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‘Now through the narrowing between sharp rocks, I’m exposed to the full wrath of the Atlantic swell, meeting the wind-blown waves I’m almost surfing on. The ocean’s waves grapple against each other. Agonisingly rough seas throw me at all angles and force me to make constant corrections to keep my boat on track.
An enormous orca leaps clean into the air and plunges back down, splashing into the ocean. It’s a welcome that Jim and I won’t forget as we step out onto the viewing deck for some fresh air while our ferry steams through the Minch. Utilising the royal flush of transport to get here (car, train, bus, and ferry), this journey may have taken an entire 24 hours, but we have certainly reached one of the extremities of the United Kingdom.
The whale gives us another flyby before presumably returning to its pod, and we finally dock in Stornoway, capital of Lewis and Harris. These are the same seas we are hoping to cross on a packraft with our bikes attached. I’m fairly sure orcas could make quick work of our blow-up boats if they wanted to, but I park that hopefully far-fetched scenario – there are plenty more pressing matters to worry about.
Our goal is to combine a rugged mountain-bike route through the archipelago of the Outer Hebrides, carrying inflatable packrafts and making the sea crossings between these remote islands self-propelled. With the usual prevailing wind coming from the south and south-west, we planned our route to head north.
In the days leading up to the trip, however, the wind patterns were looking mixed. In fact, the forecasts generally predicted a strong northerly – which would heavily impede our progress – so we made the unconventional call to start at the top of the islands.
https://www.sidetracked.com/out-west/