Soloing Greenhill Rapid, Missinaibi River 

Yep it is a long way from help so I rein it in. I did learn the hard way many years ago but fortunately got away with it. Lesson learnt and now show real caution in these remote situation. Thank you for your kind comments.

Yep I learnt a lesson there on the battery. i was quite annoyed. Thank you for comments.

I nearly learnt the lesson the hard way some years ago on the Bloodvein. So caution was beaten into me by a rapid in monstrous flood. I tend not to make the same mistake twice.

Thanks for watching! It was fun but it did need a lot of concentration. In reality I was not being brave, I only tend to be brave when the consequence is low or there are people around be that can help if it goes wrong. So it was a balance of skill and caution. And again thank you for your kind comments.

Not a place to get it wrong.

Would love too. it will come around.

All good here thanks. I hope you and yours are well too. The comment did make me chuckle. Again thanks

Yep very different game if the river is high. I have only done it over the years at medium to low level. Last time was very low and I took the whole group down it but there was little or no consequence if something went wrong. The story you recount is quite awful and it sound like they were lucky only to lose gear and boats. Thank you for posting.

@@RayGoodwinCanoe a good lesson to learn from - even if it is from a safe distance

Thank you. I learnt a lot from taking and editing that video. I would do better still now.

Thank you. Appreciated

Ray Im wondering the same as Chris as I mostly paddle flatwater and never venture past grade1 rapids unless Im in a raft. So I watch with great interest to how safely you approach and choose your line through these rapids. If they are rated at grade3 entry then grade 2, they only come across from what I could see as grade 1 to low 2's. I am guessing there was bigger water out of camera shot that you avoided and we did not see.

Hi Andrew and Chris: It certainly wasn't grade 3 on that day but it was a lot of 2 and it kept coming. I never really work on the grade when I am out on these river but on what I can see. So although I had been down this rapid twice before over the years I certainly don't know it. I was avoiding most places where the water concentrated and had real power keeping to the lot less powerful and hence scrappy bits or if I could not see clearly I lined. I was totally on my own as the portage, the others were taking, was no where near the river and not in sight. So....... I was fully laden with no only my own camp kit for the 13 day trip but I had a full barrel of food from the group kit. So there was enough power to bend a boat in the concentrated sections and no way do I want to risk a my boat or chance a capsize and snag a foot in the canoe. Consequence is far higher if alone. With an empty boat and a mate in a British rapid I would have been far bolder. All the lines required moving the boat about the river and from side to side. But the big thing is I would not commit to anything unless I could clearly see it. I think the biggest thing for a British paddler to learn on remote wilderness rivers is caution. Hope that helps you understand my thinking. Good question by the way.

Hi, Hard one that. My own beaver tail paddles are made by freebirdpaddles.co.uk and are not cheap. I use both their Big Dipper and the WW Big Dipper which is my all time favourite paddle. Greyowl no longer do a beavertail and that would have been a cheaper but still good choice but they do a good range of deep water paddles: if you get one of those always get the oiled version as they are easy to maintain. The really cheap beavertail paddles out there are less robust. Sorry I couldn't be of more help.

Bending Branches has a very nice beavertail paddle for a good price.

Thank you.

Thank you.