Norge Round 2: Fight!

Valldal is stunning, and this is just the start of it.

Hei hei folkens, its been 2 months since we left Norway following our second summer in Sjoa and we've been busy busy ever since. The big thing was getting married! Holy moly! That was a great time and thanks to everyone who made it such an amazing day, not least my beautiful and amazing wife. Thankyou darlin' you're the best :) I'm now sitting in our lovely chalet in Chamonix waiting for some snow. Soon would be nice. Lots of it. Lots ;)

 

Aiguille du Midi, the view from our bedroom. Stoked.

It was another brilliant season in the northland tho. We returned to the beautiful Sjoa valley and once more i was working for the fabulous Sjoa Rafting AS whilst we also returned to running Sjoa Kayak Camp - aka the best place in the world, y'all visit next year mmm'k. I arrived in mid-May and got busy paddling as much as i could. Big rains early season brought the Sjoa up to stonking levels as ever and lots of fun was to be had.

Check that high water mark! BIG water. 

This was something of a theme this summer. We had the normal spring floods in May (above) but we also got huge rains in early July, just in time for Sjoa Fest! That was once again epic, especially since we were treated to daily tales of carnage from Aseng to Amot with many people under estimating the river at these flows. We were spotting 4 or 5 boats a day floating past Kayak Camp :) One particular story of a guy who shall remain nameless, was trying to get with a girl he kinda knew. She rocked up with 2 friends and wanted to go to Aseng having never paddled it before so our buddy said he'd take them. Needless to say 2 out of 3 swam in the gut and whilst sorting this mess out, buddy was out of his boat on shore while the river rose 40cm in an hour and washed his boat away. He had to swim the rest of the section in his boardies and he didn't even get a kiss! Got his boat back tho.

Armando dropping into the last drop of Ula slides at a chunky flow. We had gone up to look at Bruresloret but adjudged it a shade low.

Media whores!! Photo: Greig McColm.

I managed to get a couple of trips out of the valley this year, down to the Etna, Telemark and of course Voss veko! The Etna is a great section with a little bit of everything including a BIG waterfall that only Armando ran. Tho he had a great line it was a big hit and my back and i were glad i made the decision to walk it. I do regret that we didn't run the bottom slide (it was a good 10km below where we got out to be fair) for the hot sun bathing chicas ;)
 

Big Banana Boof! Santi on one of the chunkier rapids of the Etna. Photo: Greig McColm

 Telemark was one of my big highlights from this summer. We rallied down for a couple of days in early June, spotting a huge reindeer herd crossing Jotunheim and were lucky enough to catch the Ausbygdai at near perfect flows. We ran the upper section and the home-run of the Mar on our first day, then dropped into the California section the next before heading back to Sjoa. Pretty good b-day weekend Greig? 

Joe "the" Leader getting his lean on, Upper Ausbygdi, photo: Greig McColm.

Same sh**, different angle. I think this was round 2. 

Joe crushing Spannemfossen. Such a sick drop.

Greig aka the B.O.B showing us how to stomp it like it ain't no thang. Watch and learn kids.

Me on Spam foss. Photo: Greig McColm.

Me getting into the big slide, California section. Love this rapid! Photo: Greig McColm.

Mr Tom Downs on the first drop of the homerun. It was about 10.30pm at this point i think. Land of the midnight sun provides.

That was a great trip to the Tinnsjo area, cant wait to go back again next year. The next mission out of the valley as Veko. Always a good time, Action Jackson and i rallied out of Sjoa and met the boys down the bottom of the Jordal. I hadn't managed to get much done around Voss last year so i had a serious jones to get on the goods. Even with relatively low levels Voss will not disappoint. We hit up the lower Myrkdal the next day, such a sick run with some amazing boofs and slides. Day after that we headed to Marine Canyon of the Raundalselvi. This starts with a super sick 7 metre boof, which really sets the tone for the rest of the run. Opinion is divided as to which of these is better, with many plumping for marine due to the lack of portages. I prefer the Myrk tho, for t'is sick. Anyways from there we headed up for some tunnel love before the Bula Beanie Boogie. Always a good party but whilst nursing a hangover afterwards i managed to break my boat cruising the raft run of the Stranda with los Sprunckenista and big nose. I know! If id done it in the tunnel, fair enough, but class 3?? That was the end of my paddling for the trip, but i still got to hang out and check the Brandseth race which this year was held on the Myrkdal due to low water. I would love to have raced but I'm a dirt bag and 1400nok is alot of money just to get thrashed by some kiwis. Still its a super cool event and was great to catch up with a ton of people. Sadly i didn't get too many pics of this trip myself as other folks were carrying cameras and after earlier media whore runs taking forever we decided to keep the numbers down. Still Santi made a sick video of the season that includes a bunch of this footage. 

