Off on a tour with Poke, meeting his mate Jim over in Sedbergh where the Rawthey and Clough were both too low to bother with. We tanked over to Ingleton and had a quick look at the falls - not that appealing at todays level with a couple of drops that I just couldn't see working, so....
Back in the cars and to Newby Bridge for a fast run down the Leven; big level and was taken for a munching at Backbarrow Bridge - I did nothing out of the ordinary, just ran the tongue before being melting into the mess under the bridge. My paddles were wrenched out of my grasp and, simultaneously I felt something dragging across my shins - turned out to be my boat! Not too long in the green room and Poke chucked me my paddles before punting the boat into the portage eddy river left - a 132m swim according to Google Earth! No more "moments" and soon we were back on the road and heading to Seathwaite and the upper Duddon. Flooded roads promised a meaty level on the river; we weren't disappointed!
Back in the cars and to Newby Bridge for a fast run down the Leven; big level and was taken for a munching at Backbarrow Bridge - I did nothing out of the ordinary, just ran the tongue before being melting into the mess under the bridge. My paddles were wrenched out of my grasp and, simultaneously I felt something dragging across my shins - turned out to be my boat! Not too long in the green room and Poke chucked me my paddles before punting the boat into the portage eddy river left - a 132m swim according to Google Earth! No more "moments" and soon we were back on the road and heading to Seathwaite and the upper Duddon. Flooded roads promised a meaty level on the river; we weren't disappointed!
While we mere mortals kitted up, Poke ran the Gorge section above Birks Bridge before we all tanked of down the Upper at a cracking level. A portage around Troutal Fall, otherwise solid G3 read and run, continuous all the way to the confluence with Grassguards Gill. Poke or Jim hadn't been on this tree-fest of a ditch, so I left them to it, carrying a paddle and 3m of tape in case a throwline was needed... We were soon back on and sprinting down to Wallowbarrow Gorge. After a "bottom-up" inspection, I picked the boat up and carried on by; the other pair leapt in and paddled like fury, rejoining at the bottom of the Gorge just as darkness fell. Luckily we were parked just below Tarn Beck and so the last quarter mile went quickly enough!
