River Teith Canoeing: Sunday 6th March 2016

Paddlers: Neil, Grant, Moose(?) [Leaders], Adele, Stewart, Mark, Vee, Boo, Geoff, Brian, Steven

Weather: Fine, bright, Mostly sunny

Route: River Teith; Callendar to exit point on left bank 800m past the Torrie Rapid

route

Report: After normal delays involving car transfers we finally got on the river  at the Callendar Car Park at about 11.15.

callendar

We then paddled the canoes up to the junction of the Leny and the Teith for some introductory instruction on Ferry Gliding and to get used to canoes and particularly tandem canoeing. From there we headed down river through increasingly difficult water with various much appreciated stops for instruction and coaching.

quiet stretch

 

The importance of using eddies became increasingly obvious.  Afetr an excellent lunch we then headed further down through various Grade 1 rapids until we reached the crux; the Grade 2 Torrie Rapid. All decided to run the rapid and all did succesfully.

Brian and Bros

Stewart and Adele
Stewart and Adele
geoff and Boo
Geoff and Boo
Vee
Vee
Mark
Mark
Moose(?)
Moose(?)

We arrived at our exit point around 3.30pm. To get to the cars we had a short steep climb up from the river to the road and then a crossing of the A84 to the lay-by, probably the most dangerous activity of the day. The usual delays in changing, tying on and collecting cars resluted in a 5pm arrival in Helensburgh.

All in all an excellent day, with many thanks to Neil for arranging it and Grant and Moose for coaching. Our thanks to Grant for illustrating that not only novices go swimming. Trip much appreciated. Still have a way to go though, albeit not so far, to convince me to use a canoe rather than a kayak.