Adventure Blog Scotland | Water » 2007

Paddling with Beasts part II

July 30, 2007 on 10:42 pm | In Sea Kayaking | No Comments

I have finally managed to find myself in front of the computer, the children are in bed and I should really be doing some work but…

Today was dingy sailing with Toby in the harbour using the Outdor Forum’s trailer full of boats to teach youngsters the finer points of capsizing, great fun.

So back the paddling trip:

The trip didn’t start well for Lydia her bag with all her paddling gear didn’t make it to Lewis and as I type is still lost in the ether somewhere between JFK airport in New York and Stornoway. So I raided my toy cupboard and equiped her (lucky she is just little shorter then me and has the same size feet).

So duly clothed we left Leverburgh on Saturday afternoon, once we had had a leisurely lunch in the Anchorage over the maps - good soup, red pepper and lime - to be recommended. A short paddle across to Ensay and we set up camp just in front of the house on the machair. With a fire set in the grate of one of the ruins we settled down to fresh pasta.

Camp on Ensay

Sunday morning broke to blue skys and very little wind. As we sat having breakfast we watched a charter boat steam into the Sound (to save embarrisment I will not mention the name) I was just explaining to the Tom and Lydia the channel through and saying he didn’t look right when the sound of thunder. It wasn’t - it was the boat running into the rocks. The spoon of porridge stopped half way to my mouth as I couldn’t believe what I was watching. After I was over the shock I went to my boat to get the VHF radio ready to call the coastguard, however as I switched it on they slid back off the rocks and started steaming for the peir at Leverburgh. I found out later nobody was hurt except the skippers pride. It is a difficult piece of water but on a clear morning with no wind …

Sound of Harris

The day we spent crossing the Sound of Harris to the Gatliff Hostel on Berneray, then on to Otternish where we had lunch in the sun on the slip and then East up the Sound to Thernatriagh for the night.

Pabbay, Sound of Harris

Monday morning delivered a not so pleasant present, a northerly4 to 5 and just to add insult to injury the tide was against us, always looking on the bright side at least no wind over tide. So began the long grind back to Leverburgh. We heard the seals moaning off Grodhiagh and discussed art whilst perched in the kelp eating biscuits on the back of Langaigh.

Another leisurely lunch in the Anchorage and we loaded the boats up and headed for the delights of Uig on the west coast of Lewis. Camp was on Reef camp site and the guilty pleasures of a shower and flushing toilet.

Launching from Valtos peir is for me one of the places I never tire of; golden sand rock outcrops and a picture post card view. Then the caves:

Cave Valtos

Paddling towards the mouth of the Sound of Pabbay and the natural arch, a creel boat shouted to Tom there were a couple of barking sharks just out, well …

Basking Shark

There were five swimming round and under us.

It is a little intimidation when a 20 foot shark is swimming towards you with it’s mouth open until you realise it would give you a nasty suck.

Just to add to the fun there were porpoises round us but they are a little ‘disapointing’ after the sharks and the minke whale only blew twice near us.

After an hour watching these incredible beasts we paddled on and through the arches on the north of Pabbay Beag and then into the lagoon for lunch. We could have been sat in the Caribbean, the sun was blazing, the azure waters rippled in front of us and best of all there was nobody else there.

Tom wanted to do some paddle training so he was dispatched to do some rolling and skulling while a coached from the shore, tea in one hand and the camera in the other.

Paddling in the lagoon

He decided he didn’t want to get his clothes wet so nude paddling !?!

That evening we camped on the temple beach on Pabbay and battened down the hatches as a blow was forecast, only the rain arrived. So a lazy morning of tea, sleeping bags and books was taken just incase it did arrive during the morning. The afternoon cleared allowing us to paddle through the narrows into Loch Roag Beag, with the salmon leaping round us.

Camp was set on Fuaidh Mor and the wind dropped and provided Tom and Lydia first taste of the fearsome Scottish midge, dinner was taken on the promentory in the little breeze and we retired to our tents as the sun started to wain.

