Outdoor Adventures with Ancient Brit
Canoe articles - Sweden 1997
Canoeing in Sweden, summer 1997
After the 24 hour crossing from Harwich to Gothenburg had a 200 mile drive to reach the small village of
Tyfors where I was to start my 12 day canoe trip down the Svartalven river and lake system to Karlskoga.
My small Canadian canoe is light enough to handle easily on the land but big enough to carry camping gear
and provisions for a 2 week trip. It took quite a long time to organise the canoe as I was carrying most of my food
for the trip (Brought out from England as food is now one of the few things which is more expensive in Sweden) as
their were few places to re-provision en-route.
The pattern for the trip was set as I stripped off for a swim from the small beach where I launched the canoe
and didn’t need to dress again until the sun set. I was delighted to find that the water was already above 20C
(Before I left Sweden some of the lakes had got up to 25°C)
As it was already early evening I just paddled for an hour before camping in the woods beside the river. The next 2
days were spent paddling down 2 long narrow lakes separated by a short stretch of river with 3 small dams. At the
dams the canoe must be “carried” which is not as bad as it sounds as you actually pull the canoe along on small
trolley. With the continuous sunshine in these remote waters the only time clothing was needed during these land
portages.
The third night was spent at a beautiful little beach with a jetty to allow diving into deep water. This was
surprisingly deserted most of the time despite being at the weekend. I stayed there most of the next day as well
waiting for a strong southerly breeze to die down as it usually does in the evening. With the weather so hot I often
just paddled in the early morning and evening and found a nice bathing place to spend the bulk of the day.
The next few days were spent in a section of winding river joining up small lakes. The sixth night was spent
at one of their bigger beaches with a 3 level diving platform. This was about the only time during the trip apart
from at the land portages, and the occasional afternoon cloudy interlude, when clothes needed to be worn. (In the
hot weather it often clouds over for a few hours in the afternoon before clearing again for the evening.)
The second half of the trip was through a series of much bigger lakes. At times you can get quite large waves
on these lakes making the canoeing rather exciting, but on this trip the conditions remained tranquil and I was
able to enjoy the sun. One afternoon it clouded over and there was a viscous thunderstorm but fortunately I
watched this from one of the shelters scattered along the route. I did have to bale about 8 gallons of water from
my canoe after only about 20 minutes rain! Most nights I camped on sandy beaches. I was surprised how few
canoeists there were on this part of the trip. It seems to be mainly Danes and Germans on the water.
For the ornithologist there is plenty to see. The black-throated diver is common and among the many birds I
saw were osprey, crane and 4 species of woodpecker. Moose and beaver were also seen but they tend to be shy at
this time of year. I am told there are wolves and bears in this part of Sweden but I think you would be very lucky
(unlucky?) to see any.
I was expecting to reach Karlskoga but a leak in one of the dams in the final section of river meant that the
water levels were too low and I had to complete my journey by road. Karlskoga is best known as the home of
Alfred Nobel and the industry of the town is still dominated by the chemical works he founded. The problem of
getting back to my car was easily solved, as one of the canoe hire firms will transport you and your canoe back to
your starting point for a very reasonable price. I went on from here to follow other canoe trails but it would only be
about a 4-hour drive to Gothenburg for those needing to rush home.
In the good weather I had for this trip (which is not unusual at this time of year) it is difficult to imagine a
better holiday. Canadian canoeing is a leisurely activity (although there are always some youngsters trying to
disprove this) and is within the physical capability of most age groups. The canoes you can hire are big enough to
take younger children as passengers and unlike kayaks it is very difficult to capsize a Canadian canoe.
After the 24 hour crossing from Harwich to Gothenburg had a 200 mile drive to reach the small village of
Tyfors where I was to start my 12 day canoe trip down the Svartalven river and lake system to Karlskoga.
My small Canadian canoe is light enough to handle easily on the land but big enough to carry camping gear
and provisions for a 2 week trip. It took quite a long time to organise the canoe as I was carrying most of my food
for the trip (Brought out from England as food is now one of the few things which is more expensive in Sweden) as
their were few places to re-provision en-route.
The pattern for the trip was set as I stripped off for a swim from the small beach where I launched the canoe
and didn’t need to dress again until the sun set. I was delighted to find that the water was already above 20C
(Before I left Sweden some of the lakes had got up to 25°C)
As it was already early evening I just paddled for an hour before camping in the woods beside the river. The next 2
days were spent paddling down 2 long narrow lakes separated by a short stretch of river with 3 small dams. At the
dams the canoe must be “carried” which is not as bad as it sounds as you actually pull the canoe along on small
trolley. With the continuous sunshine in these remote waters the only time clothing was needed during these land
portages.
The third night was spent at a beautiful little beach with a jetty to allow diving into deep water. This was
surprisingly deserted most of the time despite being at the weekend. I stayed there most of the next day as well
waiting for a strong southerly breeze to die down as it usually does in the evening. With the weather so hot I often
just paddled in the early morning and evening and found a nice bathing place to spend the bulk of the day.
The next few days were spent in a section of winding river joining up small lakes. The sixth night was spent
at one of their bigger beaches with a 3 level diving platform. This was about the only time during the trip apart
from at the land portages, and the occasional afternoon cloudy interlude, when clothes needed to be worn. (In the
hot weather it often clouds over for a few hours in the afternoon before clearing again for the evening.)
The second half of the trip was through a series of much bigger lakes. At times you can get quite large waves
on these lakes making the canoeing rather exciting, but on this trip the conditions remained tranquil and I was
able to enjoy the sun. One afternoon it clouded over and there was a viscous thunderstorm but fortunately I
watched this from one of the shelters scattered along the route. I did have to bale about 8 gallons of water from
my canoe after only about 20 minutes rain! Most nights I camped on sandy beaches. I was surprised how few
canoeists there were on this part of the trip. It seems to be mainly Danes and Germans on the water.
For the ornithologist there is plenty to see. The black-throated diver is common and among the many birds I
saw were osprey, crane and 4 species of woodpecker. Moose and beaver were also seen but they tend to be shy at
this time of year. I am told there are wolves and bears in this part of Sweden but I think you would be very lucky
(unlucky?) to see any.
I was expecting to reach Karlskoga but a leak in one of the dams in the final section of river meant that the
water levels were too low and I had to complete my journey by road. Karlskoga is best known as the home of
Alfred Nobel and the industry of the town is still dominated by the chemical works he founded. The problem of
getting back to my car was easily solved, as one of the canoe hire firms will transport you and your canoe back to
your starting point for a very reasonable price. I went on from here to follow other canoe trails but it would only be
about a 4-hour drive to Gothenburg for those needing to rush home.
In the good weather I had for this trip (which is not unusual at this time of year) it is difficult to imagine a
better holiday. Canadian canoeing is a leisurely activity (although there are always some youngsters trying to
disprove this) and is within the physical capability of most age groups. The canoes you can hire are big enough to
take younger children as passengers and unlike kayaks it is very difficult to capsize a Canadian canoe.
Photo to be added
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This was an article that was first published in British Naturism (BN), the magazine of the CCBN.