'Locomotion Of The Ocean' - Ardnamurchan, The Farthest Shore :)

[UKRiverSurfers]

This amazing blog of our epic adventure was written by my friend, Gordon aka Crow.

Thanks for a great write up Gordon, you've captured the mood of the trip perfectly



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The Farthest Shore - Ardnamurchan

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Locomotion on the Ocean

Artist's impression

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A few years ago, I met Wavecloud for the first time at Strontian on the shores of Loch Sunart. That was where we started our Sound Of Mull epic, documented here: http://www.songofthepaddle.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?30632-Close-to-the-Edge-Lismore-Mull-amp-Loch-Sunart

Years passed and we met up again several times, but we never got round to doing a follow up big adventure, though we talked about it lots.

Then, earlier this year, the following advert appeared in a certain prominent international website  :

"As some folk may know, I am planning on paddling the whole Scottish West Coast next year, 2015! I now have the ideal SUP to do this trip and this year I am planning some practice trips and one I have always wanted to do is paddle all the way around the Ardnamurchan Peninsula from Acharacle in Loch Shiel to Salen in Loch Sunart. This is a serious trip and one that will need perfect conditions, so we will have a plan B, C & D

I have a one week window from 17-24 May. It is about 40 miles of coastal paddling through some seriously remote areas. I expect it to take about 2-3 nights maybe less or maybe more, depending on conditions. It is a circumnavigation with a 1 mile portage on road which will probably be walked with gear left at the finish.

Who wants to join me on this amazing adventure around the most westerly part of the UK mainland??

Wavecloud"

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I thought - nah, it'll never happen, it's too rough and wild round there and too far ahead to plan anything like that anyway. And then dismissed it from my thoughts. Four months later, I found myself driving up through the pouring rain aiming for the Corran ferry, to meet up with Dave (Waveloud) and Richard (Hornbeam) to actually do this thing. And this is how it went....

When I reached the Corran ferry it was like this:




Then I got a text from Dave saying he was still stuck in a 3 hour jam on the M6 at Lancaster. So I turned the car around and drove up to Fort William to spend the night in a dry, warm hostel, rather than camping in the rain next to Dave and Richard's respective luxury motorhomes, feeling miserable, bitter, soggy and envious. It also meant I got a mediocre haggis supper, though I must admit, Fort William on a wet Sunday night is not cheeriest of places to be. Next morning though it dawned bright with atttactive patches of mist clinging to the hillsides. And I managed to put together a decent breakfast from the contents of the Free Food shelf in the hostel kitchen. So I set off quite invigorated to catch up with the other two.

On the way, I spotted Rockhopper's shiny new van by the roadside. This must be the one he got from the school when they "retired" him. Nice one, Trev! (If you're reading this).




DAY 1

I arrived at the chosen launch spot at Acharacle on Loch Shiel to find the guys getting ready. (Actually I didn't know this was the chosen launch spot, but it's not that big a place, so I found them without too much hardship).

Greeted by Dave!




"Displaced persons" encampment.




After the usual pottering about, we got our gear loaded on our craft and set off into Loch Shiel. Dave on his new green and urban camo Richmond ocean going paddleboard, Richard in his white Valley sea kayak with sea monster logo, and me in my Red Shark (Mad River Synergy - red of course, with contrasting black spraydecks).








Going mobile.




Before long we left Loch Shiel and entered the River Shiel, down which we were going to paddle to the sea. We could of course have started out further west, on the sea itself, but Dave thought it would be more interesting to start the trip down the river. And it was!

 River Shiel bridge number one (framed by blue neoprene glove!).




Dave coasts through. Easy stuff this!




Bridge number two. There was a small rapid just after this, but nothing to speak of really.






Richard cruising along happily.




Another rapid had been mentioned in passing, but I wasn't expecting much. After all this was meant to be a sea trip, not a white water one. I happened to be in front, so I coasted down along the mirror flat water. Some passers by on the banked waved to me. I waved back.

They said, "Oh good, we were hoping to see someone go over the rapids."

"Rapids!" I said, "What rapids??"

Sure enough, a few yards downstream the water was churning in big white waves, as the river dropped into the sea loch below. If we'd set off an hour earlier, as planned, the tide would have been higher and there would be so much of a drop into the sea. As Richard rightly (and repeatedly) pointed out afterwards. But we didn't, and so this was how it was.

Picture lifted from an old blog ( http://www.songofthepaddle.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?17987-Loch-Shiel-circular-route ), as I was a bit too busy to take any myself here:



I hit the middle line and bounced over the waves, taking on a bit of water, but staying afloat. Quite an exhilarating ride. First time I've ever done any white water in the Red Shark. On rivers that is. She handled quite well.

Next down was Richard. Watching from below, I saw him get over the worst of the waves, only to be swung into the wall on the right hand side at the bottom.. His boat lifted up against the rock, balanced there for a second or two, then slowly tipped over and out he went.



