The Paddler ezine Issue 50 Autumn/Fall 2019 | Page 53
gear and canoes through pine-scented woodlands,
down to a beautiful sheltered lake, clad in waterlilies.
A pleasant paddle down a long thin series of lakes
took us under a road through a tight tunnel, and out
onto Lelangen Lake itself. An hour or so down this and
we found a lovely campsite, with a laavu, perched on a
pine-clad promontory high above the lake. Subtly
different to the sites on Stora Gla, the views were less
extensive, for tall trees dominated the shores, but it
seemed less visited and more isolated.
Our next portage, using trolleys, took us to a lovely
island-studded lake, Ösjön. Here we stayed for two
nights on a wonderful little rocky headland, though
pitching the tents took a bit of thought as getting
pegs in wasn’t so easy. Each evening, we were
treated to a stunning moonrise over the lake,
reflected in the perfectly calm water.
From here, our way ahead looked tougher. First,
we’d have to find the portage in a maze of islands
and bays. From there, a series of small lakes and
increasing portages would take us into the next
series of lakes. This was the first time we’d really
attempted longer carries, and the trolleys were
more burden than aid for these, given that they
weighed 8kg each and the trails were too rough to
wheel them! Each portage was slightly more efficient
than the last, but all were fuelled by Non-Stop
chocolates, a bag of which seems to last forever.
We spent a night in a woodland clearing, before
continuing onwards across more small lakes, now
linked by smoother forest roads, before settling on
Norra Tvängstjärnen for a couple of days rest. Here
we found a lovely wild camp, where an arc of sandy
beach lay beneath a lovely flat spot in the trees. This
was a magical spot for a rest day, pottering around
and simply enjoying being there with good friends.
These are the days you remember on these trips,
just as much as the actual paddling.
Eventually, we carried on back towards Stora Gla, via
a more open lake, Nedre Tvängen, and another
trolley portage. This was a lovely lake, with
numerous rocky islands, many of them complete
with little cabins as it lies just outside the nature
reserve. Fabulous places to spend time in the
summer I should think. A last night at a final Laavu
was filled with laughter and camaraderie, as we
made our way steadily through an enormous pile of
logs and finished off all our food and, of course, the
ballast. The Lelången Loop had been a tough trial at
times, but what a place to travel through with, and
even sometimes in, a canoe.
A HOLIDAY IN GLASKOGEN
The next Scandinavia trip was much more
adventurous, a 12-day linear route across the
Swedish-Norwegian border from Rogen to Røros
which has been previously described in The Paddler
magazine. That was a big step up, so this year, we
decided on something a little less energetic and
serious. Rob and I, other plans having fallen through,
decided a week back in Glaskogen would be the
perfect antidote to hectic work lives. This time Mark
and Louise couldn’t make it, so it was just us and our
folding canoes, making our way via different flights to
Goteborg before squeezing bags and boats into a
hire car and heading for Lenungshammar again.
The weather forecast was a little less stable this year,
so we kept out plans flexible. Strong winds would
dominate the first half of the week, so we planned a
“half a Lelången loop” in the opposite direction to the
previous trip, as this would be more sheltered than the
open water of the main lakes. What a joy it was to be
once more heading off across clear waters, beneath
towering walls of pine and fir, knowing that we would
soon be camped in that land of silence.
This trip was much more of a holiday, the portages
seemed pretty easy really, even the 3.5km one,
almost all being trolley pushes. We’re getting used to
it, I guess, and I suppose most folk wouldn’t see that
as a holiday at all! My main memory of the first few
days is of camp life, relaxing back into tripping mode,
and enjoying explorations of the woods between
paddles. We used some of the campsites we knew
from before, though some of the route was new to
us. The only difficulty this year was dodging squally
showers on most afternoons, as well as a constant
moderate wind which occasionally became too
strong for paddling.
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