River Tees - Below Low Force
- Details
- Last Updated on Tuesday, 18 January 2011 17:11
- Written by Richie, Durham Pirates and Jim Pullen.
GUIDE TO THE RIVER TEES
(Below Low Force)
NAME OF RIVER: Tees.
WHERE IS IT?: In Teesdale!
PUT-INS/ TAKE-OUTS: This is only worth doing tacked onto the section from High Force. Use steps just down from High Force path easiest to pay to get on water if you want to avoid a fuss (baliff may get you!) but do not pay car park fee for more than one shuttle car.
Take out on river left when you see the footbridge (NY910273) and walk along the footpath back to Newbiggin where parking can be found in the lay-bys.
APPROX LENGTH: 1km extra to the above section.
TIME NEEDED: Add up to half hour to the previous section.
ACCESS HASSLES: The access for this section is controlled by the Raby Estate. You have to pay around 3 to the High Force Hotel to be "allowed" on the river - which is a small price to pay for a quality section.
WATER LEVEL INDICATORS: If you bum scraped the top section, do not do, get off at Low Force.
GRADING: 2 if at bum scrape level, but 3/3+ in medium/high water.
MAJOR HAZARDS/ FALLS: Sticky hole below the first rapid.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION: One 3-4 foot diagonal fall 500 yards after Low Force. Run left with a boof.
A couple of other grade 3 rapids, one of which may tail-squirt the unwarey.
Flushiemere Beck joins just below this stretch.
OTHER NOTES: This isn't worth doing on its own, but a useful addition to the above section for a longer trip. Also consider carrying on down for the next section for a longer trip.
CONTRIBUTED BY: Richie, Durham Pirates and Jim Pullen.
MAJOR HAZARDS/FALLS: Whilst Chaseing a boat that managed to go over Low
Force we had major Incident approx 1 km further down after the Small Fall at
Wynch Bridge. I had never done this section of Rover before. But remember
the guidebook quoting Grade 2. It isn\'t! The water levels were high but not
massive. There are 2 very VERY retentive stoppers one of which will hold a
swimmer. The best place to shoot is River left which is straight through,
there is a Horseshoe shaped recirculating mess of a stopper. A throwline
rescue is easy from River Right, if your prepared to wade into the river
above the fall! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
This was submitted on 09/01/07.
From my own experience at a variety of water levels, I would have to say that the old guide is inaccurate in describing this as grade 2, except at very low levels, but I would say 4+ is too high! At medium/high levels this section has several 3/3+ rapids. The diagonal shelf mentioned in the guide does have a retentive stopper, but is easily shot far left with a boof.
I may need to update the original guide at a later date.
The section below low force and the little drop after it is a solid 3 and tend to have an easier line on the river right with the more "playful" waves being on the river left.
Approaching the pourover there is a narrowing of the river at which point head for the river left to line up your boof. Up to medium waters, however, this is still an easy line and without much retention so I would still be tempted to call it a 3.
See http://www.ukriversguidebook.co.uk/foru ... hp?t=41403 (High Force to Wynch Bridge)
I've also written a brief guide to the flat bit below down to Middleton-in-Teesdale. It will appear here.
We now have guides for the Tees including Cauldron Snout, High Force to Winston Bridge, Neasham to Over Dinsdale and the barrage.
Anyone fancy filling in the gaps? I.e. Cauldron Snout to High Force, sections from Winston Bridge to Neasham and sections from Over Dinsdale down to the barrage.