PADDLER 42
PADDLER 42
FRESH SHRIMP AND SWEDISH BEER
Once we had freshened up , we all went out for dinner – I had some of the freshest shrimp ever with local Grebbestaad beer , and plans for the following day were discussed . After watching the beautiful Eider ducks in the harbour , we went to bed whilst still light at 22:30 , full of excitement for the next day ’ s plans .
A relaxed morning started with a beautiful breakfast at the motel , a real continental affair with so much choice , good coffee and apple cake - the ‘ fika ’ vibe is alive and well in Sweden ! Last-minute fresh groceries were collected whilst we sorted our bags for the final time before heading to our launch point . The roads are so quiet and run through beautiful forests , and we had already spotted our first wildlife ; deer and storks in the fields .
It ’ s great when you go away on a trip and do not have to take much kit with you . We were blessed to have the latest Starboard touring boards , Blackfish Paddles , Palm buoyancy aids , cags and 75-litre dry bags , and a tent and sleeping mat . Another great addition was the small Palm dry bag filled with various foodie bits , snacks , porridge for breakfast , a lovely fruit and nut mix and two cans of gin and tonic – that caused much excitement in the camp , I can tell you . Also included were a couple of dry food pouches from Real Turmat ; I had tried these recently on another expedition , and they are something , so , so tasty .
We launched safely into the shallow clear waters and played follow my leader with Mark – immediately taking photos as the water was so clean and the landscape simple , yet stunning . The archipelagos are low-lying islands , ranging in size from tiny dots to much larger ones . Mark and Caz had a plan for our whole trip with all the islands we would be camping on ; it just depended on the wind as to which way we might head to find them !
FOLLOWED BY CUCKOOS
Day one was a little breezy once we had left the shelter of the cove , and it was all about paddling on the left – Anna , Flick and I were pretty similar in paddling ability , so we could certainly stay in a group and not hold each other up . Cuckoos seem to have followed me from Scotland to Sweden , and they did not disappoint us with their distinctive call . We saw over 50 herons flying above tall trees on one island , quite an unusual sight . We also spotted more Eider ducks , Oystercatchers and a beautiful Stonechat .
We paddled past many Swedish houses perched on the rocks , mostly made from wood and painted red or grey – it is a stunning coastline with interesting features .
We stopped for lunch at a pristine beach and compared our food pouches for tastiness , followed by coffee and a toilet break . Let ’ s talk toilet breaks whilst we are here ; the archipelagos are primarily used in July and August by many kayakers and camping is allowed and encouraged . To maintain the beautiful nature and cleanliness of their islands and being a central part of Swedish outdoor life , dry composting toilets are sustainable , environmentally-friendly alternatives to flush toilets , requiring no power or chemicals for their operation and using no water . It certainly beats digging a hole and keeps these islands supremely clean . It ’ s also good to know that all WSA guides are trained in leave-no-trace principles .
A TASTY EXPERIENCE
We paddled on and arrived at our first night ’ s campsite , a remote , flat beach between two islands . Tent spots were chosen , and we changed and enjoyed an excellent Swedish-style supper of cheeses , locally smoked Salmon , rye crispbreads , fresh salad and meat . Caz has a lot of experience and knowledge of locally produced quality food , making our meals a tasty experience . It ’ s not easy carrying 3 ½ days of food for five people , but Caz did a sterling job , ensuring we had as much fresh food as possible at the start of our trip .
After exploring the island and climbing to view the Viking burial ground at the top , Anna and I returned to the beach fire to enjoy our Gin and Tonic and incredible ‘ s ’ mores ’ filled with Nutella and Biscoff spread and toasted marshmallows .
Many of the islands are formed from granite and , until recently , were quarried for local building works – the wooden waterside huts and houses are often perched on granite blocks . This island , in particular , was covered in old cut blocks of granite , some of them huge , whilst the burial grounds were massive piles of weatherworn rounded stones – quite a contrast .
We all slept well that night , in the lightness of the night with a huge yellow moon rising over us and the comforting toilet nearby !