Leaving Scotland: a five day sea kayak road trip

As Britian leaves Europe, Ana and I will leave Britain. We are very grateful for having had the chance to live here and to contribute our bit to society. We love Scotland and Scottish adventures and we know that it is not always easy. As everyone else we often struggled through the short, stormy and rainy days of winter interrupted only by great adventures in the snowy hills. As our leaving do we decided to do a Scottish Highland road trip. For this Ana prepared maps for sea kayak trips and I printed maps for hillwalks in case the weather was too bad for sea kayaking. In the end we sea kayaked every day for five days. Scotland has again been good to us.

Day 1. Kinloch Hourn.
We left Tuesday evening but stayed the night in a hotel at Drumnadochit on the shores of Loch Ness. In the morning we then drove the long road down to Kinloch Hourn. When we descended the narrow single track to Kinloch Horn a Vauxhall drove past an overtaking spot and aggressively signalled to us to reverse up the hill to an overtaking spot quite a way back. Eventually the driver relented (reversing up the steep hill would have been tricky) and rolled a few metres back to his overtaking spot and let us past with a grim face. When we removed our kayaks he approached us and told us with the voice of a London bouncer to "a) learn to reverse" and b) "put a pound into the honesty box". Apparently this is Tony and he gets cracking reviews for his B&B online, presumably from Fawlty Towers fans. 

 Near the parking space there is a little stream that leads into the loch. Here is Ana paddling the tidal stream...

We then followed the loch parallel to the footpath that goes to Barrisdale bothy, a place that Munro baggers will know as it is a key bothy in the wild bounds of Knoydart. The key hill here is Ladhar Bheinn (1020 m, https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/munros/ladhar-bheinn). You can see a ridge leading to the summit from Ana. 

 Here I am a little bit later.

 We went further and had lunch near Arnisdale near Beinn Sgritheall (1095 m, https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/kintail/Beinnsgritheall.shtml). Here is Ana returning...

 ... and pulling the paddle up the stream to our car. Luckily Tony was busy and we got on well with all the other road users on the long single track road, stopping for them or them stopping for us, depending on was most sensible. And of course, we love the Highland single lane handwave and smile (we had hundreds of these during our trip).  

Day 2. Summer isles.

From Kinloch Hourn we had to return to almost to Inverness to then drive past the Altguish Inn to Ullapool and to the campsite at Altandhu (http://www.portabhaigh.co.uk/). This campsite is perfect for kayaking the summer isles. We arrived after 23 h and woke up to a sunny morning, a chance to dry our gear. 

 Here a photo that we took after the paddle which shows the summer isles. A sea kayakers dream. 

 Here a close up showing some of the isles. The campsite is near the beach on the left above the houses in the foreground. 

I had a little rest before launching. 

 Unfortunately the sun did not last and when we launched it was overcast. 

 The clouds became darker, it started to rain but there was little wind so it did not matter much. We paddled around Isle Ristol via Glas-leac Mor to Tanera Beg. 

 Here is Ana arriving in one of the bays of Tanera Beg...

 ... and here is the Arch on Tanera Beg take 1...

 ... and take 2. 

 I also fished a bit and caught a decent pollack. However, I hoped for cod so I carefully released the pollack. 

 In the afternoon we went to Tanera Mor and then back towards the campsite at Altandhu.

 We needed to carry our kayaks a short time after the jetty as it was low tide...

 ... but soon approached the beach with the campsite behind. 

 A great paddle but we did not see much of the wildlife thatlives in these waters. So kayaks back up onto the roof of Ana's A2 and back onto the road...

 ... past peaks such as Stac Pollaidh...

 ... to reach the campsite in Scourie. A few midgies and a decent sunset.

Day 3. Handa island.
We woke up to a sunny sky. The forecast was good for the morning but bad for the afternoon including the possibility of thunderstorms. However, the wind speeds would remain low and as we could cop out in Tarbert and as the distances were short we decided that the risk was acceptable. Here is the launch beach... 

 ... and here is Ana ready to go. 

 A beautiful morning and a short crossing from the mainland to the isle of Handa, a nature reserve. 

