Adventure Blog Scotland | Water » 2007

Wind and Water

September 24, 2007 on 9:16 pm | In Sea Kayaking | No Comments

What a day yesterday. We had been watching the weather - it becomes a bit of an obsession when you ‘live’ in the outdoors. I don’t know about other Outdoor people but I have a real problem with the BBC TV weather and their fixation with rain when we all know it is the wind which is important, I will get off my hobby horse now.

So back to yesterday, the paddlers in Stornoway Canoe Club look for the strongest wind and the biggest waves before they start dusting of their gear and heading for the sea. So when it was forecast for a south westerly force 7-8 we all started to get excited. In these conditions it is a case of getting blown from one place to another while whooping and howling down the waves which are blown up.

Eventually there were four of us when we got in at Maraig in Harris into Loch Seaforth. The intention to get out into the Loch and scream up to Kintarvie past Seaforth Island.

Once we were out of the bay the wind was being funneled up the Loch and the surf up and to the North west of Seaforth Island was great with yells of delight all round. It was one of those trips where one wave just connected to the next and they were all taking you in the right direction.

On the south side of Seaforth Island in heavy rain there is a waterfall over one of the cliffs and when the wind is howling the waterfall is blown up ad looks like smoke. I was told by Murdo from Ardvourlie when they were children they were told the smoke was from the witches chimney and it showed she was home.

On the stretch from Seaforth Island the wind picked up and there were a few squalls rattled through and Allan caught one wave and surfed it to the point it capsized him and he swam. It is good practice to do a rescue in conditions like this but not something I want to do too often.

It was surprisingly tiring and carrying the boats up the croft to the car seemed a long walk and the boats had put on weight

As the home of storm paddling the Outer Hebrides are hosting the 2nd UK Storm Gathering on the 11-13th October in Stornoway. It is the chance for like minded paddlers to get together do some paddling and get some coaching in more advanced conditions

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

The Wonders of South Uist

September 20, 2007 on 7:44 pm | In Sea Kayaking | No Comments

I am sat logged into the wireless network in the Loch Boisdale Hotel with a pint of Skye Ale and waiting for my goose to arrive - fresh local goose - and salivating at the thought.

I am down here running a first aid course and brought the sea kayak on the roof of the car in the hope of getting out for a paddle but the weather has been unkind and blown hard.

The car and boat on the machair

However this has brought an unexpected pleasure, when I finish working at four I needed to do something outside and so on with the running shoes and out to explore. I am glad I was forced out as I usually look at the east coast for paddling, it is more interesting from a boat, so running on the machair on the west (the land between the sea and the moor) was breathtaking. The skies are so huge they are almost unreal.

Looking south from South Uist to Barra

They have the unreal quality of making the horizon seem to be below your feet.

Stooks on the Machair

So with the forecast for wind and rain I have been luck enough to steal the rarest of jewels from nature’s grasp of being suprising by beauty.

I ran too far and now my legs hurt

ps. The food was fantastic, the waitress not only helpful and efficent but beautiful to

September 12, 2007 on 8:31 pm | In Sea Kayaking | No Comments

It has been a little while since I have posted a blog, the last few weeks have shot by in a blur, not all good. So just a short post now. I was out at St Kilda last week with a film crew who are filming for a BBC programme. The weather wasn’t very nice but apparently that was OK with them. We had a horrendous beat back out on Wednesday and had to sail 10 miles north of Whale Rock before being able to tack and sail for Village Bay. (Approx an extra 25 miles) With the swell which was running it was not the best.

I arrived back and Anna had booked two people to do and trip out sea kayaking Monday and Tuesday - luckily they were good paddlers. The weather started with a breeze from the North West and gradually it eased. We got in at Valtos Pier and paddled out into the Sound of Pabbay. There was a sizable swell running (2-3m) and it made the conditions interesting. This was exactly what the they were looking for and I gave a little coaching on paddling in bigger water. We poked our noses (or at least the backs of our boats - it makes sense to be able to see the waves as they come towards you) into the caves on the south side of Pabbay.

I don’t get bored of paddling there, it is different every time.

We dropped back round the east side of the island and up the north caost and we did make it into the lagoon but only after I took about five years off my life, sweating would be an understatement, they were competent but didn’t mean I wasn’t worrying as we went round the skerry to access the entrance to the lagoon.

The afternoon was spent leasurely paddling to Vaia Mor to one of my favorite camp sites and the bonus was the fire wood we collected last time we were there was still in the box I left, so a small fire on the beach ended a great day.

The wind was on the nose as we paddled back in the morning, so a hard grind, back to the car and deliver them to the ferry in Stornoway. Another bespoke trip and happy customers.

I will download the pictures and post them if I have a few minutes but I have a presentation to do on ‘The Importance of Our Marine and Coastal Landscape to the Future Development of Eco-Tourism’ on Friday so I am stuffed full of conflicting ideas.

With stag party to do on Saturday with Murray from SeaTrek we are doing the paddling and climbing, weather forecast isn’t looking good … Then off to Uist on Sunday to deliver a Fist Aid course, I am going to take the boat and hopefully do some paddling in the Sound of Barra. So life is never idle …