battled against strong headwinds a short way up the loch before deciding to try and wait out the wind. Once we eventually decided to continue our journey up the loch, the heavens opened with wind and hail that seemed never ending. Defeated, we decided to retrace our tracks and find a camp spot back towards the Acharacle end of the loch. We ended up heading all the way back to the previous night’s camp spot, only to find that it had been taken by some sea kayakers we’d seen earlier in the day. This was a real low point for our group with us all desperate to find somewhere to stop and camp. We had many fruitless stops to try and find somewhere to camp until Denise found what turned out to be our favourite camp of the trip. After hitting such a low point towards the end of the paddle, we had our favourite moment in the evening with all of us around one campfire sharing sweet potato chips.

The next morning, we continued to “retrace our strokes” back towards Acharacle once again against a head wind. At Acharacle we had a brief café stop before jumping back on the water. As I was pulling the canoe towards the edge of the loch, I manged to fall and roly-poly backwards landing with my head fully submerged without getting any other part of me wet, making me the first to fall in on the trip! We then paddled down the River Shiel over some moving water, yet we still managed to spend a lot of it paddling into the wind. We stopped just before the major rapid to have a look and decided that no one would paddle it. As we pulled up, we thought for a moment that we were going to lose a pair backwards down the rapid, but we managed to grab hold of them. By the rapid there are a series of pools which we portaged down, floating down in the boats for some of it and lining the boats down in the shallower sections. This was my highlight of the trip learning new expedition techniques and it just felt really cool! From ther we paddled round to Tioram castle again. Some of us saw a seal on our way round and others saw an otter. I also collected some mussels, which I later regretted when it came to preparing and cooking them, but they did taste good! Our mood was dampened slightly just after landing on the beach by high winds and a hailstorm…again.

We decided to spend the next day as tourists after loading the canoes up, which involved a short paddle round the castle for some of us. We had a look at the Harry Potter viaduct before heading into Fort William for some showers and some shop browsing. The other group had found somewhere to camp in Cumbria, so we headed off to join them, cutting some time off the next day’s journey. The next day we got an early start and made it back to Carmarthen just after lunch time. We made quick work of sorting, cleaning, and drying kit before heading home. Despite the weather and the constantly changing plans, or perhaps because of them, we learnt a lot, especially about expedition planning. We also had lots of fun, and it gave me a renewed enjoyment for paddling.

Written by Beth Darby (OAE Level 6 Student)

Photo: Canoeing & Wild Camping Expedition, Loch Shiel

Protect Your Ears….. Wear Ear Plugs!!

Getting to work, play and live on the water for the last two decades has been a dream. You’ll often hear me say stuff like “I love my job”, “this beats working for a living” or “I’ve had an easy paper round”! However, this idyllic lifestyle of going where the wind and swell takes me has incurred a hidden cost.

For a number of years I’ve suffered from problems with my ears, ranging from water getting trapped in my ears causing mild ear ache, combined with constant hearing issues and uncomfortable ear infections, to at its worse, chronic pain that had all but removed the joy from being in, on, or around water. The sudden onset of temporary hearing loss in one ear, forced me to realise it was time to get this seen to. So with the ENT consultant peering deep into my ear canal I hear - in my good ear! - the dreaded words, “You’re going to have to have exostosis removal surgery”. My ears were in a pretty bad way, my left ear was 95% closed with permanent hearing loss in the near future a real possibility. Exostosis is the fancy name for the now relatively well known condition of “Surfers Ear”. In cold water locations with windy conditions, surfers ear becomes more common. Cold, wet skin layers and wind team up to create a refrigeration effect within the ear canal encouraging blood to flow to the affected area resulting in the layering down of new bony growth (exostoses) which left unchecked can narrow the ear canal.

Surfers ear (not so) fun facts!!

• With regular cold water immersion, they can take as little as 5 years to develop.
• Cold water is anything below 20 degrees (so any time of year in the UK).
• The severity of the bone growths varies from person to person.
• The number of people with the condition has risen along with the development of better wetsuits and equipment, we can now stay in the water for longer.
• Studies have shown over 80% of people surfing longer than 10 years had growths, with 50% of these suffering with the highest grade of closure.

Check out this short video explaining the condition.

So for me, worryingly the time for surgery had come. For years I’d heard the horror stories of other people’s surgeries. Horrific stories of incisions behind the ear before flapping the ear back for easy access for the drill...! I was delighted to learn that, surgery techniques had improved and are now far less invasive. Regardless of that however, the very expensive surgery would require a general anaesthetic, with the added joy of potential facial paralysis due to nerve damage. This would be followed by a lengthy and at times painful recovery, restricting me to very little physical activity, which consequently seriously affected my physical and mental health.

So please learn from my mistakes.

WEAR EAR PLUGS!!

Start wearing them consistently now.

It is proven that consistently wearing well-fitting water specific ear plugs can prevent the onset of the growths. There are loads of types out there, make sure you get a pair that can be sized to fit you and ideally still let you hear what is going on around you. They don’t cost too much and will save you a fortune in the long run. I’m back on the water now, and loving every minute. The surgery has gone great, the worst ear is nearly healed. Time will tell if the other ear will require surgery, but without question ear plugs will always have to feature in my life otherwise they will grow back. Make them a feature of your life from now on and hopefully you’ll be able to avoid this unfortunate consequence of leading an adventurous lifestyle.

Written by Jon Haylock (OAE Technician)

Photo: Jon's Surf Ears, Coasteering