One of England’s creeking gems is located in the northwest of the country, in the English Lake District. A small pocket of rugged hills up to a thousand meters in height provides enough relief for the whitewater enthusiast.

The Duddon Valley is relatively untouched by tourist traffic and still exists off a largely traditional hill farming economy. The valley has a slow and isolated feel, making it a place to get away from the crowded, modern world. Small single lane roads wind through the patchwork landscape to the headwaters of the Duddon River where this river journey begins.

Rainfall brings the river into flood, perfect for descent. The Duddon is generally in condition after rainfall for just 12 to 48 hours, making it difficult to catch. It provides a mixture of boulder-choked rapids interspersed with fast moving, class III boogie. From the outset, the action keeps coming and, with the correct water levels, provides a quality 17-kilometer run providing fun whitewater from class III to class V.

When at its best, the Duddon River is a sustained alpine creek. Its crystal clear water cuts through a slice of the past, nestled in the Lake District’s rugged geography.

IF YOU GO:

Steak pie, chips and a traditional ale at the Newfield Inn are hard to beat after a day on the river. The home-cooked food and accommodation will have you feeling right at home in the heart of the Duddon Valley. www.newfieldinn.co.uk

Steve Rogers is a British Columbia-based adventure photographer, writer and kayaker, originally from the north of England. www.steveophotos.com.

This article appeared in Rapid, Early Summer 2013. Download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read the rest here.

The Bitches are a spectacular set of tidal overfalls located just off the Pembrokeshire coast, forming in Ramsey Sound between the mainland and Ramsey Island.

They’ve long been a popular spot for both the ocean kayak and freestyle kayak communities. In 1991, the Bitches played host to the first ever Kayak Rodeo World championships, putting it on the map as a world-class freestyle venue.

Not simple a turnkey spot, the Bitches require consideration for safety and planning, and a basic understanding of tidal flows. Access is a two kilometer paddle from the shore near St. David’s. Due to the distance, swims have been fatal for boaters in the past. A keen knowledge of the incoming weather is valuable as wind or fog can cause navigation issues.

There’s always some form of tidal rapids at the Bitches, but freestyle kayakers should look for tides over six meters for the features to be at their best. The biggest tides occur in the spring, just after full moons and new moons. Keen groups can paddle at both ends of the day, catching both the morning and evening tides. www.the-bitches.co.uk.

IF YOU GO:

Sea Kayak guides in Pembrokeshire will get you set up— they cater to playboats through to five-meter monsters. www.seakayakguides.co.uk

Steve Rogers is a British Columbia-based adventure photographer, writer and kayaker, originally from the north of England. www.steveophotos.com.

This article appeared in Rapid, Early Summer 2013. Download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read the rest here.

The Fairy Glen is a short canyon run on the Afon Conwy in northern Wales and has become a classic due to its long-standing reputation as a test piece for the area and its reliable flows. The storybook scenery doesn’t hurt, either.

Aptly named, in Victorian times it was believed that sprites and fairies graced this small gorge. Fairy Glen draws a line from below the misty maelstrom of Conwy Falls towards the confluence of the Lleder.

A favorite run for local paddlers who can be seen paddling in the cold light of dawn, it also draws paddlers from far and wide for a big day out and to test their skill and nerve. Its stunning canyon setting—so close to the main road—ensures no one goes away disappointed.

The Fairy Glen is a continuous two-kilometer, class V run with a few sticky holes and big drops that demand respect. It boasts a growing number of acceptable water levels, making it standout in an area where water level consistency hinders enjoyment of many other rivers. If it’s too much river for you try the nearby River Llugwy or the Conwy, further upstream. —With files from Tom Laws and Daz Clarkson.

IF YOU GO:

The Fairy glen is suitable for a solid group of paddlers with bombproof rolls. All the real men take out at the Beaver Pool, according to Tom Laws, coauthor of Welsh Rivers, the guidebook for paddlers in Wales. www.thewelshrivers.com

Steve Rogers is a British Columbia-based adventure photographer, writer and kayaker, originally from the north of England. www.steveophotos.com.

This article appeared in Rapid, Early Summer 2013. Download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read the rest here.

Amidst the bucolic farmland and sleepy hamlets of Nova Scotia’s verdant Annapolis Valley, the Shubenacadie River plays a twice-daily game of Jekyll and Hyde. When the Bay of Fundy’s 50-foot tidal exchange is on the ebb, the Shubenacadie—or Shubie, as it’s known locally—flows sedately to the sea. But on a flood tide, the lower reaches of the Shubie transform into a rollicking whitewater run flowing upriver, the bay’s briny seawater charging between high banks of slick red clay. Nothing escapes a liberal plastering of that famous Shubie mud; even the river runs a rich, chocolatey brown.

It’s mid-September and a full harvest moon has brought the highest tides—and largest rapids—of the month. And local paddler Christopher Lockyer, owner of Committed 2 the Core Sea Kayak Coaching and organizer of the first annual Bay of Fundy Sea Kayak Symposium, has brought 10 of the global paddling community’s top coaches to experience his backyard river before the symposium kicks off. A dozen eager students have also signed up for the pre-event fun.

