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!

Paddling (and swimming) with the seals

1st time around Ramsey for 2010

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.

As we set off, Richard explained that as there was still quite a bit of Southerly ebbing tide left, we could go around anti-clockwise.  Passing South of Gwahan, we paddled over to the Northern tip of Ramsey.
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.