Thanks for Supporting the ON Side Youth Zone Caledonian Canal Trek
A huge Thank you to those who sponsored me through Linked-In. I didnt have your emails so below is the blog of the event which lasted three miles, around 80km and 27 hours in a canoe. Day Two I think you may find particularly interesting, in a tak that is so far close to earning ￡80,000 through sponosrship - youre sponsorship! Thanks again. I hope you enjoy.
HIT ME WITH YOUR PADDLE STICK -
A series of BLOGS (Bloody Lucky Old Guys Surviving!) on the Caledonian Canoe Trek.
1. Up the creek without a paddle as the Canoe trek beckons! (4 April 2019)
Just five days to go before I set off with 27 intrepid others for the Great Caledonian Canal Canoe Trek.
It is 60 miles of canoeing Canadian style (or so I am told) from Fort William, Scotland to Inverness across a number of Lochs that include Loch Ness's entire length, and it is the first challenge I have ever undertaken that looks even more daunting as it gets nearer!
But weeks of gym work, some labouring on my son's extension and it looks like I am almost as ready as I'll ever be.
It is all in good cause for the Warrington ON-Side Youth Zone and that is what really matters.
For this most worthy cause we will endure physical pain (not too much though, we hope), the potential for a number of soakings either through the weather or capsizing (please no!); and foraging for our own food (only joking - hopefully) as we camp Bear Grylls style. Personally, I would prefer a George Foreman Grills style!
It’s over three days and we are praying for kind weather! Not that we should be daunted by such an event since we’ve all spent a fortune or various canoe type clothing to make sure we could survive if a polar iceberg suddenly manifested itself and we had to battle through ever tightening pack-ice!
Sadly, the only thing anyone ever asks when you relate that you are undertaking this experience, is, “Have you seen the film Deliverance?”. The answer is, “Yes, and thank you, but I don’t want to think about it!” The thought of hill-Billy Jocks stalking us along the banks of the canal or Lochs, all dressed in dirt covered kilts, greasy hair and presumably blue-wode faces, may well help us travel at a better rate of knots than the 3-5mph that we are being told we will need to achieve.
Still, it all adds to the anticipation. And the questions abound with key issues being such as “Do I need a shovel?” – a key question, and it is not for burying those caught by the hill-Billy-jocks! Or “Will there be showers and entertainment at the camping sites in the evening?” This answer is easy. “Have you ever seen any where Bear Grylls has camped?”. So that’s a huge no as we are ‘wild camping’ under tent or tarpaulin in three seasons sleeping bag for the two nights on the trek.
How much clothes and equipment we take is up to us but we get a 60cm by 30cm barrel each, in which to place all our equipment, that includes aforementioned sleeping bag and any extra food or drink we may need. Room for whisky I think, but beers could be a struggle unless we substitute one barrel for another – if you get my drift!
So, there we have it, we depart to Inverness on Sunday 7th April, (the day before my wife’s birthday and she’s not happy), then after everyone gets together we travel to Fort William to connect with canoes on Monday 8th; stay in a hostel overnight, before setting off on the great Caledonian Canal trek on Tuesday 9th. And then the fun will really start! I will keep you all informed!
Thank you if you have supported me, and if not thanks for reading my blog.
“The Warrington Youth Club OnSide Youth Zone believes in ‘Inspiring Young People to Achieve’.”
Please give as much as you feel you can to support this great cause on https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/TrevorHunt1
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2. The Motley Crew Assembles! (Sunday April 7th 2019)
“Be careful when you’re canoeing those Lochs and don’t fall in!”
That was the profound last advice of my mother before I left home to partake in the 60-mile Caledonian Canal canoe trek.
The fact that I had no intentions of doing just that was lost on my mother as she carried on by adding, “My pal did that and it killed him! It was the cold that gave him a heart attack!”
Such a comfort are mothers at times like that.
But with one more worry added to the list, the motley crew has assembled. Never since captain Pugwash recruited the crew of the Black Pig, has such a diverse bunch of landlubbers come together to put to sea - or in this case, Canal.
