This year I was lucky enough to spend my summer in the land of fjords, trolls and of course amazing whitewater! And what a summer it was!
Back in March I was fortunate enough to be selected by Gene17 Kayaking to be their 2015 intern. This was an amazing opportunity for which I not only learnt a vast amount about being a professional kayak guide and coach, but also the opportunity to explore and discover a country I had dreamt about visiting for a long time - Norway.
Many whitewater paddlers visit Norway on a yearly basis, some even more frequently and now I definitely understand why. This country will amaze you with spectacular natural beauty but also supply you with plenty of adrenaline no matter what grade of whitewater you’re after!
Boofs on the Lăgen
Expect spectacular views pretty much everywhere you look!Many of the trips were based in the Sjoa area, near Otta. The local river, the Sjoa, is a fantastic place for all abilities as it has sections from grade 2-4+ (5 at some water levels). The local favourite is the Ămot section - a very short run, consisting of only a handful of rapids, but great fun and a good challenge at most water levels. Awesome for an after work blast! There are also races held on this section throughout the summer, known as the Ăwesome Ămot Race. Myself and the Gene17 boys took part in this and had an awesome time, even bagging some prize money to fund our end of season road trip!
The Store Ula is also near to Sjoa, which is well known for its super fun slides!
One of the first rapids on the Upper JoriSome of the trips were more road trip style, visiting rivers such as the Rauma, Lăgen, Jori, Lora and many more! Offering a variety of grades and styles, ranging from big volume wide rivers to steeper creeks, drops and slides: something to suit every paddler and get excitement flowing on a daily basis!
A tricky drop on the Lăgen riverA favourite destination on the Gene17 road trips is the Valdall area- famous for its strawberry cake! Here the Valdula river offers several sections depending on water levels, mostly slides and pool drop fun! The style of whitewater, as well as being out in the mountains and moors really gives you the feeling of being back in Scotland, particularly as it was pretty cold!
Myklebust, also known as the Micky Mouse Run!Another classic in the Valdall area which guarantees a lot of fun is the Myklebust- a.k.a the Micky Mouse run! Again this is a short section, with a handful of great rapids on it- mostly very fun slides, that you can run over and over again!
Good times on the Lăgen with Matt Blackwell and Jakub SedivySomehow the summer flew by and it was suddenly coming to the end of our season with Gene 17 trips. So we celebrated an excellent season by making a road trip to Voss, which involved driving over snow covered mountains and through stunning valleys. Voss is an amazing place, especially if you’re into your whitewater kayaking, rafting, hiking, paragliding, skiing and probably most other sports! We spent a lot of our time paddling various sections of the Randelselva, each challenging and a lot of fun!
Me, Jakub Sedivy and Jake Holland during our hike at Besseggen on our end of season vacation!Many thanks to the Gene17 Kayaking boys and everyone else I met for an amazing summer and of course Peak UK for keeping me warm, dry and looking good on the river!
Until next year Norway!
Article by Sal MontgomeryPhoto credits: Simon Westgarth, Jake Holland and Louise Capel. 
