River Exe 24 Oct 2004
Whitewater excitement and the Exe aren’t usually mentioned in the same sentence. But for the latest up and coming paddlers it was perfect.
The overhanging trees claimed quite a few victims, one only 10 foot from the get-in. But we had rescue rangers galore, fresh from their safety course in Wales. So danger and drama were diverted with ease.
Still one group member made the wise decision to walk out after one too many swims, and met us in the pub. Early beers – never a bad idea.
There were smiles all round at the get-out. This being a first river for many, the realities of a wet paddle followed by the removal of smelly damp kit didn’t faze them.
As usual, we swapped stories in the local hostelry. Many thanks to all involved in rescues and river leading.
Mackey
The Middle Guil
You’ve probably heard at least one story about the middle Guil. Teresa got three days of it. Every time the rapids got harder, and the water bigger. This is the truth, as far as I can remember, names have not been changed to protect the innocent.
The get-in was just below the trips steps rapid, three drops with nasty undercuts and boils to trap the unwary. Most happily walked around, but the Taunton boys had the skill to run it. Of course, so did our very own Kiwi (jungle boy) Nick. Dunno if it was luck of judgement that
got him down.
We had split into two groups, and by the time the second group had paddled around the first corner, Baldrick was hanging onto a rock in the middle of the river. No sign of boat or paddle; at least he’d kept his helmet on. At this point, the river was about 17 metres wide; it took Matt G three attempts with his throwline to decide it was too short.
Next up was several kilometers of constant grade 3 – 4. We had a few swims. Dom nearly got speared by Sam (the boy) from Taunton, and Mat Jones (one of the club’s best paddlers) took some shocking lines, but he’s indestructible and very lucky. At one point he was heard to say
“There are no lines on this river”.
Everyone stopped to inspect “the staircase” – a boulder-strewn rock-dodge with no eddies. Three of us decided to walk it. Just as well – this rapid was pin-city.
One quick swim from Nick (not kiwi) and we were onto “the tunnel” rapid. We’d seen this from the road and it looked terrifying. It looked even worse from the river. “Just keep hard right” was our mantra.
Some quick throwline work for Matt G prevented Baldrick’s nasty swim from being any worse. The CFS gained some more scratches and a dent in the nose. By now, his legs are even more battered and bruised. time to walk.
Taunton Dave assured us that the last bit was an easy bimble. Yeah right! It had to have been a constant grade 3+ with every obstacle imaginable. Carnage started with the fastest swim ever by Jim. Kiwi Nick ran one drop minus spray-deck, and I (Mackey) got looped in the Phat. Fun though it was, the get-out was a sight to see.
Once on the road you couldn’t remove our grins with a crow-bar. The best day on the river yet, with many more to come.
Many thanks to Dave (Spooner) and Ian of Taunton for their boat chasing and rescue skills.
Mackey
Race down the Onde
We had already done the Onde earlier in the trip; a great little river. Very fast and constant; in fact the entire 4km run took 16 minutes.
The second week we went back to the Onde; the ‘second weeker’s using it as a warm up for bigger water later on.
Dom, Nick, and I decided to try to beat our previous time. And we were off, not stopping for pour-overs or rocks. Some shocking lines were taken (Mat would have been proud) with stoppers powered through rather than avoided. But it was worth it.
12 minutes. Hooray.
Mackey
