Ski and Paddle Norway 2009

Distance 62km | Time 14.5hrs | Ascent 0m | Descent 0m

Again it rained all night and there was another 20 mm in the dirty pan outside. I could not really afford to wait around if I was to meet my friends in a couple of days. I got up around 0800 and after packing and sorting a few things out I eventually set off a 1030 but which time the tide had turned slightly in my favour and the west wind was diminishing.

I paddled out of the shelter of the headland and across the bay behind a few islands when the rain finally stopped. The wind was also decreasing and swinging more to the north so it would be from the side. I made slow progress at only around 4.5 km per hour all the way down the uninspiring south side of the sound. I passed the flattish islands of Leksa and after some 4 hours finally managed the 20km to Sande. It was slow progress.

I felt tired as I arrived in Sande and luckily there was a shop. I went up and bought a late lunch a gorged myself in the shop at the locals table. I felt much better an hour later and was ready to paddle on. Not only that, but the wind had veered more to the north east and had decreased again. It was already 1700 but I felt I could paddle late today.

I skipped across Hemnefjord and reached Stamnesoya in the sound called Trondheimslia. It was not very spectacular with gentle sloping land on the south mainland side and also on the north side, which was the island of Hitra. Anywhere else in the world this would be a national treasure with its extensive forests and rocky inlets but the previous coasts from Tromso to Royrvik were a very hard act to follow.

As I reached Rostoya I noticed that this island was much wilder. It was a Nature Reserve and the forest was in great condition with larger pines and thick undergrowth. There were many skerries on the north side of it and a few protected a couple of nice beaches. There were plenty of terns nesting on these skerries and at last I managed to see a larger tern chick on a rock slab. Big enough to stand beside the adults but suddenly very alone when they flew off and it was left on its own and exposed.

I stopped at the west end off Rostoya where there was a herd of rustic sheep in their shaggy dark fleeces which were dragging along the ground. They soon disappeared into the birch undergrowth as I beached. There were many herons along this stretch of coast. It was a pristine natural environment and redeemed the whole paddle so far that day.

I paddled past the small pretty hamlet of Taftoysund and made for a collection of tall structures further down the fjord. This was Tjeldbergodden. It seemed to be a small Statoil refinery which was about a km long. There was a tanker unloading or loading and a small tank farm at the side. Like most refineries it was hideous, however it was quite small and there was no flare tower burning. I did not linger here but blasted past hoping it would not glaze over my memories of Rostoya.

I got to the end of the headland at around 2200 and crossed over the Dromnesundet sound between the mainland and Skardsoy. It was only a few km but I was aware it was getting darker and boats would not seem me easily and maybe soon not at all. Not that there were many boats about. I reached the island around 2300 with the sun down a good half hour ago behind a bank of cloud. The day had improved remarkably since the windy downpour of the morning.

I felt remarkably good now and was paddling strongly and fast. I knew each kilometer I made now was one less tomorrow so decided to go as far as possible. I went round the north shore of the island with the smell of cut crass drifting from its shore and cattle wandering along the shoreline until I got to the north west tip.

I saw something quite large in the water in front of me heading towards the island. It was too big to be an otter or even seal. I thought it was a goose swimming fast but in the twilight could not be sure. Then I thought it was a distant boat on the horizon but it reached the headland in 100 metres and went inside it so it could not be that. Then it followed the shore before emerging onto the rocks. I was sure it was a seal.

Imagine my surprise when I saw it was a large red deer stag. It must have swum over from Hitra some 5 km to the north. It could not get up the slippery slab and kept slipping back into the water. I veered out to sea to distress it less and in the hope it would return to the water and swim the direction I had come for 100 metres to a better place to come ashore. It was only trying here because I was nearby and at this rate it would break a leg. I was quite astounded it had swum so far. At the least it would have come from Vaeroy to the south of Hitra some 4-5 km away.

As I continued to the west side of Skardsoy the swell built up. I could see the surf crashing onto reefs but could not see that well. I just kept away from the white surf and followed the coast round for 3 km. There were no beaches I could see and it was now 0100. I saw the name Sandvika (sandy bay) on the map just two km away on the next island of Lesundoya and headed over to that.

It was starting to get light again when I finally rammed the kayak up the sandy beach. It was a beautiful bay with a couple of farms and a lovely boatshed which looked like an old stabbur or traditional food store built on piles over the water. It was worth paddling the extra hour to arrive here. The tide was high and there was a minimum to move the boat up the beach.

I put up the tent and crashed out soon after on the edge of a newly cut grass field. I was about 200 metres from the farmhouse but far away enough not to intrude.

It was a long day with a slow start and long finish in the near dark which I quite enjoyed, especially the deer and the breaking surf on the barely visible reefs. I could have gone on but once I was in the tent with a drying draft through it I fell asleep quickly and slept well. It would only be about a 40 km paddle tomorrow to meet Colin and Karen and a good forecast to boot.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 21st, 2009 at 6:25 pm and is filed under Update. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.