 Here is Ana crossing the channel between Handa and the mainland.

 When we left the mainland I caught another pollack which I released carefully as I was after a cod. 

 We arrived on a sandy beach on Handa which was our lunch spot.

 Scotland at its best. 

 To the west Handa is flanked by steep sea cliffs. Here is Ana crossing the South-Western point of Handa... 

 ... and here she paddles past the sea cliffs. 

 Here is a giant arch that was giving a rest from the swell of the Northern Atlantic. 

 Here more cliffs on the North Eastern point of Handa...

 ... and here Ana paddles between a big sea stack and the island cliffs. 

 Here, I pass the sea stack...

 ... and here is Ana in the sun to the North of the island... 

 ... and here you can see the mainland near Tarbert in the distance.

 In this photo I cross over to Tarbert where we had lunch. 

 In Tarbert it started to rain and the midgies were out but the weather looked stable enough to justify paddling down the sound of Handa to Scourie. Here is Ana exploring a cave on the way...

 ... and here is a sea urchin on the side of the cave.

 Just before entering the bay of Scorie the rain hit us hard. However, in a kayak the legs are dry and it was not too cold so not too bad. Ana was still smiling.

 We decided to avoid a wet night in a tent so booked into Melvich hotel (https://www.melvichhotel.co.uk/). This place was done up nicely with friendly staff and it was good to have a nice meal and spend the night in a dry place. 

Day 4. Rabbit islands and Eilean nan Ron.
We then returned to Talmine on the Kyle of Tongue to paddle the Rabbit islands and Eilean nan Ron. It was a grey start to the day. Here is Ana launching...

 ... and here Ana...

 ... and I cross over to the rabbit islands with Ben Loyal (754 m, m https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/sutherland/ben-loyal.shtml) in the clouds in the distance.

 We then went to the Eastern end of Tongue bay.   

 At the shortest distance between the mainland we crossed the channel to Eilean nan Ronto to reach a pebble beach on the island. 

 Here a photo of the pebbles.

 The island only has one good landing spot and otherwise large cliffs again with some big arches.

 This one ended in an maritime amphitheater.

 The island is actually two islands which are separated by a narrow channel. 

 Here, I cross the channel...

 ... and here, Ana explores one of the caves inside the channel. 

 We then crossed back over to the Rabbit islands and (just about) managed to squeeze through a small arch to reach the Western side of the islands. We needed to cross the arch on top of a wave as our kayaks would have got stuck at the bottom of a wave. A little bit of risk during a trip where we otherwise avoided risk as it was only two of us.  

 We arrived unharmed and unstuck on the other side to paddle back to the beach. 

 Here is Ana arriving...

 ... and here is our car ready to get packed up. The sun came out...

 ... and we used it to dry our gear. 

 Here is a photo with the islands in the distance...

 ... and here we make our way back to Inverness via the barren moors of Sutherland. Petrol is an issue here and we had only a quarter left which was maybe or maybe not enough to reach the next petrol station. Luckily one local man from Tongue offered us some of his petrol and we could not persuade him to take half of the money that the Monarch of Kinloch Hourn presumably would have demanded from us. He was only willing to take the market rate. So people, be extremely friendly to the Sutherland folks because they are very kind and will help you if you have a problem. We will take this as a fond memory to Munich. 

 We drove past the Crask Inn via Lair to Beauly (the beau lieu) near Inverness, where Robbie and Katie live. Robbie has been my best climbing partner in Scotland and Katie and Robbie met during a kayak trip. 

Day 5. Moray coast from Findochty. 
Scotland has so many nice corners and the Moray coast is one of them. We drove past Inverness to Findochty as Ana had previously organised paddles here. Here is a photo of the harbour and a pot of flowers in the style of a 1950s-1990s postcard. 

 Here are Ana, Robbie and Katie getting ready for the launch...

 ... and here is Robbie in the harbour. 

 This stretch of the Moray coast is great for wildlife and playing in-between rocks. 

 Here, we pass the Portknockie, the next village down the coast...

