20-10-11, 06:55 PM
October hols are normally a wild camping trip down one of the Scottish Big Four. Two years ago was the Spey which was a mellow 3 days from source to sea. Last year was the Dee, much faster current and colder but bigger rapids including some grade 3s. This year was the Tweed, grade 2 good levels. Next year the Tay.
The plan was a two night and two and a half day paddle. We normally do 20miles a day. The day before the trip, the forecast was for gusts to 50mph and lots of rain from 4pm. So tandem was the best option rather than the usual drier solo setup. The wind would have made it miserable for my brother solo, as he normally just paddles and shoots rapids.
After starting at 10am at the Fairnilee Slalom site, nice twisty, tumbling rapids , we set off in chilly but sunny conditions. The river was a good level and gave plenty of flowing current and we made great time. We were averaging 8km/hr so we were trying to work out where we could camp that night. We normally stop paddling every hour, drift, and have a home made flapjack and a swig from the Powerade. We just crack on till an hour before dusk and camp.
Lots of fish were jumping, some nearly in our boat, (could we keep them if the landed in the boat ?) and the fishermen were out, using the wind. Although most fisherman had hoods up to hide from the wind gusts and rain squalls, and did not see us early, we were treated politley. We always whistled or waved to indicate which side they wished us to pass.
No problems. When my brother was paddling on the left, I could never keep up with him and told him to slow down. He has big upper body muscles being a wavesailor. When he was on the right side I was fine, not fighting his strokes, after a while I asked him 'are your turning right ?' He said yes ! I had coached him on the earlier waves that he would steer from the front on the WW and I would steer on the flat water. That had worked well, him doing good hanging draws and cross deck draws to manouver the boat.
Caulds were cold
We negotiated the easy grd 1 rapids and stood up to inspect the caulds - sloping weirs - before shooting all, including the swamping waves at Melrose Cauld avoiding the Pyramid Rocks, great fun but cold water. All except the stonkin' Mertoun Cauld, which was steep faced and had a meaty 7ft wave at the tail ! The river was rising but we did not realise how much till later, in the pub. We lined this Cauld and it was good teamwork, my brother never having seen this before. It was getting cold in the wind as soon as wee stopped paddling, even though we had drysuits/semi dry kit on. On the open boat, long painters daisychained was my preference to having bulky swinm lines. And after the 4 Star Open Canoe training the club had recently, Dave the coach, had encouraged this setup. It was very easy to unlink the painters to extend them to 7m and allow a quick line down the side of weir. I had thes eon from before the course, I don't like the swim lines some advocate, a lot of rope and they can catch when doing rescues. The nasty metal basketed fish ladder was missed. The weirs are very slimy and I slipped going down, on reflection shoulder jerk one, but waiting at the bottom in my holey wetboots made me take a mental note .....must buy firmer grippy solde boots soon.....
We paddled on at a high stroke rate to keep the cold out and the wind so far had been behind us. The last major rapid we ran was a nice gently sloping weir called Rutherford Cauld. The SCA guide saying 'substantial waves' so we stood up to inpsect at the event horizon, good line spotted and woosh, swamped but smiling. A quick breakout and emptying of water. We then made the decision.
To stop at a bankside egress soon as the weather had turned even worse. Torrential rain was coming in, seen on the rainfall radar via mobile phone, and the wind was getting bigger and bigger in the gusts. We had one set of rapids left - Makerstoun - about two km away but hard to egress after that. So we hauled out across a field for 600m, painters tied around our shoulders. My brother mentioning how he felt warm now, for me shoulder tweak two. I felt like Scott, hauling a pulk. Luckily though, the grass was soaked and so the canoe slid easily up the field. Shuttle driver called with locale and we then got changed under the tarp and got the brew on.
Later in the pub we enjoyed tasty food in Melrose, and checked the river levels on the SEPA site. Four and a half feet rise on the afteroon !
The hotel owner was very surprised we had been canoeing. So 35km in a day was a good work out but climbing the next day tweaked my shoulder
so memories of the SCC (my club) Trip report archive showing a member getting his shoulder reset, made me be more mindful of prevention. I had learnt on a 16hr first aid course last week that popping ibuprofen straight away will help but may mask the injury and not prevent further damage, oops.
Should have not taken some straight away. I climbed the next day and when I pulled on the first hold of a 6a+, after not warming up, I felt my shoulder tweak. So no Tay Descent recue duties this saturday for me. Pity, after a days training and two days 4 star open training.
Happy Paddling !
Nick
Only photo is showing us sheltering for an hour waiting for a lift back. It's not at the river but roadside !
