Clissold's Adventures

2007-06-30T19:38:00.000+01:00

I have moved!

I have now moved my blog to wordpress. It can be now found at www.patrickclissold.wordpress.com

2007-06-30T12:15:00.000+01:00

Edelweiss, Thunderstorms and MSR's

As myself and my girlfriend, Eleri, are both off on trips over the whole summer, we managed to find 10 days we could actually go on holiday together. We decided, as we both needed some fitness training, to go trekking in the Stubai alps in Austria. We packed out bags and left and were soon in the heart of Tirol.
Eleri had never been trekking in the alps before and the weather treated her to the whole alpine experience in one week. On the first day we were cooked by the sun, then on reaching a ridge the heavens opened and we had to endure one of the worst thunder and lightening storms I have ever witnessed. As soon as it started we threw up the tent while the largest hail stones I have ever seen were hitting us on the head. He hid inside the tent for 13 hours before the constant lightening came to an end. What a start to the trip!
The next day we got out of our tents to find that my MSR stove was not working. So feeling a bit dismayed we headed down the next valley, and on failing to fix the stove, had to buy lots of cheese and cooked meat to keep us going for the next week.
After that things got better and we had a great week walking in some awsome mountains. We are both feeling a lot fitter now and are getting ready for our respective summers away.

2007-06-16T22:10:00.000+01:00

I have moved!

My blog has now moved to www.patrickclissold.wordpress.com

2007-06-08T18:33:00.000+01:00

Finally Sorted

After a lot of time, effort and importantly money, I have finally got all the visas for this summer's expedition. Due to the fact that my University is next to all the embassies in London I have been the team visa bitch. In total I have been to the Kazakhstan embassy 5 times, the Mongolian one 6 times and luckily the Russian one only once.

The only thing to do now is to actually go!

2007-06-04T18:23:00.001+01:00

Burn Surfing

Worms Head

It turns out that I actually hurt my hand more than I thought in Italy and I have only just been able to grip paddle properly again. Eager to try out my new found ability I was desperate to get out boating over the weekend no matter what.

The weather forecast some summer storms down in South Wales, but they didn't come to much to it was decided to go surfing on the Gower.

Two of us decided to take our Burns to see what they were like to surf. In conclusion, not as bad as you may think. It was good training to try and control a large creek boat in the surf, and if nothing else it was good to be out of London for a while.

The gorgeous Rhosili Bay

2007-05-29T18:31:00.000+01:00

Calais Rally

Every year the Little Ships Club sails hunderds of yachts over to Calais in remeberance of all the Little Ships that sailed across the channel to bring back our troops from Dunkerque in 1940. My ship, HMS Puncher, is a member of the Little Ships Club and as so we went to represent the Royal Navy for the Calais Rally.

Passing HMS Mersey off the coast of Brighton

We sailed from Portsmouth to Dover before refuelling to make the hop across to Calais. The weekend was superb with many G&T's being consumed on many different peoples yachts. A night out in Calais (God's blind spot) resulted in much merryment and dancing on tables....

A few of the hundreds of yachts arriving in Calais Marina

The sail back to Portsmouth was not the most pleasant as we trying to outrun a storm. 10 hours later and much technicolour yawning brought us safely back to pompey after a fanatastic weekend. As I am away all summer on expedition I will miss the usual summer deployments and so it was a good to get some time on board the might P291.

2007-05-08T13:03:00.000+01:00

Fun and Frolics in Italy

(all photos thanks to Nick Horwoood)

I have just got back from a great long weekend in Val Sesia and the Aosta Valley in Italy. It was a great if not somewhat eventful few days on some of the best steep creeking Europe has to offer. Some of the highlights for me were the Sorba slides and a quite eventful day on the Soana where I took my first swim for 6 years!

Myself on the Sorba slides

Off the river there was much merryment and jollity with some very good company. I look forward to going back next year.

Nick Horwood on the Gronde

Watch out, more photos to come!

2007-03-06T17:32:00.000Z

fourbordersexpedition.com goes live!

The website for the upcoming British Universities Kayaking Expedition is now live. We are calling it the four borders expedition and it will be to Siberia, Mongolia and hopefully Kazakhstan. All details are on the site so check it out at: www.fourbordersexpedition.com

2007-03-04T23:11:00.000Z

South Wales Mission Part II

Rob Tuley fustrated at the shallow landing
on what would be a perfect fall, Afon Pyrddin

With the forecast of some rain in South Wales, Rob Tuley, Ralph Evins and myself left London at about 6 am to find some good boating. When we got across the Seven bridge the heavens seemed to have opened. Everything was high and brown, perfect conditions to wash away the London grime.

Our first port of call was an old friend from our last mission, the Nedd Fechan. It didn't disapoint. Everyone apart from yours truely seemed to try the upside down line on the triple drop, (there is advantages to taking the photos and coming down last!).

Ralph Evins showing us how it's done, Nedd Fechan

Theo Pedre getting some air, Nedd Fechan

We arrived at the confluence of the Afon Pyrddin and decided to do a little exploring. Some nice looking drops brought us to what is known as Gladys Falls. This spectacular, near pefect drop unfortunately lands in about 2 ft of water, very typical of the area. We met the Nedd Fechan again and some fun play waves brought us to the end.

Myself Uber boofing, Afon Pyrddin

On the walk back up we spotted our friends Tim Burne and Dave Fairweather who we were due to meet up with earlier but got bored of waiting for them. The level had risen a lot in just the short time we were on and they seemed to be having an interesting time (I think Dave had a bit of a trashing!).