I gave him and his boat a tow into the shore (which was surprisingly hard to do), turning just in time to see Dave swimming at the bottom of the rapid as well. So, a couple of dented boats and we hadn't even reached the sea yet. Actually, we had reached the sea, at the foot of the falls, but only just. Good start!

(Well, I enjoyed it. )

Dave should have some good pictures of all this, if his camera isn't too corrupted. If not, I'll have to get the crayons out.

Pumping out the kayak.








After inspecting the damage, we proceeded on into Loch Moidart.

Castle Tioram.




The Cuillins of Rum in the distance.




First there were four seals on the rock.




Then there was one.



Then none.

Past the seal rocks, we left sheltered Loch Moidart and entered the open sea. We cut across a large bay, paddling across open water from Farquhar's Point to Rubha Aird Druimnich.






The crossing went quite well and quickly and we looked for somewhere to stop for lunch.




Lunch stop.






Dave's board needs to be afloat before it's loaded. Carrying it back to the water, several black pudding wraps later...






Heading back out, with Eigg and Rum ahead.




Dave and Richard were two specks on the ocean.




On the next stretch, along to Ockle Point and beyond to Kilmory, it got quite rough - with choppy confused seas. (Not to mention choppy, confused paddlers!) But all 3 boats managed pretty well. I think Dave may have had a few swims off the board, but I didn't see them as as I was concentrating on my own wave dodging. He just climbs back on and carries on regardless, it's all water off a dolphin's back to him.

To begin with, my Red Shark felt very heavy and slow to manoeuvre with all the gear I had on board. But I think I just wasn't used to it, as I hadn't taken it on a multi day trip for quite a while. It got easier after I had eaten and drunk some of the contents, and actually it did pretty well over all. We all kept up with each other anyway.












By the time we got beyond Kilmory, we were all pretty tired, so were happy to call it a day there and pull in at a broad beach we spotted.




The tide was out, so we had to haul our boats a fair way across the sand to reach a camping spot up on the grass behind the beach.








Where we got the tents up and settled in for the night.










It was a lovely spot, with soft turf to camp on, running water nearby, and grand views to the west, looking out over the Atlantic.




Richard retrieved a ring from the leg of this deceased bird. (We didn't eat it as we still had ample supplies of our own at this point.)




There was no driftwood to be found, so no fire that night. Instead we sat drinking whisky, beer, Guinness, vodka, coke, coffee and other consumables, listening to late 60's psychedelic surf music from Dave's phone ("Morning of the World" soundtrack - magic stuff!), and watching the sun go down.
















 

[UKRiverSurfers]

DAY 2

Next morning we got packed up and were off pretty early (for us) - about 10 ish. The sea had calmed down a lot since yesterday, which boded well. Today was the big day, when we would go round Ardnamurchan Point, a notoriously stormy spot and we wanted conditions to be as benign as possible.

Ardnamurchan is from Gaelic Àird nam Murchan, meaning - Headland of the Great Seas.

"Ardnamurchan is widely considered by many who visit it to be one of the most stunning parts of the Scottish coast. It is beautiful, utterly wild and unspoilt. The most stunning of all, perhaps, is Ardnamurchan Point, adjacent to the most westerly point on the British mainland. Here there is a lighthouse, and a view from a sheer rock face of the open Atlantic Ocean."

There is also a huge volcanic crater on Ardnamurchan, clearly visible fom the air, though not so obvious from the ground. We, of course, didn't see it at all from the water!

A few weeks before the trip, I looked up the chapter on Ardnamurchan in "The Scottish Sea Kayak Trail" in a bookshop. I was a bit disconcerted to read that the authors, who I imagine are seasoned, hardened sea kayakers, didn't even attempt to paddle round the Point, they just portaged across the whole peninsula as it was too rough that day! If they couldn't do it, what chance did we have? Still, the weather looked good so it was definitely worth a try...

Setting off.




Richard's reversible hat brought into play.




Dave striding off.




Looking over the Red Shark's nose.






The next stretch was along a long line of cliffs, with fascinating rock formations, caves and hidden gullies.








The other guys were a bit further out (two dots shown here) but I preferred to cruise close up to the cliffs and watch the scenery unfold as I went by.










At last we rounded Sanna Point and got our first view of the lighthouse at Ardnamurchan Point, in the distance.






Before the big push round the Point, we stopped for a short break at a little beach in Sanna Bay.




Self portrait.






Then it was off to the Point. Conditions were perfect! Dave had timed the whole trip with incredible and uncanny accuracy. Some would say luck, but that would not be giving due credit to the mysterious powers and auras that swirl around the enigmatic and sagacious Wavecloud.  (hnds)KKKK Trust me, I'm a Crow. I know these things. 

Emerald sea.








Lighthouse and foghorn. Built by the famous Stevenson family (of which Robert Louis was a member) in 1841, and made of pink granite in the "Egyptian style".




Looking back after rounding the point, with Richard and Dave coming up.




"So renowned is the challenge of getting past the Point of Ardnamurchan that tradition amongst seafaring folk allows those who pass safely to display a sprig of lucky white heather on their craft".

Anyone know where we can lay our hands on 3 pieces of white heather?