![[Image: SU1BRzEzOTYuanBn.jpg]](http://i1028.photobucket.com/albums/y349/NickScots/SU1BRzEzOTYuanBn.jpg)
River levels
![[Image: dnc-k70fax65.png?634547372690227500]](http://www.sepa.org.uk/temp/dnc-k70fax65.png?634547372690227500)
The plan was a two night and two and a half day paddle. We normally do 20miles a day. The day before the trip, the forecast was for gusts to 50mph and lots of rain from 4pm. So tandem was the best option rather than the usual drier solo setup. The wind would have made it miserable for my brother solo, as he normally just paddles and shoots rapids.
After starting at 10am at the Fairnilee Slalom site, nice twisty, tumbling rapids , we set off in chilly but sunny conditions. The river was a good level and gave plenty of flowing current and we made great time. We were averaging 8km/hr so we were trying to work out where we could camp that night. We normally stop paddling every hour, drift, and have a home made flapjack and a swig from the Powerade. We just crack on till an hour before dusk and camp.
Lots of fish were jumping, some nearly in our boat, (could we keep them if the landed in the boat ?) and the fishermen were out, using the wind. Although most fisherman had hoods up to hide from the wind gusts and rain squalls, and did not see us early, we were treated politley. We always whistled or waved to indicate which side they wished us to pass.
No problems. When my brother was paddling on the left, I could never keep up with him and told him to slow down. He has big upper body muscles being a wavesailor. When he was on the right side I was fine, not fighting his strokes, after a while I asked him 'are your turning right ?' He said yes ! I had coached him on the earlier waves that he would steer from the front on the WW and I would steer on the flat water. That had worked well, him doing good hanging draws and cross deck draws to manouver the boat.
Caulds were cold
We negotiated the easy grd 1 rapids and stood up to inspect the caulds - sloping weirs - before shooting all, including the swamping waves at Melrose Cauld avoiding the Pyramid Rocks, great fun but cold water. All except the stonkin' Mertoun Cauld, which was steep faced and had a meaty 7ft wave at the tail ! The river was rising but we did not realise how much till later, in the pub. We lined this Cauld and it was good teamwork, my brother never having seen this before. It was getting cold in the wind as soon as wee stopped paddling, even though we had drysuits/semi dry kit on. On the open boat, long painters daisychained was my preference to having bulky swinm lines. And after the 4 Star Open Canoe training the club had recently, Dave the coach, had encouraged this setup. It was very easy to unlink the painters to extend them to 7m and allow a quick line down the side of weir. I had thes eon from before the course, I don't like the swim lines some advocate, a lot of rope and they can catch when doing rescues. The nasty metal basketed fish ladder was missed. The weirs are very slimy and I slipped going down, on reflection shoulder jerk one, but waiting at the bottom in my holey wetboots made me take a mental note .....must buy firmer grippy solde boots soon.....
We paddled on at a high stroke rate to keep the cold out and the wind so far had been behind us. The last major rapid we ran was a nice gently sloping weir called Rutherford Cauld. The SCA guide saying 'substantial waves' so we stood up to inpsect at the event horizon, good line spotted and woosh, swamped but smiling. A quick breakout and emptying of water. We then made the decision.
To stop at a bankside egress soon as the weather had turned even worse. Torrential rain was coming in, seen on the rainfall radar via mobile phone, and the wind was getting bigger and bigger in the gusts. We had one set of rapids left - Makerstoun - about two km away but hard to egress after that. So we hauled out across a field for 600m, painters tied around our shoulders. My brother mentioning how he felt warm now, for me shoulder tweak two. I felt like Scott, hauling a pulk. Luckily though, the grass was soaked and so the canoe slid easily up the field. Shuttle driver called with locale and we then got changed under the tarp and got the brew on.
Later in the pub we enjoyed tasty food in Melrose, and checked the river levels on the SEPA site. Four and a half feet rise on the afteroon !
The hotel owner was very surprised we had been canoeing. So 35km in a day was a good work out but climbing the next day tweaked my shoulder
so memories of the SCC (my club) Trip report archive showing a member getting his shoulder reset, made me be more mindful of prevention. I had learnt on a 16hr first aid course last week that popping ibuprofen straight away will help but may mask the injury and not prevent further damage, oops.
Should have not taken some straight away. I climbed the next day and when I pulled on the first hold of a 6a+, after not warming up, I felt my shoulder tweak. So no Tay Descent recue duties this saturday for me. Pity, after a days training and two days 4 star open training.
Happy Paddling !
Nick
Only photo is showing us sheltering for an hour waiting for a lift back. It's not at the river but roadside !
River levels
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