UNKNOWN NORWAY
There are a lot of classic runs in Norway, and certainly plenty for the first timer to put on the must-do list. However, close to some of these well-known pieces of whitewater, there are also some other rivers that can be described as classics. Except, they are not run that much, neither by norwegians nor foreigners…
ODDA/RØLDAL
Driving from Telemark to Voss, you can take highway E134 and pass the sleepy town of Røldal followed by the industrialised citycenter of Odda. Coming over the mountainpass Haukeli, you will follow a river the last kilomters into Røldal center.
The canyon is deep, and the action steep. You dont need a lot of water in here at all, and the best approach to it is simply to strap on your hiking boots and scout the boxcanyon before you even consider putting on the river.
The bottom gorge is as committing as comitting gets, and with too much water it is not an option! The majority of it is scoutable (with some effort) from high up, but there are also some that are tough to scout until you are at waterlevel. Myself, Tyler Curtis, Andy Phillips and Benjamin Hjort put on this river in may 2009, with very little water, and we found some fabulous class V action. Another five centimeters of water (though not ten!) would have made it more plesant, but the bigger drops were all good to go. We put-in at the local shooting range and took-out in the center of Røldal.
The next mountainpass takes you along side the canyon of Seljeelva. We started one kilometer above the local skistadion (there is a sign for it from the highway) and took out a kilometer before the river goes insane and cascades over some impressive drops in the bottom of the valley close to Skare. This section was super cool, with some nice class four drops, a clean waterfall, a couple of portages and interesting rapids/slides. Well worth the stop! If you want to scout a few you can follow the river a good portion of the way on river right, crossing the river and driving towards ”Utsikten”.
We put on in may with a moderate flow and snowflakes falling on us at the put-in. It is roadside, so it is easy enough to get an idea of the flow by simply pulling over.
EIDSÅA
This is the hidden gem of all hidden gems in Norway. (at this point anyways.) If you are into class five big drops this is it. It doesnt need a lot of water, and if Telemark is bottoming out it is a good chance this one is good to go. You drive toward Rødberg, and flows down just south of this sleepy community, right next to the little town of Eide. Take-out is at the bridge crossing the backside-road, and below the bridge an unrunnable, man-made drop will catch your attention. Dont get discouraged from what you can see upstream from the bridge, these rapids are not charecteristic of the run at all. Turn around and drive towards ”Juvbygda”, and only two kilometers upstream is your put-in, marked by a roadbridge crossing the creek. From here you are in for one hell of a gradient loss. It kicks off with a manky drop that most people walk on the left. Some nice class three takes you down to the first double drop, which drops about eight meters in total. Next horizon is a clean 8-9 meter into a deep pool, followed by a little class three/four action. Next horizon reveals a twisting drop that is yet to be run, mainly because of what lies downstream. I first descented this next double drop five years ago, and it feels pretty good when people like Ian Garcia ,Tyler Bradt and Tyler Curtis (my paddling partners for this second descent last week) all turn around grinning and giving me high-fives for the effort those years back. It is an impressive combination and quite intimidating. The flow was a little less than when we first descented it years back, and it wasnt before Tyler Curits and Tyler Bradt both had gotten to the bottom eddy I felt the groove. The line was the same as before: Cut across the current from right to left, turn in the air, avoid the wall, land, get your shit together before drop number two. First drop is about 10-12 meters, and lands fully in the canyon wall. The line is narrow, and there is no room for error. It drops into a deep canyon, so safety is more than difficult, it is more of a solo situation if you pop your skirt or anything happens. The bottom drop is about 5-6 meters and is hard to do well. Though, at this point the amount of adrenaline rushing through your body seems to be enough to get everybody through without too much trouble.
I got to name this drop after I paddled it first five years ago, and I had earlier that season gotten to be the first girl down Big Boy on the Ravensfork in North Carolina. So the name came to be based on that: Big Girl.
Below this drop there is a great triple combo waiting for you: boof right, boof right and boof right, and you are at the take-out.
This river drops into a gorge, and hiking around and scouting is not all that easy. Be prepared for a potential big day, and bring some big balls for this up and coming Norwegian classic.
