The Seals of Maughold Head

Seeking shelter from the strong southerlies, Kirstine and I headed for the north east corner of the Isle of Man.

We launched from a pretty little bay called Port Lewaigue along the southern reaches of Ramsey Bay. The rocky shoreline rises to impressive cliffs that culminate to the island's most easterly point, Maughold head.

When we arrived we found the wind a little too much, so we turned back paddling gently among the rocks and shallow lagoons.

Our slow, quiet progress during the return meant that we could get close enough to some grey seals to watch them at play at really close quarters. Although this had only been a short paddle, our encounters with the seals had left us with wonderful lasting memories.

9th Isle of Man Sea Kayak Symposium

The Isle of Man has been a favourite kayaking destination of mine since I attended a symposium back in 2006. The warm welcoming nature of the people here along with the stunning coastline keeps me coming back for more. If only the weather could be relied upon!



On Saturday, Kirstine and I joined Nico and Jukka's group for a short trip along the south coast from Port St Mary. Throughout the day Nico and Jukka along with local guide, John Keggin dispensed valuable wisdom and a host of top tips to keep everyone informed and entertained.



After a blustery grey start to the day, the skies cleared to reveal a breezy sunny day with blue skies. The overnight winds left us with enough swell for some challenging rock hopping and some fun in the surf.

The evening entertainment started with a delicious barbecue dished up by the Ballabrooie crew followed by a talk on American kayaking history by Tom Bergh and a talk on motivation in paddlesports by Nigel Dennis. Drinking, singing and dancing went on into the wee small hours...



Sunday brought in freshening winds from the south so the west facing inlet of Port Erin became the venue of choice. Hangovers were soon cleared making way for more action on the water. More skills sessions including four star training culminated with more surf action in the bay before many of the paddlers began heading home.

In the meantime Kirstine and I are staying on for the following week for some more adventures.

Goyt and Mersey Valleys

The plan for the weekend was to avoid any crazy Bank Holiday traffic. Chris and I headed east from our homes in south Manchester along the Mersey Valley on our mountain bikes.

Almost Immediately I was amazed at the abundance of Himalayan Balsam. This invasive plant was introduced to the UK in the mid 1800s but has quickly got out of control causing problems in many areas.

We soon arrived at Stockport where the Mersey Valley Canoe Trail begins. Whilst we were busy getting lost in the narrow streets,  Stockport's 'Hat Museum' stood out as one that I might like to have a good look at on another day.

Eventually we made it to New Zealand (street), which led to the first of the parks that occupy the lower Goyt Valley. Dense woodland sheltered us from an hour or so of intense rainfall. The rain made the awkward riverside paths even more tricky as we made our way through some heavily overgrown boggy woodland before finding the Midshires Way.

As the weather improved we found a clearing so we celebrated by stopping for lunch in the sunshine.

A little further up the valley we stopped at Marple Garden Centre for a well-earned cup of tea. One of the attractions at the garden centre is a miniature railway run by enthusiasts. Railways like these are  becoming more scarce possibly victim of 'health and safety culture'.

Our return journey took a different route through Stockport's Woodbank and Vernon Parks. Park life was bustling with people out enjoying the fine afternoon weather.

The wood sculpture is a monument to the animals that found people trapped in buildings after air raids in the Second World War.

Feeling weary we negotiated the busy streets of Stockport's town centre once more before heading out west along the Mersey Valley, back home for a barbecue supper.

Wild West Anglesey

Friday brought in an early start to the weekend but even by then the roads were getting busy with the beginning of the school holidays. Kirstine and I planned an early escape from the Welsh holiday traffic by paddling directly from the campsite at Rhoscolyn, to Trearddur Bay to get supplies in for the weekend.

Apart from avoiding the traffic and general chaos of supermarket shopping, we got a splendid afternoon of sea kayaking on the way to the shops.

We visited the seals that live at Rhoscolyn Beacon...

...and we explored the depths of the deep cave at Rhoscolyn Head.

On Saturday we joined a group from North West Sea Kayakers to circumnavigate Holy Island. Once again we started at Rhoscolyn wheeling our kayaks down to the beach to avoid busy roads laden with holiday traffic. The Cymyran Strait and Inland Sea were both very shallow but bristling with birdlife. We saw cattle egret, redshank and a female red breasted merganser with half a dozen fluffy chicks.

Before we could cross Holyhead Harbour entrance we had to wait for the fast ferry to pass before heading off towards North Stack.

We stopped briefly to chat to another group who were enjoying the sunshine and shelter of Parliament House Cave, before heading accross Gogarth Bay and round South Stack. Finally the ebb tide brought us back to Rhoscolyn in plenty of time for a barbecue supper.

On Sunday we hatched a plan to paddle from Church Bay, out to the Skerries and onwards to Cemlyn.

Most of the Arctic tern chicks have now fledged leaving a few latecomers with some catching up to do.

Parent birds are busy catching sand eels to feed to the rapidly growing youngsters.

