Heybaz
20-01-2008, 06:23 PM
All - following from a post I just put on UKRGBS - this is a really nasty strainer which had me filling my breeks until everyone was past it...
There is a tree partialy blocking the "usual" river right channel in the Fishermans Gorge, on the Leven. This is in addition to the serious tree strainer in the river left channel which has been there for a few weeks.
At todays level - high, with the floodgates at Newby Bridge open - this strainer cannot be seen from the last river right eddy on the approach to the gorge section. It can be sneaked past by staying hard left - which has its own problems in the form of rhododenron bushes overhanging the river - or taking the extreme river right line down the a channel that only opens at this sort of level.
Two members of our group followed the main river right channel and both hit the thing and bounced off, snapping the biggest above water level part off (it must be pretty rotten timber) and making it less visible, but there is still a substantial lump of tree remaining, jammed across the very bottom end of the main channel, just below the surface.
As the levels drop this will present a really serious hazard on a section which is very fast and narrow, difficult to inspect, and where getting any form of safety in place would be challenging.
If anybody paddles this in the next few days it would be as well to add to this post to keep us all informed of the situation.
There is a tree partialy blocking the "usual" river right channel in the Fishermans Gorge, on the Leven. This is in addition to the serious tree strainer in the river left channel which has been there for a few weeks.
At todays level - high, with the floodgates at Newby Bridge open - this strainer cannot be seen from the last river right eddy on the approach to the gorge section. It can be sneaked past by staying hard left - which has its own problems in the form of rhododenron bushes overhanging the river - or taking the extreme river right line down the a channel that only opens at this sort of level.
Two members of our group followed the main river right channel and both hit the thing and bounced off, snapping the biggest above water level part off (it must be pretty rotten timber) and making it less visible, but there is still a substantial lump of tree remaining, jammed across the very bottom end of the main channel, just below the surface.
As the levels drop this will present a really serious hazard on a section which is very fast and narrow, difficult to inspect, and where getting any form of safety in place would be challenging.
If anybody paddles this in the next few days it would be as well to add to this post to keep us all informed of the situation.