Double header on the Dart

With yet another great amount of water in the Dart it was time to hit the Double header Home run. A run down the upper in creekers, before swapping to playboats for a session on the loop.
Ewart and I hit the Upper. The level was sweet, some nice lines, great waves and holes and still plenty of opportunities for rock spins and splats.

The meat of Euthanasia.

Ewart tried to get me to run my two Nemesis rapids, Euthanasia and Suprise-Suprise. I've run them in the past, but since dislocating my shoulder for a second time I've been less then keen on them. The water level was great and the lines were fairly clean and but after a spot of head rudder action on the drops above Euthanasia I didn't fancy it!

The classic view of Euthanasia.

When we got to Newbridge Ewart had to get off the river, Because he had to get back to Exeter for Lunch. After a quick bit of shuttle run action I got back on the river for a spot of playboat action.

I had hoped to join Roger for a play on the Dart. But Ewart and I were to late to Newbridge for me to catch up with him. I did however bump into Tom B in his squirt boat, and then down at Triple we met up with Andy, Dom and Sam.

Ewart hitting the line on Suprise-Suprise.

(click the image and be patient, wait for the animation to load)

We had a good session on the playwave a triple, but the clear blue skies of the morning were gone, and the clouds rolled in again. After a full day on the river I was shattered. Time to get back to Exeter and cook some Dinner!

Ewart, catalogue pose below Suprise-Suprise.

More Dart action!

Well we had hoped to go for a paddle somewhere different, but commitments in the morning led to a late start. So it was back to the Dart Loop again!
The level was great, covering most of the slab at Newbridge. So Andy, Louise and I got on for a quick bit of Loop action. Andy and I went for kayaks, as usual! but Louise decided to go Solo in her Open Boat, a first for her on the Loop.

Andy, showing his Old Skool cool!

Louise managed to nail every Rapid, and every line. That was until Triple Two nailed her! She got caught by the river right eddy line and took a quick dip. Mean while Andy and I got stuck into the play wave, and Louise caught a few pictures of us.

Me, lining up for a big Blunt.

Andy and I had great fun on the wave. Even if Andy did Grumble about his 'on loan' boat. His trusty Orbit Fish was stuck at the shop for some repairs, so he had to make do with a Draggo-rossi thruster. Let's just say it was OK but Andy won't be buying one!

Yet another right hand blunt on the shoulder

After a quick play, and a chance for Louise to drip dry, we headed on down the River. It was all fine until Spin dryer, I threw a wave wheel, but got in Louise's way, forcing her to take another swim. Oops! And that was that. Another great Loop trip!

Cross deck grab, and tongue, surely a freestyle winning move!

Agent on the Dart.

Well another reasonable level on the Dart coincided with my day off. So I decided to take the Dagger Agent Proto-type that we have in the shop, out for a spin on the Loop.




I really enjoyed the way it performed, not as loose as the Wavesport project that I've been paddling recently, but better at carving, and better on the green part of the wave than the Project. It seemed to bounce just as well I thought, and was easy to spin.

After a quick session on the Top wave I set off down to Triple 3. The wave there was a reasonable size, fast and surgy, with a sticky pile in the middle and a bit of a shoulder on each side. I had loads of fun charging down the wave, pulling a blunt off of the shoulder, spinning in the hole and setting up to do it all again! I can't wait to see the production model, hopefully they'll be with us soon!

Another 'Pots session

The Exe has been at a great level all week, so we decided to head to the Pots for another session. Tom B, Darren, Ewart and myself made it there, to be joined briefly by a few others. I actually got on and paddled, despite my loathing of the Pots! Although I don't have any pictures of me I do have a few of the others enjoying themselves.

Morning session at the 'Pots

Roger, Ewart and I agreed to go for a quick morning session at the Pots. However when I got there I decided to whimp out for various reasons, including I don't like the Pots!
I did manage to take a few videos with my phone, but I'm still having a few difficulties linking up my you tube account with my blogger account, but once I've solved that I pop a few up here.
However Roger and Ewart enjoyed themselves greatly, the Pots was at a perfect level and the both enjoyed some good runs. Hopefully I'll be able to prove it soon!

Another Upper Dart Run!

Just a quick one. No camera again, so nothing nice to look at.