Before the mass migration to the south Atlantic this tiny group of islands is still swarming with birds...

...and its waters teeming with grey seals.

Podcast with Simon Willis

A short while ago I was interviewed by Simon Willis for another one his 'Sea Kayak Podcasts'.

 You can download the podcast by clicking here, or if  you prefer to listen online click here.

Lleyn Peninsula and Bardsey Island

The weekend provided ideal conditions for sea kayaking around the Lleyn Peninsula. Several of us based ourselves at the Aberafon campsite beside the pebbly beach, just to the north of Trefor. Having stopped for fish & chips on the way, we arrived just in time to raise a glass to the setting sun.

The next morning saw us heading off early to launch from Porth Oer in dazzling sunlight. The rock hopping between Porth Oer and the end of the Lleyn peninsula is excellent. There are countless gullies and teasing rock gardens ready to claim white gelcoat deposits from the boats of cocky or careless paddlers.

The crossing of Bardsey Sound is rarely 'straightforward' and this time 'slack water' evaded us in spite of careful planning. The wild west shores of Bardsey greeted us with yet more rock hopping fun amongst the kelp hollows with a few grey seals thrown in for good measure.

Soon after landing beside the slipway we set about exploring the island. The first item on the menu was the lighthouse and the southern tip that we had just passed in our kayaks. The red and white painted lighthouse along with the fog horn building look in need of a spot of paint and some other repairs.

The main course of our Bardsey adventure feast was the summit the hill that gives the island its grand facade. Mynydd Enlli towers 167 metres dominating the lower parts of the island to its west. The eastern cliffs and crags drop steeply to the turbulent waters of Bardsey Sound. Whilst adolescent choughs swoop amongst the rocky outcrops hundreds of Manx shearwater burrows remain silent by day. After dark these sea cliffs come alive with their ghostly, underground, nocturnal chuntering.

For dessert, we descended the west side of the hill via the 12th century abbey ruins and the bird observatory before launching our kayaks once more and heading back to Porth Oer in the golden, hazy afternoon sunshine.

Back at Aberafon campsite, the warm evening begged for a barbecue on the beach. Gradually tales of the day's adventures grew taller and more obscure until we were overcome by sleep.

The next morning brought a new adventure in the form of a paddle to the pub. The paddle from Trefor to Porth Dinllaen is full of all sorts of contrast. The first headland is riddled with all sorts of nooks and crannies. A luminous blue back-lit cave has an underwater passage through to a secret storm beach built steeply with fist-sized pebbles.

A series of dark craggy stacks stand guard over more rocky beaches that lie in the shadow of Yr Eifl. These 3 peaks mark the northern root of the Lleyn Peninsula. Further south is Nant Gwrtheyryn. This was once a cursed valley but is now re-born as the home of the Welsh national language and heritage centre. It is here that we stumbled upon a group of sea kayakers enjoying their morning Tai-Chi among the abandoned quarry workings above the beach.

The headland of Penrhyn Glas has tall cliffs with ledges tightly packed with kittiwakes, razorbills, guillemots and cormorants. This is a noisy, hectic and messy place where guano rains down from the shanty towns above.

From here, 6 kilometres and three sandy bays separated several thirsty paddlers from the welcoming hostelry, 'Ty Coch' at Porth Dinllaen. The pace quickened in the final kilometre. The perfect beach picnic was an assortment of sausages, cheese, grapes and freshly dispensed draught beer.

The return to Trefor was much slower that expected. In the clear glassy waters we noticed other slow things too...

The Book Has Arrived

This is the moment at which I first managed to get my mucky paws on this long awaited book. This project has been the focus of my spare time for the last four years.

Photo: Will Herman

This has meant that I have spent most weekends and holidays paddling, researching, photographing and writing about some fantastic coastal scenery. Some of the coastlines, like those of Northumberland and Yorkshire, are already well known for their classic sea kayaking scenery. However, it is hoped that this guidebook will open up some of the less well known shores like the Durham Heritage Coast, Cumbrian estuaries and the Isle of Man.

You can order the book by clicking here

There will also be a small number of launch events open to all.

Adventures on your Doorstep

I've been taking it easy this weekend staying at home and avoiding the traditional bank holiday traffic jams. I was still in need of some sort of an outdoor fix so Chris and I dusted our bikes off in the hope of finding some adventures close to home.

The Trans-Pennine Trail runs close to where we live so we started by heading west towards Carrington Moss. The area is ideally suited to cycling and walking because of the network of paths that criss-cross the varied habitats. There is woodland, heath, open grassland and marshy areas with ponds.

Close to Altrincham we found the towpath of the Bridgwater Canal, which soon led us to grand estate of Dunham Massey. The grounds cover nearly 200 acres most of which pasture-woodland with ancient oak trees and fallow deer.

After weaving our way through the exclusive suburbs of Hale and Bowdon we crossed the River Bollin, gatecrashed a mini 'Crufts' dog training event then hurried away through dense woodland near the M56 motorway.

