The blog must go on!

Dieser Blog hat schon seid längerem keinen Update bekommen wurde aber nicht vergessen. Mittlerweile habe ich diesen Blog seid 8 Jahren und hatte zwischenzeitlich schon gedacht ihn vielleicht offline zu nehmen. Mir war irgendwie nicht mehr klar aus welchem Grund ich hier meine Bilder und kurzen Geschichten veröffentliche. Noch dazu habe ich nicht so viel Schreibtalent.

Ich begegne fast täglich netten Menschen, denen ich vielleicht nur einmal begegne, wer weiss. Meine guten alten Freunde, viele von ihnen auch Kajakfahrer treffe ich nicht allzu oft das gleiche gilt für meine liebe Familie. Ich bin nicht besonders gut im Messenger schreiben und setzte Unterhaltungen im Facebook messenger nur spärlich fort. Sodass ich den blog als Möglichkeit sehe von den dingen die um mich herum gesehen zu berichten. Damit diejenigen von euch die es interessiert eine chance bekommt zu sehn wo der Junge sich eigentlich rumtreibt. Ich werde mir dafür mühe geben etwas regelmässiger zu posten.
Ich werde Hauptmerkmal auf die Kajaktouren legen um als Inspirations- und Informationsquelle für die dienen, die gerne selbst in diese Regionen zum paddeln möchten. Möchte dabei jedoch auch Menschen erreichen die selber nichts mit dem Sport zu tun haben und zeigen das es wichtig ist, das zu tun was einen wirklich glücklich macht. Geld sollte dabei keine so grosse Rolle spielen.


This Blog hasn´t seen an Update for a while, but hasn´t been forgotten. I been blogging my random stuff for 8 years and considered to take that blog offline. I wasn´t sure for what reason I put my photos and storys up. And to it i got little talent for writing.

Keeping the nomadic lifestyle up means i am always changing my place and don´t have a base.
The good is I meet nearly daily nice people, who I might only gonna see once, who knows. The bad is my good old friends, many of them are paddlers, are spread all over and we don´t meet up to often. The same counts for my lovely family who gets to see me 2-3 times and I haven´t been home for christmas in 2015. I am not good using all these messengers. Simply because i try to put my effort into seeing and talking to those who are around in the near. So i see this Blog as a chance to report about the stuff that happens around me. So you can have a look where that boy is wondering around now. I will try to post more regularly.
My main focus of cause gonna be the Kayaktrips to inspire and inform about the regions I go to for those who want to go there too. But I also want to reach out to people who have nothing to do with that kind of sports and show, that it is important to do what makes you happy. And that money shouldn´t stay as a main focus.

...

Das Jahr 2015 war eines meiner paddelreichsten Jahre. Bereits im April begann die Saison in Norwegen. Das Extremsport - Festival in Volda, das X2 Festiaval hat bereits Anfang April stattgefunden. Recht niedriger Wasserstand und noch recht frische Temperaturen konnten das Gemüt nicht trüben. Mit guter Laune wurden unter anderem Honingdøla und der Race-course der Bygdelva gepaddelt. 

Relativ kurz darauf folgte die Trøndelagsrunde in Støren. Da es relativ viel regnete konnten wir auf der Ena um die Wette fahren. Die Veranstaltung war für mich eine der besten Rennen an denen ich Teilgenommen habe. Spass steht hier absolut im Vordergrund und Geld verdient mit dem Event auch niemand etwas. Das Startgeld wurde für Camping und einem Burgerfest am Samstag benutzt. 

Year 2015 has offered me lots of paddling all over Norway. Already in the beginning of April i traveled to the Extremsportfestival in Volda. The X2 Festival on the west-coast offered a cosy Atmosphere. Sportintusiast´s from all over Norway come to challenge them self´s with either races or just Trips out in the Mountains and come at night together to dance in the legendary Partytent. 

