Canoe Tours on Svartälven

Overview

Duration: 4, 7 or 14 days.

Accommodation: Wild camping.

Required: Swimming ability for adults, good health, reasonable fitness/strength. Suitable for children 6 or over. Min. 2 adults.

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Starting on the border of the county of Dalarna in eastern Värmland, the Svartälven ("Black River") is one of Sweden's best canoeing waters. From its source, the river runs south through a landscape of outstanding natural beauty. This canoe tour passes through a network of winding rivers, narrow passageways and small lakes and requires a number of land crossings, the longest being about 2 km. A canoe wagon is included as part of standard equipment to help with the portages.

The Svartälven region is a wonderful area for canoeing. The rhythmic "swoosh-slop" as your paddle breaks the surface and cuts through the water, your canoe gliding smoothly forward as you slip in silence through the surrounding forest landscape - a canoe tour on the river Svartälven provides an ideal mix of tranquility and adventure.

Canoeing on Svartälven is a self-guided canoe expedition, a voyage of discovery taken at your own pace. The waters may be calm and slow-flowing, but the area offers a real canoe adventure. The tour runs in a remote area and you will be leaving "civilisation" behind you as you strike out into a world of water, trees and sky. There is no timetable on this trip - you will be deciding yourself what distance you wish to cover each day, and selecting your own camping spot each night. You will choose when to rest and when to push on, when to take a day out to explore the many tributaries flowing into the Svartälven, or perhaps leave your canoe for a while and explore the beautiful surrounding area on foot before returning to the water. The rhythm of your days will be dictated only by your own inclinations.

The canoes you will use on the tour are two-person Canadian canoes - stable, easy-to-handle canoes with space for luggage and camping/kitchen equipment. No previous experience of canoeing is necessary.

Canoeing in this area of Sweden gives you excellent opportunities for intimate and personal encounters with some of the area's rich, and normally shy, wildlife. Canoeing is a quiet and unobtrusive activity, and you may find that the animals are much less wary of you than they would be if you approached on foot. If you are lucky, and quiet, you may spot a beaver curving gracefully towards you through the water, just its head visible above the smooth glassy surface. As you round a bend in the river you may come across an elk, the mighty King of the Forest, stooping to drink by the water's edge or perhaps striking out skillfully for the opposite bank - elk are excellent swimmers! In the skies above, eagles and buzzards accompany you on you journey, wheeling high in the air, their lonesome keening cries echoing for miles across the treetops.

Each evening you will sit around the campfire, recounting your impressions of the day as the sun dips below the horizon and planning for the day ahead, or perhaps you will retire early to conserve your energy for the morning's paddling - the choice is yours! When finally it is time to crawl into your sleeping bag and close your eyes, let the scents and sounds of the deep forest lull to you sleep until day breaks and it is time to take to the water once more...

Canoeing for odd-numbered groups

Canoes used are 2-person Canadian canoes but can also accommodate three persons. For odd numbers, you can choose to have three persons in one canoe or to have one person paddling solo. This does not affect the price – please let us know when booking which option you prefer. Having three persons in one canoe reduces the level of challenge but leaves less space for packing. Taking two canoes increases the level of challenge, especially during land transports or in windy conditions.

Itinerary

Detailed information you will need for your experience, including a description of the route, is sent out once full payment has been received.

Start Day

Your canoe adventure begins at the canoe centre in Gunnerud, where you will receive your equipment and have a pre-tour instruction meeting. You can also trace out the route onto your map if you wish before the tour begins. Fishing licence covering designated sections of the canoe tour can be purchased at the canoe centre. You will then load the canoe equipment onto the minibus for transfer to the start point for your canoe tour.

The Rest of the Tour

4-day tour: Starting at the north end of Älvsjön, you paddle south through a particularly scenic area, up the winding Tvarälven and north-west to finish just below Lesjöfors. There is nowhere to shop along the route - for the 4-day tour you must take all provisions with you from the beginning. Total distance around 30km. The 4-day tour requires 2 land transports, both less than 600m in length. If you wish, the standard route can be extended by planning detours into side lake and river systems.

