Norway, you can have it all; 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 Store Ula, and everything in between, the region has it all, and that’s why we run our progressive trips here.

Get big volume skills, creeking skills, river running skills. Individually tailored challenges within a very low consequence 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. Gene17Kayaking’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.


Trips Content

  • 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 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 and rescue skills
  • We’ll help you find where you are with your paddling and we’ll give you a progression plan to work to

Adventure 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 Sjoa. 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 of the Sjoa and introduce you to some of the key concepts of dynamic river paddling.
  • Day 4 A day out in Lom, on the Lower Børve with a late afternoon stop at the famed Lom Bakery
  • 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, whilst looking at group awareness and river running techniques
  • Day 7 Norwegian classic. We’ll head for something with fun drops, scenic surroundings and world class whitewater. The ideal finish to a perfect week
  • 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 Progressive & Dynamic trip takes place on Class III/IV whitewater.

The Sjoa Progressive & Dynamic trip is suitable for experienced paddlers who are able to paddle for 3 – 4 hours in a day on Class III+/IV-

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. And as such a kayak roll is essential.

Participants should therefore expect to be in a river environment during peak runoff 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: ALL INCLUSIVE 1825€ or COACHING/GUIDING ONLY 1200€
What the price does include
  • Guiding and Instruction†
  • Full accommodation including breakfast & lunch.
  • Location Transport & River shuttles
  • Use of a full spec whitewater kayak** from a locally sourced fleet based on 35€ per day per kayak.

† Our Coaching/Guiding Only solution, is simply that, our first rate excellent Coaching & Guiding, and assistance with river shuttles.
* 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 and a packed lunch. Evening dinner either at a local restaurant or home-cooked by one of our guides is at an additional cost, however self catering is also an option.

The Personal Paddling Equipment you should bring:

A good semi-drytop or drytop or drysuit
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

Visa fees
Flight
Airport Shuttle
Bar bills
Travel & Boat insurance
Tips
Note: with good notice we attempt to secure the hire of a kayak from a local source. Still we can not guarantee the use of locally sourced kayak, which will in part depend of notification before booking and local availability at the time of booking.

Booking

Sjoa, Norway – Progressive & Dynamic - ALL INCLUSIVE 1825€ or COACHING/GUIDING ONLY 1200€

Pay Deposit 450€

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