WET WEST PADDLEFEST 2007

The Wet West Paddlefest weekend kicked off in good form on Friday 21st October 2007.
Ian, Dom, Tim, Jonathan and I met up with other boaters Tony, Giles, Dave and Lewis.  Our target was the Etive and time permitting the Allt a Chaoruinn.

As we drove along Glen Etive the initials signs, looking down into the river, were looking good.  Normally the start of the Etive is bonny.  However, it appeared that a bump and a scrap and you could paddle it.  This early sign indicated the Middle Etive was going to be high.  As we arrived at the get it we were not going to be disappointed.  The river was probably the highest I have done it and it was getting higher.
We got changed, shuttled the cars down to the get in/out for the Allt a Chaoruinn, so we could paddle that at the end.

Triple Falls was the first test.  The first drop claimed a lot, but the boaters were skilful and managed to roll up before going over the second drop.  The third drop was quite meaty and managed to claim a swimmer. 

Letter box next.  After a short inspection we set up rescue and a few of the boaters ran it.  All good no problems.  Ski Jump was beefy also, running it on hard river right to avoid a sucky hole was the best line.

Crack of Doom was the first real test piece.  The run in was fine with the diagonal hole looking worse than it was.  The final drop on the run was the sting in the tail.  We set up safety, live bait and throw ropes at the ready.  Jonathan ran it first followed by Giles.  Jonathan came through cool.  Giles made the first section great but the final drop wanted something to play with.  That came in the from of a Dagger Mamba and Giles.

After a good working Giles finally released his grip of kit and swam out.  Jonathan chased kit and claimed it further down river.  Giles mentioned that he was “violated”.  Hmmm, nice if you can manage it.

We got through Crack of Doom and kayaked our way to Crack of dawn.  Normally a portage we got out and had a look.  The river left line was fully open and a punch through a small standing wave would see the line managed.  Missing the line would be nasty.  Some kayaked it and some portaged it.

Rock slide was lumpy.

Right Angle now loomed.  By the time we got there was around 20 boaters.  All vying for some carnage, there were boaters on every ledge.  Fortunately it really didn’t come, short of a swimmer here and there.  The level was really big and the normal line of following the s bend into the drop was there, however, it was possible to almost straight line it, there was that much water.  One by one we took the plunge.  Cheers rang out amongst the boaters when lines went wrong and folks coked it up.  The last drop on the Etive was inspected before we ran it and finally came to the get out or the get in for the Allt a Chaoruinn.

 

We met up with Willie, Gav, Chaz (hole bait), Brian and Scott towards the end.  We all got off the water had a drink of hot team and a bite to eat.  Some went off to go elsewhere, some joined in, we regrouped to see who was up for running the Allt a Chaoruinn.  After some time Dom, Giles, Tim and I went off to the get in. 

 

The Allt a Chaoruinn has four main rapids, Speed, Ecstasy, Pinball and Chasm.  All are committing with Pinball the more testing of them all.

We got on and ran Speed.  Whilst at the bottom we were joined by Gav, Willie, Brian and Chaz.  For some this might have been their first run.  We were not disappointed.  A small amount of carnage at the bottom of the drop started when folks were being pushed into the wall and being held.  Rolling on both sides has its advantages when pinned and pushed against a wall.  All easy to say sitting in a warm office, writting this.  Not so easy to execute when your face is grinding against granite.  The pool at the bottom was big enough to pick up the bits and regroup again.

Ecstasy was next.  Dom ran it first and did a really good job of it.  Again we slowly ran it and set some safety up at the top and bottom.  All that ran it did so and never really came to grief.  Chaz, doing safety at the top hole, now that Gav had came down was to run it.  We didn’t re-cover the position that Chaz held for safety.  Well, it was Chaz, and to be fair he is a good paddler.  Chaz came over the drop and got well and truly stuck in the hole he was covering.  In a sick sense the rest of the group, about 500m away, started to chuckle and laugh.  Well it was Chaz and he was a good paddler getting worked in the hole, he'll get out.  After a short time it became apparent that maybe we should send someone up to help him.  I took a walk up and he was still getting worked in the hole.  'Hole Bait' was truly christened on the trip.  He self ejected and came out, giggles and chuckles were deafening in the Glen.  Once again we regrouped and boated down to Pinball.

