highest waterfall paddled uk

[kylan]

looking for the highest waterfall paddled in england and in wales and scotland

[Poke]

As a starter for ten, I'll suggest:
• Scotland: Falls of Clyde
• England: High Force (plenty of debate on here in years gone by as to whether it actually has been done, I suspect not, but others claim otherwise)
• Wales: Rhaeadr Mawddach - first big one that springs to mind. There's some big ones in S Wales too - how about Sgwd Yr Eira on the Hepste?

I guess it depends what you class as the highest. Falls of Clyde and Rhaeadr Mawddach are both multiple stage affairs, so whilst they may drop a long way in one hit, their individual drops aren't huge. The one on the Gain next to the Mawddach is a bigger single drop, but I think it's angled, making it more of a slide.

You're not gonna get a definitive answer I'm afraid!

[Adrian Cooper]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-mid-wales-44137039

[Poke]

<span class="skimlinks-unlinked">https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-mid ... 7039</span>

He only ran half of it and swam at the bottom.
Doesn't count ;-)

[DaveBland]

For pure single drop that bugger on the Hepste into the just deep enough plunge pool has to be a contender.
Using google is cheating, but I think its 52 feet?

[banzer]

I know of at least four potentially paddleable falls that would take the title. Remote parts of Scotland and there's the one in S Wales that Moxon may or may not have swum off on the Pyrrdin.

[jmmoxon]

Gaping Gill may have been possible over the weekend, which would be a contender for the WORLD record, as Hull Pot, which is 3OOft long x 6O wide x 6O deep, filled to the top. GG gets a plunge pool when the chamber starts to fill - obviously this reduces the height of the drop from 3OOft...

[Jim]

Gaping Gill may have been possible over the weekend, which would be a contender for the WORLD record, as Hull Pot, which is 3OOft long x 6O wide x 6O deep, filled to the top. GG gets a plunge pool when the chamber starts to fill - obviously this reduces the height of the drop from 3OOft...

I can see problems with this, it is going to be difficult to video* in the dark, and how are you going to get out? Surely the river would be filling the air spaces in places?

* if no or poor quality video, then it didn't happen!

[jmmoxon]

Another problem is you can't tell how deep the pool is from above (or possibly even if there is one!) & the stream may well smash you against the far wall at the level where it does back up...

But, assuming you survived that, it might be possible to paddle around to where there are other ways out, which are above the bottom of the chamber.

[Simon]

Where does this come in the list (see the final few minutes)?

[purelandexpeditions.com]

Llanberis Falls, lovely wee fall. Seen a fair few descents over the years. It is high, no doubt about it, but I expect since it is of limited freefall and mostly a slide that it falls short of 'highest' waterfall. I would expect the 'waterfall' to have freefall capacity. What do I know? D



viewtopic.php?f=3&t=78156&p=563133&hili ... on#p563133

[Neptune]

Some great beck bashing there using the ubiquitous Topo, would any other boat cope with that sort of treatment and abuse?

Peter

[Dan Yates.]

All the stuff in the video has been run at least a few times (like Llanberis Falls) or a lot , like the Gamlan, in boats that are not Topos. These newer boats survive but not crashing into as much stuff on the way down.

[purelandexpeditions.com]

Topo, whilst I love mine, is indeed a nostalgia trip. Gamlan, Cresta, Llanberis etc - well any modern boat could do the same.

Dan as ever is on the money.

d

[TonyM]

I seem to remember someone paddling the Hepste fall many years ago and breaking his back.
I think there was an article and picture in The Times.

[jmmoxon]

https://www.ukriversguidebook.co.uk/rep ... e-disaster

People have also broken themselves on the much smaller drops on the Mellte.

Mike