We carried on round the western shore of the peninsula, until eventually we found a tiny cove to land in for a coffee and a rest.






Dave having a breather. For him it was good to be able to sit down a rest, whereas for Richard and I it was good to be able to stand up and stretch our legs and aching bones!




Passing boat.




And off again. No rest for the wicked...




Strange stripey rock formations. Thought at first they might be coal, but no. Anybody know what they are?




X marks the spot. A reminder to vote in the forthcoming Euro elections? A reversed Scottish flag? A film rating? We will never know...






Paddleboard against a moody skyline.




 Yet another headland! Rounding Rubhan a' Chall, with Mull in the distance.






Dave walking on water.
[Which reminds me of the old LBJ quote: "If one morning I walked on top of the water across the Potomac River, the headline that afternoon would read: 'President Can't Swim.' "]




Distant yacht.




The lads in a calm bit...






Afternoon sunshine.




After Sron Bheag we came into Kilchoan Bay, on the south side of the peninsula. At this point we hit a strong easterly wind, about force four, blowing right in our faces. We made slow headway for the next few miles across the bay.

Dave adopting seated position and double paddle to counter the headwind.




After a long hard haul against the wind, we reached this beach, just short of Maclean's Nose, and decided to camp there.








The beach was a series of stony terraces. We had to go quite far up almost to the trees to find level and soft ground off the boulders to pitch our tents on.








The site did have several advantages - including fine views of Mull, running water and a shower!  (Which only Richard was brave enough to take advantage of. Me and Dave were content to remain dirty but dry.)~








Another plus was an abundance of driftwood. So we were able to get a good fire going, in a dried up wadi (where the river seeped down underneath the boulders to the sea).






That evening the cruise ship 'Hebridean Princess' paid us a visit. The passengers must have thought we were some exotic wildlife, to be viewed from the safety of the observation deck. Perhaps we were!




It dropped anchor, very loudly, and stayed there for the night.






Fortunately the bingo and karaoke on board weren't too noisy, so we didn't have to paddle out and asked them to keep it down.


DAY 3

Next morning I woke up well rested, snug and warm. Until I moved my feet and found them in a pool of water! Well I had heard a lot of rain during the night but I didn't pay it too much attention as I was so tired. The tent does get a bit of condensation, being single skinned, but this was too much - must be a leak. So I put on my drysuit and clambered out into the grey rain.

Where the fire had been was now a river.




The shower facilities had expanded somewhat too.




View from a convenient cave.




So after much disgruntled fumbling about and packing up wet gear, we set off once more.










After Ardsliginish we entered Loch Sunart proper and the waters became much more sheltered and calm.

Having a break at the narrows in Loch Sunart.




Soft focus shot through the rain, of the boys being overtaken by a yacht.




Weed.




At last we reached Salen, and our journey's end.




Relief!




Salen highlights.




Here we left our boats, gear and Dave on the slipway, and walked two miles up the road back to Acharacle to fetch our cars. Well, we didn't actually walk all of it because a kind lady from Tiree stopped and insisted on giving us a lift.

Final team photo:




A great trip and big thanks to Dave for suggesting and organising it! Not one I'd ever have done by myself and I'm very pleased and surprised we got away with it. Also thanks to Richard for great company. Cheers, guys!

It was hard work, mind, my arms are still aching.

Where next?

OK, Dave and Rich - your turn to post some pics.

Thank you for reading.

Gordon

[hbsteve]

Fantastic!  Thanks for sharing.

[feet]

What an awesome trip and a great report, thanks! 

[Admin]

Epic.  Nothing trumps the stoke of adventure.

[supthecreek]

Nice Dave!!!
You are the Zone voyager for sure.... great trips and fantastic photo essays.
You take us all to a remote part of the world, that most of us will never see in person.

Great job putting the trip together at the right moment.

Thanks!

[stoneaxe]

That was awesome...thanks.

[SUPcheat]

I almost didn't click on this, but I am glad I did.  You guys are inspirational to say the least, and a wonderful photo journal.

I still can't figure out how you got the sup in the air for those aerial shots of the volcano, though, must have been the beer and whiskey, or a really powerful wave.

[Ichabod Spoonbill]

Great travelogue! I especially like the Ursula LeGuin reference.


Ichabod Spoonbill, The Peekskill Paddler.

www.peekskillpaddler.blogspot.com

[robon]

Sweet expedition!

What was the total distance paddled? It would be nice going with a full crew on expeditions like that. I was wondering how you like having all your gear up front, and how did it handle? I went on a trip last year and put my heaviest bag in the back and moved forward a few inches to compensate. All boards have different volume distributions, so it works out better to put the heavy gear up front sometimes.

[Tom]

Great trip and I really enjoyed the photos and description. I'm curious, we're you able to keep pace with the kayaks?

[SeaMe]

Long, but absolutely worth reading!!! Many, many thanks for sharing. 

Btw, is this the budding beginnings of a Hot Guys on Paddleboards thread? 

[pdxmike]

Wow. Thanks!  Great journey, great photos, great report.