Sweet Summer Rain - Seasonal kayaking treats in the North East

Working right by the side of the river Coquet and knowing that the Upper Coquet up through the ranges it rarely run (because it’s never running) means that every time a good rainy day is forecast the question is: “After work Upper Coquet anyone?” This question I’m sure (until the other day) is a jinx though as shortly after this it usually stops raining and the gauge barely leaves scrape let alone venturing any higher so the plans are off.

 

 

Well this time it actually happened, an insanely rainy few days and then a thundery Friday provided the rain to bring this little gem up and to give us the chance to actually get on it. The last storm as I finished work was the best, even the car park was flooded! don’t think my boss had ever seen anyone so excited trying to navigate a giant puddle through pouring rain as I was on leaving.

 

I took the drive over although it’s only 30 miles it takes an hour because its tiny roads and of course pouring rain, rumbling skies and flashes of lightning to distract me. Got over there and met the rest, still in the pouring rain, very VERY excited. We drove up the rest of the way stopping to look at the final rapid and sort our shuttle on route. It was brown and higher than I’ve ever seen the river; excellent. The rain stopped to let us get ready and brought out lovely blue skies and a sunny early evening, looked like the perfect setting for the start to a kayak filled weekend.

 

We drove as high up the river as it looked like we could float on, checking out some of it on route. Found a good place to get on I’m not sure where but Blidburn-ish and proceeded to have an awesome evening out, can’t ask for much more of an after work paddle water in a river that’s nearly never up and a sunny evening too. The river isn’t the most full on river but it’s really remote feeling through the Cheviots and it’s so pretty around you, the slower sections just give you time to look around and appreciate where you are. There are some lovely rapids and the last few finish it off awesomely with a short gorge and then Corkscrew Falls at the end. It’s a lovely run and I’d recommend it as a nice interesting but beautiful run. I do say good luck catching it with water in it, the water runs off super quick. In the time we were on the river we could see where the water had been earlier in the day and it had dropped at least a foot by the time we got off.

 

The lovely weather soon ended just after we got off and driving home was interesting with torrential rain, thunder and lightening over head. It’s as if a perfect river length window had been made for an evening paddle. All okay though, fish and chips next to an almost flooded river Coquet in Rothbury watching the storm and hoping we didn’t get washed away was nice. 

 

Stay snugg on after work paddles.