There’s Dave Wrighty Wright, whose preparation appears to have been buying a fit bit! And even that gave up when faced with the chilling wind in Inverness!
Add ‘tall trees’ Adam Garner, whose already been mistaken for George Clooney’s dad, Ken and Ron, a jovial double act from Birmingham, Stuart from Stockton Heath, and my canoe partner, Tony who’s brought his fishing rod as well as king prawns for bait. “If I catch nothing, we can eat the prawns.” He says! Failing to reveal he’s had them a week already!
The sum total of Canoe experience of that lot - one hour!! And that was me, last week! Although Ron is a cyclist! As is Andy Stubbs, whose joining us shortly after a weekend cycling in the Cairngorms!
If finding pubs open to the wee hours was a guide, then the 24 Lochs including Loch Ness will be a doddle! But as more intrepid adventurers are due to fly in today, the enormity of the task is starting to sink in.
And when asked by a serious canoeist what we were doing, to then be told “the Caledonian canal”!
He took one look up and down, muttered “three days? On a trip that usually takes five? Good luck with that one!”
Good luck is indeed what we’ll need!
We head to Fort William later today and tomorrow the adventure really begins!
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3. Day 1 - Into the great unknown! (Tuesday 9th April 2019)
Ron summed it up perfectly at a somewhat subdued breakfast on the day we start the Caledonian Canoe trek!
“Cheer up- at least no one is firing at us! We’re not doing a D-day landing!”
Maybe it’s trying to sleep amidst a chorus of bullfrogs or the fact that everyone is saying it’s perfect for the trip , that’s doing it!
It certainly didn’t look ‘perfect’ yesterday as we coached the 60 mile journey from Inverness to Fort William with the seemingly never ending Loch Ness and then Loch Lochy alongside!
A few courage stimulating beers for some - mainly the most recent arrivals who flew in from Manchester, London and Birmingham- plus Wrighty of course, to boost morale.
So off we go! Potential WiFi silence for the next three days as we camp under a tarpaulin in temperatures just above zero! All good fun!
Homework last night was packing the barrel and that meant leaving some of the expensive Decathalon gear behind to make way for the Tarp, stove, sleeping mat, cup, plate, bowl, spoon and fork. You’ll deduce from that, as one wag stated -“Steaks not on the menu then?”
So off we go! Out of our comfort zone? Not half!
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4. Day 2 - The night of the Dead! (Wednesday 10th April 2019)
Don’t worry! Everything worked out fine! No one injured - not really, no one died and after two gruelling days, Loch Ness awaits!
But after a day one where we managed to canoe from Fort William to part way down Loch Lockie, we had the night of the walking dead! Or to be more precise our night under the stars under a tarpaulin!
How was it? Well let’s say that cold doesn’t come into it! It was like losing a bet to sleep in the deep freeze and then the challenger not paying up!
Weariness accounted for the first four hours, but after the inevitable need for a pee after midnight (wasn’t that a song?) everything else became a zombie land as the ice man cometh.
A two-season sleeping bag comfortable to 0 degrees was rubbish at -2.
But it did help for a healthy but an unhealthy-looking number of blokes ready to build a big fire - how we love a big fire- at 5.30am.
Porridge at 6.30 (inevitable really), wash up, carry out ablutions that involve a little tub with a spade and loo roll inside it, (don’t ask!) and hit the water by 8.00am.
Perfect conditions, chilly but calm - and off we go -28 untrained inexperienced canoeists in 14 canoes plus 4 instructors!
Little did we know what lay ahead - as we travelled our next 34km and which included the unknown unexpected, and in some cases, impassable River Lochy rapids!!!!
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5. Day 2 - The Longest Day! (Wednesday 10th April 2019)
Day Two was a day to remember in so many ways!
The glorious start on a serene Loch Lockie and a gripping finish that had more twists and turns than an episode of “Line of Fire”!
