3 rider: The Lower Walkham

Being at work on Saturday, I missed all the great river levels. But I managed to get out for a paddle on Sunday. Keen to try something different Ewart, Louise and I headed over to the far side of the moor to paddle the Lower Walkham, which also includes some of the Tavy as well. After driving round for quite some time trying to find the get out, because we'd all forgotten to bring a proper map, we finally got ourselves sorted left a car at the get out and got to the get on. The river was paddleable, but I wouldn't have wanted to try it with any less water.
It's a really fun little river, much smaller than the Dart, with numerous little rapids and drops which twist and turn through a wooded valley, and very little chance to catch your breath. Before you finally come to a solid little class 3 drop. Louise and I decided to give it a miss, tandem in the Canadian, but ran the rest of the little twisty rapid below. A few more rapids lead you down to the confluence with the Tavy. A couple of Bouncy class 2 rapids then lead you down to a great class 3 rapid, weaving between some large boulders and through a hole. Then some more bouncy class 2 brings you to a weir, Ewart ran it off a rock ledge on river right, but once again Louise and I decided that it just wasn't quite a Canadian Canoe line. Some last few rapids then lead you to a tiny little gauging weir, which produces a great surf wave. Cue lots of surfing and generally mucking about! And that's it. Its a great trip, if you fancy a class 3 river trip with a far more technical and river running feel than the loop, then the Lower Walkham could be for you.