Natsha Lambert

Disabled sailor and adventurer

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Sea and Summit Scotland Update

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July 2016

The past few days have been busy ones for young sailor Natasha Lambert on her Sea and Summit Scotland challenge.

On Friday the team arrived at the sea lock adjacent to the start of the Crinan Canal, in Argyll and Bute, after a day’s sail from Oban. The weather was finally kind and Natasha was able to enjoy some excellent sailing down the Firth of Lorn and the Sound of Jura. This was followed by some tricky navigation decisions by Natasha to ensure that the yacht made it safely through the Sound of Luing.

Whilst for many sailors the relatively calm seas on the passage would have provided a chance to sit back and relax this is not possible for Natasha. She is strapped into an adapted seat which constricts her movement. So any passage is a real challenge. At the end of each sailing day it takes many hours for Natasha to stretch out and feel comfortable

On Saturday the challenge took a fascinating diversion along the Crinan Canal, allowing Natasha to add “working” a series of locks to her maritime CV.

Natasha was initially on board to supervise the passage through the nine mile man-made short cut across the Kintyre peninsula.

She then swapped her yacht for her walker, allowing her to join the team opening and closing the gates on a number of the fifteen locks on the canal. Sister Rachel also joined in the work.

Once through the canal the Miss Isle Team will be ready to enter Loch Fyne and the sail towards Clyde Marina where the challenge will end.

Crinan Canal Lock

Neptune’s Staircase

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Yesterday offered another milestone in Natasha Lambert’s Sea and Summit Scotland challenge – the conquering of Neptune’s Staircase, a flight of eight locks. These lie between the Caledonian Canal and Loch Linnie, and their descent allowed the young sailor to continue her passage towards the Clyde.

In the lockAs Natasha’s Miss Isle Too yacht entered the first lock it was dwarfed by some large sailing cruisers and a 1945 Dutch barge. Her support RIB and team entered the lock behind her. Then the first of the nine enormous gates was closed behind them.

Whilst there was no sailing involved Natasha and her crew still had to keep a close watch. The water flooding out of the lock creates eddies in the loch which can clash the boats together. It has to be said there were a few anxious moments as the barge moored next to Miss Isle Too moved significantly as it descended.

At the last lock the crew were treated to the sight of a huge steam train crossing the lock. Its tracks and the road bridge had to be swung before Miss Isle Too and other boats could get underway. Natasha then moored up for the night in preparation for today’s exit into Loch Linnie.

Next stop Oban on the way to another scenic canal – the Crinan.

Natasha, and her team, are undertaking Sea and Summit Scotland to raise funds and the profile of her charity, the Miss Isle School of Sip Puff Sailing. Natasha is keen to ensure that others with similar physical conditions are inspired to face new challenges and, if they would like to, get on the water and start sailing.  Please support Natasha’s efforts by donating online – click here.

Neptune's staircase

Cairngorm Conquered

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July 2016

Natasha Lambert has completed one element of her latest challenge, Sea and Summit Scotland. She reached the top of the Cairngorm Mountain, in the Scottish Highlands, just after three o’clock on Monday Twenty Fifth of July 2016. It took her just over five and half hours to reach the summit which is some 1245 metres above sea level, the sixth highest mountain in the UK.

Natasha has athetoid cerebral palsy and uses a wheel chair. However, for this part of her challenge, she used a special device called a Hart Walker. This pulls Natasha upright and enables her to propel herself forward. Natasha also wears a lycra corset to assist in keeping her straight as she walks. This can be extremely hot when the weather changes quickly.

Natasha was supported by her Dad, Gary, Mum Amanda, little sister Rachel (9) and a team of helpers including local Mountain Safety Advisor, Heather Morning. The whole team was needed to assist in guiding Natasha over the rough, steep terrain which, on numerous occasions, required the entire walking device to be lifted bodily over boulders. Weather varied from bright sunshine to hail and winds of over 25 miles an hour at the summit.  Surprisingly one of Natasha’s most arduous parts of the day was the descent.  Her position in the walker makes walking down feel extremely precarious. The team then have to play their part by preventing her from descending dangerously fast.

Natasha is the first person to climb Cairngorm with cerebral palsy using a walking aid – a truly gruelling challenge made possible with Natasha’s sheer determination and hard work walking daily and training hard in the year before the event

Natasha now returns to her yacht to continue the second part of her challenge, sailing to Glasgow. The young adventurer sails using only her breath to control her specially designed yacht, Miss Isle Too.

On completion of the challenge Dad, Gary, commented “What Tash has just achieved today is absolutely awesome. That’s a very big mountain, it’s one of the ‘Munros’ and she’s managed to climb to the top of it. A great achievement for anyone , let alone for someone with Cerebral palsy with such complexity “I am in awe.”

Cairn Gorm Mountain Summit

Sea and Summit Scotland

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Sea and Summit Scotland is underway. Miss Isle mooredNatasha, and the team, left Inverness marina on Monday morning. Spirits were high, despite facing grey drizzle and missing out on the hot weather and blue skies further South.

The first challenge was the locks on the waterway running alongside the River Ness. These took time to navigate, but the team all pitched in and the first of the locks were soon behind them.

First stop on Monday was Dochgarroch. Natasha was delighted to find that the campsite was right next to her beloved yacht Miss Isle Too so she could keep an eye on her.

On Tuesday Natasha was joined by Loch Ness RNLI team​ who were on a training exercise. Having left the waterways behind it was a joy for Natasha to put the sails up and get sailing. Although the wind was fluky on Loch Ness the sailing was good, no monsters were seen and the team reached Fort Augustus.

Loch Ness RNLI and Miss Isle

Today (Wednesday) the weather has turned and Natasha and her sailing team are battling heavy rain as they make their way down the next flight of locks.

Natasha is joined on the first part of her Challenge by coach Phil, dad Gary, mum Amanda, sister Rachel, carer Cherrell, Rib driver Tony and support driver Andrew.

The Challenge is raising funds for the Miss Isle School of Sip Puff Sailing www.missisle.org.uk

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