4* open boat

The last big thing I did was 4* Open Boat Training with Stuart Bell - what a legend. We used the Spey - Ballindalloch to Knockando (dejavu? no?), the Tay down to Grandtully and went up to paddle on the sea at Fort George for our open water day. The last two days were white water safety and rescue with Chadders and Shaun. We used Feshie bridge area to practice swimming for eddies, doing superman dives (a form of live-baiting) to rescue each other, cutting a body free from an entrapment on the river and other skills. The last day was spent on the Findhorn looking at some more safety and rescue scenarios, and using our journey as an opportunity to look at leadership issues. I definitely want to go back and do the Middle Findhorn again, it was consistently interesting. All in all a great week, I learned loads.

Work

Last Saturday I was working on a nav and montain skills course for Glenmore Lodge. I always enjoy teaching nav and find it really absorbing, finding ways of communicating these skills and ideas to each individual. It always helps when you have a nice group too.

Spey Descent

This week we enjoyed blisteringly hot weather on our descent of the Spey swimming in the river most days . The river winds through some beautiful scenery and we we saw osprey diving for fish, sand martens dipping in and out of their burrows (in the pic), oyster catchers, dippers, tares, buzzards, leaping salmon, red squirrels (I had never even seen a red squirrel in England as they're so rare down there). We also found fresh water mussels. Most of the rapids and weirs were a scrape but I'd like to go back and do the section from Knockando to Spey Bay in higher water.