Low Waterlevel´s and chill weather didn´t press on the mood. Full of enthusiasm it been paddled Honingdøla, Langedalselva and the fun racecourse on Bygdelva. 

Short after the Trøndelagsrunden happened in Støren. Waterlevel´s been guaranteed trough out consistant rain weather. This was also the reason why this year the race happened on the lower Ena. 

I personally really liked this gathering of Kayakers. Fun was highest priority and the nonprofit entry fee sorted us out with a pretty campsite and first class Burgers. 

Drop am schluss des Racecourses auf der Bygdelva 

Campsite in Støren

Am ersten Mai wurde ich von Beth Hume zu ihrem Geburtstag, ins Tessungdalen in der Telemark Norwegen eingeladen. Sie hatte eine reihe von Freunden zusammentrommeln können um gemeinsam paddeln und ski fahren zu gehen. das verlängerte Wochenende war ein grosser Erfolg. Viele von Beth´s Freunden die sich teilweise nie vorher gesehen hatten sind bestens warmgeworden und haben die Athmosphere zu etwas ganz besonderem gemacht. 

Da es im Mai in der Telemark nicht geregnet sondern geschneit hat wurde aus dem paddeln nix. Stattdessen gingen wir auf "Topptur" und schredderten ein paar Linien in den Schnee auf dem Hochplateau in der nähe. Es gab eine Miniramp am Å-Camp, dass von Isaac betrieben wird und sich im Tessungdalen befindet. Gerade oberhalb vom Spånemfossen.

1th of May i was invited by Beth Hume to her annually birthdayfestival. The Fest would happen in Tessungdalen in Telemark, Norway. Many followed the invitation and gathered partly without knowing another. But being friend with Beth was enough to get warm which made the Atmosphere special.
It hasn´t been raining so kayaking was not an option. Instead we did Skitouring and painted some lines into the snow on the near by plateau. We had our Tent in Å-Camp, our campsite driven by Isaac, a student from Oslo spend some hardworking time to create a real cosy place in the forest. What was special he had a Miniramp standing on the mosses and we got a skateboard on us so lots to do! The camp is just upriver from Spånemfossen.

Aurora Borealis für Beth

Die Nordlichter wurden von mir auf dem weg von Oslo nach Volda, wo das X2 Festival stattfinden sollte. Beth Hume war zusammen mit mir unterwegs. Es ist für mich sehr traurig das Beth noch im gleichen Jahr durch einen tragischen Unfall auf dem Fluss von uns gehen musste. Ich kannte Beth nur ein knappes Jahr und bin auf anhieb super gut mit ihr ausgekommen. Wir habe gemeinsam ein paar Abenteuer gehabt, wie zum Beispiel diese Fahrt nach Volda, bei der uns das Kupplungskabel gerissen ist. Beth ist ohne Kupplung von Volda nach Oslo gefahren. Das sind ungefair 8 stunden fahrt. Sie hat mich stark damit beeindruckt, da sie kaum Probleme dabei hatte. Sie hat mir Geschichten von den vorherigen Malen erzählt, als sie ohne Kupplung gefahren ist..... und ich hatte mich auf weitere gemeinsame Abenteuer gefreut! Stattdessen werde ich weiter auf Abenteuerjagd gehen und werde Beth in Gedanken und mit ihren Geschichten am Leben erhalten.

These Northern Lights where shot from myself on the way from Oslo to Volda, where the X2 Festival was going to happen. Beth Hume traveled together with me. It is so sad that Beth had to passed away the same Year during a tragic kayak accident. I knew Beth for about a year and we really got on well. We had some Adventures together, for example this ride to Volda. The clutch cable from her car ""Merlin II" broke. Beth drove her car without a clutch from Volda back to Oslo. This is about 8 hours with lots of mountain-road. She impressed me a lot with it, she didn´t seem to have to much trouble with it. On the way she told me about other times where the same happened and she drove without clutch.... and i where looking forward to more adventueres with Beth!! Instead I will go on a hunt of adventures and will keep Beth in memories and and through her stories alive. Rest in Peace.