With a hint of overnight rain there was just enough water for another run down the Upper Dart. Leo, Ewart, A friend of Leos' (sorry I've forgoten your name!) and I set off for a quick trip down the upper Dart. Nothing exciting to tell you I'm affraid, lots of rock spins, grinds, swipes and splats and the like as we cruised our way down the river!

Do I look Bovered: Scouting the Bovey.

Theres Bovey in them Hills!

Well with no water in the rivers it was time to check out Ewarts' latest Tree ditch mission, the Bovey. Draining off of the South East Side of Dartmoor the Bovey Drops quickly through a steep wooded valley.

We'd heard mixed reports about the Bovey, good whitewater, steep bouldery rapids, but once again marred by trees. There was only one thing to do. Check it out on foot, rather than make a repeat of our Teign epic and launch right on into it!

We walked in from the bottom, and right from the start it was obvious that the trees were going to be a problem. The lower half of the run was fairly easy, only grade two-ish, but with trees blocking almost every rapid it would have been very hard work, almost easier to have gotten out and walked the entire section.

But the further up we walked the better the rapids got. Steep Bouldery rapids, with narrow channels, but many oppertunities for pinning.

Just after passing the low foot bridge in the middle, the gradient kicked it up another notch, and we encountered one long steep technical section of whtewater. The rapid seemed to go on for ever as we walked up the bank along side it. But as with most of the river it was ruined by quite a number of trees blocking the river. Some of the quite big, it would be a real epic to try and clear any of them!

Then the gradient eased off a bit again, before reaching the incredibly boulder syphon. The entire river dissapeared through a huge jumble of boulders, only to reappear boiling out the the boulders at the bottom. Then Just above the boulder syphon was one last rapid. An incredible steep, tight and technical boulder garden. Unfortunatly we were on the wrong bank to be able to scout it properly.

But we were left with one overwhelming feeling about the Bovey, the rapids were good, continuous, steep and technical, but totaly ruined by a vast number of trees.

The scenery however is great!

Three days on the Dart

Well, with time off over the Festive period, and a reasonable amount of water in the rivers, it could only mean one thing. Time to get paddling.

It all kick off on the 30th Of December. With a good amount of water in the Dart it was a long awaited top wave session. As Usual all the regulars were there. The Eddy was a bit small, and swirly, but everyone had fun.

James Hawker launches another big one

Sam Anderson looping

Darren 'wheelin' on top wave

Tom Bailey ripping in the pit

Dan Westaway blunting top wave

Then as the river Level started to drop off a few of us paddled down to the Triple Three wave. It was on the high side for the wave, but it provided plenty of fun.

Big smooth ends for Dan

Darren carving on the mighty Triple 3

Tom Bailey sets-up for another Blunt

Dan Finally sticks the Back blunt he was after

Then it was Back to the Dart again for New Years Eve. We had a Mega 13 boat Team for a mass descent of the Upper. The river had dropped off a bit since the Day before, but there was still enough water for a good paddle. We pretty much Freight Trained it down the upper, barely stopping, but having a good laugh along the way. When we got to New Bridge most people got off the river, but some of us weren't satisfied and swapped our creek boats for play boats and charged on down the river to get to The Triple 3 play wave. It wasn't quite as big as the day before, but the wave was still good enough for some great playin'. With a great range of surfing, spinning, bouncing and blunting.

Then on New years day it was back to the Dart again. With many people feeling rough, it was another Play session at Triple. The river had held onto the water well, and there was still enough of a wave for everyone to pull off their favourite moves. The more we paddled the dafter we became. With a captive audiance on the bank the tricks got more and more old skool, with hand paddling, paddle spins, shudder rudders, air guitars and any other daft trick that could be thought of. The guys on the bank took lots of photos, and tried to direct us to a website where we'd find them,but as yet we've been unable to find any. Boo Hoo!

Mud and Mud at Abbeyford

Ewart and I have to much time on our hands! With no water in the rivers there's only one solution, go biking.
We decided to head to Goldburn hill at Abbeyford, just outside of Okehampton. It's a great place, with loads of trails and northshore. But today there was also loads of MUD!

MUD

We enjoyed a great few hours riding all the trails and riding the 'shore. But the mud was a bit of a problem, making alot of the 'shore really slippery and making the lead in and run outs of some of the obstacles really sketchy!

Ewart drops of the northshore

Me dropping off towards the wall ride

Ewart foot-off mid wall ride

Me railing round the wall ride

After plugging the mud at the 'shore we set off across the hill to take on some of the single track, downhill, drops and jumps.

