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Great Ouse 2020

lol

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I never know quite where to post these things, several fora fit, but here goes........................

Banzaibro and myself have just returned from another of our little wild camp sojourns with canoes: sadly maybe the last for a few weeks: but anyway we had planned a 2 night/3 day trip on the Gt Ouse, and stopping where we could whether a site or wild...or both......
The put in to take out was only 18 km but there were apparently loads of islands and backwaters to explore.................sounded good for a wild/stealth camp..............

Having sorted the shuttle with cars safely left at each end, it was about noon when we got launched in some lovely weather, and made our way down stream. There would not be too many portages, but we still travelled fairly light, most of my gear was in my now modified LK 35.

Although the river was very beautiful, it was proving very difficult to find a suitable site, and there were many groups of youngsters on the banks and swimming. Even in the apparent middle of nowhere, there were groups.......... so on we went, meeting some interesting people, but by evening, we had in the flow, gone past our egress point......in half of a day!!

We eventually found a riverside camp point, and hauled out and started pitching the Tigris Smokey Hut and a tarp for me.........JUST as we had done so, a herd of yearling bullocks (not heifers...) appeared, and everything was hurriedly repacked whilst we took relays to keep the beef away!! :eek::rofl:

We made our way back a bit and on the opposite bank to some moored cruisers, not quiet and not ideal. Think the river bed in patches might be sandy and a chance of a river wash, we quickly found out it was just deep mud. Things were not quite as smooth as we may have liked, but it was late and we decided to stay put. Stoves (trangias) were lit, homemade chilli rice and soured cream duly cooked, as was the rubber gasket to my trangia burner....:mad:...beer and wine duly imbibed, and all was better.............................. and quieter............:thumbsup:
We also decided that if we were to continue the next day further down river, we would have a long haul back, against current and wind....and it looked like d being wet on last morning takedown, so we decided on a slow paddle back, a day early, snout around a bit, and take out a day earlier than the initial plan :thumbsdown:

We shortly came across a flotilla of inflatables full of improbable youngsters who had overnighted near a pub and village green, but had been moved on in the morning...about 6 boats, all loaded up...they later passed us , all heaped up with crisps and gear 🤔:rofl::p (or crisps and beer?) with a wave on the way up to a lock where we caught them up and shared the lock with them, which was very kind, as there was no simple portage.....

We also saw a small grass snake on the river, which did it's best to express it's disdain at it's swim being interrupted. It had just sloughed as it's yellow neck was golden and eyes burning bright.

We duly arrived back after a stop off at St Ives for a hot choc and bacon baguette from a cafe in town after a narrowboater welcomed us alongside......................

Still a lovely time, just not quite as envisaged.............🤔 but still great for all that!:thumbsup::D

Some piccies...........

1/put in
2/ Banzai backwaters bashing
3/ and washing up!
4/ St Ives
 

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Hope fully get a better write up and piccies from Banzai soon...........:)
 
Looks good Lol, even if it wasn't what you'd planned, you went with what you had. I like trips like that, it makes you think about 'how to' stuff. Glad you guys had a good trip. 👍
 
Those camps along the UK riverbanks look so bucolic (is that the right word?) All those meadows and old period bridges...

When I was a young bloke one of my favourite books was ( and still is) Jerome Jerome's 'Three men in a boat'. Couldnt stop laughing, but also those old world countryside scenes and old churches seemed really wonderful. You blokes have it all.

Alan
 
I was once over in UK there a few years ago and we drove down to Southhampton way (i think it was, but may be wrong). It was beautiful sunny weather and we drove into a series of small villages along the coast to enjoy your country pubs. One place we came to there was like a small paddock on the side of a river estuary beside an old norman church.
I nearly tripped over a little plaque/plinth set in the ground. It described the spot as being where old King Canute had tried to turn back the tide.

When i was a kid i heard that story in kindy and assumed it was a fable like the Aslan the lion stories. But there in UK you have all that incredible history....Extraordinary..!

Im a big fan

Alan
 
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