Its New Years Eve and I can't help but look back at the year just gone, wondering how its flown by and what the new year has in store for us.
I started this blog in 2018, so this year will always be a special one for me but there are other kayaking moments that make this year a memorable one:
1. Rock-hopping and cave exploring in Crete
Anyone who paddles with me knows that I'm afraid of rock-hopping. In 2017, my goal was to paddle more rough water and in 2018, I wanted to face my fear of rock-hopping. We were expecting crazy wind in Crete this year, so the plan was not to start on this trip. Thankfully, we had the best conditions we could have wished for and explored the coastline. I explored every cave on our route and went through each rock feature I possibly could. Loved every minute of it!
[Photo credits: Martin Lanzinger]
2. Kayaking against Force 5-6 wind in Sardinia
2018 was the year of easy waters. Of little to no wind on kayaking trips and of no waves. That is, until we reached Sardinia for our mini kayaking trip and felt the wind in our hair. I was not expecting this and had not prepared for my novice boyfriend for metre long waves. We camped on the beach before our trip, wind hissing through our tent and preparing us for an interesting journey the next day. We set off at the bay of Piccolo Pevero on day 1 and honestly cannot recall the first 15 minutes. I was paddling through huge waves, stressed for myself and stressed for my boyfriend. How will we get through this? Needless to say, I have no photos of our initial panic.
Fortunately, we managed to get into quiet bays with flat waters and nice rock formations to escape the strong winds. We battled through some very strong wind just before our lunch stop, which turned into siesta because we were knackered and the wind was too strong to paddle. The swimmers on the beach had also disappeared at the sight of huge surfing waves.
The sea calmed down and we regained our confidence to go back out to finish our journey. We paddled through beautiful bays and saw many posh houses dotted along the coastline. The sea was a brilliant blue-green, reminding me of why this area is known as Costa Esmeralda.
We found an idyllic spot in a quiet bay where we would camp for the night. Swimming after setting up our tents was the ideal way for me to unwind and soothe my muscles. I love camping on beaches and our dinner was even tastier, after all our hard work. For ideas on camping food see blog post on fuel for sea kayakers.
3. Kayaking with seals and pelicans in Half Moon Bay, California
After a work related trip to California, I met up with some friends who were keen to kayak somewhere in the bay area near San Francisco. It was mid October, so not quite peak kayaking season and our options were limited. My friend drove us to beautiful Half Moon Bay, through the fog capped mountains and surfing bays. I have to admit, I was nervous when I saw the surf and realised I was taking two novices out for a paddle.
It was a beautiful autumn day in California but not quite warm enough for me to have been wearing shorts and a T-shirt. The sun and clear skies allowed us to enjoy the short paddle in the bay with seals around us. The pelican colony was a nice surprise, flying close to us and showing off their impressive wingspan. This trip was extra special for me as I saw beautiful succulents growing wild on the beach. Definitely a first for me!
4. A 25k paddle in very sunny England
Summer of 2018 in England was possibly the warmest I've experienced here. The sea was calm, the sun was shining and the sky was clear. We went for a day trip from Chichester Harbour towards Hayling Island in August, starting off against the tide and coming back with it. Something with the tidal planning was off, because everyone was knackered and we didn't seem to have much tidal assistance after all.
This was my boyfriend's first long paddle and even though he got very irritable from tiredness, I will remember this trip with a smile because someone took a nice picture of us together and we had a lovely BBQ back at our campsite.
5. Morning yoga on the beach in Crete before paddling
The only way to avoid injury in hot conditions during long trips in my mind is to do yoga. I usually do gentle stretching before short kayaking trips but during expeditions, I think a specific set of yoga postures is required to counteract any muscle soreness.
Thankfully in Crete, I wasn't the only one at the beach doing yoga before a long day's paddle.
6. Braving the waves in the Baltic Sea
I had been planning my kayaking weekend in Sweden all year with my friend and finally managed to get tickets in August. It seems the weekend was a bit jinxed since Swedish pilots decided to strike the day I was meant to arrive in Stockholm. I got last minute very expensive tickets and made it to my friend's beautiful summerhouse that sits on the edge of open sea. The sea was calm when we arrived mid-morning and things took a ferocious turn as the wind started to blow us out. We waited an entire day for the wind to die down (video below) but it carried on until midnight.
I was woken up at 7am for quick peek at the sea which finally looked like it had calmed down. We hurried out, jumped into our kayaks hoping we wouldn't have any crazy weather. After battling the first few kilometres against the wind that was determined to push us out to open sea, we found some nice bays to get shelter and paddled through shortcuts full of sea grass to get to the next bay. The wind pushed us back home and we practiced bracing all the way home. What an amazing day!
7. Canoeing in the Norfolk Broads, England
I planned my first kayaking trip with a group of friends this year in July. The details were thankfully uncomplicated by my friends who are all great paddlers. We drove to the village of Bungay on a sunny Saturday morning where the river Waveney forms the border between Norfolk and Suffolk. The gentle river and its many features are a photographer's delight.
The plan was to paddle the stretch of the river, as far as we can go and camp in the riverside campsite. We paddled the Bungay loop on the first day and went as far as Geldeston Lock on the second. Poor access at Geldeston lock meant we couldn't go any further on the river, but I've heard there are plans to improve river access for canoeists.
Some of us were experienced canoeists, while others were venturing in this craft for the first or second time only. We had a lot of laughs trying to keep the canoes straight, not bump into swans and navigate the winding river along with other river users. At the end of day 2, some of us even managed to sneak in a swim to cool off!
8. Exploring river Crane in London, England
The river Crane is a tributary off the river Thames in London and runs through Greater London on the west. We can't always access this river if the water levels aren't high enough, so on a special day in October during high tide, we went on a trip to explore what this river has to offer. It was one of those days when you wake up, look out the window and want to go back to bed. I think it started raining in the morning and never stopped. We ventured out nonetheless and I certainly wasn't disappointed with the Crane.
The river winds up behind people's houses, getting narrower until the you can reach a weir. The vines had turned a beautiful shade of yellow-red and brightened up a very grey day. We had to move in single file and were worried about the tide turning and leaving us on land. Thankfully, we timed it right and managed to reverse out in single file making sure we took at least one photo of the beautiful colours. I did something during this trip that hurt my shoulder and back for weeks to come so this isn't one to forget.
9. Picking elderberries by canoe on the river Cam
One Sunday in August, my friend and I decided to go on a spontaneous canoe trip from Cambridge to Grantchester. We got lucky with the weather, as it had been a rainy few weeks after a glorious Indian summer. This trip is always beautiful, as the river Cam narrows and winds into Grantchester Meadows. The canoe can be quite hard to control on this journey, the punters who can't control their punt are a big challenge in addition to the sharp bends on the river Cam.
This time, the river was fairly empty and we found several shrubs of elderberries. We seized the opportunity and picked elderberries as we meandered downriver. Most people go blackberry picking in August around the Thames region but I was quite happy to go off the beaten path.
10. Rolling my kayak in the freezing north sea in April
Possibly self explanatory as to why this made it to my top 10 moments. I've still never been to the pool for rolling practice and only rolled my kayak in the sea. I'll find out next year if I can still roll my kayak.
The day started with sea mist and fog with the water a balmy 7C. It was a moment of madness when I agreed to go greenland rolling in the sea in April. Perhaps I'll go for some pool sessions in 2019.