Sea Kayaking the Isle of Purbeck: Lulworth Cove, Stair Hole, Durdle Door and Bat's Hole

I can't believe it is still February.  The weather down here is great.  Today we launched our kayaks into Lulworth Cove and headed west along the Jurassic Coastline.  It was a bit choppy but getting out was great.  The colour of the water was beautiful, I've never experience such warm weather so early in the year and been in a kayak to glory in the sun.

Spark and I paddle out of the Cove and headed about 500m to Stair Hole, a lovely little cove with two arches to paddle through.  We had the entire place to ourselves - it was great.  The tide was really going out fast and made the trip in and out of the cove pretty exciting, the waves were so big we almost smashed our heads, protected in our new bobble hats, on the cave walls.  I could believe our luck with the weather, right place right time!

We paddle further West and parked ourselves on a beach and poured a couple of brews.  I had to take my top of it was so hot - drysuits were a total mistake!  We had a play on the beach with the waves and headed up to the mighty Durdle door.

I couldn't wait to paddle through the huge archway.  I lined up and all of a sudden the tide sucked all of the water out of the arch leaving me confronted with a huge underwater wall of perfect Purbeck stone - aaahhhh!!!  I crapped myself as I looked at it, a giant hole to get smashed and mangeld up in, and me without a helmet, what a nob!

I back paddled with all my strength until a wave came up behind me.  I slipped over the break of the wave and then paddle furiously through the arch.  The wave crashed and boiled right in the centre but I was through- wasn't expecting that!  I signalled to Spark, giving him the skull and cross bones sign, to go around as I paddled around the other side to explain.  But something got lost in the communication and before I knew it he was upside down on the other side of the door bobble hat floating in the water!  Shit!

He roled up, no blood on is head and had a big smile on his face, 'my bloody hat's wet man, bugger!'.  Woollen hat - bad idea!

After that we headed up to Bat's Hole and paddled around the pillar and rocks and watched a huge flock of seagulls fly out into the breeze.  What a day!

Peace,

Dan

John Craven's Willy Warmer - Climbing Swanage: Dancing Ledge & Hedbury Quarry

The wind, the sea, the salty air, John Craven's Willy Warmer and a mug of tea, really, it's all you need isn't it!?  It's a route, it's a route... promise!  No I didn't need the willy warmer this weekend.  The weather has been beautiful down here on the South Coast.  We've been climbing down here on the Purbeck Coast, grabbing hold of the perfect Purbeck rock.  No better time to climb down here than now, it's dry, no too warm or cold and the sun is shinning!

But with a lack of guidebook we bolted into, 'a what will remain unnamed outdoor store'. and a nice young lad printed us off a couple of sheets on Rockfax to help us out.  But me being kinda shit at interpreting descriptions without pictures we just threw ourselves, Spark and I, onto what ever looked like it would go.  Great smashing the new truck down the dirt lanes by the way, without spilling my tea!!

We headed to Langton Matravers and parked at Tom's Field.  It was a short hike down into the Quarries with an amazing view of the ocean.  We started out at Dancing Ledge.  The quarry get it's name because at certain stages of the tide when the waves wash over the the horizontal surface, the surface undulations cause the water to bob about making the ledge appear to dance.  The Limestone rock quarried here was used in London to rebuild after the great fire!  2 Rock Facts for you!  Most of the stuff down in Dancing Ledge is, how can I say, 'ard as nuts.  We tried a few routes but 7a is a bit out of reach at the moment.  Had a go at 'Carol's Little Injection' and 'All Fall Down', both between 6a-6b+ but it was a bit nuts so we moved on to Hedbury.

The Quarry at Hedbury had a few more climbing in, so we could get a feel of what was going.  Some rock bollocks climbing folk in here, all grunting and screaming, I liked it.  We set up on the left, with a big drop down to the see and bagged a few 5-5a climbs.  No idea of the names, not too important.  Got a bit hairy at the top with the huge drop below and the crashing waves flying up 30 feet into the air.

A great day, can't wait to go back!

Peace,

Dan

Gear Review: Mammut GTX Mountain Trail Boot

I bought my Mammut GTX Mt. Trail boots way back in 2010 and they've probably been the most comfortably and reliable boot I've owned thus far.  They're basically the old Raichle boot, Mammut having bought the company in 2003, began re branding the boots in 2009.  The new version comes with a nice rubber rand around the toe for a bit more protection from wear.  My right boot is totally scuffed, lazy leg, so the new rand would sort me out!

