Monday 31st January - Walney Wildlife

And I'm not, necessarily, referring to the seals!

It's great seeing folk enjoy playing in the outdoors, more so when it's a mate and even more so when your mate's eyes are "out on stalks" for all the right reasons.

A quick trip out of Roa Island, past Piel Island and across to Walney; falling tide, nothing much of a breeze, cold and calm. Not that bad a day for Paul's first visit - and the seals were waiting to say hello...

Are they creeping up on us?

Nah - they're only little'uns anyway...!

Sunday 30th January - Hypothermia Assessment?

Turning up to observe a UKCC L2 assessment on an overcast, breezy morning, and having noticed fresh ice forming on Windermere suggested that it was going to be a brave bunch of volunter "clients" and two very cold candidates doing their thing at Waterhead.

Soon everybody was organised; a mixture of SOTs, sea kayaks, river kayaks and canoes, paddlers from 3* to total novice, two groups and off you go. One of the candidates was clearly phased by the variety of craft and range of capabilities; he was going to struggle!

Two 45 minute coaching sessions later, during which a friendly yachting family produced tea and cakes for Steve and me, we set off on a short journey to the mouth of the Brathay. I blagged a spare canoe so could tag along and watch Sue trying really hard to paddle our 16' barge solo and join in the various games as best she could. Good on her for sticking with it and picking up on several questionable "top tips".

By the time it came to the rescue drills everyone was thoroughly chilled and Steve made a good call in pushing the candidates straight into the more testing rescues and roll demonstrations. Much more and there would have been real casualties to have pulled from the water! Funny how this guy didn't seem to feel the cold though...

Greylag goose making the water look almost warm

Friday 28th January - Well, it was free!

It's not often we take a trip to the South Lakes Wildlife Park, but they weren't charging for access during January and they do support various conservation groups, so why not...

Thursday 27th January - Trim'n swim on Windermere

Steve had admin. to catch up with, sadly meaning that he needed someone to take his BTEC group canoeing for the day. Hard to say no when the sun's shining and the only other pressing alternative is to spend the day writing COSHH assessments.

There was a stiff NE breeze across the lake and a couple of paddlers were initially struggling to hold a course...

It's a trim thing!

Saturday 22nd January - Now you see it, now you don't

High water at near enough 13:00 to make no odds meant that Duncan had plenty of time to get over for an 11:30 meet at Roa Island. The plan was to paddle out past Walney and give Duncan a chance to do some rescue practice in the overfalls that start to rip just after high water.

"Men plan, God mocks" is the saying though and as I drove through Barrow in 20 metres visibility, I had the feeling that the fog might just present us with something to think about...

Barrow RNLI Station at the end of the causeway!

As it turned out we used it as an excuse to get in some very useful navigation practice. Tidal flows at Springs between Roa and Walney can get up to 4 knots and we were well out of sight of anything (navigationally) useful for plenty of time, but still hit Sheep Island right on the nose!

By this time the fog was thining and the sun starting to break through; time forb lunch on the NE point of Walney before heading back. The ebb was starting to give it large as we left Walney, and even more so at Piel Spit which, when it combined with the bow wave from one of the windfarm crewboats, gave us a good metre high standing wave to surf fron Piel to the Spit buoy! Great fun, but just too much fun to warrant getting the camera out!

Duncan cranks across a Walney eddyline

A grand end to a grand day

Friday 21st January - half a Leven is better than none!

Paul H organised a cheeky afternoon splosh and so it was that he, Rob, Chris and I jumped on above the Brickchute at 14:00 on a bitterly cold, but bright winters afternoon. After realising that they only wanted to paddle down to the woodyard, we determined that we would play lots - like really play lots - to make the most of things.

Well, we all love the Brickchute wave, but at today's level it was a case of drop-in, side surf, wash off. I really should have left it at that, but OH NO - I'll chuck myself into the big hole to the left. The one with the boat-length tow back and no outflow to sneak into (or is that out of ?)...

After several (as in panting like stink) minutes of sculling, attempted spins, far-too-shallow blunts, a good few "green cyclone" moments, but mostly getting a solid kicking, I quietly asked the rest of the guys - who seemed to be quite relaxed and enjoying the show - if (a) anyone had a line and (b) if so, would they kindly pass me an end of it and try pulling like ****?

They did (have lines), they didn't (fancy passing me an end, etc.) so it was down to me to take it like a man and - eventually - bounce my sorry ass out of the hole. There is a moral here somewhere; it definitely includes keeping your paddle tucked tight when being roller-blinded (see evidence below).

Otherwise a good couple of hours which I cannot show any photographs of as my laptop has given up the ghost, along with the photos that I'd downloaded onto it. OK - there's another moral in there as well....

Entitled "Ouch!" for reasons best known to myself...

Wednesday 19th January - I guess it had to happen at some time!