...

Auf Beth´s Geburtstags party bin ich Ben begegnet. Der derzeitige Forstamt-student hat  ein Auslandssemester in Norwegen in Evenstad gemacht. Und meinte ich solle einfach vorbeikommen wenn die Pegel stimmen. Gesagt getan und hat nicht lange gedauert so war ich in Hedmark und merkte hier gibt es einiges zu paddeln. Ich war glücklich genug die Imsa bei sehr guten Wasserständen zu treffen. 

Auf dem oberen Stück haben wir unzählig viele Elche gesehen und sogar ein wildes Rentier. Ein älteres Ehepaar das mit ihren Campingwagen an dem uns ausgewählten Einstiegspunkt geweilt hatte. War all zu gern Mit dem Shuttle des Autos hilfsbereit. Los ging es auf Elch - safari. 

Da Ben immer noch im Heilungsprozess eines Rückenbruchs war und dadurch bedingt C1 gefahren ist, konnte er das untere Stück nicht mitfahren. Jedoch hat er mir eine Gute Beschreibung gegeben wie das, als Wildwasser IV beschriebene, Stück aussieht. Deshalb habe ich, eine als vielleicht etwas dumme Entscheidung betrachtet, das Stück Solo gepaddelt und hätte bereut wenn ich es nicht getan hätte. 

On Beth birthdayparty I met Ben from Ulm. The Forestry-student was doing his erasmus-year in Norway in Evenstad, Hedmark. He told me there where good waterlevels almost all the time since it was raining a lot and I should just come by. It didn´t take a long time and i was in Hedmark. We got lucky and had the Imsa in very good levels. 

The upper part suprised with a lot of wildlife. We seen lots of moose and even a wild reindeer. An old couple, who been camping on the place we choose as our put in, was very interested in what we doing and kind enough to help us shuttling the car. 

Ben was still in the healing process of a broken back, about 6 month before I met him. Because of this he would paddle C1. The lower part of the river signed out as class IV was not an option for Ben, so I made the stupid decision to solo the lower part and would have regret it deeply if i hadn´t done it.... 

Ben been around for the hole summer. I liked kayaking with him. He was always prepared, typical german Alpine style. His back was becoming stronger from week to week. I lended him my Boat so he could start paddling K1 again. So he did and paddled the Skjøli, one of the hardest and mot continuous runs in the area, and broke the boat... It was the first time I lend a boat away to a friend and it broke. It is not an easy situation to deal with I tought. In the end he done a good job repairing. and gave me some cash towards the boat. He kept the boat until the end of the season and then gave it back to me and both been happy about it.

Longest Rapid on lower Imsa

       

Ben the man

...

Das Jahr 2016 sollte auch das Jahr meiner persönlichen Erstbefahrung der unteren Rauma werden!
Ein beeindruckendes Stück Wildwasser. Es sieht alles so riesig aus wenn man davor steht was einem echt die Beine schlottern lässt.

Year 2016 was also the Year of my personal Firstdecent of the known Lower Rauma!
Its really impressive, to scout these rapids can be quite intimidating when you think about running it.

Hamish Tills booft Spånemfossen

Da bei meinem Telemark besuch kein Wasser war, war ja klar das ich noch mal Richtung Tessungdalen fahren musste um nach mit Sicherheit kläglichen 3 Besuchen endlich das untere Stück des Ausbygdais zu paddeln, die "California Section".

Ich war froh das ein paar von den Sjoa Jungs vor Ort waren um die Flüsse bei guten Pegeln zu erwischen. Sogar Evan Garcia, Matte und die "Boyz" hat es dort hingezogen. 

Mystisches Maiwetter und und die grossen Rutschen auf der Cali Section haben den Trip für mich zu einem der besten Paddeltage des Jahres Gemacht!!

