Jason Smith

Canoe & Kayak Adventures 100 Extraordinary Paddling Experiences

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WHITEWATER

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The GraniTe SlideS of ScoTland’S Triple crown Run the waterfalls and skitter down the steep graniteslabs of Glen Etive during one of the best day’s whitewater kayaking that the UK has to offer.

The River Etive is rightfully considered a classic Scottish run. Flowing through the stunning Glen Etive – under the impressive shadow of Buachaille Etive Mor, one of Scotland’s best known Munros – it is probably the best-known whitewater run in the whole of Scotland.

With its rapids bearing emotive names like Triple Drop, Ski Jump, The Letter Box, Crack of Doom and Crack of Dawn, its smooth boulder gardens, tight constrictions and exhilarating slides provide a stiff challenge to those braving it’s crystalline waters. Slide into its chilly waters and the action begins immediately as you line yourself up for the first rapid. From then on in you are contained between the river’s high granite walls as you negotiate your way down its various challenges.

Dynamic paddling will be rewarded and even if it all goes wrong and you find yourself swimming the river is pool drop in nature, so there’s always a moment of calm at the end of each drop to deal with any carnage. If you can take your eyes off the crashing whitewater you’ll be greeted with a breathtaking view of the valley of overlooking craggy mountains.

From start to finish kayakers will enjoy a rollercoaster ride until they successfully reach the final challenge, the small but tricky dog-leg rapid that leads into the diminutive pool above the lip of Right Angle Falls, an impressive 16-foot waterfall, also sometimes known as Big Man Falls or its true Gaelic name of Eas an Fhir Mhóir. Whatever name you choose to use it won’t help dispel the butterflies in your stomach as you wait above. The fall drops cleanly into a natural amphitheatre, where, as you slide out of the pool and over the sloping lip, you will enjoy a fleeting feeling of freefall, before you crash deep below the foaming waters below. After you’ve taken a moment to calm down from the adrenaline pumping through your veins it’s a short but technical paddle down to the take out opposite the Allt a Chaoruinn, a tributary that flows into the Etive from the river left bank.

For some this may be enough and the end of their day, but for those looking to complete the ‘Triple Crown’ it’s time to paddle over to the opposite bank before shouldering your kayak for the short but steep hike to the top of the Allt a Chaoruinn. This is a step up in gradient and as you stand beside the lip of the first drop appropriately named Gun Barrel you may have to have a stiff word with yourself. For the brave of heart though the run supplies a back-to-back series of nerve wracking but thrill-packed granite slab slides and drops with small flat pools in between. This is kayaking as contact sport and Ecstacy, Pinball and Chasm will all pass by in a blur as you rattle down, ricocheting off rocks as you go. Before you know it you will be once again paddling back across the Etive

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ExperienceExpert

Getting thereThe Etive is situated in the Western Highlands and is easily accessed by car from Glen Coe and Fort William. Glasgow Airport is about two hours away

In this locationToo much to mention. This area of Scotland is blessed with an abundance of fantastic whitewater rivers, but within a short drive of Glen Etive are the Coe and the Leven

On landAs well as the brilliant whitewater rivers of the region it’s a Mecca for hill walkers, climbers and mountain bikers. In the wintertime the nearby Glen Coe Ski resort can provide fun for snow-sports enthusiasts

OVERMATTER: MAIN BODY

to your awaiting vehicle.A short drive down a winding road will see you ready for the third and final challenge:

the Allt Mheuran. It delivers a shot of almost pure excitement, but it doesn’t give up its whitewater elixir easily. Once unloaded you will need to hike your kayak down to the now gently flowing Etive and paddle it across to the far bank. Once again you will need to shoulder your kayak and summon up your remaining strength for a tough climb up to the frothing chutes above. As you begin the hike you’ll see the white ribbons of Allt Mheuran in the distance. As you arrive panting at the top, what greets you is a sight to jumpstart the hearts of the most exhausted paddlers.

The run starts with a fifteen foot drop into a small pool, which leads directly to a twisting and turning granite gutter that becomes steeper and steeper as it goes and culminates in the kayaker flying down an insane thirty foot slide and launching over a twenty foot waterfall into the aqua green pool below. As you fly down that final slide with the stunning vista of the wild and majestic glen, complete with roaming stags, stretching out below you, it really will feel like you are about to drop off the end of the world. You’ll sit shaking in the bottom pool, looking back up from where you’ve just come – and you’ll feel elated, invincible, alive!

All that is needed now is to hike your boat back down to the car before repairing to the Clachaig Inn in Glen Coe for a large dram of single malt to toast your Triple Crown success and bring your heart rate back down to something near normal.

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CANOEING

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Drifting on EnglanD’s DEEpEst lakEThe beautiful and peaceful waters of Wastwater exertan almost irresistible pull to visiting canoe paddlers.

Wastwater, England’s deepest lake, is situated in the wild and remote valley of Wasdale in the South Western fells of England’s Lake District. So stunning is the vista, on a sunny and windless day, as you look down the lake towards Dale Head, that it was awarded the prestigious title of ‘Britain’s Favourite View’. With a resume like that you’d think that the surface of Wastwater would be crammed with boats, but not so. Even though there is a limit of only twelve canoes allowed on the lake at one time, this is a moot point as its remote location means that, even in the holiday season, it very rarely gets more than a few canoes on it at one time and the likelihood is that you will have the entire lake to yourself.

The secluded location is one of the features that is most appealing to paddlers. The lake is isolated, unspoilt, tranquil, and a truly beautiful area in the Lake District National Park. At nearly three-miles long, almost half-a-mile wide and, with a depth of 258 feet, Wastwater, at its deepest is below sea level. Add to this the fact that it is overlooked by England’s highest mountain, Scafell Pike at 3,210 feet, and it becomes an area of dramatic extremes that cries out to be explored by canoe.

As soon as you set off you’ll feel the power of the location, the mountains that surround you and the dramatic Lakeland. The mirror-flat water is crystal clear, but suddenly the lakebed appears to drop away rapidly. The water beneath you becomes inky black and you can only imagine how far above the very bottom you are.

The peace and solitude of Wastwater, coupled with the characteristic brooding feel of the valley, is a huge contrast to some of the more popular of the Lake District’s lakes. Wordsworth described Wastwater as ‘long, stern and desolate’ and as you glide across its surface you’ll understand how this landscape has inspired painters, poets, climbers, and now canoeists, over the centuries.

Access to the lake is easy and there are several places where you can park a vehicle and easily carry your canoe down to the water’s edge. How you choose to explore the lake is up to you, but a circumnavigation will let you take in every aspect. There are a few places along the shoreline that lend themselves to a stop for a well earned cup of coffee, but the gravel beaches next to Low Woods at the south western end of the lake make an ideal lunch spot as you can tuck in to your refreshments while gazing down the length of Wastwater at ‘That View’.

ExperienceNovice

Getting thereA road runs along one shore of Wastwater, so it is easily accessed by car. In This LocationThe Lake District has an abundance of water but unfortunately not all of the lakes have access. Derwent Water, Windermere and Ullswater, however, all have good access

On landThe Lake District is a haven for those who love the outdoors. If you’re feeling fit why not combine a paddle on England’s deepest lake with a walk to the top of its highest mountain?

Useful infoThere is a National Trust (www.nationaltrust.org.uk) campsite at the Wasdale Head (019467 26220) end of the lake. At the other end is the Wasdale Hall Youth Hostel (0870 770 6082), also owned by the National Trust