We had a very nice kayak trip on one of Sweden's most paddled lakes. This is a 15 km long and narrow lake in Dalsland that is not connected to the Dalslands Kanal. In June, July and August this lake is probably the place in Sweden where you see most canoes, open canoes and kayaks. People from all around Europe come to this part of Sweden for canoeing and most of them end up in this lake sooner or later.
I try to avoid Svärdlång during that period and go there either early spring or in the autumn. This time I brought some friends with me who some of them had never paddled in the area. We stayed at a prepared camp site which is mandatory on this lake. Normally in Sweden "Allemansrätten" applies but as there are so many people camping here at summer the land owners like to lessen the impact by concentrating the visitors to certain spots. The camp sites are managed by DANO rangers and there are a fire pit, fire wood and an outhouse.
October can be very beautiful with all the colors in the nature and that was what we had. Very windy but int this narrow lake with high cliff sides we were not so affected by the wind. And in the night and morning it was completely calm.
Camp fire, evening kayak trip, sleeping outdoors, no rain, good company, good food and a lazy morning with some rays of sunlight. What more can you want?
I was very pleased that I could show my friends this paradise.
A blue lake
Nils & Magnus (son & father)
Frida and my daughter Paula are having breakfast in bed
This September has been very, very nice and warmer than usual. There has been a lot of kayaking, of course, and I have not been home or been to tired to update my blog. Sorry!
Also there is no video this time. I have filmed a bit but then again it takes a lot of time to edit and I just hadn't had the time.
The photos are from a afternoon trip from Nordkroken to the tip of Halleberg on a very nice day. I was actually sitting nude on a rock drinking coffee as it was too hot in my wetsuit. Before going ashore I did about 20 rolls and it's slowly feeling as it was early this spring. Very easy! Good.
The next trip was with two friends, Martin and his wife Margareta, in Kinneviken. That was to an event where Friluftsfrämjandet was giving people the chance to test canoeing and kayaking. I was there to help and show some rolls. (Show off!)
Then I was out two days on Lake Vättern with a friend, Frida. Again marvelous weather. And I took a swim in infamously cold Vättern, in september! Actually rather nice.
Again a trip with Friluftsfrämjandet and this time at Yttre Bodane, my home waters. Nice day with a bit of wind and sea. Not much, just so it was a little bit fun. While the others went back home I stayed the night on a small island by myself. A campfire, a beautiful moon and a good sleep in my hammock. Life couldn't be better.
The last trip was the end of the season with Friluftsfrämjandet in Lidköping. An evening trip where the last hour was in the dark. All we had was some glow-sticks to see each other. Several times we heard beavers slap their tails close to us, but otherwise completely silent. Perfect finish of the season.
At Lake Vänern. Halleberg to the right
A feather in the water
Autumn colors at Kinneviken
Margareta
Most photos from the trip on Vättern were fuzzy. So I made Frida even more fuzzy!
Stora Röknen is a military area. We are not allowed to go ashore on this island. (We didn't)
Out of the rock at Yttre Bodane.
Someone is taking a photo of three moose.
A moose cow with two calves
Out of the rock 2!
Just as I was going asleep in my hammock when the moon appeared
Campfire
Morning at Yttre Bodane
Calm Sunday
Listening to Magnus Hägg
He teaches us how to take a nice photo
Probably I make all the mistakes taking this photo
Again a trip to Lurö archipelago. This time we started at Spiken and I was not alone. Eight friends joined me on this extraordinary nice evening. It was Frida, Christina, Per, Eva, Peter, Göran, Lotta and Robin.
The crossing to Lurö was the nicest I have had, sunny and completely calm sea. We set camp at Svinön and had a nice dinner and most of us enjoyed a glas of wine.
During the night the wind picked up and our plans to go to the island Djurö was changed. To much wind and to much open sea. That is about 6 nautical miles across!
Instead we went to Vithall, Aspholmen and Gunnarsholmen. At Vithall I had to do a roll just to cool off.
Back at Svinön we decided to change campsite to Bösshamn at Lurö. Christina, Lotta and Göran changed their minds and started for Djurö anyway, the rest of us went to Lurö where Malin, Helge and Mikael from Värmland greeted us. They are three kayaking friends and later Gregory joined us as well.
Me, Frida, Robin, Per and Eva took a walk to Stenstaka where we had some ice cream, coffee and a beer. Sitting at a cliff watching the sun go down while drinking a beer is as good as it gets.
Next morning we paddled round the island Lurö while our friends from Värmland went back north. Also this a windy day but still very sunny. As we went back to Spiken the wind died down somewhat and the crossing was excellent in a nice tail-wind.
I took my first swim this year at Lurö and again at Lill-Eken. Cold! But some of the others disagreed and said it was very pleasant. Not for me, at Lurö it was supposed to be 18°C in the water. That is not pleasant!
Again a very, very nice trip with some old and some new kayaking friends. Thank you for a fantastic weekend.
Here the video is finally up.
Our track
Distance 52,1 km
Average speed 5,5 km/h
Max speed 9 km/h
Time paddled 9,5 hours
Frida is arriving at our first camp site (Svinön)
Lunch at Vithall
Time to leave this wonderful place
Per and Robin
Göran and Peter
Camping place #2 (Bösshamn at Lurö)
Morning and time to leave
The sauna and wood heated bathtub at Stenstaka. It's on a rather large float.
Frida in her Skim Beaufort
Robin in his Anas Acuta (totally black compared to mine that got a white hull)