Had planned to have a lazy-ish day finishing installing the pump on the sea kayak and kneeling mats in the canoe, but a text pinged in just after 9. Liz was looking for somebody to run the Leven and given the amount of rain down over the weekend it would have been churlish to refuse!

A quick run to the shops (under instructions to produce tea for three), TP for a big tin of full-fat EvoStick and a walk with the boys left me just enough time to chuck my kit in the car, boat on the roof and make Newby Bridge for 11.

Surprisingly the flood relief gates were open so we (Liz, Sally & yours truly) jumped on the magic roundabout and off we went. And all went swimingly well, right up to my line under Backbarrow Bridge...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njpC_XHQ_Mk

Way too far right and not pointing anywhere near left - no wonder I ended up in the boily mess under the bridge. No excuse for missing 2 rolls either, other than desperately trying to grab my new camera which was wedged into my BA pocket - succesfully as the video and photos prove!

Liz attacking her line below the big weir

Sally styling it all the way

A lovely run in the sunshine with plenty of water; can we have lots more please?

Back home the canoe received its new kneeling mats and the dogs got another quick blast over Birkrigg before I sorted my kit and got tea for three on the stove... the sea kayak pump can wait until another day!

Walney 1 windfarm from Birkrigg

Tuesday 18th January - you never know what'll turn up...

A day PAT testing a holiday rental cottage in a little village (very little!) in the south Lakes. Not a bad way to spend a day, driving out through early mist with glimpses up towards Coniston and the like; the dogs in the back looking forward to a walk somewhere different...

BUT - the highlight of the day was the beck by the roadside, nothing more than a couple of metres wide for the most part but with sudden height loss of around 15 metres in a continuous series of twisting rocky steps.

We need another paddler happy to throw a line and pull me out, plenty of rain and the mill-owner to (preferably) be somewhere else at the time. Or none of the above and a gullible probe.

Volunteers know how to contact me...

Sunday 16th January - Duddon hangover cure

How I managed to sort and pack my kit, let alone put it all on remains a mystery still. However, a thorough system clear-out before leaving home, followed by a power yawn all over the river bank, saw five of us setting off from the phone-box put in to pootle down a good medium level Duddon.

With a couple of swims, a boat-to-boat throwline tow out of a stopper and a boat chase and recovery, it was an interesting run and much enjoyed by all. Even the sun came out to play for 20 minutes as we changed to head home.

"9:30 at Greenodd" will be a regular diary fixture for a while I think, although leaving the hangover behind (thanks Ken, hope that you had a good birthday!) and remembering to take the camera would be an improvement for next time....

Saturday 15th January - Trouble walking, never mind sailing!

The planned christening of the canoe sailing rig on Coniston has been shelved yet again. 30-40 mph SW winds meant that we could barely walk the dogs on Birkrigg this afternoon, let alone manage the canoe!

Never mind, the rivers are full and it's still raining with kayaking on the cards tomorrow (subject to the after effects of Ken's birthday party tonight!)

Saturday 8th January - Sunshine and water!?!

What a very welcome surprise - despite the low temperatures and snow yesterday, overnight rain brought the Kent up to a decent paddlable level. My first trip with Ian & Ray, local open boaters and a delight paddling under blue skies with enough water to make the trip fun...

Below Burneside

Abbott Hall surf wave

Sunday January 2nd - Ice with that ma'am?

First outing of the New Year and, surprisingly the sun shone! Open boating on flat water isn't the warmest of activities but at least we were paddling; the boys and the crews of the many racing yachts searching for a breeze on Windermere were not, so I suspect they we rather chillier than us!

From Millerground across to the Lilies of the Valley was straightforward enough, but rounding the islands was a no-go. The entire passage was closed by 1 1/2" thick ice so it was a quick about face, past the cormorant's loo (dead trees where a flock regularly roost on Lady Holme) and off to Blackwell for a brew and a bun.

Dougal and Bruce weren't sure about making a break for the beach...

It really doesn't feel like 15 months ago that I last posted to this blog, way back in October 2009.

It has been such a busy time, packing in what sometimes feels like an endless series of training and assessment courses, building on past experiences and soaking up ideas, approaches and philosophies from a number of inspirational people along the way. My Dallam course finished with a fantastic sea kayaking trip along the west coast of Scotland and all the efforts paid off when my certificate landed on the doormat. Almost immediately I was offered a contract to work the summer at Dallam Outdoors which again led to my meeting some top people and learning heaps more about delivering adventure and development to the kids we worked with.

Sue and I enjoyed a fortnight paddling around the Elaphite Islands of Croatia in late summer and continue to paddle and wander around the Lakes and other places. The dogs continue to entertain us while the children do what all the best of them do; give us cause for concern, regularly attack the bank balance and live their lives completely oblivious to any stress that they inflict!

Anyways, here we go, into 2011 with every intention of returning to post more regularly and keep this insight into my world going. I hope that you have as much fun as I hope to!