D(Duddon) Day

What started out as a morning play on the Leven changed with the promise of overnight rain.

A quick scan at 7am gave us options but the peak had passed and levels were on the way down. With that said the ground was sodden so I decided on the Duddon as it should hold.

Three met at the egress and made the shuttle up the valley to our put in. Putting on at Tarn Beck about a kilometre up from Hall bridge this small trib was running well.

On the water by 10am we picked our way down river, spooning and spinning of part covered rocks and catching lots of eddies. We soon found ourselves at Ulpha Bridge by the hour mark. Chatting to a group that had travelled two and a half hours to get here made you appreciate how lucky we are to have this gem of a river on our doorstep.

Drifting on down we enjoyed another hour of class grade three, albeit with a strong low sun in our eyes. No drama’s just a lovely Sunday Duddon day.

Back home by early afternoon even gained me some extra brownie points.

Thanks for joining me, John H and Steve Ed

0.73 to start the level held at 0.71 at the finish so a low medium.

MarkM

Cald Beck and Caldew

Mike H and Tom P decided to go take a look at Cald Beck, not that there is any information about padding it available. It is not often that we get to try something new. We started a bit later to allow teh scent rain time to fill the becks. Here is what we found oN Wednesday 21st Feb 2024.

Sebergham gauge on Caldew read 0.76 when we started at 11.45 and 0.97 when we finished at 2.45.

Cald beck, seems to start where Whelpo beck and Gill beck join, just below the bridge in Caldbeck.  It is 2.3 km and drops 30 m giving a gradient of 13‰. Grade  2+ with some 3. Trees are passable with little difficulty. We had one very short portage around a fallen tree today.

After the Caldew is joined there are continuous gated 2/ 2+ raids down to Sebergham bridge. Most raids are caused by shingle beads but a some by shallow bedrock slabs.

After Sebergham bridge , more of the same. with some very large trees caught shallow gravel especially at S meanders. Something to keep you entertained all the way. Just upstart of Dalston is 4 m weir, considering of 4 steep angle slabs which paddles easily. Below a short grade 3 before more flowing grade 2 taking you to the egress at a white metal bridge

Ingres at Caldebck

Bouldery at the mill

A typical section

Upstream from the footbridge

Downstream from the footbridge

Mike H