Cause we had no water during my visit to Telemark earlier that year, it was assured i would be back. I now had been in Tessungdalen 3 times without being able to paddle the lower Ausbydai, "The California Section" but this time there where no excuses. Some of the boys from Sjoa met up in Telemark after we checked waterlevel´s and seen it might be good. Even Evan Garcia, Matte and the "boyz" been around.
Mystical May weather a fun group and the big slides on the Cali section made that trip to one of my best days in 2015

Will Hartmann on Homerun

Santiago last drop of Mar homerun

Die Gegend is zum paddeln der Hammer. Finna, Skjerva, Setninga, Ula, unzählige Runs durch den Åmot Canyon. Hab meinen persönlichen Höchstwasserstand auf 120 cm3 erhöht.... Ich glaube das war mir schon fast zu wild. Mein absoluter Lieblingsrun jedoch war der Åsengjuvet. Ich bin ihn sicher 20 Mal im Laufe des Sommers gepaddelt von 30 cm3 bis 200 cm3. Ich kannte die Linie so gut zum Schluss das bei 160 cm3 die Nervosität einfach nicht mehr gekommen ist zwischen den Riesenlöchern in "The Gut´s"

Wenn du in 2016 der Gegend von Sjoa bist melde dich bei mir und ich zeig dir den Abschnitt!!

The Area I live in summer Time around Sjoa is just great. Finna, Skjerva, Setninga, Ula, uncountable runs down Åmot Canyon. Have topped my personal highwater mark on 120 cm3.... almost to scary to be fun! But my absolut favorite section in 2015 was the Åsengjuvet. I paddled it 20 times during that summer, from 30 to 200 cm3. I knew the lines so well at the end that by 160 cm3 no nervousity was to feel any more in between the massive holes of "The Gut´s"

If you are in the area of Sjoa in 2016, give me a shout and I show you the Canyon 

Happy owner of one of the First Spades. Solid boat

about to get wet

Skjerva

Åmot Canyon

Adam on Honingdøla

Ringebruwave at its best

Zusammen mit Ben und Adam ging es auf Kurztrip nach 700 km inclusive Trollstigen und 1 weiterer übertrieben steiler Pass kamen wir nach 2 Tagen mit einer weiteren Honningdølabefahrung, diesmal mit Wasser, und dem Mickeymouserun auf Myklebust, im Valldal.

Wir sind auf die untere Sogndalselva eingestiegen, haben aber aus Vernunft und verstand frühzeitig abgebrochen. Aus dem trip ist ein kurzer clip entstanden, in dem unsere Schnecke von Mathias Römer zum ersten mal lebendig geworden ist. Viel Spass :)

Together with Ben and Adam i went on a fast Roundtrip. In 3 days we drove 700km including Trollstigen and one more ridiculous steep pass and managed to paddle the Honningdøla, this time with good water, and the Mickeymouserun auf Myklebust, in Valldal. 

We tried the decent of the lower Sogndalselva but broke up couse of to high flows. I made a short clip from this trip, and at the end you will see the slowmotion snail from Mathias Römer for the first time alive. 

have fun. 

Honingdøla Myklebust from Slow Motion on Vimeo.

Great fun in 2014

                               Jølgens Bølge, Sjoa (Waterlevel 351.55) 

Winter is half way now. It came quite a bit of snow this year, so far. A few days ago it started melting thoe. I am already over-exited over next season kayaking especially since i discovered how much rivers are offered close to my chosen home the old dirty Oslo. Looking back i had a great season last year. Big Volume in spring. Playboating in Summer and Creeking all the way through the season. I love the Bazooka I discovered a different style of boating with it and having edges in the back. It was first a big change but once the movements came to my hipps, awesome. It brought me a lot of fun down the river and good control in 2014.

                                                  Numedalslågen in high Flows, pretty intimidating. (Foto Andre Ramos Rocha)

While i tryed to cut a rodeoclip i remembered how boring it was so i just made a 30 second one :)

Jølgens Bølge, Sjoa, Norway from Slow Motion on Vimeo.

