It’s been a while since I added a new instalment in the Journey to Paddlesport Instructor series and that’s partly because there’s been no major step forward for a while and partly because I have an entire separate paddling blog now (I’ll admit it at last: I’m plotting to become one of Paddle UK’s #ShePaddles … More My Paddlesport Leader training course
Did you know you can kayak in London? Central London, that really busy bit with the thousands of Clippers and tourist boats and all the other chaos? Whether I could take my own kayak and do it myself, I don’t know, but there’s certainly a company that offers the experience with an expert guide and … More I kayaked across central London
Just for the avoidance of doubt, I’m not actually a kayaking instructor. I volunteer at our Girlguiding boathouse where we have one qualified leader and three assistants. I’m kind of hoping to be an actual qualified instructor by next year maybe but for now, I’m using “instructor” in the sense of… well, my job is to go out … More My second season as a kayaking instructor
The other week, I had a bit of a whistlestop trip to Croatia, a country that’s been on my to-do list for a few years and which I finally ticked off because Bristol Airport had direct flights. It turns out Bristol isn’t quite as close as I always imagine it is and the flights weren’t … More Three islands in one day sea kayaking tour
Iceland has been my mania for a long time. Kayaking has been bubbling up but has been my newest mania for a little while, but particularly right now, as I attempt to enact a plot I actually have no control over whatsoever. Anyway, the moment I discovered that this book existed, via Lee-Anne Fox on … More Travel Library: Iceland by Kayak by Nigel Foster
Oh, I’ve been talking about this for so long! It’s been nearly two years since I decided to go down the kayaking leadership route and at long last, I’ve got my first actual qualification on that route! I finally did my Paddlesport Safety and Rescue course – in fact, it’s been so long that the … More I finally did my Paddlesport Safety & Rescue course!
There’s one thing I’ve wanted to do in Iceland for years but somehow it’s never fitted into my itinerary. Well, thanks to my Summer in the North trip turning into Impromptu Whistlestop Tour of the Ring Road, suddenly it did fit: I went kayaking on the glacial lagoon, Jökulsárlón. We all know Jökulsárlón, Iceland’s famous … More Kayaking on the Glacial Lagoon
If you’re a regular reader, you may know I’m on a slow meandering journey to becoming a kayak instructor. If you follow me on Instagram, you may know I’m already there, although you may not realise I’ve kind of skipped a couple of important steps. Last year, I went to a local Ranger unit to … More What is it like to be a kayaking leader?
Last summer, I set off to Purbeck intent on a weekend of “adventure”, which I spent at Norden Farm Campsite, exploring Corfe village in the pouring rain, doing my first sea swim and getting to jump into the cab of a heritage steam locomotive. This year I found myself back there for the “My Outdoors” … More My Outdoors: a night on the water
This is so exciting that I’m writing the first paragraph half an hour after booking, more than two months before I actually did the thing I’m about to tell you about – by the time this is published, I will hold the British Canoeing Sea Kayak Award. (Well, that’s what I thought when I started … More I now hold the Sea Kayak Award! (Well, nearly…)
I Am A Polar Bear 