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SCOTTISH FORAY |
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 Canoeing:
Fort William, Caledonian Canal, Loch
Lockey.
Kidder & Chiefy load up the 17 footer
Canadian canoe they have hired for the trip
up the canal and into Loch Lockey. All the
kit loaded the pair dip the paddles into the
still waters of the Caledonian canal and
head off. Kidder & Chiefy were like ducks in
water, neither of the pair had commanded a
canoe let-alone a fully loaded 17 footer.
When the pair reached the lock gates they
had to man-handle the canoe & kit some 300
yard's along the quay-side to the edge of
the loch.
Canoe loaded off they paddled out into the
dead calm waters of Loch Lockey, but half
way across the bay, loch, or what-ever the
wind picked up whipping the waters into 2
foot monster waves (Well it was to
them). Chiefy was not bothered he
was prepared to weather the waters, for he
was driving the boat wearing a full wetsuit.
Kidder was up at the pointy bit surveying
the horizon for a glimpse of the camp-site
or a monster, unaware of the storm clouds
gathering behind.
The pair found the camping spot using there
expert navigationally skills & drove the
canoe up onto the beach. The sun was setting
so there was no time to waste, so first
things first, open a bottle of red wine (a
nice little number with a hint of berries)
fire-wood patrol was next and in no time the
pair had a roaring fire. Kidder & Chiefy
dinned in style that night with Aberdeen
Angus steak with a mushroom sauce & baby new
potatoes followed by cheesecake. (Oh
to live the outdoor life) |
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 Mountaineering,
Canoeing:
Loch
Lockey shores to Sron a Choire Ghairbh 935m
 The
pair got kitted up & set off to find the
trail which would lead them up to the
summit. 10 minutes later they were lost, so
like true mountain troopers the pair made a
B-line straight up the hillside carving a
way through the wild terrain. 200ft higher
up they found the fireroad, it had been a
hot climb to this point so surplus kit off
they made tracks to the start of the trail
path. The trail snaked its way up through
the forest crossing mountain streams and out
into open land. It was a long hard climb to
the summit, but what a fantastic reward
waited for them at the top. The views were
beautiful but unfortunately time was not on
there side, so the decision was made to head
back down before it got dark. The wind had
pick up too, the pair were nearly blown over
several time heading back but they made it
down to base camp, tea on and time to
inspect there battled feet.
After tea Chiefy came up with a bright idea,
the pair would paddle across the Loch to a
pub for a few pints. So Kidder set up a
landing beacon so they could navigate the
way back to camp after a skin full. So off
they set out into the black still waters of
the Loch with only a small light from the
pub as an aiming point. half way across the
waves picked-up hitting the canoe sideways
on it made for a rough ride not being able
to see the waves before they hit you. The
pair landed the canoe and walked up the
drive to the main door of the pub only to
find it has shut up for winter, (Well
that's bollocks) Kidder gets out his
phone and calls in for a E-vac, lucky for
them Kidders mum & dad are staying just down
the road at a holiday complex. 10 minutes
later the pair are sat in another pub with a
nice pint of Guinness, a few hours later the
pair are dropped off at the canoe and head
off into the black night aiming for the
light on the opposite shores of the Loch.
Again half way across the waves are big and
this time they are ready, but Chiefy's hat
blows off and it's lost at sea, well Loch.
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 Canoeing:
 Loch
Lockey shores to Extraction Point Laggan
Loch
After a good fry-up the pair break camp and
load up the canoe for the return leg back to
Fort William, but the weather has put pay to
that with a strong head wind, so it's go
with the flow to Laggan Loch. The pair
battle with the waves all the way trying to
keep the canoe on an even keel, Chiefy drove
the boat like an old sea dog. At the
extraction point the pair dumped the canoe
and headed off to the pub for a couple of
pints, they contacted the support who came
and took them back to the B&B.
Back at the B&B it was a quick change and
out for some tea and beer. The first
pub/hotel the pair went into charged them
£6.80 for two pints, so Kidder & Chiefy
downed the expensive liquid and moved on to
some where else. Bellies full and a few
pints later the pair found themselves in
some grubby pub watching a Scottish football
match. The night was late so the pair
retired to the B&B singing old sea songs on
the way back. |
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