Sjoa Creeking - Norway
Perfect running drops, in a great setting with insightful coaching. Think of Norway and you might conjure up images of clean waterfalls or spectacular slides, and if this is what you’re after then the Sjoa Creeking trip won’t disappoint.
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Embark on the ultimate kayaking adventure in Sjoa, Norway—where pristine drops and smooth slides await ambitious creek boaters eager for a challenge. Our Sjoa Creeking Teaching Trip isn’t just a course; it’s your gateway to mastering Norway’s steep whitewater in one of the world’s premier kayaking destinations. Imagine accelerating your learning curve in a playground of great teaching venues, nailing complex moves, conquering exhilarating drops, and capturing moments of pure joy.
Norway offers rapids as spectacular and runnable as any kayaker could hope for, set against the backdrop of stunning Scandinavian landscapes. We’ll help you delve deep into the tactics and skills required to navigate steep whitewater consistently and stylishly. Starting with challenging lines that match your comfort zone, we’ll progressively step up the excitement to include some of the world’s finest slides, drops, and waterfalls. Norway’s classic open terrain and pool-drop style rivers provide the ideal arena to analyze, execute, and perfect your moves repeatedly.
These are the very rivers where our expert guides hone their skills on their days off—they know every line, every nuance, and they’re passionate about sharing that knowledge with you. Join us for the Sjoa Creeking Teaching Trip and springboard into a new level of kayaking prowess. This isn’t just a trip; it’s an unforgettable journey where adrenaline meets mastery, all in the heart of one of the world’s most esteemed whitewater arenas. Don’t just read about the adventure—live it with us in Norway.
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 Normal and do a late afternoon run on the famed Åmot Canyon. 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’s a technical skill review and the opportunity to set some goals for the rest of the week whilst enjoying the slides and drops of Ula.
Day 4: It's another day at school, and we are developing the skills needed for the second part of the week.
Day 5: Westward to the Upper Rauma, we’ll get to grips with advanced creeking skills. And an overnight spot in Bjorli.
Day 6: Boof! On the Upper Jori, a day of park’n’huck sessions and photo opportunities
Day 7: The committing Finna Canyon or its side tributary, the Skjeava, awaits—the ideal finish to a perfect week.
Day 8: Departure day: We’ll give everybody an individual debrief before heading off.
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
What the price does not include
Visa fees
Flight
Airport Shuttle
Bar bills
Travel & Boat insurance
Tips
Can I rental a kayak & paddle in destination?
- In all out destinations we have developed great partnerships with local kayak rental outlets
- We will help you secure a kayak of your choice
- If you do not wish to travel with your own paddle, we have a handful of high end Werner Paddles all with straight shafts and 45ºR feather. We also have some breakdown split paddles that can be made into 0º & 45ºL feather,. All available upon request.
- Note all equipment whether from a rental station or Gene17Kayaking is offered on a first come first served basis.
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.
FAQs
Your most import questions answered
- In all out destinations we have developed great partnerships with local kayak rental outlets
- We will help you secure a kayak of your choice
- If you do not wish to travel with your own paddle, we have a handful of high end Werner Paddles all with straight shafts and 45ºR feather. We also have some breakdown split paddles that can be made into 0º & 45ºL feather,. All available upon request.
- Note all equipment whether from a rental station or Gene17Kayaking is offered on a first come first served basis.
- 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
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.
- We’ll help you figure out how to tackle complex rapids and we’ll give you some serious boofin’ practice
- We’ll work on reading water dynamically, with a focus on driving your boat through turns, arcs and drops
- We’ll look at understanding whitewater features and learning to use the water's features to your advantage
- We’ll help you develop tactics to take on steeper whitewater in safety
- WW safety and rescue skills workshop
- We’ll help you find where you are with your paddling and we’ll give you a progression plan to work to
Day 1 Arrival day. Settle into your accommodation and take in the village of Campertogno.
Day 2 Hit the water! After a quick gear review and boat outfitting session, we’ll go for a chilled out paddle on the Sesia. 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’s a technical skill review and the chance to set some goals for the rest of the week. We’ll head to a more challenging river section and introduce you to some of the key concepts of dynamic river paddling such as angulation, pro-active balance and driving your boat.
Day 4 Today we’ll look at your river awareness. We’ll focus on group dynamics and leadership principles on one of the classics.
Day 5 Boof! Our first real day on the bedrock steeps will give you a real chance to work on your essential techniques and the team’s group dynamics.
Day 6 More of the steeps: another classic pool-drop river and chance to get some photos.
Day 7 Piemonte classic. We’ll head for an all day trip with steep drops, scenic surroundings and world class whitewater. The ideal finish to a perfect week.
Day 8 Departure day: time for a debrief and the end of the course.