Kodak Creeking

I just managed to head up home for a few days to get some of Mum’s cooking, steal Dad’s car and most of his gear as rain flooded up the western gems, leaving Dad on a solo mission with the decorating, ah well… at least I got some pics!

I’ve not had the best of luck with water levels lately as Scotland was iced over for most of my Christmas holidays and an odd mixture of warm weather and snow down in south west England (my new home) has kept the Dart low. Four rivers in two days between Glasgow and Glencoe was enough to make up some of a lost winter.

It kicked off on a high level Etive (higher than the pic above) with Dave Biggin. Unfortunately we didn’t get the stills camera out although Dave had a new little HD video cam he was playing with, maybe some of the footage will appear up here soon although obviously both a bit rusty it was more of a survival fest but I’m sure will be never the less entertaining.   

Some Etive trib action is always fun for extra banter when levels are high around the area. Although slightly on the low side – meaning the second slab had two undercuts at the bottom – it was nice to have a blast down the Allt Ceitlein which for some reason I’d never paddled before! 

The second day on the water put me in heaven on one of my favorite rivers in the world… The Falloch. It’s not the longest of runs but it certainly gets you fired up on a morning, providing you get the lines right! The 35 footer at the start is nice and for some reason is the main focus of peoples fears when they should just enjoy it and worry more about the holes lurking at the bottom of the rapids and drops which follow. It keeps the adrenaline going right to the take out as a classic should… you haven’t done Scotland without it. 

Back down south now and there’s quite a bit of rain due over the week so hopefully the levels will be up on Saturday! I’m excited to try out this wave at the top of the Dart loop!

See you there

Ed