LOCHY

See page 201 of the Scottish Guidebook.

At the Green Welly Stop in Tyndrum, turn left towards Oban. After several miles the river flows near the road, and you can see a white sign on the railway on other side of the Lochy. A large layby on the left is the get-on. To reach the guage and get-off, head away from Tyndrum down a steep hill. A junction (with the Glen Orchy road) and bridge mark the get-off. Halfway up the hill is a forestry carpark. You can walk through the woods and see the main event, the scary Rheadr Dru.

Not one to run when it's humping, but not really worth it when it's dry. For a reliable gauge, head to the takeout. Upstream of the bridge is a rock with two metal spikes. If the water is level with the bottom spike, it's a good level. Any lower and it loses some character: any higher and it'll be an epic!

A gnarly grade 5 run, but with some classic drops. If you aren't comfortable on grade 5 then don't bother: the portages are pretty hard and there will be a few! The river lies in a deep gorge, so escape is difficult. 

After about 50 yards of warm up, a slab leads into the first grade 5. Take the slab left under a low tree, and then try and make an eddy before the ominous horizon line. This double drop can (just) be portaged and protected. However, when the water is covering the rocks on the left this gets more difficult than paddling the drop!

Easier water leads to the next drop, the aptly named "Boof or Die"! Getting stuck in here would be VERY bad news, and has been the site of several epic swims in the past. If you don't fancy it then portaging is possible but tricky on the left. The next drop is soon, and marked by a rocky beach on the right. "FUBAR" requires another boof to escape a shallow sticky hole in the left-hand channel. Portaging is again tricky and involves a massive seal launch on the right.

The river flattens slightly, and the main event (Rheadr Dru) approaches. It's better to inspect from the right, but if you don't fancy it then you are better off on the left bank. Try to avoid the tree at the top via a central line, and then gain speed for the sticky horseshoe shaped hole. The bottom drop is about fifteen feet, with some nasty ledges. Try not to pencil this: it'll hurt! Watch out for the nasty rocky rib separating the two channels.

Once the main event is over, the gradient eases until the getout bridge. Phew!

(click to enlarge)

Rheadr Dru   Dave on the first drop of the Lochy   Me boofing the hole  
The warm-up?   Duck!  

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