After a hectic start of the week I started from home on Wednesady morning towards Torpshammar in the exact middle of Sweden. As the trip is about 900 km I did it in two days and stayed one night by a small lake in Dalarna.
I was a cold morning but very beautiful with a clear sky as the sun was comming up. Then it was again behind the wheel and driving through Mora, Sveg and other small towns in the centre of Sweden. In the efternoon I arrived at Torpshammar and met Lena Conlan from Crossing Latitudes (and NOLS) as well as Sabine who was also taking this course with me two years ago. So tomorrow startes the refresher course for Wilderness First Responder (WFR).
Night!
Morning and about -5 degrees centigrade.
I was between two small lakes. This is the other one in the morning sun.
The west coast of Sweden has several archipelagos. The northernmost is the archipelago of Koster about 2 km from the mainland (actually the closest island with a bridge). This is also the first national marine park in Sweden.
Me and my daughter, Paula went there for two days kayaking. We started at Rossö and went straight west across the straits of Koster (Koster fjord) which has a bad reputation for high seas. Almost no wind on this very beautiful Friday in September made for an easy crossing.
Well on the other side we paddled south trough the small islands and passages to the island Tjälleskär where we set up our tent. In empty kayaks we set out to explore this maze for a couple of hours. We saw very few boats and just three other kayaks this late in the season. Back at camp we made dinner and took a small hike to watch the sunset.
Next day was a bit more windy but luckily from the east so the waves were not very high. It took 45 minutes to cross the strait back. We then paddled north and east to go around the islands Saltö and Tjärnö. The last is where The Sven Lovén Centre for Marine Sciences are. A bit more sheltered from the increasing wind inside these islands.
We made some late lunch on a nice beach and was back at Rossö and my car at about 16:00.
Two very nice days at the end of summer. It was nice that again I had my daughter Paula with me kayaking and whom I had not seen for three months. Our paddled distance was 32,4 km and average speed was 5,2 km/h.
There is a video at the end of the post, don't miss it!
We were five friends who on Friday afternoon set out from Björholmen Marina on the island of Tjörn. It was me, Christina, Robin, Peter and Lotta.
This was a nice day where we paddled out to the small archipelago Grönskären. After some exploring we set camp on the island Altarholmen that had been a Pilot station at the end of the 19th century. Unbelievable how people could live on such a small island at the edge of the North Sea. Apparently the seas sprayed over the whole island i westerly storms.
A glorious sunset was presented for us.
Next morning started with a terrible thunderstorm with a lot of rain and hail. So much for "A red sky at night is a sailor's delight". That didn't work this time. Then most of Saturday was rainy , but we did some kayaking anyway.
On Sunday only me and Christina was left of the group and the weather was just fantastic. A northerly fresh breeze but not a cloud in the sky. We set out from Bleket and paddled north to Skärhamn where we again turned south with the wind in our back. A nice lunch with a swim at Flatholmen. Finally back past Klädesholmen to Bleket again. Was this the last nice summer day in the kayak this year?
I did a few rolls with my kayak and for the first time fully loaded. Nema Problema! Even a Butterfly roll went well.
All in all a very nice weekend despite all the rain on Saturday. And thanks Christina for your hospitality and for taking the initiative for this trip.
Last weekend i August there is one of Sweden's oldest kayak meet at Stocken Camping on the island Orust in the west coast of Sweden. It used to be a very big gathering of kayakers but has seen it's heydays. But the Stocken Camping and "Tjörns Kajakklubb" has now tried to get this meet to be one of the better ones in Sweden again.
Me and my friend Björn arrived Friday afternoon and meet some other friends and after pitching our tents we took a nice kayak trip out to the island Hermanö and the village Gullholmen on the north end of the island. It was a nice afternoon trip in nice weather.
Once again back to the camping it was time for some dinner and showing of videos and photos from kayaking expeditions. I showed some of my photos from Greenland.
After a rainy night it was again a beautiful and sunny day and about 25 of us went on an organized trip with leaders from Tjörns Kajakklubb. Nice, slow and many breaks. It was a leisure trip with nice old and new friends. I could also show Tony, one of the leaders who has been one of my instructors from Kajakguiderna in teaching me how to roll, that my roll is now fairly good.
Ashore again we had an hamburger buffet at the restaurant and Åsa showed son photos and video clips from her trip to Greenland. Very different trip from mine.
Some are already out and we are waiting to go on a guided tour
Björn and Fredrik
The coolest kayaker of us all. Leon, Fredriks' dog
A bit windy
Colorful
Gullholmen, an old fishing village. Now mostly for tourists
Tony from Kajakguiderna and Tjörns kajakklubb
On Sunday we went to the south of Hermanö island into a maze of small islands and passages. Very, very nice and the weather was again in our favor. After lunch some of us went on the outside of the island to try some surf. A lot of fun!
Me doing a bit of "rockhopping"
Magnus from Linköping and Fredrik on their way back to the camp.
It has been a great weekend
with some of my friends and some new interesting friends as well.
