check out the short clip
Time for another big day on the river, Crooked was our choice to be followed by the Arnold on the way home to complete the day. I ran the grade 3- rapid at the put in and carved it so i was feeling quite optimistic for the day feeling good in my boat. I did the biggest boof of my life my huge RPM max totally clearing the water. But then, yes but then, eddying out i clipped two rocks in a row and pinned myself upside down in 40cm of water multiple unsuccessful rolls later i wet exit on the shore to my embarrasment, well apart from the cold the rest of the trip went really well and i made a lot of difficult eddies. Then refuelling the cars and the bodies at the Lake Moana petrol station, we head to the Arnold which was at a fun higher flow. Day done bodies tired and ready for a hot shower and bed.
With all this rain we decieded to run the Arnie and see what it was like on a huge flow. Well it was a bit of anticlimax, most of the rapids were totally flushed out Pyramid rock was submerged, it was still enjoyable getting out and playing in these higher flows.
TYPE OF ACTIVITY- Kayaking, Surfing http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoQPvX-f_XY
Greg and I on the Dobson wave all to ourselves Woop woop.
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| Recipe for fun |
Finally after a week of solid rain we finally got the Dobson on, solid flow, tree tunks and all. I took out the surfboard paddled hard and managed to stand on my board hang 5, carve, an abosolute ball, however on the first trip the river dropped at a steady rate. On the second trip the river was at a massive flow, it made surfing much easier but getting accross the eddy line was a nightmare. Watching the Grey river flow like a hawk we have got it on three more trips there last ones left the board at home anf enjoyed carving it up on the kayak, kayaking right up until dusk, on our second last trip the river was rampaging and we had Adam scouting upstream for logs heading down the river, waiting for the whistle to get off the river as fast as possible. The next day the river was still high but cleaner with much lass risk of logs as they already been flushed. On our last day out Greg and I had it all to ourselves when all of a sudden all of our tutors rocked up, it was time to show them our new skills and to have a few party waves, now back to just sitting and waiting for the rain to get the river up for some more DOBBO action.
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| Keith my tutor and I |
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| After a few days starting to style on the wave |
Arnold trip
· TYPE OF ACTIVITY- Kayaking
· TRIP NAME/LOCATION- Arnold River
· DURATION- 3-4hrs
· GRADES OF ACTIVITY- grade 2
· NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS- 9
· ACCOMMODATION- n/a
· VARIATION IN DAILY CONDITIONS- Fine
· WEATHER CONDITIONS- fine
· INCIDENTS/ INJURIES - n/a
Another successful Ambesi trip, the progression of everyone is starting to become more and more evident. People are drawing lines through the rapids and styling them to. Myself, I believe i'm paddling really well, rolling successfully and aiding in rescues. Performed a tail stand which was captured by Rata on the Buffer wave. A really fun day. A good safe skill mix.
Crooked Trip- TYPE OF ACTIVITY- Kayaking
- TRIP NAME/LOCATION- Crooked River
- DURATION- 3-4hrs
- GRADES OF ACTIVITY- grade 2/2+
- NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS- 8
- ACCOMMODATION- n/a
- VARIATION IN DAILY CONDITIONS- river running slightly lower, mist
- WEATHER CONDITIONS- early rain then clearing
- INCIDENTS/ INJURIES- n/a
Joining some second years again we travel past Moana to the Crooked river, a river that is accessed through a private farm. The rivers grade increases the further you trek up the river. The second years travel approximately 15 minutes up to a hearty grade 3 rapid, where I observe some stately paddling. I rejoin them along with some other first years further down the river where it decreases to grade 2/2+. Fast action packed rapids followed, with multiple surfing opportunities, and fine rail work into swirling eddies. We enter into an exquisite gorge that rises vertically out of the river almost like a tunnel, to be surrounded by an eerie mist, pure magic. What an awesome river, most probably the most technical river I have paddled so far, where confident, positive paddling is required.
Arnold trip
- TRIP NAME/LOCATION- Arnold River
- DURATION- x2 3hr trips
- GRADES OF ACTIVITY- grade 2
- NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS- 9
- ACCOMMODATION- n/a
- VARIATION IN DAILY CONDITIONS- n/a
- WEATHER CONDITIONS- fine
- INCIDENTS/ INJURIES- n/a
It was like when you first got your drivers license and you go on your first drive, we were on our first kayak mission, too the now familiar Anbesi. Some second years joined us on our inaugural trip, off we left with the kayaks piled high on our cars. A great trip, however I was introduced to the penalty of wet exiting on the river when I got a bit caught up on the buffer wave, booty scull of a beverage later that night. A great success, running the river at our own speed, spending longer in some sections and shorter in other. But also with the second years pointing out aspects of the Anbesi that hadn’t yet been highlighted to us yet.
The second run was much similar to the first with second years joining us again. No wet exits for me, boo yeh. Multiple rolling, endeavouring to get it as fluid as possible. A great weekend with heaps of paddling, loads of fun, this kayaking is awesome.
TYPE OF ACTIVITY- Kayaking
After all the rain we had, we decided to give the Arnie a run in high flow. Well it was fun, the volume was huge however it meant all the rapids were pretty much washed out, Pyramid Rock which is usually a very prominent rapid was almost totally submerged. It was still great practise kayaking in a bit more volume, all the work on the donson payed off.
