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This was a trip led by Bertie and friends and included
Matt and John. Barbara and Ian were Loop virgins!
The Dart Loop is a great introduction to Grade 3
white-water . The level was quite high enough although
Bertie would have it that it was only medium!
After launching at Newbridge some time was spent
assessing just how meagre Barbara and Ian's white-water
skills were and practising the essentials. It was up to
Bertie to demonstrate what one should do in case of the
inevitable.
From Newbridge the river bends and drops over ledges and
there are several Grade 2 wave trains. The first of the
trickier rapids is the 'Washing Machine'. This is a 1m ledge
which forms a towback. After this a series of Grade 2 rapids
follow. Then comes 'Lovers Leap' which is a very long rapid
– at this medium level we all really enjoyed this and
managed to negotiate the several stoppers and rocks. After a
series of wide rocky rapids a horizon line appeared
ominously ahead which marks the approach of a real grade 3
rapid – 'Triple Falls'. We negotiated this one at a time,
some of us more successfully than others – however no
swimmers – just!
Thankfully there was some flat water after this
excitement before the 'Spindryer'. This is not a rapid but a
huge eddy. At this level we all managed to stay upright!
There was a bouncy wave train down to Holne Bridge where
we got out and scrambled up the bank to the waiting shuttle
bus.
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