After fetching the car we headed over to the Tawe. We drove up to the Upper Tawe which was a stonking spate stream, however it was also blowing a gale and we wussed out. We headed down to the middle Tawe which was in full spate and in the trees. On getting on we realised that this usual fun grade III-IV had turned into a Nepalese river in monsoon. After seeing some of the largest holes I have ever seen in the UK we shouldered our boats and headed back to our car and the big smog. Another succesful day mission to South Wales.

2007-02-11T21:17:00.000Z

Dry Times In Wales

Snowdon from the IC Mountain Hut

It was the first ICCC Wales trip of the term and our luck with water ran out. Wales was dry but it was still good to get out of London. On arrival Rory managed to fall of the roof of the bus and lodge his arse in the windscreen. Not his proudest moment. We made the most of the night as there was nothing to wake up early for.The bus after Rory had finished with it

We got pretty late on the Saturday to paddle the Vyrnwy which turned out to be not releasing. We finally got on the Tryweryn at about 2p.m. A record at ICCC I think. More merryment was had that night with the plan of paddling the Dee the next day.

Me enjoying the winter sun on Serpent's Tale, River Dee

Rory and Mark went to fix the bus while the rest of us went to the Dee. However only a fraction of the club could be bothered to get on. Luckily for those of us who did, it turned out to be a really pleasant paddle in the sunshine. Better than spending another weekend in LDN, and a lot cheaper.

Town Falls, River Dee

We are off to Lake's next weekend. Lets hope we have a bit more water than this trip.

2007-01-22T20:54:00.000Z

High Times On The Dart

It was the first ICCC trip of the term. We headed down to Dartmoor and were suprised to find an amazing amount of water. We started on the upper early on Saturday. Levels were far too high and after about half a mile we got off and ran away crying. We met up with the rest of the club to do a high water decent of the loop.

Triple step in high levels

Later in the afternoon we went back up to the Upper Dart where it had dropped of a bit. It was a nice pushy level, probably one of the best runs of the upper I have had.

On the Sunday, after failing to find anyone to run the Plym with me, we were really imaginative and did exatly the same as we did on the Saturday.

The way forward, playboating in a burn.

2007-01-10T15:13:00.000Z

New Year Adventures in Scotland

The festive period meant the annual Imperial College trip to Scotland. Previous years have brought low water and freezing conditions. This year however we were blessed with high levels and a mild temperature.

Me on Polldubh fall, Nevis

Many rivers were in uber high levels including the Roy and the Spean gorge which was at 7.5 ft on the gauge which made it more of a Himalayan style river than a Scottish one.

Dave Burne, over boofing, Allt Mheuran

The two runs that will stand out for me on the trip is an awsome dawn raid on the Nevis and late in the day run of the Allt Mheuran. A great way to see out the old year and see in the new.

Me, good times, Allt Mheuran

Photos: Tim Burne, Claire Browne, Phil Leadbeater

2006-11-27T22:03:00.000Z

British Universities Kayaking Expedition Selection Weekend

High up Snowdon on the Cwm Llan

Just got back from one of the best weekends in my boating history. It was the weekend of the next British Universities Kayaking Expedition. It was three days of some quality boating as, again we had water in North Wales!!

We got to know each other on the Aberglasyn Gorge and the Llygwy on the Friday followed by a long evening of talking about destinations.

Down river race on the Aberglaslyn gorge

The following day we paddled my favourite Welsh river, the Upper Mawddach and then did a storming run of the Gamlan. We then back to the hut for the selection of the team. I was lucky enough to get selected!

We finished the night off by having an amazing night out in Bangor, crashing someones houseparty and only passing out at about 6 in the morning.

On the Sunday rather hung over we walked half way up Snowdon to paddle the Cwm Llan, which is worth the walk!

A fantastic weekend all round.

Cwm Llan

The final team are, myself, Tom Hunter, Sean Zeihm-Stephen, Lowri Davis, Dave Burne, Ben Bedingham, Simon Tapley, Graham Milton and Paul Sherman.

The selected team

2006-11-20T18:02:00.000Z

A wet weekend in Wales

Had another good ICCC trip. We had some good levels in spite of the lack of rain. We started off on the Saturday on the middle Conwy with the whole club. Afterwards a few of us ran the section down to Penmachno bridge. It was the first time I didn't get Gobbled by the Gobbler but it wasn't the same story for everyone:

We got up early on the Sunday and met with Dave Fairweather to do a dawn raid of Fairy Glen which had a nice level.

As a club run we went to the Dee which was at an 8 on the gauge. Everyone seemed to enjoy it. Even Rory who managed to swim over the one weir you shouldn't swim on after Town Falls.

2006-10-31T09:09:00.000Z

ICCC's Fresher's Trip

It was the Imperial College Canoe Club (ICCC) fresher's trip this weekend. It got off to a bad start with one of our minibuses breaking down but luckily we had enough extra cars to shuttle everyone around.

A good level on the Saturday saw us on the Glaslyn with some comic beatings on the Gorge. This was followed up by the Llygwy from Miner's bridge.

Lots of fun was had in the hut that night with all the freshers having to take the initiation of climbing our ladder upside down.

We also managed the Lledr on the Sunday but unfortunately no pictures

2006-10-23T19:25:00.000+01:00

Day Mission To South Wales

Rob Tuley, Joe Freeman and myself managed a day mission from South Kensington to the Brecon Beacons and were welcomed by a large amount of water, fantastic!
First stop was the Mellte which I have been wanting to do for ages, and it didn't disapoint :

After a rather futile attempt to find the Clydach gorge we went back to Ystradfellte and found the Nedd Fechan in a rather large water state:

Having lived in Wales for 18 years I always went North and had never discovered that some of the best boating in Wales is to be found South.