After winding our way along Cheshire's narrow country lanes we arrived at the sleepy village of Rostherene. The churchyard that overlooks Rostherne Mere made for a perfect place to catch our breath and take in the view across the lake. All of the excitement had developed quite a thirst so we then headed for Tatton Park for a welcome coffee stop.

All too soon we were seeing the last of the rolling Cheshire countryside as we trundled over Bucklow Hill and made good our escape back to our urban comfort-zone that is south Manchester.

Keswick Mountain Festival - A blustery affair

Last year's event was held in glorious sunshine but this time the Cumbrian weather had something different to say. On Thursday and Friday tents, marquees and other temporary structures were being assembled in readiness for a weekend of sporting activities, side shows and the pedaling of associated clobber.

Saturday went smoothly enough and the crowds braved the strengthening breeze as as a few blustery showers paved the way for more persistent rain that continued late into the night.

By Sunday morning the main festival site was a scene of devastation. At first, the main marquee was a little ragged but looked  as if it might survive.

By 10am it had come crashing down and was being hurriedly cleared away. Let's hope for better weather for the event next year.

Stormy Rhoscolyn

It seems that last month's weather was more typical of June and now that we are in the merry month of may, April has jumped in with wellies on. Sunshine and blustery showers dominated the weekend as Dave and I spent a weekend on Anglesey at the pretty village of Rhoscolyn.

On the way to north Wales we visited our friend Ray who has recently retired. He has been making good use of his spare time setting up a workshop and making 'Greenland style' paddles. Ray is an excellent craftsman and his paddles are of unquestionable quality.

We arrived at the campsite just in time to get the tents up before the next squally shower came in.

The strong northwesterly winds left us few options for paddling, so we launched at Four Mile Bridge soon after high tide and followed the ebbing waters towards Rhosneigr.

We then followed the beautiful craggy shores, rock-hopping all the way back to Rhoscolyn.

Finally, on Sunday we found that the persistent winds had brought surf to Sandy Beach.

Anglesey 'Symposium'

The word 'symposium' strikes fear and loathing into the hearts of many sea kayakers. However, I don't really mind it all that much. This is because the word has its origins in the times when Greek scholars would get together under the guise of exchanging wisdom, whilst actually just having a right old knees up!

The relentless easterly breeze tried its best to spoil things and some plans had to be altered but blue seas and brilliant sunshine won through.

Photo: Olly Sanders

I spent plenty of time rock-hopping and exploring caves whilst trying out the new Aries from P&H Custom Kayaks.

Off the water, the symposium base at the Anglesey Outdoor Centre was a hive of activity with retailers and manufacturers peddling their wares. Evening talks and slide shows, and the newly refurbished Paddlers Return Bar completed the festival atmosphere as beer-fueled tall tales ran late into the night.

Knoydart Revisited

Back in 2004 Kirstine and I visited the remote Knoydart peninsula for the first time. Like last time we drove to the Silversands campsite just north of Arisaig. After relaxing for a couple of nights we paddled along the white sandy beaches and rocky shores to Mallaig and into the depths of Loch Nevis.

Loch Nevis is hemmed in by mountains, moorland and steep wooded shores. There are no roads to Knoydart and its village of Inverie so the only way to get there is by sea, or on foot from Loch Arkaig 20 miles away.

Hill walking is very popular here. There are several 'Monroes' and a handful or 'Corbetts'.  Ladhar Bheinn is the highest peak at 1010m. Last time we climbed Meall Buidhe (942m) and this time we climed a couple of lower peaks that overlook Inverie Bay and the Long Beach campsite. We set off walking along the Inverie River to Loch an Dubh-Lochan. From there we walked steeply amongst the crags to the summit of Stob an Uillt-fhearthna (661m).

The lower south-facing slopes are littered with primroses. Once on the summit we were surrounded by handsome peaks strung together by bold, craggy ridges. From there we went south-west along the ridge to Sgurr Coire Choinnichean (796m). The mountains and ridges were all behind us with Inverie Bay below and views in font of us across the sea to the islands of Skye, Eigg and Rum.

Aching from the walking, we opted for a gentle paddle up Loch Nevis the next day. We made for the narrows at Kylesknoydart looking for seals. It seemed strange to see them so far away from the open ocean. We left them to their fishing and made for the shelter of Tarbet Bay for lunch in the sun. We were greeted by Frank who lives in the old church there and runs it as a bothy. He invited us in for tea and jokes! His invitation was impossible to resist and it was even harder to leave. We must return another time and spend the night.

It was difficult to find motivation to pack up the next day and leave. Since our first visit only a few things have changed but Knoydart and Inverie have retained their remote charm and warm welcome. We said a final farewell to Inverie by visiting the cafe for pop and ice creams in the midday sun before setting off along the northern shores of Loch Nevis.

The waters here are so deep and blue with spreading forests of seaweed.

The 'Madonna' blesses the waters of Loch Nevis and all those who enter and leave this way.