The day started with a mirror like bay at Poolewe, however as normally happens the winds slowly picked up distorting the reflections. Carol and David remembered their old paddling skills quickly and where soon gliding across the water.
We made our way around the side of of Inverewe Garden before stopping for a well earned coffee. The paddle back was made easier by the breeze pushing us back towards the beach.
A couple of hours where spent paddling around Poolewe Bay on a pleasant morning. A couple of other kayakers where on the water and a seal spent his time watching us all paddle around.
With sadness it is time to let the panda have a rest. He just wasn’t pulling the weight effectively enough, or fitting in as much kit as I needed him to. It’s been great working with you, but it’s time for you to retire.
Welcome to the new beast. Shouldn’t have any trouble pulling the trailer around now, or carrying the kit. Might not be able to do the normal U turn at the bottom of the Tollaidh road though!
The morning was perfect weather for paddling – sunny, dry, wind less and midge free. A great start for Go Further Scotland‘s Tame the Wild weekend.
We all started the day off with a bit of canoeing on the flat waters of Loch Ewe. Each pair picked up the hang of paddling the canoes quickly, getting to where they wanted to go easily. Despite initial trepidation Alison had a smile on her face from the start, realising that it is actually quite fun.
Since it was high tide we paddled off to see the River Ewe – at high tide the rapids under the bridge are completely flat, even the current of the river was unnoticeable. Have a look over the bridge at low tide and it’s quite a scary sight.
After a relaxing coffee break we jumped back on the water to practice more ways of moving the canoes, and then a good game of Loch Ewe Piranhas (seems to crop up in every session!).
Everything was going well, lots of laughs and fun until one pair where a bit eager and capsized. Luckily I had my camera to hand…. Sorry Jonathan and James, I couldn’t help putting the picture up. Whilst I was sorting out their canoe Jonathan threw a wet piranha straight at me – suddenly any sympathy I had for them was gone!
It was then an ideal time for a change of activity. Whilst the wet folk went to get dry, Paul, Colin and Arleen set out to see what solo canoeing is like. The ‘J’ stroke, Goon Stroke and probably a number of variations where put to use in order to maneuver the canoes. As the wind picked up slightly paddling became trickier but they all managed well.
Then it was time for the kayaks, due to an onshore breeze this made the task of paddling around trickier. We got on the water and soon found that the little kayaks liked to spin whilst the long sea kayaks didn’t. After a wee bit of instruction the paddlers found they where able to get the little kayaks going where they wanted and the long ones to turn, eventually.
The morning on the water went well, after lunch the group set off on a gently run to Kernsary. Luckily I had a doctors note telling me not to run! Thanks to Paul Tattersall and Colin Meek for organising a great weekend of activities.
Poolewe today, and a nice high tide to start with – always makes life easier.
I arrived to meet an enthusiastic family ready for the water. We started the morning out in canoes, with the plan of staying dry as long as possible. Both teams coped well, manoeuvring their boats just about where they wanted to go. With a little coaching they where ready to chase the piranhas across Loch Ewe.
We chose to have a hot chocolate on the shores of Inverewe Garden (luckily the family are NTS members so we weren’t chased for money). Then it was a paddle back to the trailer to get some kayaks out. Maureen decided to stay on the bank and take pictures whilst Jon and the two lads, Patrick and William, jumped into the little kayaks. Patrick being the expert paddler showed us his skills. William having never been in a kayak solo before soon picked it up and had no trouble zipping around.
Nobody fell in, so it was time to do some rafted games – all three showed their expert balancing skills by standing and jumping in their boats. Since they where still all dry it was time to make them rub noses with their kayaks…still they remained dry (well apart from their noses!). One last attempt to get the lads soaked – I set them the task of getting out of their boats and moving all the way around the rafted kayaks and back in to their own. This must end in wetness…… nope, they where just too good. We ended the session with another round of hot drinks all still dry.
William gained his Paddle Start Award, and Patrick improved his skills ready for the next paddling course he’ll be on later in the summer. Well done lads.
Local lads Innis and Ciaran came along for a bit of paddle training.
A bit of time was spent in canoes, practising their strokes and leaning new techniques. After a fancy Wispa hot chocolate and rest it was time to spend a bit of time in kayaks, unfortunately neither fell in so I just had to spend my time hurling wet piranhas at them.
Sadly time was ticking away and this wasn’t getting their revision done, so it was time to end the afternoon and send them back to their study.
I should really do more of these blog post things, so here is one.
Today the sun was shinning and it looked like a great day to get out for a paddle. Upon arriving at Tollaidh Bay they decided to have an adult canoe and a youth canoe – which is best for teamwork, youth and enthusiasm or a bit of age and wisdom?
In the end both boats managed well, despite the fresh wind coming down the loch. After an ‘all right‘ (delicious) and warming hot chocolate the youth team decided to split and have a go in kayaks, whilst the adult team used their wisdom deciding that the stability of the canoe would keep them dryer.
