A Low River Tees & Even Less Water Everywhere Else!!

We'd planned a paddle for the 2nd January and we were determined to do so, chasing the water all the way up to the North East, in the hope of finding some in the upper River Tees. Photos taken the day before showed a low but fun level, so I set my alarm for 07:00 and went to sleep dreaming of the fun to be had.

After an early get-up to load the car in the dark, we set off up the M6 for the long drive north. As we drove up the country, the temperature came down, and by the time we arrived at the get-in, we were driving past slabs of ice at least six inches thick. How I love British paddling!

Far too early for a Sunday!

A quick stop at Low Force on the way to the get-in left us a little disappointed. It was low! Very low! The levels had dropped by at least a foot from the previous day, meaning most of the river would be a scrape. It wasn't just us that had been expecting more water; it was busy, with boaters travelling long distances to find the wet stuff!

Low water and ice on the Upper Tees

We set off down the path to the river, and put on amongst ice and barely covered rocks. Optimistic of a good paddle, we decided to call the river technical rather than low. An effective euphemism I thought! And 'technical' it was. Scraping, bumping, pushing and a bit of paddling, saw us arrive at the first bit of interest - a small grade 3 fall. I watched as Mark chose his line and went first, but he only made it half way down. I could see his helmet as his boat ground to a halt on a rock shelf. Laughing, I decided a different line would be best, and I bounced down, passing a smiling Mark on the way past. He shuffled down, and once we were all safely at the bottom, we set off towards Salmon Leap Falls.

Salmon Leap Falls, or the dog-leg as it is also known, is a fun section. After rounding a right-angled bend at the top, two small drops await paddlers as they make their way down to the bottom. All the water flows through this narrow section, so even in low water it can be quite meaty.



Making my way down the dog-leg

Waiting my turn at the top, I saw another paddler miss the bend and slam nose first into the rocks. He managed to stay upright, and I saw him climbing back up for another go. I climbed back into my boat and set off, struggling over rocks to make the line. I hit the flow and used the curling wave to make the bend. A fun bounce down left me with nothing but a big smile.

A swimmer soon had me leaping into action, and after smoothly carrying out a rescue, we were on our way to Low Force.

I've paddled Low Force before, and it was one of the main reasons for doing the river. Several paddlers were at the top, and we watched them all go over smoothly into the pool below. Most just dropped off the lip, but I had other plans. A boof just at the right moment should see me land in the white foam, and with a bit of luck I wouldn't even get my hair wet. So much for that plan!

Just as I was putting in the boof stroke, my boat veered sharply to the right and I came off the lip in the wrong direction at the wrong angle. I landed on my side, and a sharp pain ran through my body. Winded! I had either landed on a rock or the side of my boat. As I went to move the paddle, another pain shot through my shoulder and down my arm. Enough was enough, and I pulled my deck and swam. 

As I surfaced, I was struggling to get my breath, and my hands became instantly useless because of the cold. I was hurting physically, but my pride was hurting more. On what was arguably the least technical part of the entire river, I had got it completely wrong. What an idiot! Climbing out was difficult too, and by the time I made it to the path some twenty feet above, I was feeling sick. I collapsed onto another kayak and watched as ropes were used to drag my boat out of the river.

Ten minutes later, and I was just about getting some feeling back into my hands. While my paddling buddies were quite concerned, I was making the most of my adrenaline, the body's natural painkiller, and I angrily hauled my boat onto my good shoulder and trekked to the car. What a disappointing end to an otherwise great day, captured on video by Glenn Casson.



Getting changed proved slightly more difficult, much to the amusement of my husband, although he did eventually offer to help! I still felt surprisingly upbeat about my paddling, although one of my fellow paddlers remarked that he wasn't feeling at all confident after his swim, and needed some confidence boosting trips to somewhere like the Treweryn. I replied with "Etive next week then?" I actually would!

A week has now passed, and although my shoulder is still a little sore, I was ready to paddle again tomorrow. My confidence hasn't suffered at all, which I'm really pleased with, and I'm up for anything. I can't wait to be on the water. The lack of rain however, has put an end to that, and all I can do is sit with my rivers guide and dream of my next paddling adventure..................