Some more paddling adventures

It was another day off for me so naturally I headed for the river after receiving a phone call saying there was some paddling to be had. I jumped at the opportunity like usual, packed my kit up and waited for 8:30 when the transport was coming round to my house to pick me up. We headed north once again, like we have done on all the previous occasions, and met up with some other paddlers at a lay-by where some were sampling the delights of the 'Bacon Butty Van'. A plan was hatched, we kitted up, and were on the road again heading for the Greta which flows out of Ingleton. Cars were deposited at strategic locations along the river until we eventually reached the put in.

To get on this river boats and kit had to be lifted over a five/six foot wall before climbing over yourself. On the other side of the wall is a rather steep hill which is hard to descend whilst carrying/dragging your boat so after finding a suitable spot I got in my boat and slid off down the hill. For one worrying moment I didn't think I would stop before reaching the river which could have proved a problem as my deck wasn't on and my helmet wasn't fastened.

Sliding down to the bottom of the hill.

The Ingleton Greta is a continuous grade two run, which requires a fair amount of water to be runnable. We caught it today as the water was dropping off so in places it was a bit of a scrape, but all the same it was fun as you weaved in and out of protruding and sometimes submerged, if you spotted them quickly enough, rocks. There was the odd wave to surf, but the best part of the river is when you look back upstream to be left with views of the hills which look down on Ingleton.

Looking upstream to the fells over Ingleton.

Surfing probably the best wave on the river.

Running one of the natural weirs. These are quite common on the last stretches of the river. This particular one can be quite savage in high levels but can be run straight into the river left eddy.

Once we had successfully descended the Greta me and another paddler hatched plans for a second river. This river was the Hindburn, which is incredibly hard to catch in condition so we were a bit on the optimistic side seen as there hadn't been any real rain since the night before and rain is needed for the river to go. Anyway we sorted a shuttle out with one of the other paddlers before they headed for home and then got on the river, which was just about runnable. Not a lot happened on this river. We ran the rapids, we didn't catch that many eddies and we didn't surf that many waves as the level was a bit to inappropriate for that kind of thing.

However, the main event on the Hindburn was entertaining. We got out to have a gander at it first then team ran it. We took the first and second drops on the right. The second drop gave us a bit of airtime as we bounced off the ledges. All was good so I headed back to the top for my second descent and some pictures. It wasn't as sweet as the previous time. I got spun just before the first drop which meant I ran that backwards. Luckily I managed to turn it around and send the bow over the second drop first for the bouncy ride to the bottom. It was just a shame the camera had run out of battery.

The main event on the Hindburn.

It was then just a case of descending the rest of the river, packing up and heading for home. I'm going out in an hour or two to help run a River Safety course in the local swimming pool. Weird I know.

More pictures can be found here.

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

Putting back on...

Yesterday I headed back to the river after working Tuesday. I just can't help myself really. I get a text, phone call or email asking if I want to go paddling because there is a chance to do 'X' river and I just seem to find myself saying: "Yes" to the trip and the offer of a lift. It's great really and has made my time at home, since I finished working up in Dalguise, so much better than I expected after I had to change my plans for the winter. I have done that much paddling recently that I have lost count of the miles travelled to the rivers, the miles paddled and the people I have paddled with. It's great I suppose that I am getting so involved in my paddling because it use to be all I lived for, and since I've been away I kind of lost that in my life and didn't realise I missed the paddling so much until recently.

Anyway, no more of this philosophical crap. Let's get down to river talk. Yesterday, after getting picked up at 8:30 in the morning, heading north, meeting up with another paddler at the service station at Forton and driving some more I found myself in the Duddon valley peering over a bridge thinking: "Yep. That'll go just fine." From that point on Paddling Mission Number 9 was on. We kitted up and headed up the valley. The Duddon valley is one of the quieter Lake District valley's: maybe it's because it's further west than most, maybe it's because the road into the valley is only single track, maybe it's because well I don't know, but I just love the place. It's got amazing climbing when there is no water and it's got even better paddling when there is water with several different sections to paddle there is something for all abilities apart from the very beginner to paddle sport.

The late morning sun shining over the fells and the river.

The river is absolutely superb. We put on today below Wallowbarrow Gorge on Tarn Beck, actually I have never put on higher than this point. It's a shame really as the gorge is suppose to be nice and hard. One for another day I suppose. Putting on at Tarn Beck meant that we had to quickly descend this small shallow, low gradient stream before hitting the Duddon proper. When we eventually joined the river we were over shadowed by Wallowbarrow Crag, which has excellent climbing in the summer. I think it is here that we once managed twelve hours of climbing before heading for Preston. The river from this point on takes it's course downstream to the sea allowing you to negotiate rapids which can be read from your boat and eddy hopped down. There is one point where we left our boats to have a quick gander at a rapid on a bend where we knew rocks were a hazard.

The rapid where rocks were known to be a problem. The paddler in the picture has just hit the problem rock and ended up rolling over the top of it.

From here on in the river carries on it's grade three nature before eventually entering a gorge. Here we left the boats once again to have a gander at what was downstream. There were two lines to take. One that was slightly easier than the other, but both required similar moves. I went for the harder of the two lines and ran the gorge first, breaking out halfway down to wait for the other two paddlers to descend the first half of the gorge. We then carried on as a team down the remaining section of the gorge.

Inspecting the gorge.

