OUT AND ABOUT WITH RALPH: Getting back into the swing on Caithness waters
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My river kayak had sat, unused, at the back of the garage since before the pandemic. It was time to get it out.
Somehow I’d managed to miss all the fine calm days but a trip down the river was overdue. Most importantly the river level at around 50cm was just right. Over 60 gets a bit scary for me and under 30 is too much of a scrape.
The forecast was not brilliant, a strong north wind was getting up and there would be some rain. Nevertheless, I was determined to give it ago. It takes some organisation, even for as little a trip as this. Load boat and bike onto the car, making sure I had plenty of warm clothes, waterproofs, all my kayaking and safety gear…
It was still nearly dark, I drove down to Halkirk and on as far as the gate on the track to the railway bridge, south of the village.
Putting all my gear into the little river boat I dragged it another couple of hundred yards to the bridge, left it and went back to drive down to Thurso harbour.
The drizzle had turned to rain, as I took the bike down from the car it was sheeting across in a cold wind.
I put on waterproofs and pedalled back up to Halkirk through the grey, windy and rain-swept morning.
Back at the boat – lock bike, change into kayaking gear, my hands now freezing. They would warm up once I got going. Carefully slide the boat down the steep bank then edge into the water.
The Halkirk rapids are not dangerous if you have basic skills, knowledge and gear (Advert: the best way to learn is to join the Pentland Canoe Club!). The rapids are indeed just grade two, grade one being the easiest river. But not having been in the little river boat for over four years the prospect of the hardest paddling right at the start of the trip was a bit daunting. Well, the worst that was likely to happen was that I’d lose the paddle and/or boat down the river. Best to first get used to the unfamiliar-feeling boat, crossing the river a few times and practice getting in and out of the current.
The first gentle rapid was easy, then, to practice crossing from faster water to an eddy by the bank. Next come a couple of rock weirs, on the second I nearly got stuck, but managed to avoid the usual consequence of going down sideways. I turned into another eddy to prepare for the first significant rapid which went steeply down to another eddy under a low cliff, after bouncing off a couple of hidden rocks. Soon I was down at the road bridge with a nice chute on the right and a good eddy to aim for across the river. I find the next stretch, down to Braal, the hardest with no obvious best route down rocky rapids and slides, but after a few rocks and bracing strokes I was past the castle and into a nice eddy at the bank, with the most difficult bit of the trip over.
Now I noticed the weather, a strong headwind and sheeting cold rain. But a kayaker is dressed for wet, and there was enough flow on the river to help me against the wind. Even on such a grey day it was an enjoyable paddle, very peaceful with just a few flocks of wigeon, a couple of cormorants and a very unexpected seal for company. Mostly it was easy paddling in gently flowing water, some of it, though, hard work against the wind. I stopped for shelter and a bite to eat at one of the salmon-fishing huts, watching the rain hammer on the window.
There are several weirs to cross. Weirs can be very dangerous, with a potential for getting trapped underwater. Those on the Thurso are relatively benign, the main hazard being of hitting a rock and getting tipped over. They get bigger as you approach the town, the one by the salmon pool is quite daunting and sometimes I walk the boat round it. The important thing is to paddle hard and positively over the top, enjoy the fast descent then paddle hard again!
The main excitement over, all that remained was an easy paddle down the Mall, under the bridges and a brief struggle against the wind to get round to the little slip near the Ellon Bridge. And then pack up and drive back to pick up the bike.
It felt good to have completed what could almost count as a wee adventure on what, for most, was just an ordinary dreich November day of work or school!