Me and Tony had a crack at it.  Going over the lip the boat and occupant accelerated from zero to max velocity super quick, the left blade contoured round the jaggy rock, digged in for a left hanging draw / draw to avoid nose planting the wall and a plunge in the pool at the bottom. 

Chasm was last, but by no means least, and a few of the troop ran it.  Chasm is well named, the deep gorge is very intimidating and is marginally wider than a kayak.  As we paddled towards the cars another satisfying days kayaking was coming to a close.  We kayaked the Etive and Allt a Chaoruinn at probably the highest levels, certainly I have done them, and what a joy it was.  A proper warm up for the Moriston and the grade 4 and 5 runs waiting for us. 

Saturday morning and we were all up and at it, bright and bushy for the Moriston.  There was a short drive from the Bunkhouse at Kinlochleven to the river.  We arrived at the car park around 11am.  After the usual changing and getting ready we boarded the first shuttle bus and arrived at the get in.  We eagerly got the kit off the wagon and checked out the first drop.  The first drop was being run on the river left, a gnarly grade 4 drop into a cauldron of GRRR.  It’s not for the faint hearted one unlucky paddler suffered severe head injuries and dislocated his shoulder on the drop.  Get it wrong and it will hurt!  Some of the group got on the water above the drop and some below the drop.  The usual safety brief began and we duly came down the top drop one at a time.  Kayaking from the last eddy on the right hand side a choice of two lines were evident.  Kayak hard river left, ride the rock and land into the maelstrom at the bottom bracing on the right or main line the black tongue of water and get some good down time.  One or two swimmers were fished out at the bottom but we gathered our kit, regrouped and started off the rest of the river.

The rest of the river took some time to kayak with the size of the group and the amount of boaters on the river.  We also had one or two swimmers along the way.  Tim, had a swim on one of the rapids and an overly keen person threw Tim a rope to pull him out.  Having not seen all of it, it is difficult to give an opinion.  However, I did see Tim in difficulty and

other kayakers in the periphery of the rescue give clear and concise stop signs that were passed up the river, to no avail.  Kayakers kept coming down with a rope strewn across the rapid.  It had all the hall marks of a disaster unfolding, thankfully Tim came out and kit.  Once again we regrouped and carried on. 

A few more drops and more swimming and rope work.  The Moriston was standing up to its grade four reputation.  We finished and some boaters headed off but some wanted more and we went for another run.  This time the group was almost nine in strength.

At the top of the first drop we were in the river right eddy waiting for the videos to be set up.  Craig Dearing and Matt Brook stood on the bank, river left, awaiting our display of skills.  Camera ready Chaz pushed off, broke in, took a couple of stokes and capsized about two meters away from the lip of the drop.  The super slow motion effect kicked in, as I saw Chaz go over the drop upside down I could only see one outcome - someone knocked out at the bottom to rescue.

I looked up at Craig and Matt, there gaze was on Chaz.

They turned back at the group in the eddy shouted and gesticulated GO, GO, GO!  Whatever they were seeing wasn’t good.  Dave went down to support Chaz.  Again the shouts from the back came, James! GO, GO, GO!  I broke in gave a couple of strokes and landed in the maelstrom, capsized and rolled up.  I saw Chaz getting out on the bank and shouted to him asking if he was alright?  He was.  Phew!

We finished the river and made our way back to the cars.  Whilst having a bite to eat we got regrouped and headed for the lower section.

The group was smaller now with only me, Giles, Brian and Tim getting on the section.  On the way down I was conscious of the lower drop, river left run, grade 5.  I hadn’t done it before and felt after yesterdays paddle and today’s paddle I was good to do it.

For sure it was serious and the consequences of cock it up would be severe!  As we arrived and got our stuff sorted out I headed to the get in with Giles.  We had a look and I knew straight from there I was running it.  I felt good and it looked okay, if you can say that about a grade 5 run and drop.  Giles was also up for it.