The first 10km was blissfully and blister-free canoeing, before a little porterage (carrying the canoe a short distance) to then re-join the canal for another 6km or so, then onto Loch Oich for another 8km, this time into a head wind that made the going tough, before decision time!
Would we want to portage the canoes and waterproof blue barrels that hold all our gear for the 8km to Fort Augustus, the last stop before we tackle Loch Ness, or would we like to head onto the River Oich where there may be a few small rapids to overcome? The second option did have the caveat that it was only available if there was just the right amount of water in the river. Too much and the river was in spate and not safe, and too little and too many rocks were visible and possibly not enough water to get the canoes down, and therefore also not safe.
The guides viewed the river and said it looked safe enough, but it was up to us whether we walked or canoed into Fort Augustus. They also did point out that there were a couple of rapids along the way that may prove difficult (because of our lack of canoe experience – i.e. we had never canoed until some 30 hours earlier and certainly never canoed a rapid – in fact never seen one close up!).
To prevent peer pressure, we did a blind vote! We all closed our eyes and then put our hands up for “go” or down for “walk”! I can tell you that everyone voted for go, and I wasn’t the only one who kept my eyes open.
Only two people declined. They were from Chevron. We should have seen the signs earlier. One booked himself in a hotel and was never seen again!
The first task was to go down the weir! Me and my canoe partner, Nick Hoppy Hopkins, OBE, the Warrington On-Side Youth Zone head honcho, and three-time Caledonian trekker, were first down the weir. You couldn’t hold us back, or rather I couldn’t hold him back. He was a real thrill seeker, and what he didn’t realise was, that he had a real arse-twitcher as a buddy!
A small almost imperceptible set of rapids followed, and as we were split into four groups, each with a guide. We set off down the river in single file.
It was all going swimmingly until we were about half way down the river, and then it was all literally going swimming!
As the last of the last group, we arrived at the largest set of rapids that we had encountered thus far to see the vast majority of our canoes all on the left bank of a bend holding onto the bank and looking concernedly around the corner and down river. Our gaze followed their gaze and we could see a bright green upturned canoe and two blue carrier barrels bobbing away independently.
“Two canoes have toppled over already!” Was the news that greeted us. “How many through we asked?” “Two!” We were told!
That didn’t seem good odds to me as we waited for a signal that all bodies, sorry canoes, and crew had been recovered and we could carry on.
Hanging on at that bank among similarly startled colleagues was a bit like watching a D-Day landing film, where the bridge had to be blown, the Jerrys had gunned down half the first sortie, yet someone had to go next, and you all knew that the Jerrys had got their sights set now!
The signal for the next crew was seen. “Whose next?” some asked. And before I could even hear an answer, happy Hoppy had swung us round and gung ho we were racing down the thunderously roaring torrent, dodging rocks and being dashed this way and that, into waves and out of them, with Grant the Guide screaming, “Paddle, Paddle , Paddle, Paddle, for f**ks sake Paddle!!!!!” as we skittered along past the yawing jaws of the jagged rocks, and through!!!!
Hoorah! Hoorah! OOO-eck! We saw the remnants of the first crew, dripping wet on the bank as we came to rest. Their boat tethered and barrels re-stowed, but both Andy from Highways England setting the standards (who else? It’s what they do!), and Ian, the man who had unfortunately told Wrighty he was the all England Junior Kayak Champion (Birmingham branch) in 1987, dripping wet and forlorn on the bank.
We got a few more through including Adam and Stockton Heath Stu, who manged to get stuck under a tree mid-rapid and had to be rescued by Guide Ali (male) before completing.
Also capsized previously was Gary (referred to as Uncle Albert) and Stu, and then low and behold down came Tony who had been with me at the beginning before our erratic canoeing saw us split up. He had been paired with Hoppy’s mate Dave McNichol, the ONSide CEO and when waiting at the top for the signal for the next victim, he’d given me his phone to put into my water proof wallet, as he seemed to have a premonition of what would happen. It was just like they do in the movies when on a suicide mission, and the hero asks his mate to give a letter to his sweetheart or mother.
