Front View, some very slight scratches
Thursday, 18 February 2010
Tuesday, 9 February 2010
Kayaking Cags for Sale
Get ready for the summer
Immersion Research
http://www.immersionresearch.com
Men’s Competition Short Sleeve Cag – Large (very good condition)
I am a 17inch neck and 44 inch chest – but you can get new seals fitted from
£40 ONO
Keep very warm in the winter
Whirly Bird Mens Cag – Large ( needs new neck seal )
I am a 17inch neck and 44 inch chest – but you can get new seals fitted from
£40 ONO
email:- grahamdclay(at)hotmail(dot)com
Jackson 2008 Allstar for sale
Jackson All-star 2008 model for sale in Orange
£550 ONO
Had since new, great boat, usual scratches from the Thames Weirs and rivers in
Complete with Happy Feet and Happy Cheeks as well as hip pads.
Reason for sale is I need a bigger size after all that winter food
Email:- grahamdclay(at)hotmail(dot)com
Tuesday, 14 April 2009
Riot Astro 54 for sale
An immaculate Riot AStro 54 for sale.
Have been used a handleful of times, hardly any scratches - no major ones.
Has a power seat in. Also have a new '54' badge on front (missing in photos) fell off the first time I paddled it but got a new one from the PeakUK shop, just havnt got round to putting it on.
Has hardly been used as ive moved upto the Lake District and my creek boat is seeming to gather up lots and lots of river miles!
£550 ono
Can be picked up or dropped off in the Lakes (uni) or around Milton Keynes and Northampton area (proper home).
Give me an e-mail on :
mad_miles@hotmail.com
or phone me on :
07841488081
Melvin
Have been used a handleful of times, hardly any scratches - no major ones.
Has a power seat in. Also have a new '54' badge on front (missing in photos) fell off the first time I paddled it but got a new one from the PeakUK shop, just havnt got round to putting it on.
Has hardly been used as ive moved upto the Lake District and my creek boat is seeming to gather up lots and lots of river miles!
£550 ono
Can be picked up or dropped off in the Lakes (uni) or around Milton Keynes and Northampton area (proper home).
Give me an e-mail on :
mad_miles@hotmail.com
or phone me on :
07841488081
Melvin
Thursday, 9 April 2009
Rain Dancing and Plunge Pools
After an interesting week of rain dancing, giving up and chasing steep low volume canyons to jump off, im sitting in my mates living room packing up stuff and getting ready to drive back home to Milton Keynes with the girlfriend for a few days.
The week started off with a few days in North Wales and staying in Betws-y-coed. The idea was to go paddling and meet up with a friend who lives in Mid Wales for a few days. However, the weather had a different idea and the rivers were dirt low, we had some drizzle and patchy rain over night but it didnt seem to do anything to the levels. So we decided to go canyoning, we brought the canyoning gear just in case and if we fancied it, but we didnt think that we would be doing it this early in the week!
After driving around for 40 mintues looking for the Afon Prysor without an OS map (the guidebook was giving grid references) we gave up and went to the river Llugwy at Capel Curig. By the time we got there it was about 6 and already starting to get dark, this didnt stop us however and we had a great time jumping off the drops and floating down in the falls.
That evening was spent in the pub with a girlfriend surrounded by 30 DofE students from a posh looking school who we laughing and joking about the next few days of their lives ... they didnt know what hardship and pain they were going to have to put their bodies through.
The following day, after a bit of rain over night, we decided to hit the Lower Wnion, we knew that it was going to be low, but I thought atleast we would get a low bump and scrape run. This time Callum was not joining us so I had to do the car shuttle with my bike. Im not the worlds best biker in the world nor do I pretend to like it, so biking just over 6km up hill from dropping the car off at the bottom was not the highlight of my day.
Once on the river, we could tell that it was very low, lower than I though but we were still able to float down the sections and only bump and scrape a few rocks. We got down have to river when Becs went over on a particularly narrow and constant section of the river. After her head got a bit of a bashing she swam and I picked her up at the bottom of the rapid. From on her confidence was shattered and after a few pins and one more swim, we decided to call it a day.
We sat by the river on a small beach eating sandwiches, choco bars and a packet a crisps as we watched a balck ferret like animal run around the other bank looking for food. After lunch, we made the great effort to carry our boats up a very steep hill about a hundred metres up to the road. The hike out took about 30 minutes because we had to set up an anchor and pulley on a tree and manage to get boats, gear and ourselves over the fence without snagging ourselves on the barbed wire. Once over the fence, all that was left to do was walk about 3km to the car, go pick up Becs and all the gear and get changed.
The rest of the day was taken up with walking up and down the Mawddach looking at all the big falls and drop dreaming of the next winter season and the big rains.
The following day we were off to Mid Wales to Callum's house and the chance to going canyoning again, this time in Pontrydygroes Gorge. After getting to Callums and a quick cup of tea and bacon sandwich we were off to the gorge. He had done this gorge many times before and knew exactly where to go. Well atleast we thought this until we got there and he didnt know where to get on the river, after a few spots we looked at we finally got on the river and we were told that this was the correct get in.