T.L Hansson flies into the light.

Mariann Saether flies off the boof. 1st drop, lower Myrk race.

Benji Hjort dropping into the seldom run top drop of the lower Myrk. This was used as the start of the race for the finals and was dishing out some tasty beatings.

Eric Deguil charging into the course.

I headed home just in time for Sjoa Fest which as i said earlier as epic as ever. We had awesome levels this summer, huge water and a ton of paddlers from all over the world got to experience the best the valley has to offer. My personal highlight was an Aseng run at 353 in the stinger, thanks again Jim! That and winning a brand new kayak at the Saturday night party! Thanks again Jon & Kay, super stoked on that, awesome :) Manue and i also took a couple of days hiking over Snohetta and Dovre fjell for my birthday during which we saw mountains, lakes, rivers, glaciers and musk ox! Hairy coo's man! Hairy freakin' coo's! Technically goats.

Stinky feet and a beautiful place. Snohetta peak, Dovre.

 

Look everybody, its a Manue and a mountain! Amazing!

 

A Musk Ox being like "O my god, its SO FRICKIN' HOT!!! I just can't you know, i just can't!" Once again,technically a goat. Who knew?

What i didn't manage to much after that was get out of the valley. We did get a quick trip to Valldal to sample some Mickey Mouse and strawberry cake but otherwise work and camp commitments largely kept me confined to quarters. I was grumbly about this at times, especially as i missed out on a Rauma trip this year (next year mofos, its happening) but honestly? You cant be that upset when you've got the Sjoa to paddle every day and this summer we had awesome levels the whole time pretty much. I lost track of how many Amots i did (including 1 on a river board, thanks again for the cover Ryan!), i know i was nowhere near Tillseys 112! (i think that's right, correct me if not skank bag). Besides the ever loving Amot, Jolgens wave gave up an epic season. Something seemed to have changed a bit from last year and it was working for a good 2 months straight. Pre and post work sessions, oh yea baby! Fingers crossed shes as good to us next year :)

 

Valldola in the sunshine, beautiful place. Photo: Greig McColm.

 

Heading into the bottom of the Mickey Mouse. Now i would love to show you a pic of us mega-training (C - Sam Ellis) fight club but you know the first rule of fight club right?

 

Crazy wee waterfall and me playing with shutter speed.

Rob and Greig ripping it up at Jolgens - in August! Yes!

The man himself, doing his thing on his home - literally - wave. What can you say? He rips.

 Now one of the biggest highlights of the whole summer was the fantastic race series organised by Rob and Ine of Planet River - The Sjoa Super Sundays. With 5 amazing events spread across the summer it provided masses of fun and entertainment for the valley the whole season. I managed to bag a respectable 4th place overall in the end, pretty happy with that to be fair considering i was up against some very talented boaters. And Hamish. Thanks again for organising everything guys, it was seriously amazing and we all massively appreciate it, really. Cant wait for next year! 
 

A whole big ol' posse of paddlers. Photo: Greig McColm.

My gorgeous wife. Crushing it. Still sounds weird. Photo: Greig McColm.

 

On our way to 2nd in the Amot race. I was quite happy with 2nd :P Photo: Greig McColm.

 
 If you've enjoyed the pictures, then perhaps you will enjoy moving pictures. Please check out Santi's short film he made of some of our paddling exploits this last season. Not sure if he's entered this into the Kayak Session comp but he should cos its awesome! 

Kayak Norway 2014 - by a sexy sexy latin love master.

And that i think is just about it more or less. There were some amazing times had over the summer, and I'm super stoked to be back again next year. The Sjoa Kayak Camp will be up and running once more with some possible BIG changes afoot (watch this space). We are hoping to have some improved facilities for groups next year, and of course we will still have an unrivalled location at the put in for Amot, great company and a river side sauna. Please come see us! 

Id like to say a big thanks once more to Planet River for S.S.S, HUGE thankyou to Greig for letting me rip off his work - sick shots bro - and a special thanks to Santi for putting that wee movie together - good effort. And of course a massive tussen tak to all the beautiful and amazing people who made the season for us - you know who you are and we love you :) 

Finally a big big big shout out and thanks to Colorado Kayak Supply - Cheers for everything guys, you're awesome, check em out peeps, get yourself geared up right!

Now I'm going skiing, see ya :P