Timber Rafting on Klaralven

At a glance

Duration: 5 or 8 days (you can also choose to do the 5-day route over 8 days)

Dates/Period: Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays 06.06-25.08.10 plus Fridays 09.07-06.08.10

Price: from £225/adult, £113/child

Accommodation: Camping

Required: Swimming ability for adults, good health, reasonable fitness/strength. Suitable for the whole family. Building and piloting the raft can be physically demanding.

Photos: Hipfel/Starck

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Canoeing and Timber Rafting > Timber Rafting on Klarälven

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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!

A timber raft holiday adventure Huckleberry Finn style!

Timber rafting holidays in Sweden: Klarälven.

Timber rafting is an ideal experience for active families, groups of friends, school and Scout groups, corporate team-building and Armed Forces. Building and piloting a timber raft is a marvellous exercise in teamwork and a unique adventure, and special rates are available for groups of 10 or more.

The River Klarälven has the longest history of use as a professional logging route in Sweden and was used for this purpose right up until 1991. Today you have an opportunity to keep this old tradition alive by constructing and piloting your very own timber raft, camping wild each night on the river bank on your voyage downstream.

Floating peacefully down river on a timber raft must surely have been the stuff of childhood dreams. You will build and pilot your own raft down the Klarälven ("Clear River"), an ideal way to experience rural Värmland and the tiny villages of the Klarälven valley, and with an excellent chance of encountering beavers.

But floating downstream in a leisurely manner is only part of the story - this is a voyage of 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.

Photo: Hipfel/Starck

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!

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

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!

Comments on Timber Rafting on Klarälven:

"We all had a holiday we will never forget. We were very impressed by the friendliness and helpfulness of everyone...Our oldest son loved building the raft." AB, August 2009

"Just a quick note to say we have returned safe, sound, healthy and happy from our rafting trip. It was great, met all our expectations...I am sure we will book another adventure with Nature Travels in the future, the 'boys trip' is going to be an annual event we have decided...It was a brilliant experience and we all had such a great time - so well-organised and once you get used to being back to basics it couldn't be better." Simon and Peter, August 2009

"We had a great time in Sweden. Thanks for all your help leading up to my trip. It was very helpful being able to speak to you and your colleagues to address all my questions beforehand. Beautiful country in so many ways. I would definitely consider returning to Sweden." Niels, August 2009

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