Poks at Gausta & Hattfjelldal

The PoksAdventure summer main trip  headed to Gausta. We were hoping to see Gausta as it had been for a few stable days: 15 cumecs. But no, it dropped into nine and below. The place where to look at the gauge is Ankarvattnet, just search the place from https://login.vattenreglering.se/vattenforing_pub.asp?screen_height=768.  Too dry now for most of places, but of course few highlights had to be run…

Just had to put this here...thanks for Aapo Halonen Photography!

Grand old man pushing the limits. Photo: Tommi Lyttinen

...And on and on. Photo: Aapo Halonen

Kayaking is such a great sport: you drive 1000+ kilometres by car, check the gauge, may be huck a few places, and by the campfire the group will have to make some hard decisions on what to do next day, and finally after well slept night the plan is perfectly clear: let`s move the camp 300 km, one river out there seems to be on fine level! 

After driving it´s good to have a dinner, and afterwards...Photo: Jyrki Kuisma

For us the river was Susna, lower, or middle.Well, anyway the leg that is printed in the guidebook. Powerful class 4.  It somehow seemed in the evening that gauge was quite near the 20, which would have been perfect level according to guidebook (link), but after we started the day at work it seemed a bit bigger (the oracle from western part of Finland was the very first person to doubt the matter…props!). And yes, after nine hours of kayaking and portaging we checked it up: almost 30. Ok, it seemed hard enough for us flatwater finns. Gauge can be checked here, find Nervoll (great website by the way!). This river really has the potential to blow your mind,  and you must not forget the upper part, which would have been too dry at these levels. Wonderful package! We paddled from the put-in to the first take out, can be seen from the very helpful guide above.

...you can find the treats of middle Susna. Photo: Aapo Halonen

Fine line. Photo: J. Luomala

Power is on! Photo: Aapo Halonen

Roughness and beauty. Susna. Photo: J. Luomala

Sometimes the river gods are favourable, sometimes not, sometimes they are bearing a  two-folded face. Stavasselva was at good level (no known gauge, but again great help from the guide), and off we went to have a real adventure, mostly read and run-style rapids but a lots of different style also... And for the brave and for those who are having a healthy young back there`s a real treat at the take out bridge. Not this time for us, bro, not this time. But yea, at what point did the rivergods let us down? Perhaps when some odd force moved one of our kayaks to the moving water while inspecting a curious spot? Beware of the mighty kayak thrower of Stavasselva!

This time not read and run. Photo: Aapo Halonen

Artistic view. Photo: J. Luomala

Sea kayaker training to boof. Photo: Aapo Halonen

One can have fun under the bridge, no matter where the bridge is. Photo: Jyrki Kuisma

Krutåga was a run that we just had to do. There were two reasons: double drop and triple drop. For some reason last time being here at this powderlike river we were in a mood of not so eager to run these gems. Well, ok, this time waterlevel was low, but we just had to…a few cumecs would have made it a bit more faster. Again, no known gauge but the guide helps you a lot! 

The first one of the triple. Photo: Aapo Halonen

The last one of the double. Photo: Aapo Halonen

Meanwhile, under the bridge. Photo: J. Luomala

And, finally, the second one of the triple. Photo: Janne Varonen