Timber Rafting on Klarälven

Overview

• Required: Swimming ability for adults, good health, reasonable fitness/strength. Suitable for the whole family. Building and piloting the raft can be physically demanding. Min. 2 adults.
• Duration: 5 days/4 nights or 8 days/7 nights (you can also choose to do the 5-day route over 8 days).
• Accommodation: Wild camping.
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Timber rafting is an ideal adventure holiday for adults, active families, small groups of friends or larger groups such as Scout groups and school parties. Building and piloting a timber raft is a marvellous exercise in teamwork and a unique adventure.

The River Klarälven ("Clear River") has the longest history of use as a professional logging route in Sweden and was used for this purpose right up until 1991. Timber Rafting on Klarälven gives you the opportunity to keep this tradition alive. From initial construction under the guidance of local instructors to final dismantling at the end of your tour, your timber raft will be your very own creation.

Floating peacefully down river on a timber raft, the rhythm of the days dictated by the river, camping wild each night along the river bank on your voyage downstream, is surely the stuff of childhood dreams - the perfect way to experience the forest landscape of rural Värmland and the tiny villages of the Klarälven valley, with good chances of encountering beavers along the way!

But floating downstream watching the world go by is only part of the story - timber rafting is a real adventure, a journey of discovery and an excellent team-building activity. You will need to keep a keen eye out for obstacles such as sandbanks and overhanging branches, learning to handle your log raft with pole and paddles as you steer her towards your final destination.

The timber rafts used on the Klarälven river are straightforward to build and to dismantle after the trip. Ropes and logs of different thicknesses about 3m long are the only materials allowed. When complete, your raft will measure 6m x 3m and weigh around 2000kg!

Your timber rafting tour takes you through a beautiful rural area of forests, small villages and farmland, giving you the opportunity to stop and explore the surrounding countryside along the route.

A canoe or sit-on-top kayak is included as standard with each timber raft. This gives you much greater flexibility when on the water, and also makes landing the raft much easier (as one person can paddle ashore with a line).

With flexible start days and a choice of distances and duration, Timber Rafting on Klarälven is a very special kind of adventure holiday suitable for everyone who enjoys the outdoors, from active couples to corporate groups. Special rates are available for groups of 10 or more.

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

Check-in 16.00-17:00 at the timber raft centre, where you will be issued with the equipment you have booked for your tour. You will have an instruction meeting where you will go through the techniques used in building your timber raft, the timber raft route and information on camping and the Right of Public Access. You camp at the timber raft centre for this night.

The Rest of the Tour

In the morning, you will be transferred up river to the timber raft building site for your chosen tour. On the river shore there will be good supply of 3-metre-long logs and rope, which is all you need to build a stable timber raft. The timber raft must be constructed in the water. Capable instructors will be at hand at the building site. Building a raft is fun but can be hard work. We recommend you bring some working gloves to avoid blisters!

In the afternoon you should be ready to cast off. For the following days, an 18 square metre timber raft will be your home. The raft will go with the flow of the river, normally around 2km per hour depending on water levels. There is no whitewater. The speed of flow of the river will dictate the amount of time you need to spend on the river each day to complete your route. You may have time to set ashore and explore various attractions along the Klarälven - there is a variety of heritage centres, local handicraft shops, churches and beauty spots, oxbow lakes and sandy riverbanks. You can purchase a fishing licence for the length of the route, and the Klarälven river also offers very good chances to see beaver during your tour.

Timber rafting can be a wonderfully relaxing experience but also an adventure - the river is a living and ever-changing environment - you may encounter challenges such as sand bars and eddies - and you will need to work together and have patience to work yourselves free! You will need to keep a check on the pace of the river, observing the contours on the map and letting the raft follow the flow of the water - and you will need to use your pole and paddles to stay clear of backwaters, sandbanks and overhanging branches. Steering with paddles takes determination - the current is strong and the raft heavy - but if you do get stuck in a backwater, there is only one thing for it: paddling is the only way out! If you find yourself stuck on a sandbank, it's time to use the pole - but don't forget to push off in the same direction you came from!

Each night you will choose a suitable spot to camp along the river bank. You decide yourself how much distance to cover each day to complete your voyage, spending the nights under canvas on your own well-moored timber raft or ashore in a tent.

End Day

At the finish point, you dismantle your timber raft, setting the logs adrift to be collected by the log trap, and return your hired equipment by 17.00. End time depends on how you have planned your journey and the distance left to cover on your final day.

Dates & Prices

Dates

Start days Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays 02.06-28.08.13 plus Fridays 05.07-09.08.13 (latest start day is 28th August).

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.

NB: Prices include one canoe or sit-on-top kayak per timber raft.

