St. Petersburg, Russia 1-8 July 2010

Sally and Oleg in front of the appartment they loaned us for our visit to Russia.

Olga in their appartment on the edge of the city of Saint Petersburg

Midnight on the balcony of our appartment during the "white nights".

Oleg, Head Master, in his school office

The fortress on the River Neva

Incredible granite column from Karelia and palatial facade

One of the many cathedrals

Dinner at Brode's flat

Coming up from the Metro

Church of the spilled blood, the only cathedral in "Russian" style

Train to Moscow!

Neva River cruises heading out, view from Oleg's appartment

Olga with daughter Natasha, in their "jungle"

Peterhof Palace

Extraordinary fountain frontage at Peterhof

The view to the Baltic Sea

At the Baltic with Oleg and Olga

A spot of blacksmithing.......

and craft work..........

White nights, waiting for the raising of the Neva Bridges.........

There they go!

Oleg with his family, Olga, Natasha and Yura.

On the set at the Marinsky Theatre, before the ballet.

Chris conducting the orchestra at the Marinsky Theatre!

The stunning ballet of Giselle.

Hanging out backstage after the production with ballerina!

Wonderful dinner on a galleon!

Mike, Sally, Chris and Olga (nice legs!) and Oleg after dinner. Thanks you guys!
Amazing people in amazing city, in amazing country.

Ling Hut, Torridon 25-27 June 2010

Stayed at Ling Hut (seen here in background) on Argyll MC Meet. The hut is really in need of sprucing up, we thought it was less than hygienic. Nevertheless the area is very beautiful of course.

Sally and I walked into the main corrie of Beinn Eighe to see the loch and Triple buttresses.

North Cascades Kayak Tour 11-20 June 2010

Flew into Seattle, picked up truck and camper and 2 days on collected Phil Dicken from the airport at Seatac.
First run was on the Washington Green River Gorge 3/4. Doug surfing.

Heading down the Wenatchee River at Leavenworth, Washington.

Alex Carlson, over from Port Angeles, on the wave.

Surfing river style with a difference,,,,look out for that raft!!

Chilling out at my land at Icicle Creek

Phil, Doug and Chris get ready for the Upper Foss River.

The steep section of the Foss was pushing class 5.

Ingall's Creek and Peshastin River and the main event, "Fresh Squeezed".

Doug surfs the put in wave on the Methow River at high water.

Similkameen Falls in Canada.

Upper Similkameen River at high water.

Phil with the landowner at the put in for Similkameen Canyon run

Similkameen Canyon run, a 40 km spectacular. Very pumpy water!! Committing.


Similkameen Canyon run is inescapable through all the harder canyons at high water.

This one needed a scout, some we could not scout!!

Chris takes a huge grade 5 down the central line. Big holes to miss!!!!

A more scenic and benign run on the Chehalis River, B.C., Canada

Statlu Creek run into the Chehalis.

Back to big water on the Chilliwack Canyon

From Chilliwack we returned to Washington for a run on the Sauk River to finish.
A great trip with great water levels.

Great Glen Canoe trip 5-6 June 2010

Guiding Claire Hopkins and two friends from Edinburgh and Leeds on a two day venture down the Great Glen by canoe. Put in at Fort Augustus and paddled the canal to Loch Oich, then on through the canal to a camp site at north end of Loch Lochy.

A fine evening in camp.

Overnight the wind switched from headwind to a significant following wind and we were glad to make it down the loch to the River Lochy.

After passing the locks at Gairlochy we portaged over and into the River Lochy.
Although low water, we finished with a nice run down the Lochy.

The challenge of moving water added excitement to an already exciting day and we finished with a descent, for the two girls, each with Chris, of Torcastle Rapid which was very tight.