A bit further than planned

Friday 4th June 2010

Porth Dafarch to South Stack (well almost)!

I had planned to be in South West Wales from Thursday onwards. But with one of the kids being ill all night wednesday, and me not getting much sleep, I just couldn't face the 5-6 hour drive to Pembrokeshire.

I hatched a plan to go over to Angelsey on Friday and stay until Sunday afternoon.

After a very hot drive, I pitched the tent at Angelsey Outdoors and went down the road to Porth Dafarch.

Launching at 1650 hrs and just after high tide, the weather was glorious, the sea calm with a slight swell.

Looking back at the beach there were still a fair few people enjoying the weather.

Looking East towards Trearddur Bay I could see other kayakers, and further in the distance Rhoscolyn Beacon out on the further most rock.

I decided to go West, and to my delite, the sea was almost flat. The caves and coastline are similar, if not the same as down South West Wales. The sea is not quite as blue though to me!

Just West of Porth Dafarch I took this picture of the nest headland, and pondered...what lies around there, and can I get back?

I've been here before, but not gone this direction, all sorts of things started to run through my mind, overfalls off the heads? Strong races stopping me from getting back? and off course, will those speedboat drivers see me before they hit me?, or will they just hear a knock on there hull?

I love to explore these chanels between the rocks, and not disapointing me....

I find some sort of random debris! Washed up? or thrown down?

And for the geologists amongst you... something more natural.

Passing back out of this gap it feels so good to be out on the water, I wonder what the weather down 'South' is doing for Richard

Then I saw this one, and thought 'this looks like it'll go through?'

Ermm, maybe not!

From above the following evening, definately not, not these days anyhow.

It did look like prior to the rock fall it might have once.

Then paddling around to the other side, a cracking natural arch, it looked do-able until....

A trip around the other end revealed a pointy rock that didn't leave much room for error in the surfing waves that came through now and then.

The view from above

Looking out toward Penrhyn Mawr, all I could think of was how big the overfalls looked on Olly Sanders' blog on his recent post

If you get out a magnifier, you might be able to see the slightly turbulent water as we are now 1 hour into the ebb tide - appart from needing to paddle a bit, nothing to worry about then! I'd get an easy ride back.

It was about now that I became aware of a quite distinct marine diesel engine thumping away somewhere close-by. As the setting sun was bright & low and un-hindered by the cloudless sky I could see no ships, and then just on the horizon, a tiny yatch motoring South.

With South Stack now in my sights, I figured I'd be silly to miss the opertunity of getting up and maybe even around on such a perfect evening. I set off across the mouth of Abrahams Bosom.

As I zoomed in for a closer shot of South Stacl lighthouse I spotted where the large marine diesel sound was coming from! Can you spot it?

To be fair, the horizon was hazy and my view restricted by the sun and having left my sun specs in the car!

With the goal in sight I spotted the white tower high up on the cliff tops, got to be the highest I would paddle under at just over 60m.

I spotted what looked like some overfalls ahead so I put away the camera and buckled up, whilst I investigated further.

Now I don't know if I was imagining it or not but I felt as though I was being pulled Northwards quite quickly here, and not wanting to get 'stuck' the wrong side of a race I decided I ought to give my goal for today a miss. Looking back I think that it was just holding me, but with no proper knowledge of the area and no-one to discuss it with, I set off back East.

Having put the stern to the sun, the photos were looking more colourful.

Now at Penrhyn Mawr the South flow was making a little more pace between the rock islands, I wondered just how big this does get in reality on a big flood tide.

Back at the beach at Porth Dafrach, it was now 2010hrs, and hunger had set in. being sea kayak central there seemed to be a handfull of people wanting to chat, and most were offering to help with carrying and loading up the car, a real bunch of freindly guys and girls - thanks for the assistance!

An unplanned paddle of 7 miles or 6 nautical miles.

Arrived by sea for a birthday tea!

Wednesday14th April 2010

Crazy offshore wind!

As it was Cerys' birthday today, we spent the morning together, and then I arranged to meet the family at Solva harbour for a birthday tea in the pub.

Connor got Cerys a new doll's pram for her birthday.

She had some Lego, which Connor built into the tallest tower!

Then mum went running.

 

With the wind blowing constantly onto the beach at Porthsele, I left at low tide.

After passing Point St johns, I made my way towards the lifeboat station at St Justinians, the wind was not so bad here as it seemed to be coming North Easterly.

In one of the inlets this massive rockfall has happened since I last paddled past in the summer last year.

Just at the side of the Lifeboat station, this little inlet was flat calm, a great place for a coffee.