Me dropping off the 'coffin'

Ewart droping the 'coffin'

Truck-huck at woodbury

A few Days ago, well Chrisymas eve to be precise, Ewart and I went up to Woodbury for a spot of Dirt Jumping. When we arrived at our favourite line of jumps we discovered a Truck parked in the middle of the jumps. Well there was only one thing to do........

TRUCK HUCK

Ewart floats over the tabletop

Me soaring across the tabletop

It was fairly wet, and a bit muddy, but it didn't stop us. We had a great morning of jumping.

Ewart hucks the Truck

Me hucking the Truck

Well I didn't say it was a big Truck!!!

A few days off

Well it's the week before Christmas, and my wife, Louise, doesn't get much time off during the festive season. But some how we managed to get three days off together, so we went and had an enjoyable time in the sunshine.

Louise shreds triple three play wave

First up, we loaded up our paddling gear and headed off for a quick blast down the Dart Loop in our Canoe. There wasn't as much water as we expected, but there was enough for us to have a good float down the river.

Me, dropping into the wave

Well it wouldn't be a trip down the loop without stopping for a quick play at Triple three. There was just enough water to create a wave, and we both enjoyed a quick chance to paddle solo.

Me again, working the cross-deck

After that, we offloaded wet kit for dry kit, and headed on down to Falmouth. Where a posh (well it was posh to me!) hotel awaited us. And so we spent the next day and a half doing very little, except enjoying the sunshine, being lazy, and reading all the weekend papers. Brilliant!

On the way home though we did stop off at little out-of-the-way beach that I quite like. The surf report was only giving 1 foot, so I wasn't expecting much, plus at high tide the break crashes into rocks and cliffs and we were arriving maybe an hour or so before high. But the sight that greeted us was amazing.

The set's out back looked to have at least 6 foot faces, there wasn't a breath of wind, but there was no beach, just rocks and cliffs, so while it looked tempting there was no chance of getting in.

At the far end of the break, this beauty kept on peeling

We stood on the cliff top for a while just watching them roll on in. Quietly wishing we'd got out of Falmouth earlier. Then I could have enjoyed a few of them.

Another set drags it's way in

The One consilation was that the car park was totaly empty, so I was able to make the most of the gradient on my skate board. I Had hoped to get in some of the classic Falmouth castle longboarding, but it was a bit damp, and the roads were fairly busy. But I did manage to enjoy a quick quiet session in a deserted car park.

Cranking it over and trying to keep some traction

It was a little sketchy, there was no sun getting into the bottom of the valley, so the tarmac was kind of damp, there was also lots of gravel. Every now and then when carving hard the board would set off into a skid. Not too bad when padded up, but I wasn't, and not too bad when it wsa the back end that lost it, but I managed to loose the front a couple of times. But it was all good.

Unfortunatly all good things have to come to an end, and eventually we made our way back to Exeter. Ready for work tomorrow.

Gene 17 adventure paddlers weekend

This weekend saw the annual Gene17 Adventure Paddlers Weekend. A Paddling mini festival based at the River Dart Country Park, near Ashburton on the edge of Dartmoor. The Idea behind the weekend is to bring a load of paddlers together, close to some great white-water, mix with a few inspirational lectures and trip reports, a large dose of alcohol (very large amounts in some peoples case!) and hopefully some rain.

Dave 'dangerous' Carrol and Simon Westgarth

Once again work stopped me from getting out during the Saturday, but I managed to make it down to the Park for Saturday night. The highlight of the weekend. A whole host of lectures from a range of paddlers, about their trips to some wild and un-charted white-water in a range of exotic locations. Plus the chance to catch up with loads of paddlers of a beer or two!

DC Handing out some freebies

Paddlers traveled from all over the country to be there, and there was quite an impressive turnout.

Lectures and crowds

There was also the chance to have your ears check to see if you had "surfers ear". Lots of people took the oppurtunity to have their ears checked out. Not only was it helpful and informative for paddlers, but the results were also going to be used by the nurse involved for her Msc. I didn't envy her, having to look into ear after ear all night long!

Paddlers getting their ears surveyed

As the beers flowed things got madder and badder! the following pictures can only be looked at and wondered at!

Roger and Ewart try and check their ears simultaneously!

Ewart as a giant bunny. Very disturbing!

Roger as a giant drunk bunny. Even more disturbing!

My Wife, a really Angel, not looking like the sober driver!