More info on padling in Norway go to www.norwaydaze.com
There are a lot of classic runs in Norway, and certainly plenty for the first timer to put on the must-do list. However, close to some of these well-known pieces of whitewater, there are also some other rivers that can be described as classics. Except, they are not run that much, neither by norwegians nor foreigners…
ODDA/RØLDAL
Driving from Telemark to Voss, you can take highway E134 and pass the sleepy town of Røldal followed by the industrialised citycenter of Odda. Coming over the mountainpass Haukeli, you will follow a river the last kilomters into Røldal center. The canyon is deep, and the action steep. You dont need a lot of water in here at all, and the best approach to it is simply to strap on your hiking boots and scout the boxcanyon before you even consider putting on the river.
The bottom gorge is as committing as comitting gets, and with too much water it is not an option! The majority of it is scoutable (with some effort) from high up, but there are also some that are tough to scout until you are at waterlevel. Myself, Tyler Curtis, Andy Phillips and Benjamin Hjort put on this river in may 2009, with very little water, and we found some fabulous class V action. Another five centimeters of water (though not ten!) would have made it more plesant, but the bigger drops were all good to go. We put-in at the local shooting range and took-out in the center of Røldal.
The next mountainpass takes you along side the canyon of Seljeelva. We started one kilometer above the local skistadion (there is a sign for it from the highway) and took out a kilometer before the river goes insane and cascades over some impressive drops in the bottom of the valley close to Skare. This section was super cool, with some nice class four drops, a clean waterfall, a couple of portages and interesting rapids/slides. Well worth the stop! If you want to scout a few you can follow the river a good portion of the way on river right, crossing the river and driving towards ”Utsikten”.
We put on in may with a moderate flow and snowflakes falling on us at the put-in. It is roadside, so it is easy enough to get an idea of the flow by simply pulling over.
EIDSÅA
This is the hidden gem of all hidden gems in Norway. (at this point anyways.) If you are into class five big drops this is it. It doesnt need a lot of water, and if Telemark is bottoming out it is a good chance this one is good to go. You drive toward Rødberg, and flows down just south of this sleepy community, right next to the little town of Eide. Take-out is at the bridge crossing the backside-road, and below the bridge an unrunnable, man-made drop will catch your attention. Dont get discouraged from what you can see upstream from the bridge, these rapids are not charecteristic of the run at all. Turn around and drive towards ”Juvbygda”, and only two kilometers upstream is your put-in, marked by a roadbridge crossing the creek. From here you are in for one hell of a gradient loss. It kicks off with a manky drop that most people walk on the left. Some nice class three takes you down to the first double drop, which drops about eight meters in total. Next horizon is a clean 8-9 meter into a deep pool, followed by a little class three/four action. Next horizon reveals a twisting drop that is yet to be run, mainly because of what lies downstream. I first descented this next double drop five years ago, and it feels pretty good when people like Ian Garcia ,Tyler Bradt and Tyler Curtis (my paddling partners for this second descent last week) all turn around grinning and giving me high-fives for the effort those years back. It is an impressive combination and quite intimidating. The flow was a little less than when we first descented it years back, and it wasnt before Tyler Curits and Tyler Bradt both had gotten to the bottom eddy I felt the groove. The line was the same as before: Cut across the current from right to left, turn in the air, avoid the wall, land, get your shit together before drop number two. First drop is about 10-12 meters, and lands fully in the canyon wall. The line is narrow, and there is no room for error. It drops into a deep canyon, so safety is more than difficult, it is more of a solo situation if you pop your skirt or anything happens. The bottom drop is about 5-6 meters and is hard to do well. Though, at this point the amount of adrenaline rushing through your body seems to be enough to get everybody through without too much trouble.I got to name this drop after I paddled it first five years ago, and I had earlier that season gotten to be the first girl down Big Boy on the Ravensfork in North Carolina. So the name came to be based on that: Big Girl.Below this drop there is a great triple combo waiting for you: boof right, boof right and boof right, and you are at the take-out.
This river drops into a gorge, and hiking around and scouting is not all that easy. Be prepared for a potential big day, and bring some big balls for this up and coming Norwegian classic.
More info on padling in Norway go to www.norwaydaze.com
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