I have now done my second "Harry Year", that is when you have been kayaking every month for a whole year (calendar year). I don't know where that expression comes from but it's something they call call that when you have achieved this. Probably a guy named Harry did it for the first time.
Actually I have been kayaking 33 months straight, all months on the Lake Vänern!
I have also been out kayaking every week since first of March (missed one week 😒when I was a teacher).
I was out today on a beautiful December day on the Lake Vänern. Windy, warm for December (+8°C) and a bit of sea.
Watch the video from today and also my second video from my trip in Alaska.
I was out on the 19th of April with a FB friend and we paddled my usual day-trip between Sunnanå and Köpmannebro. The weather forecast had promised nice weather, but a bit windy, and we actually got some rain. Never mind, it was a nice trip where we had good speed and not so many breaks. Good training. Hope we will take more trips Stefan!
Then the next day I had with me three other friends from Dalaborg around Hjortens Udde and back. That day we had a much more leisure tempo in our kayaks. Two breaks and longer ones in the nice warm sun. Only some clouds and a little bit of wind on the way back. As you can see on the photos it was almost summer in the air. The water temperature is still below 5°C but I did my usual roll before we finished. Thanks Björn, Lennart and Helena for a nice day on the Lake.
Here is a video from the last two days kayaking.
It didn't feel much as spring this day.
Stefan south of Köpmannebro.
The next day was much nicer. Here I am carrying my kayak and all the gear. Photo: Lennart Bergvall
North of Hjortens Udde the weak wind died completely. We just sat there and enjoyed ourselves.
On the way back some clouds but the sun still manged to peak through now and then.
Björn is rock steady
Lunch break at the lighthouse keepers house at Hjorten Udde.
A woke up to a sunny and almost calm day. Time for a short trip in my kayak after the last few times of indoors "kayaking" practicing rolling. As the forecast said W-ly wind I decided to go to Dalborg an paddle up to Hjortens Udde.
The peninsula on the west side is Hjortens Udde.
Almost no clouds on the sky and very weak winds made for a pleasant trip at first. The sun was actually warming me a bit. Under my drysuit I only had a Palm Kaituna neoprene top and normal long-johns. I was a bit worried that it was going to be to cold but it was definitely not. I was warm enough and didn't feel cold even when I had my short lunch break.
I had bit cold fingers on and off but mostly I had cold feet the last hour. I am now very tired of having cold feet out kayaking and really look forward to spring and summer now.
On the way i saw to eagles (sea eagle probably) circling high up in the sky and I scared another one sitting on a small reef. One small fishing boat and me were the only ones moving out on an otherwise empty lake Vänern (the small part I could see at least).
I took my lunch at the nice beach at the lighthouse keeper's house at Hjortens Udde. My "lunch" was a thermos of tea and an apple. The house belongs to Sjöfartsverket which is the organization I work for and the employees can rent that during the summer season for a week. A popular place but now very deserted. I had to break some ice to be able to reach the beach so I think it's not strange no one was there.
On my way back some clouds was making the sun less warm and a S-ly wind started. But it was only nice to have some exercise in the headwind on the way back. My forward stroke is getting to be a lot better now I think. I had some instructions from Tony at Kajakguiderna in October and since then my forward stroke has been a mess. But now, finally, I think I'm doing it right most of the time.
As the sun is up a lot longer now it was still daylight when I got back to Dalaborg which is the ruin of an old fort built 1304 and destroyed 1434. It was an important place 800 years ago.
Cold start. -2° C
Where I start at Dalaborg
View over Lake Vänern
The light house Hjorten Udde
I had to break the ice into the beach. The old lighthouse keeper's house.
After four days of storm and rain it was a very nice day today. I just had to take the kayak down to the lake for a trip in the sun.
I started at Dalborgs ruin. It's a ruin of an old castle built 1304 and destroyed 1434 in the civil war called Engelbreksfejden. Then i paddled south along the west coast of Lake Vänern and soon passed the estuary of Dalbergså and the petroglyphs from around 1500 BC. There was just a bit of sea and swell left from the last storm, I was hoping for some more!
Petroglyphs from around 1500 BC
After two hours I took a break at a small beach and had a walk to a nice viewpoint. The view of the lake was gorgeous. Then I paddled back with the setting sun in my back and the low swell almost gone now.
Just as the sun was going down at the treetops I was back at Dalaborg and did my customary roll. Very cold today!
This was my first trip this December and that completes my "Harry year". That is a year where you go kayaking every month. And why it's called a "Harry year"? I have no idea. It's now also 21 months in a row I'm out kayaking.
I did on Monday a short trip on the Lake Vänern by myself in an increasing wind. That was like a short training trip for two hours in a fairly good speed. A roll at the finish at the old fort at Dalaborg.
Some nice seas
A non edited video clip from the trip
Then on Wednesday it was a trip with Friluftsfrämjandet, an old organization for outdoors activities in Sweden. We were about 25 of us out on a lazy kayaking tour for two hours. Again some rolling at the end of the trip.