Brian and Tim gave it a miss.

We scouted the rest of the river out and after we were happy with our lines we walked to the get in.  At the get in I was trying to focus on what I needed to do.  Giles and I had a safety brief.  It was simple, I’ll lead you follow about 4 boats lengths at the back and if we get trashed at the bottom together we’ll help each other out.

Giles shouted over whilst we were sitting in the eddy, “how’s your heart?” I shouted back to him “bouncing out my chest!”  For me this was the first time I was concerned on the trip.  There was no safety at the bottom we were a duo unit relying on our ability, experience and skill to do the talking.

We were ready, we broke in and stroked ourselves to the drop.  I punched through the first hole, probably too fast, accelerated, attempted a boof, came off, an off centre line, sweet, landed and leaned as far forward as I could, bracing on the left as my stern was catching getting dragged down I gripped the support of the water pumping through and supported enough to miss a full capsize and then I was up kayaking away from the drop.

WHOO HOO!!!  Endorphins and adrenaline were coursing through my veins and I was legally high on good drugs!  I looked up for Giles; he came off the drop and capsized half way down. Buffering against the wall he made great attempts in getting up, but swam.  We managed a rescue and got him out quiet quick.  What a great attempt from both of us to do some really hard kayaking.  I would have guessed that out of the 350 odd kayakers were there, probably only 35, if that, will kayak that drop.  We paddled the rest of the river and I was still high, high, high! 

The second day came to a close with guys from the club making great lines and not so great line, self included!  Brian Burns ran the top drop for the first time and Tim Hamlet was also basking in personal achievement.  Willie, Gav, Scott, Jonathan, Giles, Tony and all the other kayakers did really well! 

Sunday and some awoke with cloudy heads form the night before.  We left the Bunkhouse at Ben Nevis and headed back along the same road as the day before, this time heading to the river Gary.  The Gary, similar to the Moriston, is dammed release.  It is about 1 mile from start to finish, if that, and can take from 4 hours to 10 minutes to do, depending on how long you want to play. 
I arrived with Time and went to the river.  Having switched from bug fat boats to small play boats the grade three river was about to be invaded by lots of boaters. 
We eddied out and kayaked down the first rapid, river left, to the first play hole.  It’s far to say that we stayed there for a few hours, dominating the hole.  A number of paddlers came and went.  Willie, Chaz, Gav, Scott, Brian et all bobbed past a few times.  Tim and I stayed around the hole, it was supper fun and our patter was to see if we could dominate the hole.  It was all a good laugh. 
Eventually my fitness failed and I was struggling to make it in the hole.  The past two days of kayaking had me whacked!  We kayaked down the rest of the river and played a wee bit on the other features. 
I got to the get out got out and stayed out.  That was me.  Changed and had something to eat.  One by one the rest of the crew followed and we were all once again congregated round the cars swapping stories about our great play moves and who we saw on the river. 

Highs:
For me it was meeting like minded people and having a blast on the water.  I didn’t want it to end.  I had also reached another landmark in my kayaking ability.  I had felt for the first time I was over my bad swim from the Spean and was back kayaking the hard stuff.  I ran the falls of Moriston; river left, and was well pleased with it.  I had also run, with others, the Etive and Allt a Chaoruinn at probably the highest levels I have done it and felt good about it.
The bunkhouse at Kinlochleven was really good.  I was well surprised and pleased at it.  

Lows:
I have to say my first low was seeing a locked fire door at the Ice Factory on the Friday night.  There was what appeared to me, a bicycle padlock tying the handles of two double fire doors just as you walked into the ice factory.  It was preventing folks accessing the main hall and channeling people upstairs.  Whoever was responsible for that deserves all they get!  I should have said something at the time, however, being full of the drink I quickly forgot.  Anyway, I wrote them an e-mail and copied it to the HSE for good measure. 
The Bunkhouse at Ben Nevis wasn’t all that good.  I wouldn’t recommend it.  It is open plan no privacy and too communal. 

Thanks:
Well a MASSIVE thanks to those boys and girls who make the event happen.  My third year and each year are getting better.