Valley Nordkapp Experience

Sunday, 16 October 2016

Svärdlång

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

Breakfast

October colors

Making coffee

Lena

Kayak morning

October morning

Kajsa and Anders

Kajsa

Night paddling

Very low water on the lake this beautiful morning

Magnus is taking a morning trip

We are all having breakfast

Ghosts around the camp fire

Nils at late evening

Svärdlång

Susanne in the evening

Making waffles

Tea and coffee for breakfast

Sun is coming up also this day

Nils on a morning trip

My daughter Paula in my Nordkapp

Thursday, 13 October 2016

Black Pearl Test #3

I have now tested the Black Pearl for the third time. I love the kayak, it's narrow hull and tight fit. At first I thought I was going to have trouble to enter the small ocean cockpit but that was not any problem. And as I showed in the last post, it's very,very nice to roll with. An it surfs well also.

What are the downsides then? Well not really any downsides but the question is do I need such a kayak? I always need a new kayak, of course! But is this the right one? I do have my Anas Acuta which is a similar kayak, although more roomy, and I can roll that almost as easily. That is the kayak I use for shorter trips and for weekend trips. The Black Pearl is to small for taking gear for a weekend trip it will work only for a day trip. (At least with the gear I use)
I think I have more use of a plastic kayak for rock hopping and surfing where I do not like to take a fiberglass kayak. A plastic kayak is also better for lending to other people.
So my blog readers, what do you think? Please make a comment about it.

Yesterday i did my first real lecture about my summer trip to Alaska. About 40 persons came watching! More than expected and I think it went well.

Fredriks (Kajakguiderna) Black Pearl

Small ocean cockpit

A fisherman returning after salmon fishing on the Lake

Me in action! It's getting cold now and will stay so for six months. Then only the tough stay on the water.

Monday, 10 October 2016

Roll practice #1

The first indoors roll training session for the season. We have a local swimming hall where we can practice every Monday evening while the personell are cleaning the premises. Thanks to all nice persons working at Rådahallen!

This Monday evening I'm there with Anders and Kajsa to improve or rolls and try to master new ones. I have tried to make a storm-roll before without success. But with some help from a video (This is the Roll) I can now do it. Not very good yet but I'm on my way.

No photos this time a I was too busy to take any but I ave a small video.

Sunday, 9 October 2016

Summer is over

The unusual warm Indian summer is now over. A strong north-easterly wind is bringing cold air down over Sweden. Not much rain but very cold and strong winds.

The day before this cold weather arrived was the first Sunday in October and I was out with Friluftsfrämjandet in Lidköping on a day-trip. We were 14-15 kayaks and had a very nice time.

As it is now October I have been kayaking 30 months straight. And every month on Lake Vänern!

Then I was out a windy day testing a home built kayak. This is a Black Pearl that Fredrik at Kajakguiderna has built and the design is by Björn Thomasson whom I met at Stocken kayak meet. I have plans to maybe build one myself. It is a very narrow and low-stability kayak, ocean cockpit and a lot of fun. Perhaps the weather wasn't the best for testing such a kayak? Or maybe it was? Anyway I had one and a half hour of fun and was really tired afterwards. Now I have to test rolling this kayak also. More about that in the next post.

Confusion at the start

Sara, one of our leaders in her beautiful Thae Greenland

Magnus

On our way

Black Pearl build by Fredrik at Kajakguiderna

Tough test!

Monday, 26 September 2016

My homewaters

As the nice September weather continues I took a short trip at about 10 km close to home. This is att Sunnanå yacht harbor on Lake Vänern. A beautiful afternoon where I practiced my strokes and steering.

The days are getting shorter, I work a lot and soon the autumn will be here in full force. That means some less kayaking now but I hope to paddle an average of 2-3 times a week. The last five months there has been 3-4 days a week.

I also start planning for next year. My plans are to build a Black Pearl kayak and in the summer go to Helgeland in north Norway to kayak for two weeks. Hope to bring some friends with me.

Enjoy my photos from a colorful September

The lighthouse Högeholme will soon be in use again. The local yacht club will take care of it.

Thursday, 22 September 2016

September

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.