Another car shuffle... Another Greta

It was to Halton again today, like it was last week, however we arrived an hour earlier to allow for any change of venue, which some of us, me included, did, whilst others stayed at Halton. Those that stayed at Halton were the beginners from my club, but I felt it was a shame to waist all the water we had, had over the past week so four of us headed elsewhere in the general direction of Keswick, where we were meeting another paddler and one of their buddies. Whilst en-route to the motorway from Halton another paddler, who I've paddled with on several occasions, passed us going in the opposite direction, spun their car around and followed us to Keswick.

I may just point out at this point that I had made unofficial arrangements of sorts, through the UK Rivers Guidebook, to meet the Design Crisis lads in the South Lakes to paddle with them. However, it didn't work out, but it didn't really matter as I had a group to paddle with and we were heading to check out Newlands Beck. A river/beck I had never done and it is supposedly a nice grade 3/4 paddle. Good stuff.

On the way to Keswick we got a phone call from the paddler we were meeting in Keswick to say that Newlands Beck was a bit too low so plans were changed to paddle the Greta, which we thought would be absolutely tanking it down. It was not, when we peered over the bridge at Thelkeld the water was just over the white mark that has been placed on the bridge, but it was on.

It was back in the car to Keswick to meet up with the caller and their mate. Here we moved onto the climbing wall in Keswick to get changed and re-arrange some boats before heading back to Thelkeld Bridge to get on the river and head downstream. The river was nothing outstanding, I can honestly say that I have never been struck by the Greta, maybe with another two/three foot of water it would be this amazing river in some outstanding scenery, but I've just never caught it right.

Two hours later we were off the water and back at the climbing wall. People got changed, drivers were dispatched to get the cars from the top and everything was loaded up before we headed back to the M6 and Halton. I think I may have forgot to mention that I had managed to get a lift up to Keswick, so I was needing to get back to my house now. We pulled into the car park at Halton to find one lone car with boats on in the car park. Boats were moved around on this car and I was heading for home.

Good lines, stay safe and see you on the wet stuff...
Iain

T'other Greta

This trip was organised about 10 hours before I was actually picked up, on the pool side at Fulwood Leisure Centre where I was instructing one of my paddling buddies to front deck roll. I just mentioned: "fancy paddling tomorrow?" and they did. So one simple text later at half-eight the following morning we had a destination sorted and I was picked up a couple of minutes later. We were on the road heading for a lay-by near Junction 34 where we were to meet another two paddlers; who I have never paddled with, but I do think I have met them before on some riverbank.


Kit was sorted out in the lay-by, all the boats were thrown on the roof of the Transit van and dry gear was shoved in the other van once we were changed. Then it was back on the road to the get out for the Ingleton Greta. Here the van with all the dry kit in was abandoned on the grass verge and we all piled into the Transit van, which carried onto Ingleton.


We put on the river about half-an-hour later with many other paddlers who were enjoying all the rain we had, had over the past week, but now the sun was shining and life couldn't get much better.


This was my first time on the river and what struck me the most was how scenic it was. The river meandered through open farmland with the Ingleton fells constantly over your shoulder. It made for some nice photography and it turned an easy grade II river into a very nice day's paddle.


We eventually reached the end of the river, where we had left the van, which wasn't the Transit van, about three-to-four hours later exhausted, hungry and a bit cold. It had been a nice paddle though, especially as it was totally unexpected, what with not having anything organised until the late hours of Friday night.

Drivers were dispatched to Ingleton and I was left to watch over the boats and take the final shot of the day (below), which put a really nice end to things.


I'm off paddling again tomorrow, not sure where yet, as I put a shout-out on the UK Rivers Guidebook to see if I could hook up with any paddlers in the Lakes.

More pictures can be found here.

Good lines, stay safe and see you on the wet stuff...
Iain

2007/08

I got a letter through today from PGL, one of the three companies I have applied to for work during my Gap Year. The letter I got sounded positive ("...you have the potential to make an excellent asset to the PGL staff team"), and I'm hoping it's going to work out for me and I get placed in France for the majority of the year instructing English school kids to kayak, whilst also getting in some of my own personal paddling on some Alpine rivers.

As for the present, the situation for the weekend is looking good. There is still alot of water around in the Lakes and Howgills, and just as much in Scotland and Wales, though it is unlikely that I'll get to the last two destinations. Maybe I'll get out on both Saturday and Sunday and start making headway on the list of rivers I want to do this season:

• Upper Lune (done)
• Rawthey
• Clough
• Hindburn
• Roeburn
• Kent - with lots of water; not just the low levels I'm used to
• Sprint
• Mint
• Duddon

That's all for now.

Good lines, stay safe and see you on the wet stuff...
Iain

It looked to be a good weekend...

I've just finished checking out all the online paddling stuff for the UK. It was the usuall stuff really start off on the UK Rivers Guidebook and head on - eventually after looking at photos, videos and websites linked from UKRGB - down to Canoe Cafe for the same. What is clear is that the UK has been hit with some mighty fine river levels this weekend.

On the northern side of the border, in Scotland, the Calair Burn was run.


Over the other border, in Wales, tourist levels meant that it was possible to get down Fairy Glen and some dedicated soles at Bangor Uni. were on the Ogwen this morning to catch the water.


The water wasn't just contained to over the borders. The Thames Valley witnessed some impressive levels and Hurley hit four gates and Sunbury Weir came into play.


Whilst I was on the Upper Lune, the guys at Bread and Butter hit up the Ingleton waterfalls just down the road from where I was and they looked to have a fair bit of water in.


As for the coming week, it's looking good. According to Metcheck there will be rain over Kendal for most of the week so I may get out on some nice rivers this weekend so make an effort to come back this time next week to see what I got up to.

Good lines, stay safe and see you on the wet stuff...
Iain