We meet in the historic village of Maitland—formerly a shipbuilding center and still home to a wealth of fine Victorian architecture—at 7:30 am, up early to put on the river before the incoming tide. I tag along with guest coaches Matt Nelson, visiting from Washington’s San Juan Islands, and Rowan Gloag, hailing from British Columbia’s Vancouver Island. We’re joined by Fernando, a local Nova Scotia paddler, and Haris, a sea kayaking instructor from Chicago. Matt is tasked with seeing us down (up?) the river safely, as well as hunting out the best play spots along the way.

In the quiet stillness of the morning’s slack tide we wait expectantly, straining to spot the vague ripple on the horizon that signals a coming tidal bore. After an hour of anticipation and holding position against a weakening ebb, the current turns almost imperceptibly, then begins to pick up speed.

The bore—a river-wide, surfable wave that pushes upriver, reaching up to 10 feet high and promising 10- or even 20-minute-long rides—never materializes. Formation of the Shubie tidal bore requires a specific alchemy of factors, including tidal exchange, river volume, wind speed and direction, and the depth and width of the channel at the river’s mouth on Cobequid Bay—it’s by no means a sure thing. But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to play.

Wave sets soon develop over underwater sandbars and at constrictions, the features building and flooding out with the rising tide. Imagine watching the daily transformation of a snowmelt or glacier-fed river on super fast-forward. Rides are as fleeting as the features themselves, and we chase Matt around the wide, lumpy channel of the Shubie like hounds on a scent. He seems to have an uncanny sense of where the next wave set will materialize, rising from the coffee-colored water like a surfacing sea serpent.

The day’s best rides are had in the “Killer K” upstream of a bluff known as the Nose. Actually, relative to the sea, this kilometer-long wave train is downriver from the Nose, but directions on the Shubie change with context. “Yeah, it’s a bit confusing,” Matt admits, “just think of the river in relation to the prevailing current.”

Haris scores a dream surf—nearly a minute of carving gracefully on the glassy leading wave. Fernando executes a combat roll amidst the exploding haystacks. I fall down a four-foot face, sliding into a muddy trough as the Shubie crashes playfully across my shoulders. For a moment, I view the world through a barrel of this strange, salty river and feel as though I’m surfing through one of those TV commercial swirls of molten chocolate.

Our paddle ends after four hours, but we’ll be reliving the ride for days to come. Now a week later, I still have an unslakable craving for chocolate milk.

Info

Committed 2 the Core Sea Kayak Coaching, www.committed2thecore.com

Shubie tidal bore sessions are offered throughout the paddling season. Visit the website or contact Christopher Lockyer for 2014 dates. (902) 305-0051

Read all about the Bay of Fundy Sea Kayak Symposium and paddling in Nova Scotia in the next issue of Adventure Kayak, Spring 2014. Download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read it here.

The Falls of Lora are situated six miles northeast of the resort town Oban on Scotland’s rugged and beautiful west coast.

Home to some of the U.K’s best big wave features for freestyle kayaks, these waves are surfed by all manner of craft, from ocean kayaks to surf boards. Draining from Loch Etive, the falls are created as the tide ebbs out over a rock shelf underneath Connel Bridge into the Firth of Lorn.

The tide generally runs for four hours. Gauging when the wave features are working is a bit of a science and based upon the differential between the high water and the low water measurement in the tidal tables. Freestyle kayakers should look for the largest differential numbers.

The convergence of several flows right beneath the wave features means the fun often comes at a price—large seams, unpredictable boil patterns and whirlpools up to a meter in diameter have caused many a cold and embarrassing swim for both seasoned pros and first timers alike.

www.fallsoflora.info

IF YOU GO:

The Scottish creek boating community have long used the Falls of Lora tides as a social pilgrimage. The banks of Loch Etive provide beautiful secluded camping close to the falls and have been host to many late night gatherings. Wild camping is tolerated in Scotland and, as long as you are respectful in your choice of location, you can freely camp in most remote areas.

Steve Rogers is a British Columbia-based adventure photographer, writer and kayaker, originally from the north of England. www.steveophotos.com.

This article appeared in Rapid, Early Summer 2013. Download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read the rest here.

For picturesque Scottish creeking, look no further than the Glen Etive. Standing guard at the headwaters of the Etive is Buachaille Etive Mor, western Scotland’s most recognizable landscape.

Requiring only a low to medium flow to be a fun paddle, the Etive is the go-to creek for most paddlers visiting Scotland. The middle section hosts 10 drops over 10 feet with clean bedrock features.

Weighing in at class IV at low to medium flows, the Etive can be tackled by a wide range of abilities. Close roadside access adds to its forgiving nature. Be aware that during increased flows the run quickly turns into a stout class V. The smooth granite teacups turn from lightly aerated pools to seething cauldrons with powerful seams and difficult hydraulics to negotiate—it can happen within a matter of hours during heavy rain.

Adding to the valley’s appeal are the other two tributaries, the Allt Mheuran and the Allt a’ Chaorainn, best described as flumes rather than creeks. They offer very steep bedrock channels requiring a hike in approach to access; both creeks are a notch up in class.

IF YOU GO:

The Etive Valley offers some of Scotland’s most reliable creeking from October to May. Be warned though, as the valley is known to host very strong winds and it’s common to spend the entire trip paddling into head-on freezing rain—bring your drysuit.

Steve Rogers is a British Columbia-based adventure photographer, writer and kayaker, originally from the north of England. www.steveophotos.com.

This article appeared in Rapid, Early Summer 2013. Download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read the rest here.