River Ilme
Today we are heading out on the Ilme, a 32.6 km long tributary of the Leine. To be allowed to paddle on the Ilme, you need a special permit from the district. Not a cheap pleasure, by the way; R pays €100 for the permit. We paddle 15.6 km from Dassel to Einbeck.
The narrow river has a fast current and lies in a relatively deeply incised bed with fairly homogeneous banks. Large eddies are rather rare. Numerous tree and bush obstacles, river bed slides and steps sweeten the paddling experience, but also require an alert mind and sometimes quick reactions. Even with my 10' long Detonator, it is not always easy to find a suitable eddy in time. R and A with their 13' and 14' long boats sometimes have real problems getting their boats in.
It is said that the Ilme is easily navigable from a water level of 70 cm. We cycle at a level of 77cm, but for the first 4km even that is really too little. We constantly touch down on the stony bottom or don't find enough space for the paddles to steer properly. From Ellersen onwards it gets noticeably better.
After an hour we take our first break and try to count how many times we have had to get out, climb, transfer or tow, but after the first three kilometers this is already a hopeless undertaking.
The first quieter section comes 2km later, just before the Buschmühle. Here we carry around the mill weir and a few moments later two more weirs in Markoldendorf. A welcomes the calm moments in the backwater while I'm already moaning because the Detonator is paddling so slowly. Afterwards, we continue quickly to Juliusmühle, where we take another break in provincial industrial romance.
The water level is better now and there are fewer obstacles. We no longer have to get out so often and can squeeze through gaps more often. The current becomes noticeably faster and there are a few more exciting rapids, so there's no chance of getting bored.
After Hullersen, the river splits and the left arm leads to Einbeck as the Mühlenkanal. It is recommended to take the right arm, which we do. After goot five hours we end the trip at the K510 and the sun is already setting.
Conclusion: The Ilme is a worthwhile small river for experienced paddlers in short, maneuverable boats. Due to the many obstacles in the narrow, deep river bed, small eddies and fast current, the stress level is consistently high. The rapids are not very challenging, but if you want to paddle there, you should be able to deal with bush and tree obstacles and have no problem climbing for half the day. I strongly recommend using whitewater equipment including a helmet.