Club Expedition to Skye 2020 “Team Alaska go on a Skye #staycation!” Day 8 (Friday) 15th August – Loch Hourn to Kyle of Lochalsh With good weather and the tide with us this was our longest day at 21.7 miles. It was also the longest day as at 3.10am a few of us were woken by the sound of the tide getting rather close to the tents. A mini rock pyramid was built at the waterline as a marker and by 4.10am Jenny was happy the tide was finally dropping and went back to sleep. We packed up in a midge-free breeze and Chris and Jenny’s tent was caught in a gust and tumble turned towards the sea where thankfully it was saved. We paddled off at 8am along the northern shore of Loch Hourn with the wind behind us, wildlife spotting for birds, otters and seals. The sea was clear and deep with large shells, urchins and a variety of seaweeds on the bottom. Small fish flitted about the rocks. We had elevenses in the shelter of the Sandaig Islands as the wind dropped and the sun shone. A few boats were moored with snorkelers splashing about. We were thinking about stopping before the narrows, but we had made good time, the tide was racing along with us so we decided to push on to the other side of the Bridge of Skye. The heather on the mountains was starting to come out creating a purple tinge, which then got stronger through the next week. As we went through the narrows there was some frisky seals making a good splash and a head wind picked up. We crossed Loch Alsh to go along the north coast to shelter from the wind. We all had a snigger at someone doing naked […]

Demonstration of how to get into a sea kayak at our compound to reduce to stop unnecessary wear and tear on the the skeg area. https://youtu.be/tLJ8X-UJArI https://youtu.be/BW467eeQz-8

  Club Expedition to Skye 2020 “Team Alaska go on a Skye #staycation!”   Day 7 (Friday) 14th August – Teangus (Castle Ruin) to Loch Hourn A lazy start as the wind dropped. 10am and we went straight for the crossing over to the white houses at Airor. The wind was force 3 making a fair chop on the sea. The tide was still low, so it was quite a carry to get on the water. The team were now so efficient we were on the water before Keith! We stopped for elevenses at Airor as the wind started to drop then paddled around the coast into Loch Hourn. As we got to the headland there was a rock covered in seals with their pups. They all launched into the water on our arrival. Lots more trees along this coastline and fish farms with jumping salmon in. Vic got his line out again and caught dinner while we paddled with the wind now behind us. After 13.3 miles we found a Tombolo (a beach joining an island to the mainland) to camp on and enjoyed the afternoon watching the seals and someone flying a kite further up the loch. There was a lot of mica in the rocks that sparkled in the sun. Vic hiked off for water from a nearby waterfall and Jenny was pleased to have got to Knoydart, this had been on her to do list for a few years. Ian and Vic enjoyed a swim and another paddler stopped to say hello. Jenny Brown     More Photos……….    

Club Expedition to Skye 2020 “Team Alaska go on a Skye #staycation!” Day 6 (Thursday) 13th August –Point of Sleat to Teangus (Castle Ruin) As we were expert at packing boats by now, we were on the water by 7:40am. There was nice breeze and no midges. A strong wind was building, so plan A to go to Knoydart was turned into a plan B to stay safe and camp on Skye again. We hugged the coastline to stay out of the wind. The Scottish coast looked impressive with the mountains engulfed in low cloud. After an hour or so we found a beach with a stream and hammock for elevenses. Great to refill water, have a wash and a quick swing/snooze. The rock pools had a great selection of anemone and shellfish in the crystal-clear water. The beach had grey and pink stripy cobbles. We continued along the rocky shore where there was a sea Eagle chasing some seagulls. As we passed the Armadale ferry terminal it was a quick dash against the headwind and waves to clear the terminal as we realised the boat was coming in. White horses were growing out in the sound as the winds increased to a force 5. The crossing to Knoydart wouldn’t have been much fun so we took shelter after 10.5 miles behind a headland where there was a castle ruin. On arrival, a swordsman practising his moves against the castle skyline – aka Brave Heart. There was a selection of 3 beaches so we picked the one with the easiest carry, but still decided tomorrow would be a 10am start to let the tide come in over the rocks and allow the wind to drop if it followed the forecast. An otter was spotted while we scouted out the beaches before […]

