Sunday 11th April 2010
After meeting up with Richard down on Porthsele beach, we decided to go around Ramsey island. I've only been around once before it and the weather and sea conditions were perfect, just like today.
The flow of the tide here carried us along at 5 mph with no paddling at all!
Looking down the West side of Ramsey it looks a lot bigger than from the mainland
The high point of Ramsey is 136m but does look awesome from the sea.
After making our way about halfway down, Tim from Venture Jet appeared, he was taking out a group to North Bishop looking for Puffin.
Richard had a chat with Tim, and I managed to grab a quick cupfull of coffee from my flask.
Looking out to the horizon, you can make out South Bishop, and Carreg Rhoson in the distance. Richard paddled around the West side of these remote Islands only yesterday.
I love this shot, the cliffs look so dramatic, and show just how small we are sat in the water. Here they are around 50m high.
The wear and tear on these exposed rocks must be treamendous, I would love to see the winter conditions these Western cliffs are exposed too, maybe from the island though.
We ventured into almost every cave and inlet on the way around today, the conditions were perfect, and I enjoyed some quality rock-hopping, passing through many inlets and gaps.
Passing between this rock-island named Carreg-gwylan, you can just make out South Bishop again in the far distance.
Now, this is the only picture I have of this gap. As I approached the Southern end of Trwynmynachdy, we could see loads of seals Malting on the beach in the distance, and as Richard said, its best not to disturb them at this important time.
So when I saw this gap between the cliff-end I had to pass through. Richard didn't follow me, instead he went around the far side to get pictures.
I watched a couple of waves roll through, and decided it looked do-able.
What happened next, will stay with me for sometime.
As I paddled into the gap, the waves seemed to withdraw in both directions, and I ended up looking into a trough, filled with gnarly looking rocks, it pulled me in, and as I accelerated in, a wave tumbled in ahead tipping me over onto my right hand side. Managing to keep my self above the water with a support stroke, I had time to think, 'I'm alright here, I can get up and paddle back out of here'.
I was wrong! Another wave crashed in in front of me and spun me over, up side down, I could feel the kayak hull banging on rock. I had a couple of 'un-composed' attempts at rolling.
Failed, its a long time since I failed a roll, and disapointingly, I had to abandon ship, and take a swim with the seals. The water was absolutely freezing, no, BALTIC. I had the dry gear on but it seemed very cold.
Richard came back around the outside of the rock to see what the delay was, only to find me swimming away from the gap, and gathering bits of kit from around me.
We performed an X rescue, and paddled around the corner to pump out my kayak.
Back to tranquility, after bailing out, the boat still felt full and heavy. It was only later I realised that my neck had been open on my cag, allowing water to fill my dry trousers up to just below the knee!
Not sure of the name of these caves, but how impressive!
Passing through the gap at Foel Fawr, and out into Ramsey Sound, I felt silly after taking a swim earlier, and I felt a little aprehensive knowing that I had to go up through the sound and through the bitches.
We just had a gentle ferry glide through against the now Flooding tide that was spilling gently through the gap.
There were probably fifty or more seals hauled up on the beach just after Penryhn Twll.
A couple of boat trips were getting fairly close with their passengers most likely in awe of these creatures.
No doubt the passengers would have loved this meeting. All the way up to the Bitches this female seal followed us, and nosed the sterns of our kayaks. As Richard paddled on up to the surf that was starting to build I sat taking picture after picture of her playing around
The only evidence of the bitches is a line of white water, the seal followed me right the way through this turbulent water and then disapeared again.
This video capture shows the flow starting to build.
Richard surfed the wave for a while, and I noticed he took off his hat, was that because I'd just lost mine back at the gap incedent?
After I pressed the stop button on the camera, it said 'memory card full', so there are no more pictures from me.
We passed through the bitches, and carried on with the flood tide passing the confused water around Horse Rock that was starting to show.
After heading toward Point St John we made our way around to Porthsele beach. There were a few people there, and it was here we discovered just how much water was in my dry trousers! It was a slog up the cliff path!
I bid Richard farewell as he was leaving for home now, I had the rest of the week, but would I feel comfortable after todays swim?
Lovely paddle, in great conditions, pity I spoiled it! My Thanks go out to Richard for the rescue! I owe you one.
