Favourite River Trips

Probably the hardest river we paddle frequently, club paddlers are probably familiar enough with it that we take it less seriously than if it were far from home. However, it is also very good, so it gets done often, since there is all-year access and the trip will run in fairly low water (often paddled several times a year in high summer).

The Tees Greta forms on the moors west of Bowes, the Greta itself up near Stainmore, and it is joined by a major tributary, Sleightholme Beck, which rises near Tan Hill. The combined waters flow under Gilmonby Bridge, which is the highest put-in normally used (although club members have paddled from much higher up in big floods, and one trip has also tackled Sleightholme Beck). It's not a river we are likely to put on the programme as it comes up and drops off very quickly - it is difficult to catch at a good level.

Of all the easy rivers we do, the Tees is likely to provide a trip at a greater range of different water levels than almost anywhere else. Consequently, its not only quite likely to appear on the programme, but often offers us a fall-back trip when something else has unsuitable water level or if people just want to nip out for a local trip. Releases from Cow Green reservoir at the top can mean there's water here when other rivers are lower.

The middle section of the River Wear is a fine, varied, and relatively continuous whitewater run at grade 3, and with a club member living right at the take-out where he can reccy the level, tends to be one of our favourites for a short notice trip when it rains. Like the section upstream, it rises and falls quickly, but as this runs with less water, it does tend to be easier to catch, with more chance of a run in a summer storm.

Abbey Rapids is easy to add on to the end of a Cotherstone to Barnard Castle trip and often some paddlers will carry on down at the end of a beginners' trip. Obviously, if you've just paddled the section upstream, you'll have a good idea of the level, but this section is also one of the easiest to check. Looking upstream from Abbey bridge will give you a view of the hardest part of Abbey Rapids.

There are three sections of the Wharfe that the club has paddled in recent years, and some more downstream that we hope to paddle again, but haven't visited recently. The Middle Wharfe is a relatively easy trip (mostly grade 2) that goes without huge rainfall, with a few harder drops (grade 3) and rapids and one (easily avoided) much harder drop at the end (a good grade 4). The Upper Wharfe is harder to catch, as it needs more water (to run at grade 3+) but gets a lot harder in very high levels (top end of grade 4?).

There are several sections of the River Kent, but the one we count as a regular favourite is the part from Kendal down to the A65 bridge, at Force Falls. There are harder sections upstream, but catching these at a paddleable level has proven difficult ! Never really a beginners' trip, the Kent is a good venue for paddlers happy on grade 3 water, wanting to get into a bit of grade 4, although all the harder rapids can easily be inspected and walked round if they look too mean on the day (they do get less forgiving as the water rises).

There are two sections of the Duddon that are normally run, and only the lower, easier section counts as a club favourite river at the moment. This runs for almost exactly six miles (9.6 km) from a small off-road parking space by the bridge at Hall Dunnerdale, down to the take-out on the main A595 road at Duddon Bridge. There's a mile of grade 2+ water above this put-in if you want a slightly longer trip that's no harder. Above that is Wallowbarrow gorge, which is definitely a grade up on the trip described here.