Rain in Oslo 

Written in Nov 15th 2014

The last week it was raining quite a bit in Oslo and i was lucky to meet a bunch of Paddlers who where keen to run some Rivers within an hour drive from Oslo. Every day for five days another river where flowing in a good level. We could just pick the one that looked most inviting. 

Oslo as a "Big Town“ offers 10 or more options to go boating. Most of it would be described as class IV double run double fun. To name a few Leira, Urula Jonsdalelva, Bingselva, Saggrenda...

We have been also to the Etna, a 19 km whitewatermassage. It took us 2,5 hours driving each way but was totally worth it.

There is a playspot in Hønefoss which is a 40 min drive away. And some of those named runs have big waves after heavy rain.

                                                River: Etna Foto: Beth Hume

                                                River: Etna Foto: Beth Hume

                                                  River: Bingselva Boater: Beth Hume

Nice little clip from a park and huck session Out of the view of Daniel Andersson

Bingselva, Drammen 16/11 2014 from Daniel Andersson on Vimeo.






Vuttudalselva in Sør Trondelag
Written in September 28th 2014

I did quite some bushwhacking in the past month. It got rewarded with the First Decent of the Vuttudalselva in Sør Trondelag. My mate Nathan, who lives just around the corner of this run, knew this stretch of river since quite a while but he never got the right water level or a crew to go and boat this class 5 gnarr.

So i visited him on rainy days. We checkt out the hole stretch and found a waterfall combo untouched waiting for the first Blast. 

 This event woke the interest of a Trøndelag newspaper which i find great. Bringing the Riverkayaking closer to the lokals and give understanding of what we love. Nathan gave a interview about possibillitys for the Outdoorindustry in the area. 

Here a video that Tore Meirink cut from the 1th Decent of the Hole Riversection

                   Vuttudalselva from Tore Meirik on Vimeo.

Spring Mission to Turkey

After another super Skiseason in winter wonderland Norway it was time to get out for some paddling again to warm up for a promising summer 2014. I was stoked to be invited by Serkan Konja to come to his home country Turkey and check out the rivers of the Taurus mountains.  

April is a good time to go because of snowmelt and the Rainseason. This year, unfortunately it wasn’t a lot of both of them. Some Rivers nonetheless are fed by sources that give enough water to keep the level good for kayaking. We paddled 3 of them. The Köprüçay with its upper and lower Section, the Manavgat and the Alara river which offered us a source to sea trip.

Arriving early in the morning in Antalya, I met Tobi still inside the Airport. We went out where the sun welcomed us with 25°C. Soon after Falk also arrived and we got picked up by Serkan and Annika together with our driver Bairam who would drive us around for the next 9 days. Without wasting time we headed straight into the mountains.

View from Raftbase

Our first stop was the Raftbase at the Köpuçay where we could stay overnight and start our first trip down the Raftingsection in the next morning. The Landscape is breathtaking. We came trough a big Gauge where there were coming waterfalls down from both sides. Those were literally coming out of the stone and made this place a unique natural spectacle. It is a easy section to warm up for the coming more challenging sections that Serkan had planed to show us. Like the upper section of the Köprüçay (also named: Akça Sucar) which we paddled the day

 after. 

The upper Köprüçay is a rocky highland creek flowing down quite continuously as one big boulder garden. It goes steep downwards all the way. The most we paddled by eddyhopping and a long neck. It became steeper and the boulders bigger. Time to go out check the next 200m. This time it wasn´t a nice technical line that leads into a boof, like the rapid we scouted before.  We portaged the next bit because the main flow at the end of the following rapid went into a siphon. Everything else was good to go.  Just before the takeout at the first bridge is one bedrock rapid followed by a farytaleboof. This section rarely had been paddled before but should be checked out by everyone who likes it steep and continuous.  Catch some more water and it opens the river further up the valley.

