Seeing things with fresh eyes is important. If I look at a rapid or fall with thoughts of someone else’s opinion, or the guidebook description, in my head I find it hard to focus properly. Sometimes the book will say something is nasty but you can’t see it from the bank and it does enough to put you off. The same can be true the other way around. The consensus is that a rapid is fine, but it looks horrible and you go into feeling stiff and unfocussed with predictable consequences. Look with fresh eyes, old opinion has no place.

Back in the days when we were looking for every beck around the Lake District that might be paddleable we did a section high on Torver beck from below a narrow slot. I'd we had walked in from the bottom and this felt like the obvious upper limit. I'd accepted my own opinion for too long. On a recent tramp around the fells I ended up going for a quick peek at what lay above. What lay above was a steep tight section of slides and drops, all of which looked like they would be good to go. Sure it was always going to be a small lakes beck, but it looked like it could be good fun and not too pushy.

So after the heavy rain on Wednesday I found myself looking for water. The stuff in Kendal hadn’t come up so i just chanced it and went up towards Coniston and Torver beck was thumping. The rain had stopped so if the upper was going to get done it had to be done now so I decided to go solo. I strapped the boat on and hiked straight to the most likely put in. levels were marginal with the water receeding fast but I was there now so quickly rattled down. It was a real hoot leading down to the section at Tranearth where the beck is held up by a thin rock bridge between two large holes in the ground!

I went back to grab some photos on the phone with the water now a fair bit lower. Strapped the boat back in and became frustrated about how I had missed this little genm all those years before.

So the lesson was never trust accepted wisdom – even, and perhaps especially, your own. Always look with fresh eyes.

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