Down came Tony and Dave and they were almost through when hitting a rock and over they went. Sadly, for Tony, his barrel’s seal broke and everything he had was full of water too! No dry clothes for him, although a few things were donated.
So finally, off we went again, more river, more small rapids, and then the final big push through the Monsters jaws.
Uncle Albert and Stu were first for a double ducking as over they went! And after they were all pulled out of the water, it was decided that the water level had dropped too far and the rapids were not safe as too many rocks were being exposed and channels too small. Everyone out and drag the canoes along the bank, was the instruction.
But hey, we were already lined up and on course when that instruction was issued, Hoppy shouted, “but its too late were already off!”
And so we were, blazing down at water light speed, “Paddle, paddle paddle!”, then as I dug my paddle in, nothing but a bloody great void, and I over-reached and out I went.
I popped up like a cork, and as the water whirled around me, I remembered the instruction:” If you fall out, grab the canoe or the paddle, your buoyancy aid will do the rest.”
I desperately grabbed the canoe, only for Hoppy to scream, “don’t try to get in the boat, you’ll f**K**g sink us!” I thought “Us? But I’m already sunk!”, before he screamed get to the back, hold on to the f**k**g back!”
I let go and re-grabbed the back of the boat, and then hung on! Sometimes being splayed out behind like a super-surfer, sometime under the boat, sometimes between the boat and the rock. But half a km later we were through and into calmer water!
“You did well to not panic!” said Hoppy. “But you dove out!” Dove? DOVE? I wasn’t even convinced he hadn’t knocked me on my head with a paddle when I first tried to hold the boat!
But even worse ignominy was to befall me before the day was out!
Up on the bank, I started to shiver, and my sodden clothes had to come off. Naked, bruised and battered in the middle of the field I was consolingly offered a garment here and a garment there from the passing canoeists to hide my modesty and get me warm. They were in a particularly sultry mood by now, as they had had to haul their boats out of the river before the Monster rapids, and tow them through the bramble and hawthorn bushes with all their gear in them, forging a path where none had been before.
All they needed was a slave master wheeling the whip, and stating, “look at the naked wretch in the field! That is what happens if you disobey orders!”
There was still one more crew to capsize. Nigel and Scott, got their boat in the water, headed off into the serene remainder of the river, and after four strokes, hit the only reaming boulder that looked nothing more than a minute pimple compared to the raging boils of the rapids, and promptly turned over! It was like them safely crossing an eight-lane motorway and then tripping over the kerb! And that was in total five capsizes and one lost man out of 14 crews!!!
After some 4 and a half hours on the river (instead of the 90 minutes expected) and 13 hours in the canoes (or out of them occasion for some of us) we finally arrived at Fort Augustus – and the comforts there that awaited before the mighty Loch Ness and the third day!
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6. Day 3 - Don’t wake the sleeping Monster! (Thursday 11th April 2019)
Before Loch Ness we had to negotiate a night in Fort Augustus!
Another night under the stars, and no less than nine of us either soaking wet or with soaking clothes!
Off the canoes we all shot as we sailed to the end of Loch Oich at the end of Day two, and up the ramp they were hauled as the whitecapped waves on Loch Ness rolled inland. It wasn’t even safe for our lot to canoe the one kilometre to the camp site, and everyone tied up the canoes, packed up their blue barrels and trudged off to the camp site for a night under two tepees – no under the stars tonight – unless you wanted it, just 27 blokes in two Indian stile tepees surrounded by blue barrels, ”Oh what bliss!”
Well it was for six of the newly christened Waterboys! With me in borrowed clothes and shivering, Tony, Scott and Nigel all dripping wet through from their dousing, we were instantly shipped off to the hospital to ensure we didn’t get hypothermia! Or that’s what we thought.
It was in fact the hostel!
