Nick Pearce kayaking blog

Arriving in Valldal from Voss and there was one run that we all wanted to get our teeth into – the Mickey Mouse run. This new but already legendary run looks from the road like a small ditch with no water in it. Turning up a small dirt track and following the river up for a bit you don’t see anything more that this ditch then as the track gets steep pull up into a lay-by, get your kit on and then hike about 1k up the road.

Another fun Norwegian slide 

What follows it a section of sweet fun drops and slides that I’m not able to say anything about to you. The fun thing with this river is that if you want to paddle it then there is a tradition that you have to find a local that will take you down it and tell you the lines, as you’re not allowed to look at anything. Trust me, you will be smiling at the bottom.  The day after it was time for the Mickey Mouse race, being a time trial this has to be one of the most fun races that I have ever competed in. The atmosphere at the top was so chilled with some of the guys having never paddled the run and in good spirit all they got was a description of the run, no looking allowed! Dropping in, I had a smooth run the only mishap being landing facing up stream from the seal launch. Managing to post a nice 10th place in a field that was made up people like Anton Immler and Sam Sutton. Not bad in my book.

Blair on line on the upper Rauma

Dan in amongst it on the Finna

Also, when over in Valldal we where able to get over on to Fleming’s home run which is set to be dammed over the winter. We were lucky enough to get it at the perfect flow. Starting with a small mini gorge with a fairly meaty small drop in, the middle about 3 meters with a very sticky hole. We all managed to avoid a close meeting with it and headed on down the river withcountless small drops and slide. The river then steps up again with a clean 4-meter boof, which is just so fun. Then comes the gem of the run it’s about an 80 foot slide dropping in at the top where you have the choice of a boof or a slot. Hitting the boof, I flew getting massive air, landing back on the slide where you then start to accelerate down the slide, hitting the hole at the end doing worp 9 bouncing out over the top of it. The run from here mellows out a bit down to the take out.

A sweet boof on the home run.

On the lead in to the big slide

After about 5 days in Valldal, enjoying the beautiful white water, it was then time to head to Sjoa for the legendry festival. The last week of the trip was pretty mad with some awesome white water and lots of drinking

Arriving at the Riksanlegget camping we set up and then headed to the river. The two highlights of the week had to be the Ula slides and the Skjoli. The Ula slides, everyone knows this beautiful set of slides with the last one finishing in a sweet 13 foot boof. From there we headed down stream to play on some drops. It was a lovely little combo of a 7m boof drop into a 3 meter boof and then a 8 meter plug before the scramble to the eddy to get out before the big old 60+ footer with both me and Dan Hayworth running the drop. We both decided not to boof the first one flat, instead ‘45ing’ it into the pool with the landing being rather green. But both of us had sweet lines down through the drops.

On line on the third Ula drop

Skjoli on the other hand is a bit of a different beast. This I possibly one of Norway’s most continuous and intense pieces of water from the put in to the take out it is on-your-toes boating, swimming is not really an option and you need to be really quick reading the river on the fly. The eddies are very small and there’s not that many of them and barely any where you need them. But this has to be one of the best rivers I have ever been on, you will get off exhausted after all 8km but smiling from ear to ear.

Driving on race day

Along with the boating, there were several races, the main one being the Ula Extreme race, a time trial down the slides after some slightly controversial qualifiers the day before. It was race time. After pushing off the top I started to sprint into the first drop getting a sweet line and then onto the slides. I got pushed a little right, slowing my time but I got back in the second slide and off the big boof at the end posting a really nice 21st over all in a really tight field of some very good boaters. The star of the show though had to be Honza, clearing the rest of the field by at least a second.

Jamie sutton flying off the last drop.

Over all, the road trip was an awesome experience and thanks to all to people I met along the way and to the new friends made.

More fun on the upper Rauma

Thanks to www.zet-kayaks.co.uk for the support.