Post by phnx on Jun 26, 2012 18:15:08 GMT
Sunday 17th June 2012
Observers:
Jack
Moon
Gav
Thomas
Elliot
Roddy
Level: Unsure but probably scrape.
Indicators: Most of the drops were very bony looking and boat damage seemed fairly likely. A reasonable amount of water was going over some of the drops but water levels were barely covering most of the rocks which were visible just under the surface. Walk away at these levels. Gav claims it has been paddled before but would need more water to increase the likelihood of making it to the bottom without damaging a boat.
River Description: A series of dramatic waterfalls on the Keltie Water to the northeast of Callander, the Falls of Bracklinn (occasionally the Falls of Brackland) have been a popular tourist attraction since Victorian times. Today the falls are approached along a woodland walk from a car park by the Callander Crags at Callander. A recently re-constructed bridge takes visitors over the falls and gives a spectacular view. Inspection of all falls and angles is very easy and can be done from the rocks on river right, the bridge which goes over the drops and the woods on river left. As a first inspection for the group we inspected from all angles.
The falls resemble the Etive to an extent, think if it was squashed up so all the falls came in quick succession. Put in could take place in several places and portages of some drops were possible. The first drop was a fall of a couple of metres which had a flat lead in but became constricted at the bottom due to some fallen rocks on river left. At this level it was possible that boat damage would occur on this fall.
tinyurl.com/8xtcwve ( Top drop without the rocks present, at a higher level than when we inspected)
The river then turned right at 90 degrees into a small drop. A tree blocked the right hand side and forced you to go river left. If you misjudged this and went under a swim could prove very dangerous as it pushed the boat near a cave-like syphon which seemed to run deep into the rocks of river left. Please Note that if levels rise this syphon will almost certainly be covered[/b]. Avoid the river left immediately after this small drop at all costs. If this tree were to wash out the run would be fairly easy with little chance of going near the syphon but it still presented a dangerous hazard at this level. After this drop there were several others in the run down to the bridge which looked boney but still runnable.
tinyurl.com/7c2on4m ( similar level to when we viewed)
The first fall after the bridge looked like it was a brilliant vertical drop of several metres but on closer inspection the drop put you down onto a shelf only a few inches thick that could so some serious damage to a boats nose. the size of the drop made boofing out of the question unless you fancied lower back pain. There was also a chute running on river left which took you 90 degrees to the left of the fall and then spat the water out down the side and it looked like it may go from the bridge inspection. We had a better look from the woods bank river left and it definately wasn't a good place to go. Nastily undercut and just too tight to safely put a boat down as you were walled in. not a nice place to be in general.More water and the main fall would have been a tasty drop, but please avoid the left hand chute at all costs.
tinyurl.com/cdzgnok ( shown in very very low levels, river running empty)
The final drop was smaller but the river funnelled in making it tight, a fallen tree made the run in awkward but possible if you ducked slightly, but some rocks on the right hand side of the drop would most likely tip the paddler to the left and lead to a face or elbow bashing on the wall. Full facer or elbow pads wouldn't be a bad idea here. Roll would be likely.
Views of the last two falls from the bottom of the river.
tinyurl.com/d94xgtn ( Level Very Very Low)
The river carried on down round the corner to what looked like a nice grade 3. We didn't go further down to see if anything else came after this.
We decided to walk away due to the scrapey nature, rocks making things awkward, trees causing some rapids to be very dangerous and the fact that nobody fancied smashing there boat up. If levels are higher on surrounding rivers this could very well go and would definately be worth another look. As you can see from the pictures it is a beautiful river and would be worth a paddle if there was sufficient water.
Observers:
Jack
Moon
Gav
Thomas
Elliot
Roddy
Level: Unsure but probably scrape.
Indicators: Most of the drops were very bony looking and boat damage seemed fairly likely. A reasonable amount of water was going over some of the drops but water levels were barely covering most of the rocks which were visible just under the surface. Walk away at these levels. Gav claims it has been paddled before but would need more water to increase the likelihood of making it to the bottom without damaging a boat.
River Description: A series of dramatic waterfalls on the Keltie Water to the northeast of Callander, the Falls of Bracklinn (occasionally the Falls of Brackland) have been a popular tourist attraction since Victorian times. Today the falls are approached along a woodland walk from a car park by the Callander Crags at Callander. A recently re-constructed bridge takes visitors over the falls and gives a spectacular view. Inspection of all falls and angles is very easy and can be done from the rocks on river right, the bridge which goes over the drops and the woods on river left. As a first inspection for the group we inspected from all angles.
The falls resemble the Etive to an extent, think if it was squashed up so all the falls came in quick succession. Put in could take place in several places and portages of some drops were possible. The first drop was a fall of a couple of metres which had a flat lead in but became constricted at the bottom due to some fallen rocks on river left. At this level it was possible that boat damage would occur on this fall.
tinyurl.com/8xtcwve ( Top drop without the rocks present, at a higher level than when we inspected)
The river then turned right at 90 degrees into a small drop. A tree blocked the right hand side and forced you to go river left. If you misjudged this and went under a swim could prove very dangerous as it pushed the boat near a cave-like syphon which seemed to run deep into the rocks of river left. Please Note that if levels rise this syphon will almost certainly be covered[/b]. Avoid the river left immediately after this small drop at all costs. If this tree were to wash out the run would be fairly easy with little chance of going near the syphon but it still presented a dangerous hazard at this level. After this drop there were several others in the run down to the bridge which looked boney but still runnable.
tinyurl.com/7c2on4m ( similar level to when we viewed)
The first fall after the bridge looked like it was a brilliant vertical drop of several metres but on closer inspection the drop put you down onto a shelf only a few inches thick that could so some serious damage to a boats nose. the size of the drop made boofing out of the question unless you fancied lower back pain. There was also a chute running on river left which took you 90 degrees to the left of the fall and then spat the water out down the side and it looked like it may go from the bridge inspection. We had a better look from the woods bank river left and it definately wasn't a good place to go. Nastily undercut and just too tight to safely put a boat down as you were walled in. not a nice place to be in general.More water and the main fall would have been a tasty drop, but please avoid the left hand chute at all costs.
tinyurl.com/cdzgnok ( shown in very very low levels, river running empty)
The final drop was smaller but the river funnelled in making it tight, a fallen tree made the run in awkward but possible if you ducked slightly, but some rocks on the right hand side of the drop would most likely tip the paddler to the left and lead to a face or elbow bashing on the wall. Full facer or elbow pads wouldn't be a bad idea here. Roll would be likely.
Views of the last two falls from the bottom of the river.
tinyurl.com/d94xgtn ( Level Very Very Low)
The river carried on down round the corner to what looked like a nice grade 3. We didn't go further down to see if anything else came after this.
We decided to walk away due to the scrapey nature, rocks making things awkward, trees causing some rapids to be very dangerous and the fact that nobody fancied smashing there boat up. If levels are higher on surrounding rivers this could very well go and would definately be worth another look. As you can see from the pictures it is a beautiful river and would be worth a paddle if there was sufficient water.