	5-day tour (50km)	8-day tour (100km)
Adult	£285	£342
Child 3-15	£137	£164
Groups*	10-19 persons: £197, 20+ persons: £188	10-19 persons: £232, 20+ persons: £218

*Groups: Price per person regardless of age. 5-6 persons/timber raft.

If you wish, you can choose to do a 50km route over 8 days (prices as above for 8-day tour), giving you more time to stop and explore, go for day hikes, etc along the way. If you would like to choose this option, please mention this when booking.

NB: If you choose to do a 5-day tour over 8 days, arrangements are slightly different. You will begin at the start point for the standard 8-day route, ending halfway down river. You will not return to the timber raft centre at the end of your tour as for standard tours, so it is not possible to leave personal luggage, etc, at the timber raft centre.

What The Price Includes

• Timber raft equipment: Logs, ropes, life ring, paddle, pole, buoyancy aids, tarpaulin, matches, plate for spirit stove, first aid kit, bucket, garbage sack, toilet paper, spade, fresh water container, topographical map, storage box.
• Instructor: Instruction meeting and guidance during construction before your tour begins.
• Transfers: Transport by bus for participants and equipment from the meeting point to the raft building site.
• Canoe or sit-on-top kayak: provided one per timber raft. This gives greater flexibility when on the water and also makes landing the raft much easier (note that either canoe or sit-on-top kayak will be provided subject to availability and cannot be specified in advance).

Please be careful with 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: There are opportunities to stop and shop in small stores along the way, but we recommend that you take all essential supplies with you from the start of your tour as you may arrive at local stores outside opening hours.
• Kitchen equipment
• Tent
• Sleeping Bag

Optional Extras

	Kitchen equipment**	Sleeping bag package	Tent*	Provisions**
5 days: Adult	£31	£15	£57	£96/person
5 days: Child 3-15	£16	£15		£89/person
5 days: Groups (min 10 persons)	£31	£15		£89/person
8 days: Adult	£35	£18	£80	£120/person
8 days: Child 3-15	£18	£18		£112/person
8 days: Groups (min 10 persons)	£35	£18		£112/person

*Price given is per tent.

**If choosing kitchen equipment and/or provisions, please note that all persons travelling together must choose kitchen equipment/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 kitchen equipment or provisions for your tour if you wish.

• Kitchen equipment: Trangia hurricane stove* with fuel, mug, plate, knife, fork, spoon, carving knife, chopping board, frying spatula, cheese cutter, whisk, tin-and bottle-opener, potato-peeler, washing-up bowl, dish-sponge, washing-up liquid, kitchen roll, matches and one storage box.
• 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 the tour. 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 ingredients 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.

Fishing licences can be purchased at the timber raft centre on arrival.

*Exact contents may differ from example shown

Practical Info

Health requirements/experience

Swimming ability required by adults. All participation at own risk. You should be in good health and have a reasonable level of fitness and strength. A good deal of physical activity is required during this tour. The poles for building the raft must be carried to the water and assembled once in the water. This requires some effort, but above all it is necessary to help each other and work together. It is not necessary to be particularly strong - many "normal" families take part in this tour - but the work can be demanding. You should also be used to and enjoy the outdoor life.

A minimum of 2 adults (16+) is required for each raft. You should bear in mind that, while many persons participate in the tour as 2 adults, for only 2 people it can be physically demanding to build and pilot the raft and we strongly recommend you choose a canoe as an optional extra. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions regarding what is involved and we will be happy to answer your queries.

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

Timber rafting is ideal for groups, including adult groups, youth groups/scouts and corporate activities. Group rates available for groups of 10+ and additional discounts for groups of 20+.

How to Build a Log Raft

As well as logs and rope (your only building materials), you will need to bring a sense of teamwork and a sense of humour to the water's edge as you assemble your log raft. Generally the raft consists of three levels. The largest logs go on the bottom layer, the thinnest ones at the top, and a mixture of clove hitches, half hitches and reef knots will be used to secure the logs together.

Once the base is complete, all that is left is to string up a tarpaulin to shield you from the sun (or rain!), choose a pole (vital for steering), pack the raft and push off!

The Klarälven river was actively used as a logging route from the early eighteen thirties until 1991. During the last years of the operation, around 6 million logs made their way down the river each year. At various points along the way, logs would be collected and stripped to make paper pulp, with around 95% of the pulp timber originating from the Norwegian section of the river. Today, although the river is no longer used to transport logs commercially, forestry and paper production continue to be a vital industry in Sweden. The very logs that you will use to build your timber raft will one day follow their "ancestors" to become paper. But what a life of adventure they lead in the meantime!

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