Scotland Sea Kayak Trip – June 2021 I normally go kayaking in Scotland during early May or late September/October with the sole intention of avoiding the ‘Midges’.  Therefore, this June trip was to be a new experience for me and one I was both looking forward to and dreading in equal measure. Horror stories from my sons, ‘Midges’ walking across your eyeballs, kind of stuff, hadn’t helped. Now the date had arrived and time to find out for myself just how bad they really are.   Monday 28th June. (NE Luing to Port Phadruig, Kerrera about 26Km) By Roger Colman Our pleasant little campsite was vacated in a well-ordered manner, breakfast taken by those requiring it and kayaks packed so we were on the water for 6:00am as planned.   The early start was a tidal requirement and allowed us to paddle up Seil Sound and under the bridge over the Atlantic. Once through the bridge it was back onto the mainland shore and a stop for second breakfast. (We learnt that Jon was not going to make the trip after all, but Ian was still scheduled to join us on Tuesday evening.)   The early morning mist had burnt off and it was another really lovely day as the five of us paddled up to Port Lathaich and there crossed over to Kerrera.    On reaching the Islands shore we paddled down the east side, around the southern end, where Sheena was able to reminisce about family picnics as we passed Gylen Castle.       Gylen Castle  We continued around the southern end of the island and up the west coast to Port Phadruig and a five-star wild campsite Catriona was aware of, courtesy of her sister. It was a stunning location. We arrived about midday and stayed put. After the early start this suited me fine. Ali and Sheena were equally happy after their additional early start and long day yesterday. However, they […]

Scotland Sea Kayak Trip June 2021 by Roger Colman I normally go kayaking in Scotland during early May or late September/October with the sole intention of avoiding the ‘Midges’.  Therefore, this June trip was to be a new experience for me and one I was both looking forward to and dreading in equal measure. Horror stories from my sons, ‘Midges’ walking across your eyeballs, kind of stuff, hadn’t helped. Now the date had arrived and time to find out for myself just how bad they really are. Sunday 27th June. (Kerrera ferry to NE Luing about 25Km) Catriona, Andy and I started out from the Oban / Kerrera Ferry slipway about 10am Sunday morning. Ally and Sheena were travelling from Skye and intending to join us later that day, while Jon hoped to be with us Monday and Ian Tuesday. That is a lot easier and quicker to write than it was for Catriona to arrange. No doubt numerous plans A, B, C etc. were developed as individual circumstances changed through the week, prior to the trip. We are all very grateful for the time and effort it must have taken Catriona to accommodate everyone’s needs. Our paddle was gentle and uneventful, in smooth seas and warm sunshine, with the added bonus of a sea otter sighting within the first 90 minutes.  Into Barnacarry Bay for elevenses, then on down the coast, a quick peek at the Bridge over the Atlantic (Clachan Bridge) through a number of small isles above Rubha Garbh Airde, to a lunch stop just below it. After lunch we stayed close to the shore line, through the Sound of Insh and on to Easdale Harbour. Here Andy had a successful ‘urban foraging’ trip and gathered together some alcoholic beverages, a table and chairs. Excellent. Andy – ‘Urban Foraging’, Easdale Catriona had been in regular contact with Ali and Sheena monitoring […]

LCC playboat session coached by Lowri Davies – by John Cooke Sunday 4th saw another of the playboat sessions coached by Lowri Davies, six paddlers met at the Dee for a day of fun in small boats. After a quick check over of boats to make sure we were outfitted we were soon on the water. Surfing, flat spins, taillies, pop outs, some ear dips and a great time were enjoyed by all. It is fair to say everyone had a great time and enjoyed themselves. If anyone would like to try one of these sessions let me know and we can get something arranged, cost is £40 pp for a full day’s coaching, BARGAIN. The sessions are open to everyone including juniors (parent must be in attendance) and all equipment is available to hire out from the club. A roll is helpful but not compulsory. Check out the videos on LCC Facebook page. John Cooke. Below is Jenna getting the pop out nailed! Check out Neil’s video on the LCC Facebook page.

Ponsonby Arms to Ty Mawr Country Park by John Fay A big thanks to John Cooke for organising this coached whitewater trip. Martha Kelly, Mike Bailey, Pippa Leddra, Shane Jones and myself arrived at the Ponsonby Arms at 9.30am and after coffee the proceedings started. It was a great day with loads of time to practice breaking in and out and ferry gliding etc with some T-rescues practice and a few rolls at the end. If you get the chance I would highly recommend booking onto one of these sessions. They will certainly boost your confidence on the water whatever discipline you’re into. Shane Jones, Jamie was really good and got me using my edges a lot more and was happy to answer any questions we were asking him and let us practice our T rescues and rolling at the end. Mike Bailey, It was a proper introduction and exposed me to enough of the risks and thrills of this type of kayaking. There was enough about techniques like eddying and ferrying to give me an idea without overwhelming me with information. I felt really comfortable with Jamie. He is obviously very experienced and his coaching technique worked well for me.