Day 5 (Wednesday) 12th  August – Soay to Point of Sleat Not a bad morning for midges this morning! Or so we thought, but then they descended just as we started to pack the boats. That sped us up and we were on the water for 7:40am. The weather was overcast, but the clouds over the Cuillins and Rhum looked spectacular while we paddled along on glassy water. There was a mist on the horizon as we made our crossing back to the Point of Sleat. Ian took the bearing as SSE just in case the mist came in. Mid-way the wind started to pick up and the waves grew. The spray on the rocky shore made a nice change in sea state, but we were all pleased not to be under the high cliffs exposed to the growing waves. Later the sun returned, and the mist went. There was another whale sighting and lots of ferries out crossing to the smaller islands. As we went round the headland we landed on a white sand and gravel tombolo beach – spectacular! We’d done 12.8 miles, and this was going to be our camp site for the night. A great view and gentle wind to keep the midges away. A few sheep came to watch us as we pitched on their grazing area. We spent the afternoon enjoying the sun and said hello to some other paddlers that had landed for lunch. Ian and Keith made a driftwood bench, while Vic went out fishing for Mackerel – success! He enjoyed a late fish and limpet lunch. We all had a walk to the lighthouse to enjoy the views and see where we’d paddled before bed. Jenny Brown     More Photos……….      

Club Expedition to Skye 2020 “Team Alaska go on a Skye #staycation!”   Day 4 (Tuesday) 11th August – Loch Brittle to Soay Up we got sticking to our 8am start. Not many midges, until boat loading then it was full attack! A cool fresh rain shower soon sorted them out resulting in a “who can put their cag on at sea unassisted challenge?” Jenny nearly got to test her hood – she was already in it as it was the best resistance against bites as Scottish midges seem to treat Deet like ice-cream (human) sauce. The rain drops fell on the calm sea surface, which again was like a millpond. Over 5 miles the cliffs built up and so did the wind and waves, which were reflecting off the cliffs. We stopped at a sea arch before deciding a circumnavigation might not be the best idea as thunderstorms were on the forecast and we were about to be exposed on the northwest headlands with limited landing options. Plan B – play in the caves and head to Soay to camp hopefully going to Knoydart and the small islands around the east coast. The swell caused the cracks and caves to gurgle and thump as we paddled along. Ian did some unplanned rock hopping – oops, I don’t think he was expecting that wave to suck away so quickly! We stopped at another waterfall to fill up our bottles and a deer was on the beach. Sadly, an emergency wee break meant Chris and Jenny were a little behind and missed it – “oh dear!” The pebbles on this beach were amazing pinks and purples and we were sheltered from the weather and waves. Three other groups of paddlers were also about on the headland, but all paddled off to other […]

Club Expedition to Skye 2020 “Team Alaska go on a Skye #staycation!”     LCC Home News items or reports on club activities should be sent to Archived Newsletters Major Trip Reports.… Day 2 9th August (Sunday) – Camas Barabhaig to Port an Luig Mhoit We left at 9am – the water was like a millpond and we completed 20.7 miles round the Point of Sleat, crossing Loch Eishort and Loch Slapin. A few guided groups were out paddling for the day from near the Armadale ferry terminal (South Skye Sea Kayaking). There was a bit more “ocean motion” round the headland as the sea had a slight surge up the rocks. We enjoyed super views of the Cuillin Range with the black and red colouring clear to see. More porpoise, shoals of fish splashing, and sea eagles were spotted as we paddled along. Plus, those big jellyfish – a bit off-putting for a swim! There had also been a sea otter swimming about that day. We had lunch in a rocky cove just around the Point of Sleat. The water was clear and green with loads of different seaweeds below us. Eigg and Rum appeared on the horizon. While crossing Lochs Slapin and Eishort we realised there were loads of tiny, tiny (size of my little fingernail) crabs floating about in the water and swarms of smaller pinkie purple and blue jellyfish. Turns out jellyfish are surprisingly dense when your paddle stoke swipes one. Plenty of whale food here as we had our first Minke Whale sighting – good spot Chris! Prince Charlie’s Cave There are many Prince Charlies Caves in the Highlands, caves where  Charles Edward Stuart was said to have sheltered when on the run from the  Duke of Cumberland, after the defeat at the  Battle of Culloden.[1] There is one such cave supposedly located at […]

