Isn’t the internet a wonderful thing! – Up in Yorkshire for a week, with a boat, but no paddling buddies. Thanks to the Durham Uni CC web forum I was able to find a few lads to go boating with. (Rory, above, and Paul)
A Mild day, adequate water and the Upper Tees proved a fun [...]
Strong winds – but summer rain. Trading down from a Sea boat to a River boat and the rare privilege of paddling our rivers in a warm green English July
Rain is Liquid Sunshine (Los Burritos)
We had waited many months for the conditions to be suitable for introducing a few very keen ‘yoofs’ to the joys of the Upper Dart. We wanted it just below the ledge with mild air temperatures. 15th February was perfect. A grand day out.
Above, Ben (16) exiting Euthanasia
Below Jacob (15) negotiating Boulder Rapid
And Jake (13) [...]
1st February and the temperature never crawled above freezing. Levels on the East Lyn were low and the river chossy. This sequence follows Chas through some of the gnarl at the beginning of the gorge section.
To complete the sequence another paddler goes deep below the drop that Chas is pictured entering above
My numb fingers were [...]
Another autumn grade 2/3 paddle for scouts and club. The levels were improved, swim count remained the same, and the slot gave them some excitement. Gloomy weather though
Mid October – it hadn’t rained for two weeks, the rivers were going to be low. But I had promised to take some scouts and club paddlers down an easy stretch of water. Diaries had been set weeks (if not months) in advance.
It is debatable, in my view, that paddling the Loop section of the [...]
Introducing some New Forest Explorer Scouts to Grade 4 proved very successful – I was pleased with this photo of Rees exiting Euthanasia
Dartmoor saturated – time to look for some opportunistic runs. Trekking around ‘Gutter Tor’ with plenty to float our boats even at the very top of the Plym
And plenty more within 1km
Mid August – and a planned sea kayak weekend was diverted to Dartmoor rivers (all running at a good winter level). What a crazy year. And the next weekend, all rain had vanished and it was to the coast . . . .
A few of us were lucky enough to catch the middle Tavy at a perfect level on the 3rd December.
The last few times I’ve bothered to check this run out it has either turned out to be flooding through the trees or a bony ditch, but, when the levels are right, it is a great [...]
