RAY GOODWIN ’ S HOW TO SPOT THOSE PESKY
ROCKS
I had joined the staff at an Outdoor Education Centre in Wales . I was almost purely a climber / mountaineer and a wet day off was just an excuse to do climbs that didn ’ t really dry out . So , after adventures on routes such as Soap Gut on the Milestone Buttress in the rain and a particularly wet ( like waterfall wet ) ascent of the cleft of the Devil ’ s Kitchen , the other instructors had had enough . I was dragged out kayaking with them . I became particularly adept at swimming the rivers of North Wales , but there was one other major frustration : how did they spot and miss those pesky rocks that didn ’ t really show above the surface ?
It was a mystery to me for many years until I realised my error . You didn ’ t look for the rocks ( yes , ok , big rocks are obvious ), but you looked for the change in water . You learn to distinguish between a wave train and a wave that indicates a rock . The trouble is it becomes almost a subconscious ability for experienced paddlers , which makes it difficult for them to explain what they are seeing / doing .
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