Paddling on down past the boat moorings, and down to the bottom of the sound, the wind was really pushing me along, I knew now there was no going back. This was really hammered home when sitting in the last back eddy at Pen Dal-aderyn, I watched the ebbing tide flowing past at an alarming rate.

It made me a little aprehensive, I didn't fancy another swim after Sunday's fun & and games.

I passed through with the flow easily, and then around the corner it just seemed like a different world. The far cave is usually just next to the water line, but as its spring tides there is not much water today.

Looking out  towards Ramsey I can see and hear the sound of pleasure trips taking out more fun seekers.

At Porthtaflod, I look back at the Souther end of Ramsey Island Ynys Eilun is the last rock in the picture centre, and deceptively the water looks like you could just paddle straight across!

As I make my way into Porthlysgi, the wind hits me hard, it is coming straight off the land and blowing me out toward sea. I have to paddle in toward the beach and then back out to get around Carreg Esgob, and then try to pass through Carreg Fran to avoid the wind.

Looking back at Carreg Esgob, Thousand Islands??

It looks as though I won't get through Carreg Fran, but I persisted, it payed off!

I managed to find this little passage with enough water to float through. I had to reverse though!

Paddling past the entrance to Porth Clais, the wind was again driving me away from land.

This little beach is just East of the harbour entrance and was all mine for a coffee and a stretch.

St Non's bay, Don't think I've seen these rocks so exposed before.

This Arch looked like it went through, it didn't at this tide state.

I paddled in backwards and found that maybe in 1 hour I'd get through if I ducked!

Round the other end

Looking back where I'd come from it looks a lot further then I felt I'd paddled, then wind still kept on at me though.

At high tide I imagine this spikey rock looks to be nothing, here it looks amazing!

The rock 'stack' can be seen from afar, I want to go back and  find this at high tide and get some pictures to compare.

When I rounded the corner and spotted this, it made say out loud Wow!

I just had to go through.

Inside was massive and well lit, I took a video through, and this is a capture.

At the exit, the wind was howling down the inlet from my left. It was so powerfull I only just managed to turn around without being blown into the rocks.

Passing towards Porth Rhaw, I passed the wrecked tugs, and this time I found the engine of the one I'd missed last time.

It is a little un-nerving passing amongst these wrecks at low tide. I was worried I might pass over some jagged peice stuck up from the bottom.

From here I was going to go out around Green Scar before paddling up into Solva harbour, but with the pesky wind still hindering my day I figured I'd save that one for later.

A welcome sight, a pint of cider was waiting for me up there somewhere.

But first I had to get there, the wind was blowing me back out of the harbour.

I waited for ten mins. and whilst I sat I could see the water rising over the river bed around me.

I paddled up the last bit of the river, and made it to within 10m or so of the slipway.

With the kayak on the car roof, it was time for a well earned meal and a pint.

The birthday girl and Mum waiting for their food.

Cerys amazed at the longest candles in the world! Connor helped her blow them out.

Well that was a cracking trip, hampered at times by the wind, but I'm glad I did it. When I was leaving Porthsele beach I had considered not going. Its unusual for me to think like this, but I think I was still suffering the effects of having fallen in on Sunday.

A bit of a bike ride

7.5 miles around Llys-y-Fran Reservoir

Tuesday 13th April 2010

With the wind having picked up considerably since Sunday kayaking was off, so we decided to go biking as a family.
We'd been around Llys-y-fran a couple of times before, once about 10 years ago, and once walking 4 years back.

We had to hire a bike for Adele as we could only transport 2 on the car rack, Cerys loves to ride in the seat on the back.

Going around the reservoir is not easy, it starts nice and flat, but as you reach 2 miles, it changes dramaticly, the far side away from the visitor centre is very hilly, Cerys had to stop for a rest and some raisins. Connor, was doing great on his bike, we havn't done anything like this since last summer, and this is his first proper ride on his 20" bike.

When I said, shall we look for soewhere to have lunch, the kids just insisted we stopped where we were! So we ate our sandwiches in the middle of the track!

Connor really didn't think he could get through here, I persuaded him to have a try, and....4 or 5 goes later we finally got to move on.

Almost at the end, and you have to loose all the height that you've made, and drop right on down to the bottom of the dam wall.

No idea how, but Cerys managed to fall asleep as we bounced around the rough tracks towards the end.

It was a great day out for all, completely sheltered from the wind over on the far side. The sun was beating down on us all day.

Later myself and Connor went down to the deserted beach, the sun was again beaming on us, but the wind was freezing!

Then out of the corner of my eye I saw him!

This football apeared to have spent some time in the water, I named it 'Wilson' (from the film casaway).

I had numerous attempts at sending him off on his adventures, but he just kept coming back!