perjantai 10. kesäkuuta 2016

Trollforsen & Vouvosjokk

The first days of summer holiday, Trollforsen, a bunch of kayak hippies - that's all you need for happiness really. Pite river in northern Sweden offered four days of sun, campfire, sunburned noses, intimidating horizon lines, good lines, exciting lines, rope work and staring animals.

Thank you Mark Hirst and Lapin Koskikoulu for WRT courses! River safety and rescue skills needed on this trip!

This is where it all starts. PoksAdventure team doctor running "The Pillow" on the left channel of Creecking delta. Creecking delta is about two kms long section of class III-IV creecking in a beautiful open bedrock surroundings. The water is crystal clear and drinkable.
 
Downstream view to the only portage on the left channel of Creecking delta. The president of the Jyväskylä kayak club in the red kayak did an amazing job leading the group and bringing new people to see the miracles of Trollforsen!

The right channel of Creecking delta is slightly more demanding - a carnival of class IV slides and holes. Poks master of Jyväskylä styling the last hole of the first rapid.
 
Not everywhere can you see horizon lines like this! Not super steep, but the open landscape creates an unreal view when staring the treetops down there... Approaching the "Number two" on the right channel of Creecking delta.
 
Fätnafallet a.k.a. "The Autoboof"

Sometimes the autoboof button might be hidden, but the hair didn't get wet anyway... (because of the kayaker being bold...?) In this rapid going too far right might turn your good line into a more exciting one!

Millions of lines to choose between on the Creecking delta. The grand old man from Jyväskylä running a smooth line on "The Double drop".
 
The final slide of the Creecking delta

The Zik-zak slide. Only grand masters of kayaking are able to perform a combat roll on this line. Never seen one, but heard stories...

Lines like this lead to...
 
...swims like this lead to...

...rope work like this lead to...

...nights like this...

...start the spark in my bonfire heart.

White water kayaking is all about spending hour after hour in the car, day after day on the road... But the campfire pics are simply more fun to watch!

Always sunny, always dry kit at Trollforsen. Just beware of the mosquitos if trying later in the summer...

A nice little side creeck to avoid "Labyrinten", a rapid where you don't want to get lost.

Boofing for the first time ever!

The final hole on the Creecking delta. You'd better have a loooooong rope to catch a swimmer in this one.

Vouvosjokk is a five kms long class IV creeck, two hours drive from Trollforsen. Nowadays it's a hike in destination, in the picture you can see why.

Carrying the kayaks on the night before turned out to be a good idea. Five kms walk with the rest of the kit was a good warm up in the morning.

15 cumecs on Vouvosjokk offered a few really exciting slides and two portages.

The final rapid on Vouvosjokk makes you stay alert until the very last strokes.

In Finland we have this thing called staring animals.

In Sweden they have this thing called staring wooden animals.