As an outdoor enthusiast and being fond of adventure I am never left without something to explore in this diverse landscape. Being based in Ballina, it is possible to climb a mountain in the morning and kayak along the coast in the afternoon without much hassle.
When I was asked to write this blog I was a little torn. Being passionate about your surroundings and local area can be a double edged sword. Much of North Mayo’s charm and appeal is its untouched and undiscovered locations and the more we grow as a nation the harder it becomes to find these areas of remoteness. Telling everyone how great it is will inevitably attract more people. However I feel a great sense of pride when I meet people on their first visit to Ballina and they can’t believe how much it has to offer. Kayaking, cycling or hiking around North Mayo it is easy to forget your surroundings and feel a real sense of wilderness – not an easy task in modern Ireland. Here I will share with you some of the reasons why I love this region so much and why you might too. Getting here could not be easier. Bus, Train, Car, Plan! Daily flights into Ireland West Airport Knock mean you could leave your home in Manchester or London in the morning and be taking to the water or trails by the afternoon.
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Upcoming Whitewater kayak courses with David Horkan
For more information or to book any course please get in contact HERE
Paddle and Pedal takes on Ballyhoura MTB trails.I had a course scheduled in Kinsale Co. Cork on Valentines weekend and no classes penciled in on the Friday, so I decided to hit the road early and stop at Ballyhoura Mountain Bike Trail park in Co. Limerick on the way.
This is a beautiful mountain, situated only 30 minutes from Ballina, that I admire every day I kayak on Lough Conn, which is to the North of the mountain. I have recently launched a new website specifically for kayaking and cataloging some of my adventures. www.dhkayaking.com will focus more on intermediate and advanced kayaking courses and guiding. I am currently in the early stages of adding content to the site so it is an ongoing project, but I have kicked of the blog with a record circumnavigation of Achill Island!
This blog has seen a huge amount of traffic since last year and I hope the new one can be as useful and interesting to people as this one. I will continue to post here with kayaking and biking related posts. Please chick through and check out dhkayaking.com it would be great to hear what you think of the site and the brand. Thanks David A quick review of the Dagger Stratos 14.5 + videoI just spent the last few days paddling the Dagger Stratos 14.5S. Its dubbed as a high performance ocean tourer that is ideal for beginners and expert alike which is a pretty broad spectrum to cover but I think they have pulled it off. I was in the market for a new sea kayak recently and I had decided I wanted a 14-15ft boat that surfs well has good speed and would be comfortable for doing daily tours, rock hopping and some day touring. After a bit of searching online I had a few contenders to consider.(The P&H Delphin, Venture Jura, North Shore Aspect and a few more.) Then I gave Colm in I-Canoe a call to see what he had available and he mentioned he was paddling the Dagger Stratos and really liked it.
To be honest I was a little surprised as I never think of Dagger and touring/sea kayaks. Anyway the feedback was good and it sounded like it was worth a try. The next day the boat arrived and a soon as it came out off the truck you could tell there was something good wrapped up. As soon as I got it opened I was impressed, the rocker profile and sleek lines looked great. I have failed to find a picture that does the boat justice and give a good sense of the rocker profile so I didn't include one. It really has to be seen in the flesh. I am delighted to announce that I have joined with Kokatat as a Regional Ambassador. These guys make the best kayaking kit in the business and are the market leaders when it comes to staying dry and safe on the water. Kokatat are probably most famous for there dry suits especially there Gore-Tex models, which are without doubt the driest suits on the market. They also provide a customer service that is second to none.
A company with high standards for quality and community, Kokatat have stayed true to there founding ideals in this age of mass production and still produce over 90% of there products by hand in Arcata USA. I have been using there kit for about 5 years now and I have first hand experience of there customer service, craftsmanship and dedication to keeping you dry. The work that is put in to servicing your old suit is phenomenal. With new designs coming in January and a dry suit that is set to change everything I am already looking forward to 2015! Check out I-Canoe for all Kokatat products in Ireland. I managed to get to Down Patrick Head on one of the best days of the year so far. This is a local spot for me only 18 miles from home and a world class piece of coastline. A fantastic headland steeped in history and folklore with an impressive 60 meter sea stack Dun Briste broken away from the massive cliffs. The headland is dissected by a long cave that is only accessible a few days a year and on low tide. Half way through the cave is a huge blow hole called Poll Na Seantoine. This is an exposed piece of coastline and challenging on the finest days. Definitely not for the inexperienced. Check out the video. The Cliffs of Moher are world famous and attract about one million visitors a year but only a hand full of people get the opportunity to kayak under these 700ft goliaths. This is a trip that ranks high on most sea kayaker's to do list and its one I was fortunate enough to bag on a spectacular Monday afternoon in June.
It is nearing the end of May and the past two weeks have seen strong southerly winds change to stronger cold northerlies and a lot of cancelled tours and training sessions. So on Sunday morning while driving to a race I was surprised to get a call about a proposed trip around Achill Head on Monday morning. I hadn't taken much heed of the weather forecast for improved conditions to move over the country Sunday night as its been so wild lately. That evening when I returned home I was eager to get out my new edition of OILEAIN and see what it had to say about our proposed trip; "This one day expedition round Achill Head has to be one of the foremost Irish paddling trips, to be grabbed when conditions allow and with caution" |
AuthorDavid Horkan from Paddle & Pedal. Posting info on various outdoor adventures in Mayo and around Ireland. Archives
February 2017
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