OK I did this adventure a few weeks ago now but have just got around to the write-up!
The wife was away for the weekend and while some would think lads night/strip club/both I thought...adventure time.
This was my 1st solo overnighter and 1st overnighter without having landowners permission. The reason for not asking permission? Not rudeness or lack of time, although I'm chronically cursed with both, but the land in question was an uninhabited island in the middle of the Thames. I couldn't find any landowner info!
I borrowed an inflatable kayak from a friend and decided to launch on Friday night from a local riverside pub after a pint with my send-off party.
I let friends know where I was going and that I would check in regularly through facebook or by text
I started the short paddle to the 1st lock - this was to be my warm up before a 5 mile paddle.
I made the 1st portage with some help from a friendly by-passer who was keen to know more about my trip. His reaction was the same as everyone's that I spoke to - "why are you doing this" and "that sounds great, I wish I was coming" were in most conversations.
The other side of lock one of two, I was warmed up and eager to go. I was truly excited.
The next stretch was just under 2 miles. The sun was low but far from setting as I paddled downstream. I watched the wildlife as the sound of big town traffic faded. I helped some youths who'd kicked their ball into the river and had an almost identical conversation to the one previously mentioned. Mostly though I got VERY WET. I had no spray deck and the wide nature of the inflatable boat led to a lot of water running down the paddle.
I was cold and wet when I reached the second lock and found no friendly passer by to help with portage. I moved the boat then moved the bag full of gear. By the end a friendly local had stopped to watch and, when asked, said they'd keep an eye on the SS. Super-Awesome while I popped to the little buoys room (pun intended). On return I had the usual conversation again, checked in on facebook to confirm my survival and took this picture
The next slog was long and hard. The sun was low behind the trees and I got truly cold! It felt more like a chore than an adventure at this point but I'm quite stubborn and soon got into a rhythm. I toyed with the idea of stopping sooner when I saw a nice private beach but I persevered and reached the island before sunset. I made a loop around to check for a spot to disembark that wasn't full of nettles. Such a place didn't exist so I picked the best of the worst spots and named the newly discovered land 'Nettle Island'
After some rum, a towel off and a change of clothes (word of warning - be careful when doing this on nettle island), I was much warmer. I set up the hammock. No rain forecast and no signs of clouds, I decided to risk it without a tarp to avoid trampling all the local flora and fauna.
I broke out the stove and cooked up a LLWF curry and rice and made a hot chocolate with yet more rum. The night was getting low so warm, exhausted and with a full belly, I got into the hammock and slept VERY well...until 4.30 when the birds started.
I contemplated trying to get back to sleep but not one to waste light I broke camp scoffed a cereal bar to keep me going and got back in the water all in 30 mins.
The sun was just up but hadn't yet burned off the mist that hung a good foot or two above the river. This was the best photo that I never took. Turns out wet hands and touch screen phones don't work too well. Despite the tranquillity and natural beauty, I was much more satisfied with the impromptu spray deck I had fashioned out of my roll mat!
The reverse journey was quiet. I didn't see a soul until I was back in town! I had finished the tough part of the journey and all that was left to do was let out the air from my kayak, pack it all up, and trek about a mile back to my strategically placed car.
I got home, showered, inhaled two bacon sandwiches and then continued with the rest of my weekend as usual. No one would have known I was gone if I hadn't told loads of friends and colleagues before going, if I had no friends on facebook, if I hadn't had (eerily similar) conversations with lots of strangers on the way and of course, written this short novel right here.
The wife was away for the weekend and while some would think lads night/strip club/both I thought...adventure time.
This was my 1st solo overnighter and 1st overnighter without having landowners permission. The reason for not asking permission? Not rudeness or lack of time, although I'm chronically cursed with both, but the land in question was an uninhabited island in the middle of the Thames. I couldn't find any landowner info!
I borrowed an inflatable kayak from a friend and decided to launch on Friday night from a local riverside pub after a pint with my send-off party.
I let friends know where I was going and that I would check in regularly through facebook or by text
I started the short paddle to the 1st lock - this was to be my warm up before a 5 mile paddle.
I made the 1st portage with some help from a friendly by-passer who was keen to know more about my trip. His reaction was the same as everyone's that I spoke to - "why are you doing this" and "that sounds great, I wish I was coming" were in most conversations.
The other side of lock one of two, I was warmed up and eager to go. I was truly excited.
The next stretch was just under 2 miles. The sun was low but far from setting as I paddled downstream. I watched the wildlife as the sound of big town traffic faded. I helped some youths who'd kicked their ball into the river and had an almost identical conversation to the one previously mentioned. Mostly though I got VERY WET. I had no spray deck and the wide nature of the inflatable boat led to a lot of water running down the paddle.
I was cold and wet when I reached the second lock and found no friendly passer by to help with portage. I moved the boat then moved the bag full of gear. By the end a friendly local had stopped to watch and, when asked, said they'd keep an eye on the SS. Super-Awesome while I popped to the little buoys room (pun intended). On return I had the usual conversation again, checked in on facebook to confirm my survival and took this picture
The next slog was long and hard. The sun was low behind the trees and I got truly cold! It felt more like a chore than an adventure at this point but I'm quite stubborn and soon got into a rhythm. I toyed with the idea of stopping sooner when I saw a nice private beach but I persevered and reached the island before sunset. I made a loop around to check for a spot to disembark that wasn't full of nettles. Such a place didn't exist so I picked the best of the worst spots and named the newly discovered land 'Nettle Island'
After some rum, a towel off and a change of clothes (word of warning - be careful when doing this on nettle island), I was much warmer. I set up the hammock. No rain forecast and no signs of clouds, I decided to risk it without a tarp to avoid trampling all the local flora and fauna.
I broke out the stove and cooked up a LLWF curry and rice and made a hot chocolate with yet more rum. The night was getting low so warm, exhausted and with a full belly, I got into the hammock and slept VERY well...until 4.30 when the birds started.
I contemplated trying to get back to sleep but not one to waste light I broke camp scoffed a cereal bar to keep me going and got back in the water all in 30 mins.
The sun was just up but hadn't yet burned off the mist that hung a good foot or two above the river. This was the best photo that I never took. Turns out wet hands and touch screen phones don't work too well. Despite the tranquillity and natural beauty, I was much more satisfied with the impromptu spray deck I had fashioned out of my roll mat!
The reverse journey was quiet. I didn't see a soul until I was back in town! I had finished the tough part of the journey and all that was left to do was let out the air from my kayak, pack it all up, and trek about a mile back to my strategically placed car.
I got home, showered, inhaled two bacon sandwiches and then continued with the rest of my weekend as usual. No one would have known I was gone if I hadn't told loads of friends and colleagues before going, if I had no friends on facebook, if I hadn't had (eerily similar) conversations with lots of strangers on the way and of course, written this short novel right here.