Four of us either dripping wet, or holding dripping wet clothes or both in Tony’s case, we stood and shivered in reception and were booked in as if this was an everyday occurrence. The receptionist didn’t bat an eye lid and we were shown to the Loch Ness suite! How fitting!
And there, occupying two of the six bunk beds were Gary and Stuart – naked under duvets, with piles of wet clothes around them and some in the bathroom. Promptly we were told to get clothes off and under the duvets, to regularise our temperatures before we consider a shower. We would be checked on every five minutes to make sure hyperthermia is not setting.
Gary wasn’t well, but the rest of took one look around, and considered the alternative accommodation that we were anticipating, just as Ali (male) popped in and said “If you like, once we are sure you are ok, we can return you to join your colleagues, if you wish.”
Quick as a flash, Scott replied, “Let me think, er, er, NO!”
If the rest had known how we would fare before we dd the rapids, they would have been throwing themselves in like Lemmings!
Thirty minutes later, we shared what dry clothes we had and with the exception of Gary, had to try the bar. Tony looked like he was straight off the beach at Magaluff, in blue shorts, short shirt, white socks and huge boots. He’d even found some undies in Lost and found – washed of course. Nigel’s ensemble of Ron Hill style Jeggings and tight tee-shirt was competed with a bright fluorescent safety vest!
That was the best drink of the trip.
A warm night, shower and some dried clothes, plus a continental breakfast found us in good spirits as we joined the tepee warriors and the great debate on whether Lock Ness could be conquered!
Not that the lads in the tents were bothered, Stubbsy and Darren had managed to consume the Jack Daniels, illicitly stored away, with the help of others, such as Neil and Mark; and the Tarmac gang’s Park Lane sleeping bags had kept them snug. Ron had slept outside in his camouflaged sleeping bag – the only trouble being it was that good that people kept tripping over him.
Graduates, Ibi and Shamus must have wondered what they had done to be packed in with this lot, whilst Wrighty’s chauffer, the indefatigable Toby knew he had another tough day’s paddling ahead of him.
We had 24km to go to Foyer on the East bank, and around five hours to do it before the wind would start to blow! The conditions looked ideal, blue skies and a millpond of a Loch. Needless to say, off we went.
We did well for the most part but after 12km, conditions were changing and it was either go on, or turn back! And back it was, as we tried to outrun the steadily growing winds that brought bigger and bigger waves, more cross swells, and the slowly increasing numbers of dreaded whitecaps on a now black and foreboding body of water!
Nobody was joking now, but we had to keep together. And for three hours we paddled almost relentlessly, but also waiting when needed to make sure we all kept together. Heading across the Loch was a total no goer! The vast majority of us just didn’t have the skills.
We hit land at the bottom of the Loch and probably paddled six strokes before we realised we were half way up the beach.
We got all the canoes up, and the whitecaps where everywhere within five minutes.
It had been, tough and at the end scary, but we had done it.
Around 80km canoed over some 26 hours paddling away.
We’d gone from Fort William to Loch Ness and managed 24 km on that foreboding Loch.
In total we had raised ￡65,000 for the OnSide Youth Zone projects that will benefit Youth Zones not only in Warrington, but Bolton and Wolverhampton to mention but a few.
A great trip that was certainly out of mine, and most everybody else’s comfort zones, but all met and beat the challenge.
Then I was told by an instructor, “This trip is usually five days, and in the past couple of years you are only the second group to get onto Loch Ness. Its usually that rough that people can’t go on, or they take one look at it and say its enough and head off to the pub, and nobody has done as far as your group in that time.”
Sadly, the pub wasn’t offered as an option!
They were all such a good bunch of cup-half-full people, who were determined not to fail and if I had the chance to do it again, I probably would but leaving out the Loch Ness experience.
Of course, people can still donate, as we look to finalise the total and next year’s plans for a challenge, but if it includes Loch Ness I won’t be going along!
Thanks to everyone who sponsored me and thanks for all your support!
https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/TrevorHunt1
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