7-day and 14-day tours: Your tour starts at the borderline between the two counties of Värmland and Dalarna. Where Svartälven has its outlet in Kattsundet you launch and load the canoe, then head south. At the beginning you paddle through Kattsundet, Norra Laggen and Södra Laggen until you reach the village of Gustavsström. Here you make your first land transport. The route continues down through Älvsjön and through the Tvarälven before swinging north-west to pass through Lesjöfors to end at Västra Sundsjöön. There are some small stores along the route (but please note that you should not rely on these stores for essential provisions) and one larger store around two-thirds of the way through the tour. There are also cafes and a campsite along the route and at one point you have the choice to take detours upstream into tributaries, where you have good chances to see beaver. Total distance around 70km. If you wish, the standard route can be extended by planning detours into side lake and river systems.

End Day

4-day canoe tours beginning on Wednesday will finish with pick-up on Saturday afternoon. 7-day and 14-day canoe tours starting on Saturday will finish on Friday afternoon.

NB: For 4-day tours during the standard season, you will be back at the canoe centre around 18.00, after the last bus to Karlstad. If travelling by public transport, you will therefore need to plan to camp free of charge at the canoe centre at the end of your tour for onward travel the following day. For 7-day and 14-day tours during the standard season, you will be back at the canoe centre around 15.00 and can travel onwards to Karlstad if you wish.

The standard routes for the 7-day and 14-day Canoe on Svartälven tours are the same. If you choose to do the tour in 14 days, you will have time to build in rest days and days for detours and explorations on land. For the 14-day option, it is also possible to combine our Canoe in Bergslagen and Canoe on Svartälven experiences into one extended canoe tour, (total standard distance around 180km, prices as for 14-day Canoe on Svartälven tour). Please mention when booking if you would like to choose this option.

Dates & Prices

Dates

High season:

• 23.06-11.08.12. Start days Wednesdays for 4-day tour, Saturdays for 7-day and 14-day tours, check-in between 13.00 and 14.00 (latest start day 11th August).

Low season:

• 01.05-22.06.12 and 12.08-30.09.12. Start any day/time (except Sundays) by arrangement for a minimum of 4 adults. Smaller groups are also possible, charged at the full rate for 4 adults (for safety reasons, must contain min. 2 adults). NB: No starts/ends 14.06 or 15.06.12.

The Price

Prices are in British Pounds. If you wish, you are also welcome to make your payment by bank transfer in Euros or Swedish Kronor. If this would be of interest, please let us know and we will be happy to provide prices.

Basic package includes canoe and kitchen equipment.

	4-day tour	7-day tour	14-day tour
Adult	£136	£177	£265
Child 3-15	£69	£89	£133

NB: New for the 2012 summer season, to preserve the local environment all persons canoeing in the Svartälven area are required to purchase a "Nature Card", the proceeds of which go towards management of the area. This must be purchased locally on arrival at the canoe centre. Price for 4-day tour 60 SEK/person (about £6), for 7-day tour 100 SEK/person (about £10) and for 14-day tour 150 SEK/person (about £15).

What The Price Includes

Maps are essential for this tour. Maps can be ordered independently or as an optional extra - please see "Optional extras" below.

• Canoe equipment: 2-person Canadian canoe, paddles, buoyancy aids, pack cylinder, water can, canoe rope, canoe trolley, toilet spade, cleaning sponge and rubbish bags.
• Kitchen equipment: Trangia hurricane stove* with methylated spirit, cups, plates, cutlery, carving-knife, cutting board, spatula, cheese slicer, whip, butter knife, can/bottle opener, potato peeler, bowl, dish brush, washing-up liquid, kitchen roll, matches and storage box.
• Instructor: Instruction meeting before your tour starts.
• Transfers: Transport by minibus for participants and equipment from the meeting point to/from the start/end points of the tour.

*Exact contents may differ from example shown

Please be careful with the canoe and the rest of your equipment! If some part of the equipment should break as a result of misuse or carelessness, you may be charged for the damage caused.

What The Price Does Not Include

Please see "Optional Extras" below.

