Harken River Series Norway/Sweden 150K
Click on small images for full size.
Photographs This is a new version of Gallery there is link for a slide show top right.
Monday We flew to Stockholm and then took an internal flight to Ostersund. We were collected at airport and driven to Lits camp.
Tuesday morning packed gear, chose canoes and drove to Ornskoldsvic in Norway. Thunder and lightening. It was then that the Monsoon rain started. The rain was bouncing off the river I have never seen rain do that before because in a canoe you are so close to the surface of the river . As it was so wet we paddled and paddled – 30Km not a good start. We passed an Osprey nest. We did a difficult portage past some dangerous rapids. We got to Rensfallet falls. There were wooden shelters for cooking.
Wednesday
It rained all night. The tent had a puddle underneath it and felt like a water bed but it did not leak. Weather improved all day. Canoed a small rapid and ported down a forestry road. We camped on an island. There was a great sunrise and moonrise over the waster. As it got dark owls appeared. The island was a wilderness and there were a lot of Lemmings. Everyone feeling better.
Thursday
Weather continued to improve throughout the day. We had a following wind. We went ahead at the start and saw a small herd of reindeer with young. Passed Osprey eyrie with two birds. A family of red breasted Mergansers. Otter/beaver sightings turned out to be swimming Lemmings! After our lunch stop a following wind and a 20K lake to cross. the four boats were turned into two rafts. Trees were felled, masts erected and sails put up. Mark and Paul have done this before! A relaxing afternoon in the sun Lynne and I adjusted our spinnaker, Paul steered and Mark took pictures of us relaxing and sent them to his secretaries at the Outdoor Centre to make them jealous. Camped at the Hydro electric plant Adnan caught a fish.
Friday
Weather good and our tent is dry. Rapids to start the day. I went for the interesting line and Lynne got wet in the front of the boat. I got a severe telling off. The next rapids were too difficult and we ported along the bank – difficult. Lynne saw a woodpecker. 2 more rapids after lunch. The temperature was now hot. Camped on a hilly island no flat spots.
Saturday
Grey cloud paddled to a bridge and did a two Km walk to a village got some supplies and walked back. We paddled to another Hydro station. It started to rain. Lynne and I went ahead and saw a Moose. We walked half a km at the end of a day to inspect a full Km plus of rapids. There was a debate about whether we should attempt them. They were difficult, it was 6 in the evening someone might have a long swim and we might lose equipment. This debate, I recognised, was all about ensuring that no one could turn around if it went wrong and say we should not have done it. We went for it. One canoe swamped. We hit a rock and it was touch and go for a second or two. Lynne tells me she was very close to going in. Camped just after the rapids it was raining hard. We ate late and went to bed.
Sunday
Rained all night but stopped as we were packing up. Sunny / cloudy all day. We set off first and had a quiet half an hour. We saw Northern divers and fantastic reflections. Went with the flow of the river all day. It was easy and there was a lot to look at. We had a good lunch stop in the sun. Adnan caught a young Salmon which was thrown back. He also got bites from bigger fish but they got away. A lot of birds Mesangers and Sanderlings. We passed beaver lodges. Mark saw an otter. Lynne did some steering and we marvelled at the reflections – there was no wind. Camped just after the Hydro station.
Monday
Cloudy morning we paddled to the camp site passing holiday homes on the river banks . All the men had a shave and we all had a welcome shower. Sorted the gear out and had my first alcohol for a week a welcome beer. We went out for a meal to complete the trip. Watched the local youths doing wheelies on their scooters.