A few Panoramics before I go

I’m off to Nepal this week for a few weeks kayaking over Christmas.  I managed to get back to Wales one more time before I go and took a few panoramics of the view from Cadair Idris.  You don’t always have to travel all the round the world to find amazing sights, sometimes they are on your doorstep.

View down the Dysynni Valley

The Cadair Idris Mountain Hut

Fresher’s Trip 2009

The classic Aberglaslyn gorge

Last weekend was the Imperial College Canoe Club fresher’s trip.  I went along as an old boy and luckily the rain came down and we had an excellent weekend, freshers and old boys alike.

The Colwyn

The Glaslyn, Colwyn and Conwy were on the list for the weekend.  A great first weekend of the season.

 

A frehser enjoying the first taste of Welsh White Water

Photos thanks to Tim Burne (Poke Productions) and Rachel Fox

A Quick West Coast Blast

I have just got back from a quick 4 day paddling trip on the West Coast of Scotland.  Unlike most times I’ve been there usualy at New Year, we had lots of water, quite good weather, lots of light and it was quite warm.  September is definately the best time to go.

Tom Haywood on the Blackwater

We got 7 river done in all including some ones that I’ve never done including the Blackwater, Morriston, Coe and Gloy.  We also did some of the classics such as high water runs on the Roy, a Chunky Etive and an awsome run on the Orchy. Here are a few of the best picture I managed to take:

Myself on the Blackwater

The last drop on the Blackwater

Glencoe

The Coe Gorge

Tom on the Etive

Myself on the alternative line on the Orchy

Norway 2009

Myself of the Upper Rauma (Photo Tom Laws)

We have just got back from Norway.  I was pretty pleased the trip even happened with my shoulder giving up the ghost 3 months ago and then one of the principle drivers, Adam’s shoulder doing the same trick just a few days before we were set to go.  Luckily we made it out there and had a blast.  Here are just a few snippets of Europe’s premier kayaking destination (if you don’t count Belgium).

Tom ‘knuckles’  Laws on the Upper Driva

Tom ‘Fat Handed Twitter’ Laws and David Fairweather on the Ulvaa slides

Will ‘Hefner’ Eldred on the Bovra

Carl ‘Pilkington’ Mitchell on Skjak Wave, Otta

David ‘5 times’ Fairweather on Skjak wave

A bad day on the Mawddach

I havn’t posted for a while, and my first post in a long absence is unusally about a bad day on the Mawddach.  Considering it is one of my all time favourite rivers, it was a shame that a few weeks ago I dislocated my shoulder in the final gorge.  Luckily I had two very capable paddling buddies in the shape of Lowri Davies and Stu Jones who managed to get my screaming self out of the gorge and too hospital.

The arm  has healed pretty quick and I am still planning on getting back to Norway in August.

Have fun and play safe.

A Snatched Weekend

 

 

  Lower Prysor (Photo: Adam Holland)

I have just managed to sneak a weekend in Kayak.  The first since I joined the Navy.  It was an excellent weekend, back in North Wales.  Not much water so we basically gorge walked with a kayak down the Afon Prysor.  More pics can be seen on Adam’s Blog.

Folks get down in the Sunshine

South Wales, summer, lots of water, lots of good weather and lots of good boating.  Perfect recipe.

Spiti Valley

We have just spent the last week up in the little explored Spiti valley in Himachal Pradesh. We spent three days on the Spiti itself and explored another three tributaries which were the Gyrundi, the Lingti and the Pin. We are fairly sure that the Gyrundi and the Lingti had not seen a kayak before we arrived.

Myself on one the larger rapids on the Spiti

Lots of the rivers involved walk ins, especially the Gyrundi which we spent an afternoon and a morning walking in. Some workmen were trying to build a road up the valley and were blasting the cliff above us with dynamite which kept you on your toes.

Tom Laws on a probable first decent of the Gyrundi

The river Spiti itself proved to be a fantastic run however we didn’t managed to paddle the last 20km gorge which leads to the Sutlej due the Indian Army not approving of the plan. The last gorge of the Spiti has yet to be paddled by anyone to our knowledge and would be an excellent place to try and explore for any future groups

The group on one of the more “jazzy” rapids on the Spiti

Myself on a probable first decent of the Lingti

Thanks to Tom Laws for the photos of me!

Carnage and Zen on the Beas

We have just come off a day run on the Beas that proved to a varied and interesting day.  The river proved to be the definition of “Jazzy:”  One group got on and had a dropped boat and a swim.  This involved chase boating grade V blind as everyone seems to have lost the ability to catch any eddies.

Meanwhile myself and Tom Haywood got on a little further down and had an excellent run of IV+/V with just the two of us.  We must have been in some sort of higher level Zen paddling state as we seemed to cruise down it with out much problem when we should have been bricking it.

This is the second time now I have paddled the Beas and I’m pretty sure it will be my last.  There are definately better rivers in India.

More fun in Uttaranchal

We have just got back from the river Tons which again turned out to be a bit of a gem apart from us getting kicked off the river by the Army.  For a full account and lots of gratuitous photos check out Tom’s blog.