I use my boots all the time and apart from some wear at the toe end and some on the soul the boots are in excellent shape.  They've been battered and racked up the miles but are holding their own.

Comfortable, hard wearing and waterproof, the GTX are made using natural leather combined with a  GORE-TEX® Performance Comfort inner lining.  They are equipped with a great Vibram® MT-Traction sole for cushioning and grip.  They are very light and nibble weighing 1650g per pair and the great thing is that they are B1 boots, which means they are compatible with C1 crampons if you want to hit the ice.

The Mammut GTX Mt. Trail consist of a simple clean design, hard wearing and totally waterproof.  I like them so much I'm going to get another pair just in case they stop designing them.  I got mine for around £120.00 in a sale so shop around, you might be able to find them around that mark.

Peace,

Dan

intotheOUTSIDE:tv - Featuing: White Lines, Northern Huk, Tombstoning & Kayak Europa

Please check out these films and more @
intotheOUTSIDE:tv 

Peace,

Dan

Ridgeway

Nice walk on the Ridgeway today.

Peace,

Dan

Man vs Wild/Born Survivor: The Sun's Going Down Must Build Shelter!

 Great week in the Lakes ended with a camp fire roasting marchmallows and building shelters in the morning.

Peace,

Dan

Calling all Italian and Austrian Kayakers!

I am thinking of putting a 3-4 week kayaking trip together in June.  We are looking at the Austrian and Italian Alps.  Possibly the Trento and Val di Sole area of Italy and around the Innsbruck and Landeck region of Austria.  We are looking to make another film for the summer, so if anyone, or club are interested in meeting let me know!

Peace,

Dan

Sto pensando di mettere un viaggio di 3-4 kayak settimana insieme nel mese di giugno. Stiamo cercando le Alpi austriache e italiane. Forse la zona di Trento e la Val di Sole d'Italia e in tutta la regione di Innsbruck e Landeck Austria. Stiamo cercando di fare un altro film per l'estate, quindi se qualcuno, o club sono interessati a incontro fammi sapere!

Pace,

Dan


Je pense mettre un voyage de 3-4 semaines kayak ensemble en Juin. Nous nous penchons sur les Alpes autrichiennes et italiennes. Peut-être l'. Trente et Val di Sole de l'Italie et autour de la région d'Innsbruck et Landeck de l'Autriche Nous cherchons à faire un autre film pour l'été, donc, si quelqu'un, ou d'un club sontintéressés à rencontrer faites le moi savoir!

paix,

Dan

At Last: BOMB FLOW Episode 7

Peace,

Dan

Helvellyn

I got out on the hill today despite being a bit under the weather.  Coughs and colds and all that!!  Perhaps it time to get that new sleeping bag - it could keep me alive just a wee bit longer.  I am thinking about possibly insulating the land rover next time, just so I don't freeze to death.  People have been good, I've been offered floors and beds and cooked meals.  I have taken a few up on their offer, many thanks you charitable people!  Nights in youth hostles with 'middle age plastic bag rattlers' - no thanks!!

There's nothing better than waking up and opening the door, sitting on your roof with some hot oatmeal and hitting the trail.  Today it was Helvellyn.  And the drive around Thrilmere had to be done first.  My favourite view in the whole of the lakes.  I don't know why this Lake attracts me so much.  Maybe it's the steep banks, covered in pine, the islands floating in the middle, Wrythburn Forest and fells all around, the high road that runs on the western edge.  There is something about it that just makes me feel great when I rush by it in the car.

This morning it was covered in a still low lying fog.  The water was as still as a mirror and the snow was thawing on the ground all around.  Occasionally the fog cleared and I could see to the other side of the lake - beautiful.

I pack the crampons, axe, coffee, hat, gloves, map and compass and got my ass up the hill.  I was blowing a bit.  Still a bit ropey from the cold that I've had but I shot up the fell and was up on the Lower Man within an hour.  I dropped down Swirral Edge and circled Red Tarn before beasting up Striding Edge.  Get the crampons out! 

There was nobody around, the mountain was mine.  I carried on South to Nethermost Pike and then to Grisedale Tarn .  By this time I was totally knackered and stopped for some bread and jam.  At 2pm the cloud split and the sun came out for about 20 minutes, and the view was spectacular.

I dropped down into Wrythburn Forest and followed the fire track back to the car and curled up in my sleeping bag and fell right asleep!  Bushwacked and aching cuddling a hot water bottle!

Peace,

Dan

Tooling Around

Peace,

Dan