Words: Sarah Thornely

Photos Supjunkie

Bio

Sarah has been paddling SUP for nine years, and OC for two. Introduced to the sport by a couple of female friends, Sarah’s love of SUP brought her to running SUPJunkie, covering UK and worldwide races through live feeds and interviews. She was the joint winner of the SUP National Series 14’ Class and entered the 2019 Round Jersey Challenge on her OC after only three months of training.

Sarah is a qualified instructor with the ASI and British Canoeing and still gets great pleasure in getting complete beginners on the water. Sarah writes for SUPMag and the Paddler, and does a lot work to support the GBSUP race series as well as paddlers who are participating in adventures and challenges for charity. https://www.supjunkie.co.uk

‘Coorie’ (v) To cuddle or nestle in, especially when it’s cold

That beautiful Scottish word – is this what we would be doing on our trip?

Having waited for some two years, I was so excited, if a little apprehensive about it, as I would be taking myself a little out of my comfort zone, and the forecast looked shocking!

My husband and I had never been to Scotland together and felt, like many, that travelling and exploring our own country was the best thing to do in the current climate, so we decided to make our trip into a longer adventure. The purpose of visiting the west coast was to attend a four-day expedition SUP course with the Water Skills Academy. These guys are pushing the boundaries of coaching others to be proficient in the great outdoors and take themselves or others out as safely as possible on bigger expeditions. They have a wealth of knowledge and many years of experience in this area, so I knew I would be well looked after. Having been an ASI, British Canoeing and Water Skills Academy Instructor, I believe they all have their place in our wonderful sport of SUP.

I kept an eye on other people’s photographs of similar trips in Scotland and hoped our weather would be similar, but the forecast looked pretty bad, with heavy rain, thunder and lightning and powerful winds. I was confident, though, that we would find places to paddle.

We arrived at the newly opened accommodation and pub at Roam West and were given a pretty impressively sized room which immediately shrunk when I unloaded all my kit for the course. The extensive kit list was the thing that was playing on my mind as some of it I was very unfamiliar with.

Day one

Day one was not without its challenges, and I awoke to a very unwell husband who thought he might have to visit A&E whilst also insisting that I start my course. The team were so professional whilst being confronted with my tears of worry, and he was soon being whisked away to be diagnosed with a non-serious medical issue some hours later. I have to thank Andy Kettlewell ‘Chipz’, who drove my husband to the hospital. I quickly realised that this young man is not only an incredibly proficient white-water kayaker but happens to be able to pull a decent pint of Guinness too! I just had to ‘woman-up’ and get on with it for my husband’s sake!

The weather report had calmed a little, and we were taken to the most beautiful loch for the coaches to check us out as paddlers – no point us telling them we were amazing if we were not – not sure about anybody else, but I always downplay my skills! The water and views on this particular loch were sublime and calm, so we spent our day checking out safety skills, towing, rescuing and just getting to know each other. There were to be no classroom teachings, just excellent instruction on the water. The ratio of four paddlers with two coaches meant we were perfectly looked after.
Over the next few evenings, we made a paddle plan for our white water river trip and looked at all the personal and collective kits we would need for our two-day expedition.

Day two

Day two was our white water river trip. If you’ve never done a point-to-point adventure, it’s sometimes difficult to get your head around it; who should be where, what clothes should be in which van, and should I take my car keys with me? This is where good teamwork comes in with a check and double-check system in place because once that van has gone to the other end, it’s gone.
The water had just the right amount of flow, looked challenging but not scarily so. One of our paddlers, Harry, had not had much river experience, so an excellent opportunity for him.

Throughout the day’s trip, we were given the opportunity to be expedition leaders to learn to read the river and conditions and then make our plan to get to the next point. It was all about navigating safely as a team, and some areas felt pretty ‘clean’, and we could all travel together down a section and at the other end of the spectrum the more challenging parts. We would make live assessments as a leader and, accompanied by the coach, would bring the other paddlers down one by one – such a great way of learning – one that certainly resonated with me.

We had a very short higher graded white-water section to do, so we walked to the section and talked it through. We were given the option to paddle it, and we all said yes. We watched the coaches, one successful and one fell in, so no pressure on us at all. Excellent guidance and instruction on how to play this section, but we all ended up in the water except for Harry! Fantastic paddling from him! Paddling back to our pick up point, we had the beautiful view of Ben Nevis – what a mountain and the scenery on the west coast of Scotland was starting to take my heart.

Another great day of decent weather, new skills learnt, hearty meals and pints of Guinness and local beer in the pub.

Day three and four

Days three and four were our overnight trip, so an evening of very thoughtful and careful packing as nothing could be forgotten. I could physically fit inside my largest dry bag, but now it was rammed full with tent, sleeping bag, mat, food, first aid – the list was long. I also had a reasonably hefty day bag for the front of my board.

Day three

We arrived at our launch point after a wee trip over the Corran Ferry and an 90-minute drive into what felt like the wilderness. Again, beauty all around. The weather was behaving itself, and so the big unload began. Boards, kit bags, day bags, paddles, trussed up safely in drysuits, multi-warm layers underneath, PFDs and warm hats. We had to portage the first 100 metres or so, lugging boards and bags in relays. As soon as we were ready and had made a plan of action, the weather started to change very rapidly, getting squally with the wind howling down the loch from the open sea. It was a ‘paddle on your knees’ start with the short-lived plan one changing to plan two immediately. This enabled us to grab a great downwinder and then hug an island to give us some shelter. The route to our camp was also changed to make it a more pleasant and safer experience too. This trip taught me to be fluid and if a change is needed for safety reasons, then change.

