You can have it all in Norway; learn, paddle & enjoy.

Norway is famous for waterfalls, slides, and monster rapids, however it is also home to more of the world’s finest Class III and IV intermediate water than you’ll find anywhere else. From the big and bouncy Sjoa to steep and technical Stor Ula, and everything in between, the region has it all, and that’s why we run our progressive trips here.

Get ready to steep up to running more challenging rivers.

Individually tailored challenges within a consequence free environment are the best way to push your paddling forward, and there’s no better river for this than the beautiful Sjoa. Style your lines here, and you’re ready to step up to new whitewater adventures.

Nestling in Norway’s historic heartland of Gudbrandsdalen, the Sjoa (pronounced Shoo – ar) river is a delight for any whitewater paddler. Gene17’s summer home for over a decade, our guides know every eddy, wave, and ripple, and will find the exact spot you need to develop and fine tune your skills.

From this perfect training ground, we’ll head out to the surrounding National parks, where a variety of pristine whitewater awaits. From technical mountain streams to big volume wave trains, you’ll find all the fun you could wish for. We’ll give you the opportunities, and the best possible expertise required to develop your paddling, stopping off along the way to sample some of the world’s best baked goods.


Trip Programme


Overview & Summary
Trip Photos
Trip Content
Trip Itinerary
Group Composition
Experience Required
What the Price Does/Does not Include
Deposit Payment
Booking Info

Lora Canyon'


Trip Content


  • We’ll going to enjoy lots of different rivers to an breath to your paddling experience and to try new moves and fun lines.
  • We’ll build on from the fundamentals of paddling, with insightful application to develop skills.
  • We’ll get you paddling dynamically, keeping your power and edge through turns, ferry gliding and tracking a line through a rapid
  • We’ll look at spotting and understanding whitewater features and learning to use the current’s energy with the river’s features on both low and high volume rivers
  • We’ll sharpen up your whitewater safety
  • We’ll help you find where you are with your paddling and we’ll give you a progression plan to work to

  • Trip Itinerary


    Day 1 Arrival day. Settle into Sjoa and meet the rest of the team


    Day 2 Hit the water! After a quick gear review and boat outfitting session, we’ll go for a chilled out paddle on the Otta. It’ll give us the chance to look at how you’re paddling and find out what you want to work on


    Day 3 Today is a technical skill review and the chance to set some goals for the rest of the week. We’ll head to a more challenging section on the Sjoa and introduce you to some of the key concepts of dynamic river paddling.


    Day 4 Classroom session on the Lågen, followed by a run on the Sjoa
    Day 5 An all-day trip to the Lora. This classic run starting with alpine whitewater, that drops into a gorge of pool drop fun
    Day 6 The big day out. We’ll head to a classic pool drop river and put your new skills to the test such as the Driva, whilst looking at group awareness and river running techniques
    Day 7 A day out in Lom, on the Lower Børve or Otta with a late afternoon stop at the famed Lom Bakery
    Day 8 Departure day: We’ll give everybody an individual debrief before heading off.
    Of course, this schedule’s only a guideline: we’ll chop and change depending on how you’re getting on, what the levels are like and what everyone wants to do

    Group Composition


    The trip will be led by an experienced Gene17kayaking appointed trip leader. In selecting suitable leaders, we not only look to ensure that they have the relevant qualifications but we also ensure that they have an excellent track record of white water paddling from around the world. Whilst qualifications and experience are essential requirements, we also make sure that our leaders have the right temperament to lead a trip group comprised of individuals who have a range of previous experience and expectations. The leader is a vital contributor to the enjoyment and well-being of the trip members and he or she will be there to deal with any unexpected problems. To that end, we aim to provide a leader who will make the trip both successful and enjoyable throughout.

    Our leaders hold current wilderness first aid certificates and have experience of dealing with remote river related medical conditions.

    We will take a maximum of 6 paddlers on each trip, although the number may well be less than this. With every 3 paddlers we have on the trip, we’ll have a highly experienced Gene17kayaking Teacher/Guide.


    Experience Required


    Sjoa LaunchPad trip takes place on Class III/III+ whitewater.
    The Sjoa LaunchPad trip is suitable for aspiring paddlers who are able to paddle for 3 – 4 hours in a day on Class II/III. Generally the rivers are accessible with near road access, but occasionally there may be some exposed terrain. This trip begins on an easier section of whitewater, but will soon reflect conditions expected at the grade. Participants should therefore expect to be in a river environment for sometimes extended periods of time.

    You are welcome to Contact Us, if you would like to discuss the trip in more detail.


    What the Price Does/Does not Include


    TRIP COST: 1400€

    What the price does include

  • Teaching and Instruction
  • Full accommodation including all meals
  • Local collection & River shuttles*
  • Use of a full spec whitewater kayak** from our fleet
  • * There is a frequent yet irregular bus and train service from Oslo to Otta. We collect from Otta Bus/Train Station from 1800-1900 on the day of arrival, and drop off for 1000 on the day of departure. An airport shuttle from Oslo to Sjoa is NOT included with ANY of our Norway Trips & Adventures, as the direct public transport link is straight forward and easy to undertake.
    ** Gene17 has a small yet excellent selection of kayaks for a range of different sized paddlers, & these are available on a first come, first served basis ONLY

    Accommodation & Catering
    You’ll be staying at our shared apartment in the Sjoa Valley with all bed linen provided. We’ll provide a continental breakfast, a light lunch and an evening dinner either at a local restaurant or home-cooked by one of our guides
    The Personal Paddling Equipment you should bring:

  • A good semi-drytop or drytop or drysuit
  • Your paddle
  • Whitewater PFD, spray deck and good helmet
  • Solid footwear for bank support – no sandals
  • Rescue gear, including a throwbag, knife, sling and karabiner
  • What the price does not include

  • Airport shuttle
  • Visa fees
  • Flight
  • Bar bills
  • Travel & Boat insurance
  • Dinner on the final night
  • Tips
  • Want this trip as a coaching only course? See Norway Short Courses for that option.

    Deposit Payment


    Lågen Classroom session
    Sjoa, Norway – LaunchPad 1400€

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