Living the dream

A highland existence interspersed with regular travels and running a charity in Nepal

Loch Lochy Canoe Camp

Sally and I went onto Loch Lochy by canoe for an overnight camp........


Tested out new tent

Wild mushrooms for breakfast

Lovely morning to follow.

River Garry with Chris Ravey, Rotobat throwbackman!

Chris Ravey pulls out his Rotobat from the archive on the River Garry!

Mushroom picking bonanza

An early bonanza from one of my mushroom picking secrets. :-)

Canoe trip Loch Moidart area 1-3 August 2010

Set off on a solo canoe trip through north channel of Loch Moidart to the open sea. Quiet and unspoiled.

A perfect camp at Smirisary, looking to Ardnamurchan
Self portrait, standing on a huge quartz boulder!

Looking down on the Smirisary site with tarp in place as kitchen. Heaven.

Heading back into the inner Loch Moidart

Kutsayoki River, Kola, Russia 9-23 July 2010

In July 2010 we all collected in St Petersburg, Russia, for a trip north to Kola near Murmansk, to run the Kutsayoki River. Our 12 day adventure started with a shuttle in this Kong truck........

Supremely comfortable. Mark made it through the three military checkpoints by being invisible in his Bugskinz!!

Started paddling the catamarans on the Krasninkaya tributary which was technical grade 3 and 4 and quite tough for loaded catamarans.

Oleg and Oleg doing a duo.......

Ilya tastes the dinner.........

Boris, aged 4, heads out fishin'...........

A quick S turn for Mark (Olympia) and Oleg..........

The side on approach!

Oh oh!! Looks like trouble ahead.........

..........heaps of trouble!!!

Okay....take two.....try to clean it this time.....

Oh oh!! Loks like trouble again.........

That pesky rock!!!

After too many stobkas of vodka Chris, Mark and Mike (Kiwi from Seattle!) start on the malt whiskey......ouch!!!

Marina and Oleg lookin' cool as cucumbers. Then onto Kutsayoki proper.

Big double drop ahead......don't worry......Boris, aged 4, is on safety!!

A wee slide.............Jeeeeezuuuuuuus!

A wee drop on the Kutsayoki!!!

This one was a bit too big....so portaged.....phew!

Natasha and Lelik, daughter and mum, the nymphs of the Kutsayoki.

The full team. Back row L to R: Mike, Oleg, Ilya, Luba, Valiera, Jenya, Marina, Oleg (with Boris on top); Front Row L to R: Natasha, Olga, Vadim, Yura, Mark, Chris.

The gorge camp below Big Mama.

Fish, fish and fish.........

Mark and Chris take a hole on Kutsayoki

Paying respect to the flag of St Petersburg.
Oleg flaying himself with a birch swatch in the home made banya at the Tumcha River confluence


Post banya, clean, cooked and refreshed!

Valiera, the grizzly from Pskov, eats his fish whole!!

A different take on the concept of the creek boat and buoyancy aid!

Play time on the last rapid before the great lake. Olga, Natasha and Oleg make it a family flip.

On the steamer, steaming!

A birthday for Chris in Kola!!

Chris cooked a birthday dinner for everyone......the mad chef!

Jenya, 11 days out, father of Boris.

The bent bar that smacked my knee into oblivion on second rapid, first day....and I can still feel it now 4 months on!

Midnight sun over the lake, from the island where we spent our last three days.

Chris with his wee Russian bro. Thanks Oleg for a great trip.