Thursday, June 10, 2010

An icy start at Loch Feochan.


Back at the beginning of March, we took the long road north for another adventure. We left one car at Taynuilt on the southern shore of Loch Etive.


We then drove 32 km SW to the southern shore of Loch Feochan. The top 3km of the loch was frozen so we had to launch on the sea sea side of the inner narrows. Our plan was to paddle out into the Firth of Lorn then NE by Oban before entering Loch Etive and back to the shuttle car. You do need to get the tides right for this one, as at certain states of the tide, the ebb flows out of Loch Etive over a rock lip known as the Falls of Lora.


From the layby we could see clearer weather to the north and the snow on the distictive peak of Ben Cruachan (1126m) was glinting in the sun. It rises above Taynuilt on the southern shore of Loch Etive.


Back at Lock Feochan, even the seaweed was hiding under a crust of ice.


Phill, Jim B and Jim W joined me in preparing the kayaks.


True gentlemen, they carried my kayak and launched me first as I hobbled down the shore on crutches, trying to avoid ice patches. It's great to have good friends! It is so sad, but this was to be the start of our last adventure with Jim B.

4 comments:

  1. Hi Douglas its great to see your posting again. I am looking forwared to your Feochan adventure and it is sad to hear this was your last trip with Jim. I noticed you have not been posting recently. Has your recovery had a set back?

    Cheers Stewart

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  2. Hello Lucy, Tony and Stewart. Thanks for your good wishes. The good news is that after nearly three months of enforced immobility I know have the splint off and am staring to mobilise. The bad news is that trying to bend my knee is incredibly painful and I am taking huge doses of DF118 painkiller. This makes me very drowsy and I do not feel much like blogging!

    Stewart, I can promise you some fantastic photos on the Feochan/Etive trip so keep stopping by!

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  3. Looking forward to the rest of your Feochan trip. Those DF118 are STRONG.
    Hope you can reduce them soon and get back where you belong!

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  4. Thank you Meg, I hope you are enjoying the rest of the trip.

    :o)

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