 ... and here is Ana coming out of a channel. 

 It was warm, there was a wee swell and we had frequent sunshine which is heaven on the water.

 The trip has also two sandstone arches...

 ... that are great for photos...

 ... if the light is right. 

 The Moray coast is also great for spotting dolphins. We saw 3-4 times a pod of dolphins passing us. Take 1 (this pod passed below our kayaks)...

 and take 2.

 We carried on past Cullen bay...

 ... to have lunch at the bay of Findlater castle. According to Wikipedia this is the old seat of the Earls of Findlater and seafield. The castle has first been mentioned in 1246 and the vikings had it for some time.

 Beautiful water-washed stone. 

 Here, Ana and myself towards the end of our road trip...

 ... and here we launch again. 

 Sunshine...

 ... and easy paddling with great visibility. We could sea the hills of Sutherland in the North-West. 

 We found another arch...

 ... and saw more dolphins...

... and then had dinner in a hotel overlooking Cullen bay. After that home via Aberdeen to Broughty Ferry, a route that I have traveled many times over the past decade. 

People, do a Scottish road trip as Scotland has so much to offer especially if you are lucky with the conditions as we were. 

We finish by thanking the Tayside sea kayaking club (http://tskclub.ning.com/) which have helped us to become competent in sea kayaking and which have taught us to paddle, to steer, to rescue, to plan  trips and to enjoy all of that. Being out on the water with the club, our friends and Ana is what I miss most in Munich and we will come back for visits. 

HW

Bass rock

A week of contrast: After climbing on Tuesday I went to Scotland and here Ana and I joined Moira's trip to the Bass rock from North Berwick. Here, the team is getting the kayaks ready on one of the many, many, gorgeous East coast beaches. 

 Here is our trip. We paddled eastwards along the Berwickshire coast, out to the Bass rock and then westwards to Craigleith to return to North Berwick.

 Here is Ana following the coast with the Bass rock in the distance. 

 Jonathon found a hidden micro harbour carved into some red sandstone.

We decided to land on yet another dream beach for lunch before heading out the the Bass rock.  

Here, are Ana and Moira during the 2 km crossing...

 ... and here we are approaching the Bass rock with its light house.

The Bass rock is 107 m high and used to be a prison colony. It has a colony of more than 150,000 gannets and is the largest colony of Northern gannets if Wikipedia is right. You hear and smell it! Here are some of the gannets...

 ... and they circle above. 

 After surrounding the island we decided to paddle against tide and wind to Craigleith, another small island to the West. Here is the team. 

 When we arrived the skies had turned blue again. 

 I was fishing but did not catch anything but Jonathon caught a Pollack and mackerel.

 Here is Ana on the way back to the mainland take 1...

 ... and take 2...

 ... and here we return with Craigleith in the background. 

 After 17 km we landed back on North Berwick beach. 

Scottish sea kayaking is world class, no doubt. Lots of interest, tides, wind, sea life. Many kayakers head for the islands of the West coast but I actually prefer the East coast. Bass rock, the Isle of May, the Bell rock lighthouse, and the cliffs and sea caves from Arbroath to Stonehaven are very hard to top. Add dolphins, seals and good kayak fishing and better weather than in the West and this is why I love the East.

HW

Wilder Kaiser, Totenkirchl, Dülfer VI+

When I moved to Munich I must confess that I did not realise quite how much top quality climbing would be on my doorstep. The “Wilde Kaiser” (wild Cesar, there is a tame one to the South) takes the crown with long routes up mostly solid limestone. The climbing is a mix between bolt clipping and trad: the belays and crux moves of popular routes are often bolt protected, you will find the odd peg and for the rest take one set of nuts, a standard set of cams and plenty of quickdraws (16-20) and slings (3-4). 

On Tuesday the 15th of August Arno and I decided to climb the Dülfer on the Totenkirchl west wall, graded UIAA VI+. The day before we drove to the Griesener Alm and walked up to the Stripsenjochhaus. Here is Arno pointing to the Totenkirchl. The climb is on the other side.  

 Here is Arno on the ascent looking up the Fleischbank. 

