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. ThePADDLER 53