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What a weekend!
Saturday started relatively early? with the sun shining in Southampton. I have recently started playing Ultimate (frisbee) with some guys at work (see? The HUC Website? for info) and this was to be our first practice tournament, against Southampton Skunks (the University team). We had two teams each and we played each of the opponent’s teams. It was a great learning experience, as many of us are new to the game (although we do have a few ‘old hands’) and we’ve never played people that we don’t know before. We also normally play in the small sports hall at work; this pitch was twice the size so we had to adjust our tactics somewhat! My team lost our first match 7-3, but drew 5-5 in the second match and I got the? final point 
Our other team won both their? matches and won the mini-tournament. Well done them!
After being witness to a car crash, while buying bacon and eggs for lunch, it was time to head to the Thames for some big water wave paddling. This season has been immense; we’ve had so much rain. The big weirs, such as Shepperton and Sunbury, have almost constantly been working since December.? They normally go once or twice a season, if at all. Hurley has only been on 2 gates once in the past 3 months, the rest of the time it has been higher!
So I headed to Sunbury with Andy and Jimmy Evans (of Kayak Session “unknown paddlers” fame). We found all seven gates open and a big fluffy, broken, river-wide wave awaiting.
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I had a great time, staying on the wave for up to 10 minutes at a time (sorry to those waiting) and paddled until my arms were ready to drop off. We got some video footage, so I’ll try and get that online sometime soon. Click here to see a few? more pictures from Sunbury.
We then went to the pub and discussed a plan for the morrow over a curry and pint. Ali Marshall planned to head to South Wales for his first creeking trip there and we were tempted by the idea.? After scouring various forecasts we decided there was a load of rain coming, to be sure, but would it hit too late? We (Andy, Jimmy, Allan Ellard, Ali Marshall, Piers Bucknell, Scott Simmonds and myself)? decided to take the chance…
10.30am, we arrived at the take-out for the Mellte in South Wales. It had been raining heavily since 8.47am and didn’t look to be easing. The gauge read 5.8; a good enough level. This would be the first outing for my new Riot Thunder, so I was really psyched.We kitted up, ran the shuttle and hiked to the put-in.
The Mellte starts with a short rapid before a huge waterfall, which is usually portaged. Immediately below this is a 15 foot fall which can be run – but watch your back on the landing!
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Not long after this is a 30 foot waterfall.
Already we could see the river was rising quickly, but this drop is fairly easy as long as you don’t land flat… or smack yourself in the face with your paddles on entry to the pool below… which I did! My left incisor exploded, a hot new look I’d say!
Despite the pain, I decided I was OK to carry on… and boy am I glad I did! The river continued to rise, making the river pushier and pushier. We were paddling an average of about 200m before having to get out and scout the next horizon-line or blind bend. Huge cushion waves, crashing and exploding holes and a few trees to avoid. Ali felt the brunt of a branch to the face, while Jimmy experienced a “technical exit” after an extended underwater? creekboat-rodeo session.
A lot? of big waves and powerful holes lead us back? to the gauging weir; the gauge was nowhere in sight.
Injuries and pride aside, we all had a fantastic day on the water and certainly ended with grins on our faces? (toothless and otherwise). Thank goodness for a bit of Irish enthusiasm / optimism on Saturday night to convince us it would be worth the drive.
Today (Monday), I spent 2 hours trying to get hold of an ‘emergency dentist’ to? have? a temporary filling put on my tooth. A sorry state of affairs. I now have the filling? which seems to make? the tooth? hurt even more! On the plus side, I can probably eat now. On that note, it’s lunchtime!