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| River
Information - - |
| Before reading the river reports below we advise you to read
the Bank Safety page. Also these are not
official reports on the Rivers but merely our views. Remember kayaking is
an assumed risk sport. People who do this, do so at their own risk |
Name: River White Water
Length: 6 km
Grade: 2 to –3 in high water
Get In: Take a minor road North of the Get Out Ballymageogh Bridge
‘4.5Km from the Main Road’ [Yellow & White Stripes
Painted on the bridge] get in on the river left side of the bridge.
0.5Km southwest of Attical
Get Out: Car park at White Water Bridge on the A2 road 3km west of
Attical.
The Whitewater depends on sustained rain and needs at least and entire
day’s downpour to raise it to a decent level as it runs straight
off the surrounding Mourne Mountains.
The river will look low form the start and it is until you enter Mourne
Country Park where the whole river changes. If the water under the
bridge is 3ft + then the river is worth doing.
This is a true river running river, for those wishing to brush up
on the basics of river running, and can be pushy and dangerous if
underestimated.
The river is non-stop at the start with fast shallow rapids at the
start with loads of pinning potential so rounded boats like small
Creekers do better here than most River Runners and Playboats.
There is a 30m section before the first quick set of turns, which
leads to a heavy set of trees and bushes with the main run of the
river turning river right down some natural steps, which can be quite
hazardous. These lead down a smaller drop only 2 metres away from
the base of the drop. Safety would be a good idea on your first run
down at this drop.
The river blazes on at spate levels down slides and quick successions
of rapids with challenging and technical break-ins and outs. You will
come to a section with different routes on it which drops overall
about 3m to the main flow again with a large eddy on river right for
swimmers to get rescued by bank support from. The river continues
and speeds up after the drop until it comes to a bend turning toward
river right. On river right up a bank is the side of a farm where
you can see cattle sheds facing onto a large boulder which forms a
large sticky hole in the higher flows.
There may be trees from further up strewn across either side of this
boulder making it dangerous to attempt until inspected due to the
speed of the water.
The river soon arrives at a slow deep pool, which heralds the start
of the Mourne Country Park. A road crosses the river at this point.
Hold onto to your ass’s boys and girls. This is were the river
gets proper nasty!
A set of drops usually about 3m high continue until the Get Out. These
are fairly obvious and in high flows need to be inspected as they
are always different. Be careful to check for boulders just 0.5 out
from the base of the drops as vertical pinning is common, so bank
support is recommended.
As you see a small bridge after these drops with rhododendron hedges
either side there will be a play wave just before it, which is
surf-able and deep enough to play in if you’ve unwisely brought
you’re playboat with you. Continue to the Get Out on river right
just past the A2 road bridge.
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