23-26 Oct 2015 (photos)

A three day kayak trip to the Lake District.

Friday 23rd

Four of us set of early on Friday to walk up Helvellyn. We arrived at Glenridding by late morning and set off up the mountain. After half a mile, the ascent took its toll and we were down to three. By the time we reached Striding Edge, the rain had started and the wind was howling, making the rocks quite slippery, but at least the visibility was so bad we couldn't see the drop! A quick lunch on the summit, in the lee of the stone shelter was followed by a rapid descent down Swirral Edge back to the car. We thawed out with hot chocolate in a local cafe before heading off to the Kendal Hostel to meet the rest of the group who had set off later in the day and had a nightmare journey with the traffic.

Saturday 24th

Today we paddled the River Lune from Beck Foot to the Rawthey Confluence. Water level was quite low, requiring some scraping along in certain sections. The car shuttle had been made trickier as the layby at the get out was already full when we arrived, requiring us to park half a mile further down the road, so there was a long wait at the end to retrieve the cars.

Sunday 25th

As the overnight rain had not yet filled the local rivers, we took on the River Tees, from High Force to Low Force. Low Force was many people's first attempt at a 'proper' waterfall, but everyone enjoyed it, with Dave even walking back up and running it again.

Monday 26th

We were picking up some open canoes today, which, with the long drive back, did not leave time for any practical paddling.

An enjoyable trip, and hopefully next time we might even find some water in the Lake District!