Tad Lo
The best huck trip of our lives continued today as we awoke to the roar of Tad Hang, the smallest falls in the Tadlo trio at around 25 feet. After coffee Lao and a baguette we geared up and hiked 700m upstream from our guesthouse to Tad Lo. Our ideal plan was to run Tad Lo, run Tad Hang, and pack our gear for Attapeu on the afternoon bus. It was not to be.
Spot Lachie
Tad Lo was first run by Lachie Carracher earlier in this trip, but a lack of media and a desire to find new lines brought us back. It’s got a sliding entry drop of around ten feet that makes hard work of timing your stroke at the lip of the falls proper. Ideally you’ll be soaring horizontally during the next twenty feet of freefall, and that’s exactly what Lachie did again.
Lachie Entry
Lachie revisiting his first descent of Tad Lo
I followed with a slightly improvisation on the ideal line, but no dramas. I shouldered my kayak quickly and hiked back to the top – there was another line I wanted to drop, hard near the right side of the falls. The lead-in was shallow and uneven, but there was just enough water at the lip to allow the control needed. I slid down the entry and waited for my right stroke at the lip, pulling it through slowly into a forward tuck for impact.
Sean First Descent right line
Next up was the more intimidating Tad Hang. Not as large as Lo, but the tight line required precision and a big boof to avoid the shelves of rock bordering the landing. In similar fashion to Tad Lo there was a weird little entry drop here also. Lachie opted to run first and ended up farther left than anticipated.
Lachie
From my vantage downstream it initially looked like he’d plugged the only ‘Plan B’ line without incident. Upon resurfacing it was obvious his deck had imploded again. He swam to shore with the paddle and hatch cover while I jumped in and retrieved the kayak. It was only when I returned to shore that Lachie informed me he’d actually pitoned at the bottom and was fairly sure he’d re-fractured his leg.
Sean Entry
Always the trooper, he limped to the photo spot and dutifully filmed my two descents of Tad Hang. I got a stroke at the lip both times but still reconnected barely under the surface. One of the gnarliest drops on the trip for sure.
Sean - Tad Hang
Lachie returned to his kayak and we paddled downstream to our doorstep. We’ll chill here tonight while we contemplate the next few days and attempt to work out whatever it was Lachie did to deserve this.
His negative Karma tally of late:
• Stung repeatedly by unknown insects causing excruciating pain,
• Deck implodes running 45 foot Tad Champi,
• Runs first twenty footer in Champi, breaks paddle and disappears,
• Falls twenty feet narrowly avoiding re-breaking leg but smashing in his face,
• Runs super funky 25 foot Tad Hang, pitons, likely re-breaks leg, deck implodes.
Wish us luck in Attapeu.
Sean Boz
