Cockney Rhyming Slang
Apples & Pairs, Oh Gor Blimey, Shoe Shine Guvna. All crazy speak from the capital city London. Speaking of crazy speak; What a load of Pony and Trap!
Paddle till your arms drop off
Three rivers, three big falls, one big slide, lots of carrying boats and now my arms are beat. My shoulder is throbbing with pain, and it was only two days ago I felt happy about paddling hard thinking that it would respond well to strong physical usage! And still the text messages arrive saying do you want to paddle? The rain is hammering it down outside, Hurley, Hambleden, Boulters, Marsh and Shepperton on the River Thames are all set to go ballistic tomorrow with unprecedented summer rainfall levels, Dartmoor is being pounded as I type. But today, No can do, I'm beat, I need a rest day!
What Access Problems?
The rain started off Friday big time and then my friend Nige got called out for the Coast guard/cliff rescue because Gloucester was flooded and there were many people in need of assistance. That was about 7pm Friday, next morning about 9.30am I received a text to say he had just finished! Unlucky we were heading off to South Wales for some river action. Got on the Mellte and a chat with some paddlers who were out for a walk to check the river. Chatted with some walkers, shared the Gun Powder mill with the Canyoning folk and the car park with the climbers. Mid summer and we certainly did not look out of place. Half a mile away on the Nedd Fechan things may have been different but that was too low to go there anyhow so no clash of use. Contented we popped into the local shop to get pasties and were heading home, when we received a call to say the Clydach was on one. So a quick whizz along the Heads of the Valleys road and down the hill to the Clydach gorge. A short blast with the main fall running at a good level then off to the shop to get pasties! :-) There is no problem with access, you simply need to paddle with knowledge and respect for the river and all other users.
MRi Scan
Had a surgical consult after busting my shoulder again (Half way down the Upper Jori, in the photo below.) and had a full set of scans and x-rays. Need to go back now and have an MRi scan with a dye injection as they want to identify the area of damage. Looks like surgery is going to be a certainty though, which will be good as it will get it fixed up and ready for use again.
Clear water
The Upper Val Dolar River provided amazing scenery. Flanked by the high mountains and cliffs leading to the Troll Wall the water was perfectly clear. Gentle slides increasing in difficulties as the river descends, until the river drops of the face of the earth in a set of awe inspiring slides and cascades.
Favourite
Lower Jori River in Norway, plugs in as my favourite river of the summer. Was able to read and run the whole way without having to eddy out above to read. Totally consistent and continuous class4 run, excellent.
Planes
Boy do I not like flying. It does not matter how many flights I take it is still the same old feeling that I should not be up at thirty six thousand feet. Not so sure if I can handle long transcontinental or transatlantic flights again, two hour trips are just about bearable, any longer and the milk is going to have to come out!
All Going Off
Several days of rain brought the rivers up. A play session at Hurley fired out the cobwebs and then South Wales came into condition. A trip down the Upper Tawe was met with a lot of trees, so much so that we are going to have to go in and clear it out. We followed the Tawe with a fine level run down the Afon Mellte. Still to this day the Mellte is such an amazing location with impressive waterfalls and intimidating gorge. Really should make the effort and run the big drops again and get some modern video.