 Here is me at the Stripsenjochhaus with the Totenkirchl behind. The descent is on this side. 

 Here a shot in the evening. Also lots of climbing on this side, but not the 18 rope lengths of the Dülfer.

 Last light. 

 Arno and I got up at 6.30 h, had breakfast at 7 h and walked in at 7.20 h.

 Here is the west wall of the Totenkirchl, twice as high as the Dubh Loch and steeper. 

 The climb starts on the right hand side (so walk up a bit) where there is usually a snow cone and a gully above, the Winkler Schlucht. Here is Arno entering the chimney which is to the right. The West wall is above and the climb goes to the notch in-between the two highest points. 

 Scramble the gully (Diff to VDiff in places?) until you come to this chockstone in the gully. There are two shiny bolts on the left wall. This is the start of the 18 pitches of the climb proper. 

 I struggled to find the belay and traversed too far left to an old peg belay. No problem: here, the wall is not too steep and the climbing is easy. Here, Arno starts the second pitch. 

 Here is Arno higher up. 

 After several pitches of easier climbing the wall steepens. Typically for Dülfer, the route now traverses to the right on a harder UIAA 6 pitch to find easier ground to continue. The crux move of the pitch is a balancy layback to reach a good hold.  

 Here is Arno climbing up to the next line of weekess. 

 At this point the wall is steeper and the exposure is enormous both downards...

 ... and upwards. 

 The route again reaches a cul de sac and again, Dülfer chooses an exposed balancy traverse to reach another line of weekness to the left. It is the Nasenquergang, the nose traverse.

 Here am I starting the VI+ pitch and the nose is on the edge. One quite tricky move at the begining, rest at the crack above my left shoulder and then find an undercling under the nose whilst holding on to almost nothing. A tempting sling hangs down for aid. For me it was touch and go and once or twice I thought I was off but I someone managed to get an undercling and keep the balance. 

 Here, I am just below the nose, resting on a giant jug. A few steep moves on good holds to the belay. 

 chuffed.

 The route climbs up and the up, down and traverses at UIAA 6 again to line just below a giant cave. Here is Arno on the up bit. 

 It was a hot day and 18 long pitches cost energy. Here is Arno climbing rightwards to find the last line of weakness to the very top of the Totenkirchl. 

 At this time I was tired from the heat and the many long pitches so I did not capture some of the outstanding positions, nor the cave. Here is Arno on the last traverse bit to the right side of the line below the notch. 

 And here is Arno not fr from the end of the pitch on an overhanging bit with good holds. 

 We were then again baked by the sun climbing tough chimneys right to the top which we reached just before 20 h. 

 I was done. 3-4 pitches of scrambling plus 18 long pitches of climbing on a hot day is not what I got used to in Scotland. I could not bother to take pictures of the top and the views and all that. But from the top it takes 2-3 h to reach the Stripsenjochhaus (say that again) an another 1 h to get down to the car. The way down is marked by red dots and involves a 4-5 abseils. Here is Arno on the way down  just before it got dark. 

We did it with a team from Bamberg and when we reached the Stripsenjochhaus after 22 h the guys there got us some Radler (Shandy) even though they had officially stopped serving. Another 1 h down to the car. Probably the most challenging summer climb that I have ever done.

So what are the tips for UK climbers?

- Take a headtorch.

- Become familiar with Alpine Topos. Here is one for the Dülfer on the Totenkirchl west wall:

https://www.stadler-markus.de/alpinklettern/wilder-kaiser/kletterrouten/totenkirchl/routeninfos/beschreibung/duelfer-1.html

- Practice climbing fast. 18 pitches take time. One good trick is to take a gear sling so you can just give it to your partner.

- Take plenty of water, a super lightweight rain jacket but save on weight. Our rucksack was way too heavy. 

- Gear. One set of nuts, a standard set of cams and plenty of quickdraws (16-20) and slings (3-4). 

- Buy comfy climbing shoes: I have the La Sportiva Mythos and they are easy to adjust and very comfy. Painful high end shoes might help with the crux but will make you struggle later on.

HW