River Greta (Jan 2006)

Registered Company No 2612775

On the Friday before I had a good look over the UK rivers guide web site in anticipation of the weekends trip to the Greta.

It’s a long way up to Keswick and about the same back so we were on for a pretty cold eight o’clock start.

People and cars arrived in spades. Some were clearly quietly reflecting in nervous anticipation of the trips other purpose – the 4 star assessment!! Boats mounted and then off by 8.40 (is that a record?) for the journey up, with blankets and pillows!!

We arrived at the put in (next left after the mining museum off the A66 from the M6) to see the water level was as exactly as Les had predicted (bum scrappy (AKA low))!!

Cars were shuttled and lives were saved as Gareth (the new paddle development officer) produced a spare buoyancy aid for some airhead who forgot theirs! More on his life saving antics later.

Off we set. During the 6 mile trip down the river to Keswick the journey was punctuated fantastic views of the mountains and the water was so clear you could see the river bottom for most of the trip. Andy confirmed this by rolling and then commenting that he could see daylight when he looked up!!!

The river was mostly grade 2-3 with some good rapids now and again. However, the low water levels did impede the progress of most. A word of advice, if ever paddling down such a river again with Pete, and this was commented to me and is not my observation, never the less it is correct that Pete should be allowed to go first to ‘find’ the rocks and act as a small light house as he did on so many occasions on Sunday!!

The fabled magnetic rock had even lost most of its pull. However one member decided to go run the rapid upside down ( I don’t think this was on purpose) leaving Gareth to do some quick manovering of the titanic he was paddling to pull out the near swimmer and so save the second life of the day. We must come back in higher water as the members of the group with local knowledge said this river is the one in the lakes.

The short section of flat water was followed by the get out just past the confluence of the Derwent and the Greta. Boats loaded and back in the car for more pillows and blankets.

Well done to all those who passed their 4 Star assessment on the trip as well.

Editors Note: This report is as it came to me - I've not edited it to remove mention that I swam (which I must say was a nasty pin with no-one from my group coming to my aid – too busy laughing or trying to stay upright themselves I guess!) So I seem to have got away without it being mentioned!

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