| Nefyn to Lleiniog... I awoke on Thursday to absolutely stunning conditions. I'm glad I stayed put yesterday as I wouldn't have enjoyed the scenery in this stunning part of the Lleyn as much if my kayak was getting thrown around. The rugged coast around Nant Gwrtheyrn (the national language centre) to Trefor is quite spectacular. I passed one sheer cliff that was home to hundreds of sea birds, the smell of the colony hits you in the face but is quite wonderful. After Trefor the coast changes quite dramatically from high cliffs to low lying land & lots of sandy beaches, though still with the snowdonia mountains as an impressive backdrop. I spotted a school of Dolphins breaching near Ponfllyfni & stopped to watch them for a bit. Beautiful as this stretch of coast is I was however starting to get a bit bored & looking foreword to the challenges of the Menai. I was three hours too early for the tide but fancied seeing how far I could get against it. Fort Belan guards the entrance to the Menai & you can really see the current shooting past. To be honest I didn't expect the flow to be so strong this far from the narrower sections of the Menai, it was going like a freight train. Gonna be fun this! I hugged tight to the shore at Fort Belan but a short spit of land was pushing into the main current. Passed this spit I could see the current dividing with some breaking off into Foyrd Bay. I edged out into the current, paddled hard & aimed for the flow shooting into the bay. I really enjoyed that section but once in the bay it was easy to stay out of the current & make my way towards Caernarfon. I treated myself to a rest at Caernarfon & popped into Morrisons cafe for a cheese & mushroom omelette with chips & salad washed down with a cafe Latte. I was quite a sight for the locals as I was still wearing my kayak gear, bare feet & covered from head to toe in dried sea salt & with an exped beard too. I looked a proper salty sea dog (LOL). Leaving Caernafon I carried on towards the Swellies expecting some action. Arriving there I could see that the tide had turned but only just. The water was bearly moving & the week currents did nothing to unsettle the kayak. I was a bit disappointed, (I'll just have to come back soon). I was really tired by now, I had hoped to be hitting 6-7 knots through the Menai but as I arrived too early before the tide had turned I was probably only managing 3-4 knots with some assistance from a tailwind. I say probably as my GPS wouldn't switch on today. Add to that my camera which only works intermittently so there's a lack of pictures today. I consider skipping Anglesey & to push on past the great Orme as the conditions are fab & the tide flowing but I'm tired & beaten up. My elbow is causing me to grimace, my broken blisters sore & my bum aches from sitting all day. I've very little strength left so pull in at Lleiniog & set camp. Its a bit of a gamble as I'll be stuck if the weather turns bad as its a 7 mile crossing from camp to the Great Orme. GEEK STATS, (estimated)... Trip Odom 30'ish Nautical Miles Average 4 knots between Nefyn & Fort Belan (judging from the time & distance)  |
| Nant Gwrtheyrn... |
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| Trwyn Y Tal... |
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| Trefor... |
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| Trefor... |
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| A Dramatic Change In Landscape... |
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| Felinheli... |
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| Britannia Bridge... |
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