The kayakers where doing well until George leant a little too far and had an unexpected bath. I towed him ashore whilst he kept a shivering smile on his face. After a bit more paddling around it was time to end a fun session on the water, well done everyone.
It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything, so I thought I’d put up a few pictures.
I only had a few things to do today, one of them being nipping to the shop. Would have been daft to drive on such a nice day.
Aultbea Stores across the millpond like water.
The mountains south towards Torridon, snow covered and inviting.
An Teallach to the east, not the most rugged looking from this angle but we know it is really.
A spot of wild life watching on route – just a spot though.
Gentle paddling back home to Mellon Charles, a lovely little paddle out for milk and bread. I’ll have to find an excuse to nip to the shop tomorrow!
Wester Ross can be fantastic at this time of the year, not just the summer time.
My german skills can’t be described as any good, however, Jeder paddelten wirklich gut.
Things took slightly longer for translations to be done, but we still crammed plenty into the session. Everyone paddled well, even young Carla who conned me into giving her a tow so she could rest her arms.
Tim, Alison, Tom & Harry had one of the stillest days on the water so far, not a ripple anywhere. Well, apart from the otter’s ripples and of course the the pesky seal that kept following us and surprising Harry!
The still water made paddling easy, making it a calm and relaxed morning.
Tom even managed to gain his Paddle Power Start Award – well done! Harry will have to wait till he’s a little bigger.
A wet day saw the Lindsey family arrive in Poolewe to get out on the water. Initially they all jumped into kayaks to see how they did. The sky opened and we all got drenched, luckily they had hired wetsuits from Sands Campsite where they were staying.
After the kayaks Kevin and Hannah teamed up, as did Alison and Joe to crew their canoes. The weather had luckily improved by now and a pleasant paddle was had along the to Poolewe bridge, calm and gentle at high tide.
Locals Ian, Linda and Honer had some family up on holiday – Andrew, Chris, Sam and James. We all took to the water in canoes to lean some skills and have some fun.
All the boats meant that in the pyranha game you never knew where the next sodden pyranha was going to be flying from. Unless you where Linda who knew it was coming from Honer, sat just behind her!
The MacTaggart’s came along to my local beach for a fun time in canoes and kayaks. Ross is a keen kayaker so he jumped straight into one whilst Iona and Jenny crewed one canoe and Seumas and Anne set off in the other.
After some fun and games paddling around Anne’s confidence grew and she really wanted to try out a kayak. After a quick brew break, Anne and Seumas slipped themselves into kayaks. They both did just as well in sole control of a boat as they had tandem.
Since it was such nice weather we decided to see how our balance was, Iona ended up getting very wet. Just as I had the camera out – sorry!
Amos and Kadya where sent across to me from Paul (Go Further Scotland). They wanted to spend an afternoon climbing in the sunshine, testing their skills against the local Gneiss.
After a number of climbs and abseils the midges got the better of both of them and it was time to head home. A good afternoon spent leaning basic climbing skills, starting their climbing careers.
Hazel, Trevor and daughters Carolyn and Laura where staying in Beinn Eighe Cottage just across the field from me, so I thought we might as well use the little beach a couple hundred meters down the road.
We all set of from the beach in kayaks, seeing how the boats do, turns out that they spin quite well! After a fun session paddling around we rafted up to see if we could get wet. No point wearing wetsuits otherwise!
All four family members, Stephen, Kathryn, Ken and Fiona, started off on the water brilliantly, managing to keep their boat going just about straight from the start.
After a while of practising strokes by playing a few games we headed into the wind for a paddle around to Camas Glas.
On the way back Ken got board of paddling and decided to do some swimming, a few times! We then played a few more games ending up with some more swimming before heading back for hot drinks.
This afternoon a quick last minute canoe session was squeezed in at Poolewe.
The teams where Karen & Keven in one boat and Donald & Scott in the other. Both pairs became good enough to eddy hop along the River Ewe up to Poolewe bridge.
On the way back a game of ‘Lock Ewe Pyranhas’ turned into a splashing fight, both teams got drenched but spirits stayed high and everyone was still smiling when we arrived back at the cars.
This morning was another midge morning. Not pleasent on on the bank so we made a quick get away onto the still water of Loch Maree. Seoras decided to opt for going into the water instead of onto it even before I had got into my boat.
Everything went well for a while until Seoras went in for a second time. And then a third, and forth… I think by the end of the session he’d swam 8 times! A record for the year so far! If only there was an Olympic medal for capsizing.
The rest of the group, Eileen, George, Charlie and Roma, demonstrated that you don’t have to fall in all the time. Although Charlie did take a dip whilst racing away to protect his ‘tail’ in a game.
Despite all the rescues it was a good morning.