The beginning of the gorge consisted of a swallow float over some boulders and down some rapids. This was a great little start because it got us used to the water temperature and was also in sun so was nice and warm. Further down there were a few more rapids, some of which had to be walked around because they either flowed into undercuts, walls or was just clogged up with trees and branches. Further down the river we came to the big jump. The jump was about 25ft high with a deep plunge pool which we couldnt hit the bottom of even if we tried, and we did. After a few jumps we floated back down the river, came to a few more drops and rapids came the next big jump. Callum told us that it has a log sticking out of it which we have to slide down which sounded pretty cool. As we turned the corner and saw the next drop we found that along with the log already in the fall, it had been joined by loads more from the winter water levels and floods including a huge tree which was about 3ft in diametre and about 30ft long. We had to back track a bit and climb out of the gorge, this was easier said than done. The side of the gorge was wet, mossy and very slippery, we made it however, made our way past the obstruction and back down into the river, just in time for the lazy river section of the trip and the get out.
After a few pints down the local pub and a kip on the lounge floor, we were up again and once again thirsty for another canyon trip. Callum told us about a section higher up the gorge we did the day before which he did a few years ago. Again we didnt really know where we were going, what the water would be like or what we would find, its felt like a really little adventure. We got to the car parked, got changed and started to make our way down to the river. Once we got there, we found that the gorge needed a lot of water to make it work, all the slides were basically dry and all the pools were really shallow. After a good 20 mintutes inspection of the river, we decided that it was not a good idea, and it would also not be that much fun. The rest of the day was spent driving around on country lanes that only 4x4s would get, in the pub getting lunch and haivng a chilled session on the beach and in the sand dunes. A great end to a good week away, although we didnt really get much paddling done.
After a few canyon trips in the lakes and now in Wales, myself and Callum have decided to start to compile a guide for these rivers and evenutally make a canyoning guide for the UK. We are already starting to think of a trip to Scotland ...
The week started off with a few days in North Wales and staying in Betws-y-coed. The idea was to go paddling and meet up with a friend who lives in Mid Wales for a few days. However, the weather had a different idea and the rivers were dirt low, we had some drizzle and patchy rain over night but it didnt seem to do anything to the levels. So we decided to go canyoning, we brought the canyoning gear just in case and if we fancied it, but we didnt think that we would be doing it this early in the week!
After driving around for 40 mintues looking for the Afon Prysor without an OS map (the guidebook was giving grid references) we gave up and went to the river Llugwy at Capel Curig. By the time we got there it was about 6 and already starting to get dark, this didnt stop us however and we had a great time jumping off the drops and floating down in the falls.
That evening was spent in the pub with a girlfriend surrounded by 30 DofE students from a posh looking school who we laughing and joking about the next few days of their lives ... they didnt know what hardship and pain they were going to have to put their bodies through.
The following day, after a bit of rain over night, we decided to hit the Lower Wnion, we knew that it was going to be low, but I thought atleast we would get a low bump and scrape run. This time Callum was not joining us so I had to do the car shuttle with my bike. Im not the worlds best biker in the world nor do I pretend to like it, so biking just over 6km up hill from dropping the car off at the bottom was not the highlight of my day.
Once on the river, we could tell that it was very low, lower than I though but we were still able to float down the sections and only bump and scrape a few rocks. We got down have to river when Becs went over on a particularly narrow and constant section of the river. After her head got a bit of a bashing she swam and I picked her up at the bottom of the rapid. From on her confidence was shattered and after a few pins and one more swim, we decided to call it a day.
We sat by the river on a small beach eating sandwiches, choco bars and a packet a crisps as we watched a balck ferret like animal run around the other bank looking for food. After lunch, we made the great effort to carry our boats up a very steep hill about a hundred metres up to the road. The hike out took about 30 minutes because we had to set up an anchor and pulley on a tree and manage to get boats, gear and ourselves over the fence without snagging ourselves on the barbed wire. Once over the fence, all that was left to do was walk about 3km to the car, go pick up Becs and all the gear and get changed.
The rest of the day was taken up with walking up and down the Mawddach looking at all the big falls and drop dreaming of the next winter season and the big rains.
The following day we were off to Mid Wales to Callum's house and the chance to going canyoning again, this time in Pontrydygroes Gorge. After getting to Callums and a quick cup of tea and bacon sandwich we were off to the gorge. He had done this gorge many times before and knew exactly where to go. Well atleast we thought this until we got there and he didnt know where to get on the river, after a few spots we looked at we finally got on the river and we were told that this was the correct get in.
The beginning of the gorge consisted of a swallow float over some boulders and down some rapids. This was a great little start because it got us used to the water temperature and was also in sun so was nice and warm. Further down there were a few more rapids, some of which had to be walked around because they either flowed into undercuts, walls or was just clogged up with trees and branches. Further down the river we came to the big jump. The jump was about 25ft high with a deep plunge pool which we couldnt hit the bottom of even if we tried, and we did. After a few jumps we floated back down the river, came to a few more drops and rapids came the next big jump. Callum told us that it has a log sticking out of it which we have to slide down which sounded pretty cool. As we turned the corner and saw the next drop we found that along with the log already in the fall, it had been joined by loads more from the winter water levels and floods including a huge tree which was about 3ft in diametre and about 30ft long. We had to back track a bit and climb out of the gorge, this was easier said than done. The side of the gorge was wet, mossy and very slippery, we made it however, made our way past the obstruction and back down into the river, just in time for the lazy river section of the trip and the get out.