Last Rapid on the upper Köprüçay

The next river we paddled was the Manavgat. Another beautiful Pearl of the Taurus-Mountains and another epic boulder garden. This time set up in a mediterainian forrest landscape with trees partly covering the river and creating a roof. You can imagine how beautiful it looked when the midday sun where shining trough. The river included a fair bit of scouting cause the the Manavgat or „the Labyrint“ is characterized by several channels between big boulders, siphons and the chance of trees in the river. The effort was worth it. We found a lot of fun moves and boofs!!! After another best day on the river we drove to the put in of the next river on our plan, the Alara, were we spend the night in some really nice Treehouses. 

One of many cheeky wee drops on the Manavgat

The Alara offered us 4 days of paddling and can be seen as a source to sea mission. The first day we paddled  „The Box Canyon“ - Section which again offered us a awesome landscape and first class whitewater. The put in was the first highlight. The river comes out of the rocks as a waterfall and marks the beginning of a ca. 60 kilometer long river.  

Portage the Cauldrondrop

Once we accessed the Box Canyon it was clear we will only get out at the end of the Canyon. Compared to the last rivers we paddled the days before, the caracter was different. It is a bedrock run, mostly drop and pool and the high steep walls on both sides where narrow up to 2 meter wide.  In the middle of the 13 km run we had to portage a nasty cauldrondrop. It was quite hard to get out of the low box canyon and back on the river and included some boulder climbing and rope work. After a good hour of portaging 10 meters of river, we got treated with a couple of nice drops before we arrived our first take out. 

The second day on the Alara was the „Turkish Kaiserklamm" named by the first gorge of the Brandenberger Ache in Austria near Innsbruck.  It is the shortest section of the River. Like the “Brandy” the river gets tight and flows into another box canyon which suprieses with some more challenging rapids, quite retentive holes. After the pushy part the valley opens up and it gets easier. 

Turkish Kaiserklamm

The next days program was „The Big Gorge“. Around 30 km of read and run Whitewater in drop and pool style with som flatwater-parts in between. Serkan, had to leave the group to deal with Visastuff. So we explored the section by ourselves. The big Gorge is more open then sections we paddled before but also boxes in a few times. Serkan told us to watch out for a ugly rapid roughly half way trough. It is necessary to go out 200m before the rapid to portage it. Otherwise it gets almost impossible to portage cause of the steep walls that come up on both sides. Of cause we missed the spot and paddle too far in. We decided to portage and found a way to get back on the river without too big hustle. A higher water level could have gotten us in quite some trouble thoe. Then we got one bedrockrapid after the other with partly longer flat bits in between.

Entrying the Big Gorge

Enjoying the landscape on the flatwater-bits

Our last section to finish of the Alara was the „Raftingsection“ before it goes into the mediterranean sea. The mountains that where surrounding us become slowly smaller and smaller and the river flatens out.  A last time we had the chance to enjoy the area with its beauty. From the river we seen Orange- and Zitrontrees. Bayram sitting on the sidebanks waving to us. We made it.

Sleeping at the beach beside the Alara

After a good week of living the nomadlife in the wilderness of the Taurus-mountains we spend the last evening in Antalya to get some city culture. After a few beer and raki in our hostel we met some local students who showed us the good places to go. And we ended up dancing all night long with our turkish friends. 

Too short was the trip, too good the time we had. The rivers, the people, the landscape, the food. It all been amazing! I highly recommend, especially to the european paddlers amongst us (coz its close), to visit Turkey with your boat.

I would like to thank Falk, Tobi, Serkan and Annika for this epic Trip. It was a great atmosphere and a lot of fun with u guys. Also thanks Bayram for driving us on the sometimes quite challenging looking roads. Another big Thank  goes to Fluid and Artistik thanks for your support. 

Out of the footage we collected during the time I cut a 4 minute clip. There is no order of the rivers. I hope anyway that is shows what is going on on turkish rivers. 

Turkey 2014 from Slow Motion on Vimeo.

Thanks for reading and see you on the River. 

Have the best day ever 

Norman