Canoe tour in Byglandsfjord

Canoe Tour

From May 3rd to May 5th, twelve of us, half of our course, are going on a canoe and biking tour. On Monday morning, May 3rd, we first walk to the Uni-Garage with our packed waterproof bags and load the canoes, neoprene suits, neoprene shoes, life jackets, and paddles into Thomas' van. Then a bus takes us to Bygland, where we meet up with Thomas and the canoes. First, we learn the basic paddle techniques on land. Then we get into the canoes and practice the paddle strokes for about an hour. After getting used to the canoes, we go back to land, take a short lunch break, and load the canoes with our equipment. With the loaded canoes, we set off and paddle along the Byglandsfjord. Today's destination is the island of Storøyi, where we want to spend the night. The weather is good, it's relatively warm, and the sun is shining, which makes paddling even more fun. We take a break on land and another one on the water along the way. In the late afternoon, we reach the island and pull our canoes ashore.

We unload the canoes and find a spot on the island to set up our tents. I set up a tent together with Nico and Antje. Since very bad weather is forecast for tomorrow and it is supposed to start raining already in the night, we are careful during the tent setup and make sure it is well tensioned so that no water can collect anywhere. We even put a tarp over our tent just to be safe. Then we all look for a nice spot to make a fire together. We find one on rocks above the water. We sit around the fire, cook, and enjoy the evening. When it gets dark, we go to sleep.

Rain, Rain, Rain

The night was restful and pleasantly warm. However, it starts raining heavily around 5 o'clock in the morning. According to the weather forecast, it won't stop today either. We wake up at 8 o'clock, have breakfast in the tent, and quickly pack everything up. At 10 o'clock, we all gather at the beach with the canoes and start paddling. Our destination today is Syrtveit near Evje, where we will spend the night. After a short time of paddling in pouring rain, it gets extremely cold. Despite waterproof and windproof clothes, I am completely soaked. Unfortunately, I have already noticed several times in the past months that rain jackets and rain pants cannot withstand hours of rain, no matter how high their water column is. Soaking wet and freezing, we all paddle on bravely. Especially our hands and feet hurt from the cold. After three and a half hours, we arrive in Syrtveit near Evje. We pull the canoes ashore and load them back onto the van. Then we walk about 2 km along the road until we reach the TrollAktiv center. We already stayed here in February when we had our basic cross-country skiing course. This time we were supposed to sleep outside in tipis, but since it's pouring rain, we are offered a small cabin to sleep in and even a shower. We peel off our soaked clothes and hang them in a drying room. Then I take a shower, but unfortunately, I discover that the hot water doesn't work. The water is ice-cold. Since I'm already freezing, I quickly give up on the shower. I only put on dry clothes. We spend the rest of the day in a warm lounge in the main building of the TrollAktiv center. There, we first make tea and cocoa and take a break. Some of us read, play board games, or simply lie on the couch. Even though the day turned out differently than expected, we all enjoy the super cozy afternoon in the warmth while it continues to rain heavily outside. In the evening, we cook together. Then we have to make a decision about the next day because the plan was actually to ride bicycles to a climbing rock, climb there, learn rappelling, spend the night outside, and continue to Kristiansand the next day. However, since the rock will be wet tomorrow due to all the rain, we decide to ride the entire route from Evje to Kristiansand (85 km) tomorrow and skip the climbing day. This will be postponed until further notice.

Bike Tour

The rain has thankfully stopped, and it is supposed to stay dry for the rest of the day. We meet at the TrollAktiv bike garage at 10 o'clock, choose suitable bikes, and get them ready. We start cycling at 11 o'clock. The path is relatively flat, and it literally runs smoothly. Cycling feels like zero effort to me - even after several hours. Nico and I even have to occasionally brake to avoid losing the others. This bike tour feels so much easier and less strenuous to me than the stages to the Southern Cape. After 85 km, but still full of energy, I arrive in Kristiansand. We are welcomed by some people from our course with cocoa, music, and a 'Welcome Back' sign.

And now, the seriousness of life!?

It's Wednesday, May 5th, when we return from our canoe/biking trip. Next Tuesday, May 11th, we have our oral, theoretical exam. So now it's time to study for a few days. You will find out what else happens in the next few days in the next blog post!

Until then,                                                                                                  Sara