In all my years of paddling, I have only seen two seals briefly. Over the next few days, we saw over 20 in various groups – as soon as we spotted them, we would veer away and leave them be. We were invading their space, after all. We had one who followed us along the shoreline to our camp and then saw us out the next day – clearly making sure we left the area! We saw deer, lots of interesting birdlife, someone spotted a sea otter and oh so many rainbows – with this much rain and sun, you get the rewards.

After guidance about where to camp, the paddlers chose their best option, which gave us high ground to pitch our tents and enough space to set up our kitchen and store all the boards. The rain, which had been on and off all day, finally gave way to sunshine, and we were able to set our tents up in the dry. I have never set up a tent so quickly once I had established a spot – the area just looked like a wilderness to me, and we had six tents in all – but slowly, slowly, it all came together. The kitchen tarp was set up using a small tree, paddle and boulders from the loch – clever stuff.

Now down to the serious stuff – tea and cake – such a lovely treat. Night navigation was on the agenda for the evening, and we collectively decided to go out before supper so that once paddling was done, we could eat, stay warm and then settle down in our tents. We were back on our boards just before dusk and headed off for a night expedition. We ‘handrailed’ the coast for a little while and then got across to an island, all taking turns in map reading, speed, time and compass work.

The darkness had now come down, and with no ambient light, our head torches could see the waves whipping up with the squalls coming down the loch again. A significant challenge and some great down winding again – I love paddling in the dark anyway; it’s great for your balance and gets all your senses working overtime. An hour and a half later, we settled safely back into camp, water was boiled, and meals made. Boy, that food tasted good sitting by the campfire.

The boards were stored safely away from the high tide mark, and the kitchen moved too – we could not afford to lose any of our kit. After a not so restful night – the rain was heavy; the sleeping mat was flat – we awoke to another dry and still day – sometimes the weather gods align for you. A quick pack up and hearty breakfast before we left our camp, although I could easily have stayed another few days there just taking in the atmosphere.

Incredible views

The weather was the best it had been since we arrived in Scotland, and our paddle back to ‘civilisation’ was sublime with many seals and a few more portages to explore new areas. The views were just incredible, what is it about the mix of mountains and water?
Well, we made it back, and I felt blessed to have spent time with incredibly knowledgeable guides and new friends – all with a love of SUP deep in their hearts. It was lovely to get back to base and jabber on about the adventure to my other half – he, in turn, had finally managed to get out on his road bike and explore the beauty of the area through sun, sleet and some very steep hills.

So, after a very successful course in a beautiful setting, we now had to decide what to do next. Not a difficult decision, and we decided to hang around in the area rather than drive away, and our next day was a tourist destination. We had no idea that a lot of Harry Potter had been filmed here when we visited the Glenfinnan Viaduct – what a beautiful structure sitting in the valley at the head of another stunning loch and a great day to do something completely different and be landlubbers for once.

Dumbledore’s grave

The next day we chose to be back to the water, and after checking the forecast, we visited a small loch for our mini-adventure. My husband treated me like a proper adventure guide, and I think he learnt plenty! We were blessed with protection from the mountains, a stunning setting and more Harry Potter findings.

Tiny Loch Eilt and the beautiful island of Eilean na Moine were used to set Dumbledore’s grave – who knew? We had been told about the Jacobite steam train, which runs through one of the most beautiful settings in the world from Mallaig to Fort William and runs right alongside this loch. Again, right place, right time and just as I was lining myself up for a waterfall shot along came to the train, tooted at us with plenty of waving from all the passengers – hopefully, they got some good photos too.

We realised we could not stay at Roam West forever, so we decided to finally leave to visit Loch Awe, home of a new SUP challenge event next May. We drove south along Loch Linnhe past the beautiful Shuna Island and the 14th century Castle Stalker. This area has an incredible number of castles to visit and has also one of the biggest whirlpools in the world. The Corryvreckan Whirlpool is a natural wonder and one that you can view from a boat if you are that brave.

Loch Awe

When we arrived at Loch Awe, we visited Kilchurn Castle via a short and muddy walk at the end of the loch and surrounded by munros. A few minutes away in the van was the prime location for a photoshoot, but as we drove there, the misty rain had come in. Within two minutes though the rain had cleared, the sun arrived and with that a double rainbow. Yes, I bagged the photo!

Next year, the Loch Awesome Challenge is a two-day event circumnavigating the UK’s longest freshwater loch, so we felt it fitting to visit the basecamp at Dalavich. We walked the Avich Falls and Barnaline Oakwood Trail before the weather set in, so a curry from the remote loch-side Black Rock Curries and some wild camping saw us ‘coorie’ for the night in torrential rain. The next day was the same, so our plan of paddling Loch Awe was put on hold; a coffee and breakfast roll from the local coffee shop/post office finally saw us head away from Scotland.

The drive was a challenge, and our plan to stop at the Lake District on the way home was also not an option. The amount of rain over the next few days was almost unprecedented, so we made the correct decision to beat the weather home.

Scotland did not disappoint for either of us as around every corner on the west coast is a wealth of water, be it sea or loch, and if you love paddling or outside activities, it’s definitely a place to visit. Take all the toys you can, but there are plenty of places to hire kit if you do not have that option.

Local advice

We would urge you to take good local advice, especially in light of the ever-changing weather conditions. We were blessed with our weather, knowing the forecast before we left, and it was never cold, but squalls and sunshine can run equally quickly. I’ve already booked myself into another course with the WSA and cannot wait to revisit Scotland – she certainly is a thing of beauty!