Club Expedition to Skye 2020 “Team Alaska go on a Skye #staycation!”     LCC Home News items or reports on club activities should be sent to Archived Newsletters  Major Trip Reports.… Covid-19 might have led to a change of plan as this year’s Alaska trip was cancelled but we couldn’t have asked for a better alternative. Keith, Ian, Victor, Chris and Jenny headed off for 12 days paddling and wild camping around the Skye coastline and surrounding islands. A total of 192 miles covered allowing us to see: whales, otters, dear, dolphin, eagles (+ other birds I can’t name), seals, over friendly midges, porpoise, jellyfish, crabs, sea urchins, extinct volcanoes, mountains covered in purple heather, spectacular rock formations and colourful rocks galore! The trip got Keith’s “seal of approval” and Jenny had a “whale of a time”! Jenny Brown Chris Thompson Ian Bell Victor Leather Day 1 – 8th August (Saturday) – Balmacara to Camas Barabhaig Off we went at 11:15am from Balmacara, after a few of us finished the long drive north. It was a lovely sunny day as we set off. The tide was with us through the narrows and overfalls so we whizzed along covering 17 miles before finding a campsite later that evening. The water was clear and there were plenty of porpoise and massive red jellyfish with tentacles like cobwebs. There were loads of seals along the rocky shore and a variety of sea birds as we paddled along. We enjoyed lunch in the sun and some of us checked our boats for leaks as it was the first time we had packed a sea kayak for an overnight paddle. However, it turned out to be Ian’s front hatch that had been slightly caught on a deck line so had a slightly soggy inside. The […]

Alpine Paddling Holiday 2020     LCC Home News items or reports on club activities should be sent to Archived Newsletters  Major Trip Reports.… Day 14 Gyronde It was the last day and only 3 paddlers were up for the early morning challenge of a quick trip down the Gyronde onto the Durance and down to the slalom site. We were to be a team of 4, but the “Ford Custom” next door still had a sleepy spell. We drove out of the campsite at 8:30am leaving the others to start to pack away the camp. We put on under the campsite bridge (the lower one!) and paddled off being pushed quickly along by the fast-flowing water. They were still working on the dam and HEP Scheme above so all the Gyr`s water flowed directly into the Gyronde making it a great level for paddling. It was even higher than earlier in the week. It was an exhilarating paddle into the gorge with the water flowing over all of the normally exposed boulders. Richard was paddling well until he misjudged a corner trying to avoid a car sized boulder and got swept into overhanging branches. He tried valiantly to roll but after one attempt the fast-flowing stream and many boulders meant for a fast exit. He managed to rescue himself and the boat when about 75 metres downstream before Keith and Stuart managed to lodge it on some boulders near the bank. Richard soon collected his paddle and reunited with his kayak we headed on down the gorge to the weir. This is now well signed, and the potentially boat pinning boulders have all been swept well to river right by high floods. Without stopping we followed the flow over the middle of the weir and on down below. Keith did talk […]

Alpine Paddling Holiday 2020     LCC Home News items or reports on club activities should be sent to Archived Newsletters  Major Trip Reports.… Day 13 St Clements to Embrun At 10:30 the cars finally left for the river with all the paddlers, families, parents and white-water gurus. We finally got started paddling around 12 Midday. This was at a good level and more and more of the team were starting to get more adventurous on the play waves. We set off down the main river towards the Rabioux Wave with many practising their rolls. We were paddling as one large group of 17 on this large river. There is plenty of room and you can paddle 3 or 4 abreast on most of the rapids. We enjoyed the giant wave trains as we had all paddle this section before. The youngsters including Sarah had to do the jumping in from the overhanging cliff again. Ollie and Ella drew on points with two “5.9`s” for their forward flips into the water. On arrival at the “Rab wave” we met Maria and proceeded to swap parents and boats. Spectators moved to the beach below the Rab wave to watch and take photos. The remaining paddlers set off down the traditional left-hand route between the island. Following the previous paddle, we had all decided to take a line either in the middle or slightly right of main tongue this time. This should make for good photographs as the wave had changed again with higher water levels. One by one we set off. After two weeks paddling and numerous rivers, we were all feeling more confident. However, with the roar of the water and anticipation of waiting your turn, the run always induces much more concentration and stress than it probably deserves. One by […]