Rapids, Shooting Stars, and Teamwork

This year, the group decided that it was a water-based activity that most suited them, and decided on a multi-day descent of the River Spey from Aviemore to Spey Bay, a journey of around 100Km with rapids around every corner.

Training and planning began at the start of September with the group exploring moving water paddling skills in kayak and canoe, safety and rescue training, how to pack a canoe for a multi-day trip and refreshers in campcraft. It was great to see pupils building on skills from previous expeditions with the department and elsewhere.

The trip itself saw the group drive (a long way!) to Aviemore, before heading to the river the next morning to begin their trip. Some initial tight and tree-lined bends had the group practicing some 'lining' - a traditional canoe skill to get canoes and gear past awkward obstacles in the river - before the river opened up and we were able to paddle on down to Boat of Balliefurth and our first camp. A happy evening was had around a fire discussing the first day and the rapids that would begin the next day.

Morning brought thick mist. The mountain weather forecast suggested the higher peaks were happily basking in sunshine, but down in the valley it was incredible damp, with zero visibility. Starting down the river was beautiful and eery, but thankfully the mist cleared in time for the first rapids of the day. Rapid followed rapid from this point on, all the way down to the sea.

The second evening was spent on an island in the river, the tents tucked away in the trees and the group cooking and chatting on the beach. The stars that evening were spectacular, with many in the group bringing out their camp mats to lie back and appreciate more stars than some had ever seen, criss-crossed with shooting stars and the occasional passing satellite.

The third day was dubbed 'Mega Monday' as it contained two rapids of Grade 2+ / 3 that standout on the Spey as the harder sections of moving water. The first, called the 'Washing Machine' has the river funneling into a swoopy wave train through which the group shot with style and much whooping. The second is a bendy section in the river at Knockando where the river speeds up creating some fine whitewater paddling through which the group paddled well, negotiating the rapids from eddy to eddy with confidence. The bigger rapids behind them, the group continued down through more Gd.2 rapids to Craigellachie to find a camp where they spent their last night on the river. 

The final day down to the sea continued at pace with more and more rapids through the day as the landscape gradually opened up to coastal plains. Beyond Fochabers, the river meanders at pace through ever-changing shingle banks and tree debris - quite a surreal landscape - keeping the group on their toes as there were many occasions where they had to jump out and line their boats around trees or to get into the correct channel. Sadly it was too rough to head out onto the sea at Spey Bay, but it was wonderful nonetheless paddling into the tidal lagoon that marked the end of a special journey, surrounded by circling gulls and the unmistakable smell of the sea.