Chris Dickinson: August 2009

Skinsdale River 30th August 2009

John Ross's rig that took us in to the Skinsdale, East Sutherland, with permission of the estate.

This is a remote and beautiful area, and part of the Brora drainage.

Plan was to run the Skinsdale down into the Blackwater and on to the confluence with the Brora.

Early in the run the Skinsdale throws up a beautiful tiered fall. Chris runs the first drop...

.....Bernie makes a good run......

....followed by John in good style

Euan, below the top fall, heading for the final ledge.

Euan boofs a ledge on the lower Skinsdale

Upper Northern Blackwater 30th August 2009

The Skinsdale feeds into the Blackwater. The river is mellow to start and then a sudden rapid leads the upper falls, an impressive cataract. The best line is right side, seen here. Chris ran this. John provided cover from this ledge.

Looking back to the upper falls. The ledgy character of the river is clearly visible.

Rest of the team portaged the top falls. From here a gorge of over 4kms length unfolds with countless rapids and some major test pieces. This really is one of Scotland's finest runs.

Middle Northern Blackwater 30th August 2009

Colin boofs the major ledge shortly after the top falls

Chris makes the critical move on the run in to the main falls

Bernie in the pool below the final drop at the main falls

The portage of the main falls for the fainter hearted!

Lower Northern Blackwater 30th August 2009

John runs a ramp on one of the many Blackwater ledges

Colin takes the left line on the vicious ledge drop

Sean in the foaming eddy below

Colin running the ramped fall above the final set.

Fairy Steps on Spean Gorge at 1.75, 29th Aug 2009

Paddled the Spean Gorge in the evening with Callum after some rain had swelled the local runs.

Chris launching above a hole in Fairy Steps

At 1.75 Fairy Steps has great character. The rapid still retains its shape but becomes very powerful with some great features.

This "play" hole forms near the bottom of the rapid at this flow.

Lower Spean Gorge at 1.75 on 29th August 09

Callum Anderson surfing a great wave in a gap on the Spean Gorge.................

................................................exiting with a nice pirouette

Heavy water at the Headbanger drop

Water thunders out of Loch Lochy at the Mucomir takeout

Mushroom collecting 29 Aug 2009

Had a field day literally!! A very good year for mushrooms it seems. Good for fruit also.
Went to our secret mushroom hunting ground and brought back about 12lbs.

Mainly chanterelles, some hedgehogs and then birch brown and orange birch boletes.
At home we froze some, blanched first, then dried a whole lot for the winter and put the rest in the refrigerator for eating NOW!!

Calder Burn (1) First Descent 28 August 09

Callum Anderson and I hiked into the hills above the Great Glen to explore the gorge of the Calder Burn, behind Abercalder. We had been thinking about this for a while. Recently Callum hiked into the gorge to discover a 10m plus fall and some gnarly rapids. We went in on a medium flow day, on a slightly falling level, a wise decision in retrospect. The walk in took just 35 minutes, albeit it is very steeply uphill for the first 20 minutes. The river above the gorge is beautiful and could be paddled with a lot more water than the gorge itself. Definitely scope for a highwater run on the upper river some time, walking out before the gorge entrance. The gorge in high water would probably be out of the questions for mere mortals. Overall grade on the day was probably 4/5

This is the 10m fall, with another 2 metre drop right above it. We portaged this by climbing above the ravine on river right and one of us threw the boats and paddles over the falls to the waiting partner at the end of the pool below. An impressive place. The falls come quite late on in the run, but are nevertheless in your mind throughout the passage of the tight, steep and technical gorge up above them!!

Here Callum runs a beautiful slide which is part of a fine double drop, the first major event in the gorge.

It is followed immediately by this drop which can be run to this eddy on the right. Classic creeking in a very scenic canyon environment. It was here that we realised that we had enough water for what lay ahead.

Calder Burn (2) First Descent 28 Aug 09

A bad sieve, on right of picture, required a portage. Even if the wood was not there this drop would not go as most of the water goes under the huge midstream boulder. Ugh!!

Multiple drops in the heart of the Calder gorge. The Calder is tight, technical and in places very inaccessible. Portaging is sometimes a difficult option and to walk out from certain places would be very difficult. Water level could be a critical factor in here. A dangerous place to be if the river were rising fast. Beware!

Callum runs a good line on Splitter Rock rapid, a rather intimidating slot.

The final drop at the exit of the gorge, marks the end of an epic little adventure on one of Scotland's best wee burns.

Spean Gorge Solo 27 Aug 09

Made a solo trip down the gorge this evening, here just above Fairy Steps. The river was a nice level. Headbanger was a little cushioned and ran it without getting out of the boat. The constriction, however, was a nasty level, especially solo, so portaged that. This followed a trip down the Tarf yesterday.

At the outset, checked the gauge, seen here below the bridge at Spean Bridge on river left.

Measured the intervals on the gauge with a view to making a new one in white plastic. Will make this up and install it quite soon, when the river is at a low level.