• Food: For the 7-day and 14-day tours, there are some small stores along the way (though we do not recommend you rely on these for essential provisions) and one larger store with regular opening hours in Lesjöfors, about two thirds of the way along the route. For the 4-day tour, you must bring all provisions with you from the beginning.
• Tent
• Sleeping Bag
• Maps
• Nature Card (compulsory for all persons canoeing in the Svartälven area). Please see "The Price" above for more information

Optional Extras

	Sleeping bag package	Tent*	Set of Maps*	Provisions**
4 days: Adult	£15	£55	£27	£84/person
4 days: Child 3-15	£15			£77/person
7 days: Adult	£18	£77	£27	£106/person
7 days: Child 3-15	£18			£97/person
14 days: Adult	£27	£115	£27	£106/person (7 days only)
14 days: Child 3-15	£27			£97/person (7 days only)

*Price given is per tent or per set of maps.

**If choosing provisions, please note that for organisational reasons all persons travelling together must choose food packages (i.e. it is not possible to split packages or to purchase for only some members of a group). You are also welcome to bring your own provisions for your tour if you wish.

• Tent (see image below): High quality 3/4-person Hilleberg tents. Please note that, like all tents rated 4 persons, the tents are most comfortable for 3 adults.
• Food: You can choose to add a food package for up to 7 days. The food provided is that eaten by a typical Swedish family. At the start of the tour you will be given a provisions box with the food for the trip (if you have specific dietary requirements, please let us know so that arrangements can be made). The exact contents of the package may change depending on the season and availability. The food is purchased from small, local countryside shops. Typical contents include: bread, butter, cheese, juice, milk, yoghurt, muesli, coffee, tea, salami, jam, meatballs, fishballs, Swedish beef stew, ham, sausages, pork loin, mashed potatoes, onions, carrots, vegetables, beetroot, apples, biscuits, tomatoes, cucumber, rice, macaroni, asparagus soup, cauliflower soup, salt and pepper.
• Sleeping Bag Package: Includes sleeping bag, sleeping bag liner and foam sleeping mat.
• Maps: Maps required are 626 Hagfors and 627 Fredriksberg. Maps can be purchased independently through The Map Shop. Alternatively, you can order maps through us and collect them along with the rest of your equipment in Sweden.

Fishing licences can be purchased at the canoe centre on arrival.

Practical Info

Health requirements/experience

Swimming ability required by adults. All participation at own risk. Minimum 2 adults.

You should be in good health and have a reasonable level of fitness and strength. The tour takes place on calm, slow-flowing rivers with some lake sections.

Around 10 land crossings are necessary during the 7-day and 14-day tours (fewer for the 4-day route), the longest of which is about 2km. During the land transports the canoe can be transported on the canoe trolley but you will need to carry your other equipment. Though not as demanding as Canoe in Bergslagen, children much younger than 10 may find Canoe on Svartälven demanding. Please check with us if you have any questions regarding your suitability for the tour. If you would prefer a canoeing holiday suitable for younger children, you may wish to consider a less challenging tour such as Canoe on Klarälven.

Equipment/clothes needed

A detailed recommended equipment list will be sent with your booking confirmation.

NB: We advise you not to buy equipment or clothes for your trip or to incur other non-refundable expenses such as flights until you have received confirmation of your booking from us in writing.

Groups

Canoe on Svartälven is ideal for groups. For group bookings, we are able to offer every 14th participant free of charge. Every 14th participant free. We reserve the right to assign large groups to designated camping spots to minimum impact on the local environment.

Additional Notes

This provider has received a prestigious Swedish Ecotourism award for its commitment to high standards to cultural and environmental sensitivity.

Location

Detailed information on travel options will be sent with your booking documentation. We are happy to advise on suitable connections and assist you with any aspect of planning your journey.

By Air

You can choose to fly to Stockholm, Gothenburg or Oslo airports. From here, you travel by public transport to Karlstad (around 2.5-5.5 hours depending on options chosen). From Karlstad, you travel by local bus to Gunnerud (around 1.5 hours). You can also choose to travel by hire car.

Without Flying

Ferry from Harwich to Esbjerg (Denmark). Driving time to the canoe centre is around 10.5 hours.

Map of Sweden