Club Expedition to Skye 2020 “Team Alaska go on a Skye #staycation!” Day 10 (Monday) 17th August –Brochel Bay (Rassay) to Manish Point (Via Rona) Another long day on the water – 20.4 miles. We were up and packed by 7:40am to find a toad hiding under the kayaks. Today we were off to Rona with plenty of seals and sea birds on the way. Ian spotted a dear and a whale. We had elevenses at an MOD site on the northern tip of the island under the lighthouse. There was a nice breeze and a slight swell behind us as we started to paddle south. There was storm winds on the forecast later in the week so we were coming up with a Plan A (paddle to the Crowlin Islands, camp at Uags and head to the cars Thursday morning) and Plan B (head along the Skye coast sheltering from the SW winds and straight to the cars early afternoon Wed) to make sure we were in a good position to respond as the forecast updated. We paddled past the small islands of Eilean Tigh and Eilean Fladday stopping in caves and navigating through cracks in the cliffs off Raasay. The views of Skye where fabulous along the Skye cliffs and out to Lewis on the horizon. The breeze started to die so it was time to find a camp before the midges came out. We found a cobbled beach at Manish Point with a stream, pitched and made drinks before quickly taking cover from the midges in our tents. In Jenny’s case head net and full paddling kit seemed the most effective protection – even if a little hot! A short rain shower was very welcome, but not quite enough to fully clear the midges. As the evening sun returned we […]

Club Expedition to Skye 2020 “Team Alaska go on a Skye #staycation!” Day 9 (Friday) 16th August – Kyle of Lochalsh to Brochel Bay (Rassay) We woke up to find a fog bank bridging the sound. Annoyingly, as Chris and Jenny opened their tent another tent pole snapped under the tension. It was a mirror image of theother tent pole breakage so they remained with only 1 porch for the rest of the trip, but plenty of spare poles if anything else broke. Off we went to have “nineses” on Pabay the fog coming in around us from both directions. We saw porpoise as we set off to Longay noting the compass bearing of 320 degrees. We carried on past the Skerries rocks (Sgeir Dhearg and Sgeir Thraid) and went north up the east coast of Raasay. There were loads of sea birds, 2 circling us looking for food. We had elevenses in the fog before finding a waterfall with a freezing cold down draft for a freshen-up. Jenny got to test her hood finally! There were no sign of any submarines training, but Ian was adamant there could have been. We soon popped out the other side of the fog bank to find sea eagles and rock climbers on the landslides and cliff falls. After 16.6 miles we stopped on a gravel beach of purple brown pebbles (Brochel Bay) to camp with great views towards Appleby and the NW with many seals watching us. After dinner, a pod of bottle nosed dolphins were observed in the distance some jumping fully out of the water as if being chased or playing. Jenny had a swim while Keith got Ian to refold his maps once again. After dinner, a singing seal could be heard from around the corner. It was a very […]

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 […]

Alpine Paddling Holiday 2020     LCC Home News items or reports on club activities should be sent to Archived Newsletters  Major Trip Reports.… Day 12a Upper Ubaye An early start for today (8:30am) as we had a bit of a drive via Col de Vars (ski resort) into the top of the Ubaye valley. Last time I drove this route it was very early in the morning and freezing cold at the top. Today could not be different, 100% deep blue sky, bright sunshine, and no wind. We stopped at the top to take photos and explore. The kids wanted to go to the top of a small hill. As we drove off, we nearly left Oscar who unknown to us had purchased a coffee and sat with the locals in the Col top bar as we drove off! At the get in we met a group of German paddlers who were paddling the same section. We chatted a little. They had paddled this section earlier in the year with 10 times the amount of water – it was huge they exclaimed, and it surely would have been with massive wave trains. They paddled off as we got ourselves ready. As the three groups started their journey the water picked up and we could paddle down the river for a pleasant Grade 3- trip. There was more water than last year, probably from more snowfall over the winter months which had kept river levels high all week. Halfway along we met up under the old bridge and some played in the small play wave there. The second half of the journey provided more fun but was relatively straight forward. The water quality is high, and this section is well deserved of its 3 stars. We all waited in the sun […]

Alpine Paddling Holiday 2020     LCC Home News items or reports on club activities should be sent to Archived Newsletters  Major Trip Reports.… Day 11a Glacier Blanc An early start was made to try and avoid the heat of the morning sun. We rolled out of the campsite at 7:00am heading up the Vallouise Valley for the heart of the Ecrin Mountains. We went for an amazing hike up Glacier Blanc on Wednesday morning. After a wriggly drive up mountain roads we arrived at the car park where Clara spotted a ‘mole-badger’ which Keith told her was a marmot, thereafter, known as a Marmite! The kids investigated the snow which was near where we parked. The start of the path wound up through the trees and over a fast-moving river. The scenery was beautiful. We quickly split into two groups, with the Murphy’s, Oscar and Alicia moving faster and aiming for the refuge. Alexander was amazing and walked with the youngest, Clara who chattered, continuously without a breath the whole way up! Gabrielle and Clara played a bizarre duck game, and everyone was included in their duck family. We enjoyed incredible views and spotted many little flowers and succulents tucked into little gaps in the rocks. After our hard work we arrived at the bridge for a well-earned packed lunch with the glacier in view and some geography lessons from Keith! The older kids led off back down the path and were soon well out of view. Clara bounded down the path with Keith to help her. It was hot-hot with the sun on us. Gabrielle found some mountain streams and waterfalls to dunk caps and water bottles into. We finally caught up with the teenagers on a large erratic rock at the bottom, with some rather suspiciously wet trainers… […]

We now allow more than one group on a session at one time. How will it work in practice: A key holder Ruth has asked for an open boat paddle to be added to the calendar and is organising her group of up to 6 paddlers (via googlegroup).  A non-keyholder but qualified paddler Janet emails Ruth to ask if she minds her running a second group for a general docks paddle in kayaks.  Ruth replies no problem and Janet organises her group for up to 6 paddlers.   Both groups arrive at 10am.  Ruth opens up the compound and her group get on the water while Janet’s group remain by the cars.  Individual paddlers sanitise any loaned equipment – especially their hands and paddle shafts.  The padlocks are left “on the hook” but Ruth waits near the compound to see that Janet gets her group on the water and locks the compound.   Both groups remain separate and discrete using which ever area of the docks they want but all paddlers remain social distanced at all times (eg 2m apart).   Janet’s group return before the allotted return time of 12:30 and remain on the water. When Ruth returns, she opens up the compound and her group quickly put the equipment away.  They then move to their cars and leave.   Janet’s group exit the water and return their equipment.  Janet, overseen by Ruth locks the compound and all remaining paddlers leave the site.   Each group had a leader but Ruth had overall responsibility for the security of the compound.   Ruth found it so easy to do she asked for the paddle to be named a “Docks session” next week so that other non-keyholder sheltered water leaders could email her to ask to bring their own group to the session.  😊 All paddlers MUST […]