After a few pints down the local pub and a kip on the lounge floor, we were up again and once again thirsty for another canyon trip. Callum told us about a section higher up the gorge we did the day before which he did a few years ago. Again we didnt really know where we were going, what the water would be like or what we would find, its felt like a really little adventure. We got to the car parked, got changed and started to make our way down to the river. Once we got there, we found that the gorge needed a lot of water to make it work, all the slides were basically dry and all the pools were really shallow. After a good 20 mintutes inspection of the river, we decided that it was not a good idea, and it would also not be that much fun. The rest of the day was spent driving around on country lanes that only 4x4s would get, in the pub getting lunch and haivng a chilled session on the beach and in the sand dunes. A great end to a good week away, although we didnt really get much paddling done.
After a few canyon trips in the lakes and now in Wales, myself and Callum have decided to start to compile a guide for these rivers and evenutally make a canyoning guide for the UK. We are already starting to think of a trip to Scotland ...
Sunday, 5 April 2009
West Coast Winter Mountaineering
I have just spent the last week on the west coast of Scotland on a winter mountaineering course with Glenmore Lodge.
There was not much snow around after the warm snap that we have had, but what we did have was brilliant! The first we days were taken up my scrambling and doing some 'classic' ridges. On thursday we went onto the north face of Ben Nevis where there was still lots of snow and ice. This was a very long day but one of the best days of my life. It felt so much like the alps! Here are a few pictures of my week, im counting down the days now until winter again and the snow again starts to fall!
Stay tuned as the Easter holiday adventures continue and I will be in North Wales for a week canyoning and paddling :).
There was not much snow around after the warm snap that we have had, but what we did have was brilliant! The first we days were taken up my scrambling and doing some 'classic' ridges. On thursday we went onto the north face of Ben Nevis where there was still lots of snow and ice. This was a very long day but one of the best days of my life. It felt so much like the alps! Here are a few pictures of my week, im counting down the days now until winter again and the snow again starts to fall!
Stay tuned as the Easter holiday adventures continue and I will be in North Wales for a week canyoning and paddling :).
Monday, 16 March 2009
Wet Play
Since moving to the Lake District, I have done many new activities, however there is only one new activity that I have really taken too and that is canyoning.
Since a lot of the rivers have been dry over the winter period, I have resorted to instead of throwing myself off waterfalls in a boat to throwing myself off a waterfall anyway.
Me and a friend called Callum have been on a few canyon trips together now, each one strating at the bottom, scrambling up, checking the pool depths that back down and doing all the jumps and slides we could do.
Friday was the last time we had a little canyoning adventure. We planned to go canyoning in Church Beck in the South Lakes, we had been told previously that this was a great little river to go canyoning in and many groups are taken here. Below are a few photos from our little adventure.
When we were inspecting a large slide we decided that it was not a good idea to slide down it, so I scrambed up the side of the gorge and set up a hand line for us to practise moving up and down waterfalls. Then a couple came past and started to walk towards us. Thoughts were going through my mind of this guy being a ranger and telling us that we were standing on a SSSI or something and was gonna hand us a fine or something. It turned out that he was an instructor at a local centre and was seeing how we set up the hand rail, he liked our idea and he said that he was going to use that idea because they had have been having trouble with getting groups up this particular drop.
All in all we had a great day and cant wait for our next little adventure, especially because the weather is starting to improve, I will soon be in my canyon boots, shorts and bouyancy aid ... cant wait!
Since a lot of the rivers have been dry over the winter period, I have resorted to instead of throwing myself off waterfalls in a boat to throwing myself off a waterfall anyway.
Me and a friend called Callum have been on a few canyon trips together now, each one strating at the bottom, scrambling up, checking the pool depths that back down and doing all the jumps and slides we could do.
Friday was the last time we had a little canyoning adventure. We planned to go canyoning in Church Beck in the South Lakes, we had been told previously that this was a great little river to go canyoning in and many groups are taken here. Below are a few photos from our little adventure.
When we were inspecting a large slide we decided that it was not a good idea to slide down it, so I scrambed up the side of the gorge and set up a hand line for us to practise moving up and down waterfalls. Then a couple came past and started to walk towards us. Thoughts were going through my mind of this guy being a ranger and telling us that we were standing on a SSSI or something and was gonna hand us a fine or something. It turned out that he was an instructor at a local centre and was seeing how we set up the hand rail, he liked our idea and he said that he was going to use that idea because they had have been having trouble with getting groups up this particular drop.
All in all we had a great day and cant wait for our next little adventure, especially because the weather is starting to improve, I will soon be in my canyon boots, shorts and bouyancy aid ... cant wait!
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