Interacting with both the Coastguard and/or National Coastwatch Institute (NCI), can be daunting, however often while the etiquette for using the radio when sailing (which we have researched thoroughly), feels natural for us now, there were still unknown issues with regard to the radio etiquette for a group of kayaks on open water, which we needed addressing.
Winter Paddle on Llyn Padarn
That was it for snow. The whole place was covered in between six and eight inches of snow., but it was enough for us to fulfil our winter paddling ambitions, whilst also completing the first step of our Harryår, or Harry Year challenge. This is a Swedish challenge, named after a Fin, who questioned why his Swedish friends, were putting away their boats in winter and not paddling all year round.
Llyn Dinas – Accessibility
Llyn Dinas is a small but picturesque lake in Eryri (Snowdonia), nestled in a classic glacial valley with a mix of woodland and rugged hills surrounding it. Llyn Dinas is relatively small and elongated, stretching roughly 1 km in length, oriented roughly northwest to southeast. Its shape is narrow, typical of a glacially carved ribbon lake. The lake is fed by small streams from the surrounding hills and drains via the Afon Glaslyn.
Christmas Paddling 2025
The first adventure was with four of us on Llyn Padarn. For the longest time we have been seeing other kayakers, kayaking with fairy lights on their boats in December, which looked like wonderful fun, and we wanted to have a go ourselves. So we arranged to meet at the lake one evening, an hour or two before the sun was due to set.
Llyn Gwynant– Accessibility
Llyn Gwynant is a lake in Eryri (Snowdonia), nestled in a classic U-shaped glacial valley. The geography around the lake is striking because the surrounding terrain rises steeply on both sides, creating a dramatic mountainous backdrop. To the west and north, you have the Snowdon Massif and peaks such as Moel Eilio and Moel Hebog. To the east, the valley slopes rise more gently but still frame the lake with hills like Cnicht, giving it a sense of enclosure.
Canoe Club & Kayak Pool Sessions
So we met the club. Cerys and I had to go out on a couple of assessment paddles with the chair and membership secretary, so they could assess what help I might need, and see where we were in terms of paddling. We had good long chats with them, and they were all great. It was deemed that we were obviously still learning, but that we were okay to go into the pool sessions. We gained the tag ‘Improvervs’. Exciting.
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Canoe Club – VHF Winter Talk
Interacting with both the Coastguard and/or National Coastwatch Institute (NCI), can be daunting, however often while the etiquette for using the radio when sailing (which we have researched thoroughly), feels natural for us now, there were still unknown issues with regard to the radio etiquette for a group of kayaks on open water, which we needed addressing.
Winter Paddle on Llyn Padarn
That was it for snow. The whole place was covered in between six and eight inches of snow., but it was enough for us to fulfil our winter paddling ambitions, whilst also completing the first step of our Harryår, or Harry Year challenge. This is a Swedish challenge, named after a Fin, who questioned why his Swedish friends, were putting away their boats in winter and not paddling all year round.
Llyn Dinas – Accessibility
Llyn Dinas is a small but picturesque lake in Eryri (Snowdonia), nestled in a classic glacial valley with a mix of woodland and rugged hills surrounding it. Llyn Dinas is relatively small and elongated, stretching roughly 1 km in length, oriented roughly northwest to southeast. Its shape is narrow, typical of a glacially carved ribbon lake. The lake is fed by small streams from the surrounding hills and drains via the Afon Glaslyn.
Christmas Paddling 2025
The first adventure was with four of us on Llyn Padarn. For the longest time we have been seeing other kayakers, kayaking with fairy lights on their boats in December, which looked like wonderful fun, and we wanted to have a go ourselves. So we arranged to meet at the lake one evening, an hour or two before the sun was due to set.
Llyn Gwynant– Accessibility
Llyn Gwynant is a lake in Eryri (Snowdonia), nestled in a classic U-shaped glacial valley. The geography around the lake is striking because the surrounding terrain rises steeply on both sides, creating a dramatic mountainous backdrop. To the west and north, you have the Snowdon Massif and peaks such as Moel Eilio and Moel Hebog. To the east, the valley slopes rise more gently but still frame the lake with hills like Cnicht, giving it a sense of enclosure.
Canoe Club & Kayak Pool Sessions
So we met the club. Cerys and I had to go out on a couple of assessment paddles with the chair and membership secretary, so they could assess what help I might need, and see where we were in terms of paddling. We had good long chats with them, and they were all great. It was deemed that we were obviously still learning, but that we were okay to go into the pool sessions. We gained the tag ‘Improvervs’. Exciting.
Llyn Cwellyn – Accessibility
Llyn Cwellyn lies within a broad glacial valley in Eryri (Snowdonia), and its surrounding geography gives it a much more open and dramatic character than some of the smaller lakes nearby. The lake itself is long and narrow, aligned roughly northeast to southwest, and sits at about 150 metres above sea level. It was formed by glacial action during the last Ice Age, when moving ice carved out a deep U-shaped valley and left behind a basin that later filled with water.
Llynnau Mymbyr– Accessibility
The geography at Llynnau Mymbyr feels dramatic and immediate. Unlike larger valley lakes such as Llyn Tegid, these are two smaller connected lakes (Llynnau) set in a classic glacial mountain landscape in the heart of Eryri (Snowdonia). To the south-east, rises the unmistakable pointed summit of Moel Siabod, standing alone and dominant, and to the north-west, you can see the rugged outlines of the Carneddau forming a broad, rolling backdrop.
A Summer of Paddling 2025
We paddled around the Rhoscolyn Beacon, which is sat upon a collection of islands off the west coast of Anglesey (Ynysoedd Gwylanod, which means Seagulls’ Islands). It has historically been used to warn ships of the rocky coastline, both above and below the waves. While I’m sure it still has this same use in today’s world, it is also now home to many, many seals.
Llyn Tegid (Bala) – Accessibility
Llyn Tegid is the largest natural lake in Wales, stretching roughly 6 km (about 4 miles) from north-east to south-west. It was carved by glaciers during the last Ice Age. The lake sits in a broad trough with rising hills on either side. The valley alignment means wind can travel the full length of the lake, building waves when conditions are right. At the north-eastern end, you’ll see the town of Bala, sitting close to the shoreline.