31/08/2021
Sometimes the thrill comes from the journey, and sometimes it’s the places you get to visit. In a sea kayak it’s often both, and yesterday’s circumnavigation of Ynys Enlli (Bardsey Island) from Aberdaron was a case in point.
Ynys Enlli, known as the ‘Island of 20,000 Saints’, is located a few miles off the westernmost tip of the Lleyn Peninsula. In medieval times, three pilgrimages to Ynys Enlli were considered to be of equivalent benefit to the soul as one to Rome. Although the conditions we fairly benign yesterday, there was a feeling of menace crossing Bardsey Sound; a sense that things could very quickly get out of hand if the conditions deteriorated. Many pilgrims perished making the crossing.
Landing on the island is accompanied by a faint wave of relief, and the four hours wait before the tide is favourable for a return crossing is easily used up exploring. The ruined priory, the square lighthouse, the bardsey apple trees (apparently the worlds rarest variety), the abundant bird life and ‘bottling’ seals are all easily accessible.
All too quickly it’s time to set off on the final leg back to the car. As we left Cafn Enlli, the tiny harbour, we were approached by a family in a RIB. When told where we were heading, the man at the helm shouted to us, “You’re not planning on paddling those across are you, it’s really cutting up!” Well, we really didn’t have much choice as I had work to get to and so did Jim. Sure enough, when we rounded the headland the sound was alive with white horses. Fortunately, the uninitiated often underestimate what these kayaks are capable of, and anyway the waves were all show and easy to negotiate.
We slightly misjudged the tide and we were pushed further west in the sound than we wanted, necessitating a very strenuous eddy-hop along the Welsh coast to get us back on our course. Sheltering behind a large rock, contemplating another fast ferry-glide, Jim introduced me to salty eggs - hard boiled eggs dipped in the sea before each mouthful. It might have been the tiredness, or the situation, but I can’t remember anything tasting quite so good before.