Me looking to get the boat to land on a small ledge before going over the main fall. I think I managed it, well I got down the drop all right. It's a shame the next boof was onto solid rock once again.

Looking down the gorge as another paddler makes the descent. I'm tucked into an eddy; you can just make out the orange sleeve of my Stikine.

The river now eases off as it drops down through Ulpha, where we stopped for a bite to eat before carrying on down the river. This section is the last of the popular sections and is ideal for the less experienced paddler looking to push themselves a bit more. There is one rapid which requires a few necessary moves and a portage around a nasty looking weir, but the rest of this section is straightforward, with plenty of drops, rapids and blind bends to negotiate. I think this section may be nicer, when it comes down to pictures, as it opens up a lot more and you get views up the valley when you look directly upstream.

A paddler lining up at the top of a small drop hoping to come out the right way up.

One of my best photo's from the day. This I feel sums up this quality western Lake District secret.

Once Paddling Mission Number 9 was successfully complete we changed, fetched cars from further up the valley and joined the road south for Preston reflecting on the past eight days. I personally have paddled five of the last eight days, worked two and did nothing, apart from recover, on one. In these five paddling days I have successfully descended nine rivers, hence why today was Paddling Mission Number 9. Good times.

More pictures can be found here.

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

Three more rivers. That's eight in four days.

Once again I was putting on the river. It was a bit of a mission before reaching the river because even after all this rain we are still having problems finding it in the rivers. On the way north we looked at five different rivers to see them all at their base flows so with the only real option available to us, the Upper Lune, we headed on to the get out to kit up, man up and get on the river. During all this period we were getting phone calls from two other paddlers about paddling options and we eventually met up with them at the get in for the Upper Lune, under the huge railway viaduct.

The put in for the Upper Lune is down a road, which you are not allowed to drive down so normally we carry the boats down, which isn't the nicest prospect as it goes up and down regularly and it's a serious incline and decline. However, down the side of the road is a small beck, Low Gill in fact, which I have looked at in the past and pulled my nose at. Today I did not. One of the paddlers we met at the put in was doing it so I just followed him on down the beck. It was amazing, really steep, with drop after drop with little time for thought in between and it all finished with a slide down into the Lune. I got spun on the slide and finished it off backwards but it was all good.

The other paddler leading the way down the staircase of drops.

Following the line down the drops.

Looking for the boof stroke to take me over the drop.

Once the successful descent of Low Gill had been done we joined the rest of the group and headed off down the Upper Lune which was at a slightly higher level than eight days ago so it was slightly different but nothing outstandingly so to warrant a paragraph or two. The river was still the same grade.

Surfing a wave before entering the mini-gorges.

Cartwheeling a Pyranha H3 in one of the mini-gorges.

Looking down on a paddler as they make a successful descent of the Strid, the crux rapid on the river.

Once we had made a successful run on the Lune new plans were hatched for a second river. The river in question was the Kent. A familiar river to me, but it was expected to be high so a smaller group, including myself, headed off for Scroggs Weir. On arrival we were met with a lower than expected level, it was still slightly higher than average, but it wasn't tanking down like we all had expected. Anyway we headed for the river and set off for a quick blast to round off the day.

In the gorge as we take a breather.

Paddling through one of the gorges looking to make an eddy.

Surfing the wave found in the middle gorge. In a play boat spins and blunts could be achieved. In a creek boat not a lot could be done apart from high crosses and such like.

On finishing the Kent we got changed, loaded the vans and headed for home whilst reflecting on another superb days paddling with good company on some quality Lake District rivers. Even though I have done the Lune and Kent countless time I still don't get bored of the rivers. I enjoy the fact that I know the lines for the rapids so I can bomb off them without inspection, but even today I found new lines just because of the people I was following down the river. I found a new boof spot on the Kent which is at the end of a channel which comes off the river and saw the impressive central line on the L-Shaped weir being hit with style and then there was the descent of Low Gill. Just perfect.

More pictures can be found here.

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

Paddling Wordsworth's River

Got out paddling again today. It was another step down from Friday's Wenning trip, but still it was nice to get out on the river once again. In the last five days I've been out on five different rivers, and two of those day's I didn't actually leave Penwortham with a boat. It's a nice set up I've got at the moment.

Anyway the river we paddled today was the Rothay, which flows down through Grasmere and then on through Rydal Water before draining into Windermere. It's an easy river, mainly flat flowing currents around meanders and through trees with the odd rapid which may border on the top end of grade two. It was a club trip so there was plenty of people on the water, 27 at one point, so we were divided into groups and I was left with the responsibility to shadow a group of four beginners, who were experiencing their first river trip. There were four swims during the day and I had a hand in each of the rescues. Not a bad day when it came down to it. Looking to get out again tomorrow. I'll just leave you with the limited number of pictures from the day.

Briefing the large number of paddlers on Grasmere at the start.

Paddling across Rydal Water heading for the next section of the Rothay.

Looking back upstream at my group.

A paddler powering through the waves found near the bottom of the river at the Hotel Weir.

Team Surfing the Hotel Weir.

Looking up towards Ambleside and the Lake District fells.

On the Banks of a Rocky Stream

BEHOLD an emblem of our human mind
Crowded with thoughts that need a settled home,
Yet, like to eddying balls of foam
Within this whirlpool, they each other chase
Round and round, and neither find
An outlet nor a resting-place!
Stranger, if such disquietude be thine,
Fall on thy knees and sue for help divine.

- William Wordsworth

More pictures can be found here.

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