We were caught on camera at Camping Les Ecrins last year! Click to view video

Thanks to Sue Bradley, Mas Mohammadifar, John Vogler and Tony Robinson for providing kayak support for the Ian Percival 26th Anniversary Swim organised by Liverpool Open Water Swimming Club on Saturday 26th June. Several charities will benefit from this event including the Teenage Cancer Trust and a young triathlete who has recently suffered life-changing injuries. There were 91 swimmers who took part in this iconic swim through the Salthouse, Dukes and Kings Docks on distances varying from one to four miles. Water temperature was 19.4C and air temperature ranged from 16-21C with perfect conditions and a great atmosphere amongst the swimmers, supporters and officials. A special thanks to Sue who stepped up to provide kayak safety support for the first time and led the two miles swim with such panache. Also to The Friends of Allonby Canoe Club who provided four kayakers and to the free-lance kayakers, stand-up paddle-boarder and jet-ski! Thanks also to the Canals and Rivers Trust who supported this event. Once again thanks for your support. Jim 

Last weekend saw the first white water camping trip of the year, we stayed at the Tyn Cornell site which gives direct access to the lower section of the River Tryweryn. Meeting up on Friday evening was a chance for new members to meet others and for friends to reunite. Saturday morning saw everyone on the lower section, 4 groups doing their own shuttles and getting on as individual groups. Back to the campsite for a lunch break and then some went off onto the upper section while another run of the lower was completed by others. Back at camp, showered and fed the fire pit was lit and a night of socializing ensued. Sunday saw much of the same, upper and lower runs. More people joined us for the day. There were a few spills and plenty of wet ears over the weekend but in general it’s fair to say it was a great weekend, we need another one ! Cheers everyone.

Last weekend also hosted another of the coached river sessions, these are going great and people that have attended have left positive feedback, It was a great day and I remembered more than I thought I knew thank you for organising, I had a fantastic day and very proud of myself for running Bala mill falls. What a fantastic time I had. Dave was as fab as you promised and I learnt loads. Can’t wait to get out on some more white water soon. Just back from the course, what a fantastic day! Thank you so much for organising this, it was a brilliant introduction to moving water and Dave was a great coach. I have forwarded the comments on as I know coaches appreciate good feedback. There will be more trips available so look out for the emails if your interested in attending one. If anyone wants some specific coached training then let me know and we can maybe arrange something. Cheers John Cooke

Conwy Estuary 12th of June This trip was a transition sea paddle down the Conwy Estuary to introduce some of us to the tides, currents, winds and waves that come with sea kayaking. It was my first time on such a trip and the more experienced paddlers that took us were just wonderful. Roger met Beccy and I at the compound to grab boats and then we drove down to the Conwy marina. We started on the beach and the weather was warm but a little cloudy. We headed up the estuary inland towards the castle and there were a few tricky currents to navigate. I honestly thought I would end up upside down at various points, but all was well, and I was just being a wimp. We paddled under the castle, which was a magnificent view in the sunshine. In the woods just past the castle there were so many Heron and Egrets in the trees above us. We continued inland where the views were spectacular. I practiced my edging at varying rates of success and with the patient help of Ian, and just about the time I thought my arms might fall off we stopped for lunch. We pulled up on the bank of the river and where we could see the mountains ahead of us and ate lunch in she cloudy sunshine. We watched the water and got back in at about 2:10pm as the tide turned, which was coordinated by Roger who had done the same trip the day before and had made note of the time – the whole way there I thought the time of 2:10 was so wonderfully specific there must be a very clever way of working it out, so this seemed like cheating when I found out he had been […]

We had a wonderful day at Llyn Padarn, under the gaze of Mount Snowdon with mild weather, a light breeze and a few clouds overhead. 11 of us were on the water in our sea kayaks at 10.45am (someone forgot to book their kayak (me), same someone couldn’t find the carpark – thankfully Vic, Dave and Clare saved the day finding parking spaces for everyone). We took a paddle the length of the lake and back before heading upriver where Roger spotted some wild yellow irises and we enjoyed the peacefulness of the surroundings. The smooth water gave a clear view of the brown and pale stones on the river bed whilst birds flew overhead and a small weir provided a gentle introduction to moving water for a few of us. We then paddled under a narrow, low bridge to our picnic spot. There was some confusion as to how to get a paddle through the narrow gap and more than one person had a close shave/prang. Lunch was much needed at this point and we found a spot on shore to enjoy Vic’s flapjack provision. Fed and watered we made our way back to open water where Phil led some skills exercises focusing on wind direction, how this impacts the movement of the kayak and how to correct for this. The highlight, however, was a magnificent game of catch showcasing Marty’s paddle interceptions, Vic’s chants to intimidate the opposition, Cath and Clare’s on target and ambitious throws and my facial expressions on almost capsizing in the excitement. I think Roger’s Renegades just about won. Alison and Ian were an oasis of calm, imparting advice and sharing stories of Alaska to inspire us to improve our fitness and skills. The clouds came down over the surrounding hills as we made […]