Night time paddling

Well the clocks go back this weekend, bringing darker evening once again. No doubt we will have a few more night time epic returns as winter paddles run out of daylight. At least I had a nice full moon to illuminate my return on this solo paddle on the Solway.

P&H Quest LV

I have just written up a long term test of the P&H Quest LV for UK Paddles magazine. It will be published in the December issue which hits the shops at the beginning of November. The Quest LV is a superb all round sea kayak. It is just as fast as the Quest but is much more manouverable and responsive to edging. The finish on the test boat was faultless. Unlike my favourite day trip boat, the Valley Nordkapp LV, there is plenty of room for campers who are not minimalists! It covers a wide range of user weights and all but the biggest and heaviest of paddlers should consider the Quest LV before the Quest. My one reservation is the padded plastic seat which is mounted very high in the boat. A no cost GRP option is mounted much lower and gives much more stability when paddling unloaded.

More Lewisean gneiss

This rock arch is on the west coast of Lewis. On our July trip we were lucky to get a calm day to explore the many rock features of this amazing coastline.

Summer past.

This compass jelly fish had made it as far north as Lewis by the 3rd week of July 2006. They are more commonly seen much further south in the English Channel, is this another sign of global warming? I think so as I am seldom able to paddle up to my knees in the far north west, never mind go snorkelling with a camera.

Lone stack, Lewis

This stack can be found on the amazing west coast of Lewis.

Frustrating day off!

Yesterday we got a long view to the Gulf of Corryvreckan (of whirlpool fame) from the top of Fire Tower mountain bike trail near Lochgilphead. I had arranged to go sea kayaking today with my daughter and Jim Wallis. A forecast of clear skies light wind and slack water in the Gulf at 11:10am today had me planning a trip out through the Gulf and back round Scarba and Lunga.
Unfortunately another mountain bike run beckoned. On the way home we stopped at Arrochar and climbed high into the hills below Ben Ime before several breakneck descents (almost literally) to Glen Loin and back to Arrochar.



Battered and bruised, I had to cancel our sea kayaking trip. So I will just need to savour our first trip through the Corryvreckan in May 2006.



I have only been out mountain biking 5 times this year. I have lost count of the number of spills. I have hurt my shoulder twice and have decided to invest in some body armour. Perhaps I should stick to sea kayaking instead!

What a lovely day to clean my bike.

Autumn nights.

With the autumn nights drawing in, I thought it might be nice to look back at a midsummer sunset taken on the west coast of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. The marvellous ringed boulders in the foreground are Lewisian gneiss. These are some of the oldest rocks on the planet.

Hebridean summer surf, sand and sunset.

The Hebridean surf was up on our first morning, we chose to paddle in the lee of the islands.

Alan surfs in at Cliff.

Alan at Camas na Clibhe, Lewis.