Our final morning was the journey back to the car at Valtos Peir. As I drove to the B&B where Tom and Lydia were staying, Tom said “Now it is finished I can say, it was the best trip I have ever been on”

Paddling in Loch Roag

Lydia’s web site is http://www.lydiajohnston.com/index.htm

Tim Pickering
http://www.canoehebrides.com
Living in the world's biggest adventure playground - The Outer Hebrides CanoeHebrides.com - Sea kayaking Expeditions BikeHebrides.com -Quality Mountain Bike Hire

Paddling with Beasts

July 26, 2007 on 9:37 pm | In Sea Kayaking, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

I have just arrived back from the trip I had been looking forwards to … It was fantastic, just a quick taste as I will post more when I have had some sleep.

Two clients, five days and a blank sheet - The Sound of Harris between Harris and North Uist for a few days and then up to Loch Roag in Lewis for the rest of the trip.

Tom Paddling in the Sound of Harris

The weather was mixed: big skys, some rain and a couple of little puffs of wind.

The best I will save until I have time to do it justice - just to wet the appetite, porpoises, whales and basking sharks …

Confined to Barracks

July 23, 2007 on 11:00 am | In Canoeing | No Comments

Am currently confined to barracks (the office) for three weeks as the wife is due to give birth any day now. 6 days down, 15 to go and I’ve got cabin fever already. To look on the bright side, being office bound means having time for tea breaks and lunch breaks. This in turn means time for studying maps and planning some new open canoe trips. I reckon I have negotiated two 3-day slots for mini expeds between now and Christmas. Any ideas for making the most of these rare opportunities away from young family and busy business would be welcome.

Top of my agenda currently is the North West Highlands. Having spent some time in Assynt in May (helping to guide 16 journalists around for the VisitScotland Media Adventure Challenge), I am itching to get back up there without clients to chill out after a hectic summer and to rediscover the joys of journeying through such a stunning landscape by canoe. Elphin to Inverpolly is looking good at the moment for the first of my escapes.

Came across this quote the other day which I just love:

“What sets a canoeing expedition apart is that it purifies you more rapidly and inescapably than any other travel.”
Pierre Elliott Trudeau

Sums it all up for me. Stay lucky.

Canoeing on the River Beauly

Mike Dunthorne
http://www.boots-n-paddles.co.uk
Runs a wee nature-based activity business up by Inverness. Surrounded by lochs, rivers and the sea is a bit of a water baby and counts open boating and gorge swimming as favourite pastimes.

Sailing in Sail Hebrides

July 15, 2007 on 8:27 pm | In Sailing | No Comments

The week has flown by here with The Hebridean Celtic Festival and Sail Hebrides, the boat has been reasonably busy, although as with the kayaking it seems everyone is here to party and not to do any outdoor stuff. Anna’s gig in the tent last night went well and everyone has been saying they loved the acapella Gaelic voices.

Brendon did some guiding for us yesterday and they went out from Crosbost and got as far as the Witches Pool on the other side of Loch Erisort. It was calm despite the odd bit of rain

I had a fantastic day on Wednesday when I was out for the two half day voyages, in the morning we went out under engine as there was no wind and had just put the lines over the side to see if there were fish for lunch and four or five harbour porpoises blew near, at this the surface of the water started to chatter with the small fish being driven up. Then the Minke whales appeared and they were fishing the surface and then as we watched one ring with a bubble curtain and then breach to scoop up the fish, magic. If I can work out how I will try and get a picture uploaded - not of the breach as I was standing with my mouth open at that point.

In the afternoon on the way back, it was the sail in with all the boats attending Sail Hebrides, so we were treated to about 20 other boats and the MCA tug escorting us in with his water cannon spraying. Oh that every day was like that !

The boat is off to the Shiants tommorrow and I am over to Uist to work, I am getting excited about next week’s sea kayaking expedition just need some half decent weather.

Hard day in the office

July 11, 2007 on 8:34 pm | In Sailing, Sea Kayaking | No Comments

Well here is my first post; It has been a hard day in the office, actually in the office. Although Stornoway is buzzing with the Hebridean Celtic Festival it is always the same and there is nobody wanting to go out for sea kayaking trips. It is one of those bizarre things I have noticed over the last 6 years, take the week off ! I guess it has some bonuses as the desk is tidy and several of the jobs I have been meaning to do are now done.

Stornoway is full of people with different accents and clothes and it makes the place fantastic, add in the sailing festival, Sail Hebrides and all the boats it brings and a huge party is happening.

I am hoping to get to at least one of the gigs, but with Anna playing on Saturday night in the tent I get the kids so fatherly duties call