Show us your holes...

[Peter Brown]

So there's no guide to the Avon on this site... isn't it paddled? I seem to remember it being okay. It must have been in a guide to start with. So long ago I can't remember though.

It's in the guidebook, it's been too long for me to say how good it is.

[DaveBland]

So I'm looking at these holes thinking which one wins? Depends on the criteria for winning, but if you base it on which one do I least want to be in, Mark's swim hole would get my vote for the biggest killer.

[Mike M]

One of my favourite holes is this one halfway down the Clough in Cumbria. It's one of those ones that typewriters you towards the middle whichever side you take it. The smartest line is probably dead straight, as fast as you can! Here is Stu 'Callwild' in the thick of things a couple of weeks back:


Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Pics please of your favourite holes and why! :-)

Looks like you got a nice "Chunky" level. Was this the other week while I was on my hol's ? I should imagine the fall before it enters the Rawthey was quite entertaining also ?

[boater rich]

Sidetracking on to least favorite hole - I think this is a contender for worst hole I've seen on a river... the Oetz.

[banzer]

Looks like you got a nice "Chunky" level. Was this the other week while I was on my hol's ? I should imagine the fall before it enters the Rawthey was quite entertaining also ?

Yes it was... I met your dad at the get-out!!

Strangely the final fall was no problem, I think it started dropping off fast after this. It was huge early that morning. The Rawthey (which we did straight after the Clough) was a bit scrapey. Loved the Clough though.

That Oetz monstrosity is a pourover of doom not merely a hole!!

[Lancs_lad]

Third ledge on the Clough in very High water (hole mentioned above had washed out into more of a wave). Everything was super clean compared to slightly lower levels.




And a little vid of the same section going wrong in slightly lower water, the hole at the bottom of the gorge was backing up against the cliff/rocks 5 metres downstream on the left. It looked mean!

Click Click

Cracking river tho, one of my local faves.

[Bren o]

[Diamond Dave]

Aaah yes. I recognise this.
I was wondering when someone would post a picture of ragtime flows on the Archaigs Main Event.
Good work.

[Lowri Davies]

Or maybe…

[andrew butler 101]

Lowri shouldn't you be wearing your helmet?


I think Bren has trumped us all! (until the next Kayak session anyway)

Andy

[Lowri Davies]

Lowri shouldn't you be wearing your helmet?

I would have quite liked to have been, but it got ripped off. World Freestyle Championships 2001: I think I won the carnage award.

[LiamMtb]

Sidetracking on to least favorite hole - I think this is a contender for worst hole I've seen on a river... the Oetz.

was there last summer, and the longer I looked at it the sicker I felt.

Quote from the guidebook was something like "boats have been known to stay in there for up to 6 weeks"

[DaveBland]

Isn't there some legend about a guy from the AKC shooting it in a slalom boat or something?
I once had a dream about it that involved shooting it at night with a bungee tied to the end of my boat and a LandRover on the other. Must have woken up before I dreamed how it ended.

[Dave Manby]

Isn't there some legend about a guy from the AKC shooting it in a slalom boat or something?
I once had a dream about it that involved shooting it at night with a bungee tied to the end of my boat and a LandRover on the other. Must have woken up before I dreamed how it ended.

Been run several times - if not hundreds of times. You boof hard right or hard left off the edge. At some levels you wouldn't and do battle with the horseflies as you portage.

[Simon]

Isn't there some legend about a guy from the AKC shooting it in a slalom boat or something?
I once had a dream about it that involved shooting it at night with a bungee tied to the end of my boat and a LandRover on the other. Must have woken up before I dreamed how it ended.

Been run several times - if not hundreds of times. You boof hard right or hard left off the edge. At some levels you wouldn't and do battle with the horseflies as you portage.

Decades back, in much longer, faster and more buoyant boats, it was less of a mad thing to do to aim hard right or left and boof into the eddy.

Simon

[thetangoman]

Hakapur rapid on the Sun Kosi, in good flows. We didn't want to be anywhere near this one!



More available at http://photos.andywicks.com/Nepal2010

Andy

[wezzzy]

The 12(ish) foot weir on the Mellte.
We didn't bother paddling it that day

[james fleming]

There's a blade there...





Difficult enough to kayak, but to body board it...

[sidewinder]

Sidetracking on to least favorite hole - I think this is a contender for worst hole I've seen on a river... the Oetz.

was there last summer, and the longer I looked at it the sicker I felt.

Quote from the guidebook was something like "boats have been known to stay in there for up to 6 weeks"

When we were in Austria a few years back we met an old German guy who used to run it. He had a dodgy hip/pelvis and it was easier for him to run it than to do the portage!

[jmmoxon]

Futaleufu, Dynamite rapid in the Inferno Canyon:



Throne Room at high water, there is a paddler in there somewhere:



& dropping in to Mundaca:



Mike

[go-paddle]

I also attempted the right hand line on the raundelselvi.



And failed




Still in there



Now swimming



I ended up swimming down the gorge that the river bends into on the right. Would love to see a picture of what I swam through. All I remember is it was a hell of a swim and I was in no fit state to walk back up to have a look.

[jamie conn]

I also attempted the right hand line on the raundelselvi.

Jesus, remember scouting that hole and running away very scared, dont think the photo does it justice... And yes around the corner is a meaty gorge, can't imagine it was too much fun to swim through!

[*Guy*]

Tom gets it done.

[Petteri]

http://vimeo.com/39617847

It was this time of the year 6 years ago, when we went to this ww-gem at Aurariver in soutwest Finland. Rapid, Nautela, peaks early April, which is when kayaking round here starts. It drops maybe 15 m / 500 m, water is cold, dirty and so on.

Upon arrival I noticed, I´d forgotten my Nomad, so was forced to borrow friends Jefe. That was a poor choice, I thought, as I felt it had no tracking what so ever. The bow of the boat made random choices of it´s own. So it went to places I didn´t want to go.

[Tuomas]

This didn't happen to me, but is still the most heinous beating in a hole that I have witnessed on the river.

https://vimeo.com/3095168 @ 1:30

[clarky999]

This didn't happen to me, but is still the most heinous beating in a hole that I have witnessed on the river.

https://vimeo.com/3095168 @ 1:30

Man that does not look fun!

[Tuomas]

This didn't happen to me, but is still the most heinous beating in a hole that I have witnessed on the river.

https://vimeo.com/3095168 @ 1:30

Man that does not look fun!

I must say, after seeing that, the choice to portage was easily made :)

[Poke]

Hats off to the guy for hanging on in there, but surely sometimes it's better to suck it up, smash the glass and swim like a carp...

There's no way I'd have hung on for that long!

[justin-g]

This is quite a good one...

[nickbennett]

Try this one for size, immediately followed by a huge strainer (road bridge) this is usually a 10ft wier drop that is easily paddleable.