Swimming Scottish White Water

April 3, 2009 on 9:55 pm | In Whitewater Kayaking | No Comments

Just as I set up for the drop (a water fall just over 2m high) lining up, getting focused and the ‘cameraman’ at the bottom shouts ‘hang on we’re not ready …’ I missed the eddy and suddenly I am heading backwards, over the drop. A couple of paddle strokes to spin round and at least I am looking where I should be going … but … I am now not in the right place, doing the wrong speed and over the fall I head.

The clatter of the paddles on the rocks is only dampened by the growing pain in my thumb which is between them and the paddle. The world goes white and then brown.

When you hit the bottom of a fall there is initially the white water then as you are driven down it all goes a brown colour, if you on the right line it then goes white again and you reappear and are able to breath again.

Me, today,I was not in the right place and to cut the bottom of the fall I decided it was time for the boat and I to part company and make like a fish.

The third swim of the weekend, not a great record but a great weekend paddling in the highlands.

Friday, we jump the ferry from Harris to Skye and then drive through Fort William heading for the river Etive. We were guessing there wouldn’t be much water but what we hadn’t banked on was the four inches of snow to trudge through to get to the river. The Etive is a series of ever increasing drops ending with Right Angle Falls, generally regarded as being about 6m (I would need to stand on my own head three and a half times).

After paper sissors and stone to decide who shoudl run triple falls the first series of drops on the river, I lost and after losing to the stopper at the bottom I swam for the first time.

The video footage we shot is on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvQU1AQtnd4 and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3vkDGjnza. Not me swimming I had the camera.

The following day we headed for the river Roy with Ayr Canoe Club, with the water level perfect and rising we surfed all the waves and played in all the holes. The day completes by a trip to the kayaking night of the Fort William Film Festival and a couple of beers in the Maryborough. A place I hadn’t visited since working for Outward Bound over ten years ago it hasn’t changed, I suspect the same people might still looking for the same fight.

Sunday dawned, with snow flurries and much discussion. The decision; to look at the Orchy. We drove over Rannoch Moor in a blizzard looked at the river and drove back. Too big, too small? No I am not paddling in a horizontal snow for anyone.

Not wanting to stay dry we headed for the river Garry and were suprised by a wonderful level with waves and a play hole. But ice cream headaches all round as the water was so cold. At one point we were out of our boats on the bank trying to walk and could have been drunk due to our inability to stand up or walk a straight line. Warmed, in the evening, with a curry in the excellent curry house in Fort Willaim High Street.

Monday and we were faced with the prospect of having to go home but we sneaked the drop on the Hinnerdail on Skye just before we headed to the ferry and that was where I entered the water, again.

Not the best way to run a drop.

Tim Pickering
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