How to use this river guidebook What this book aims to do This river guidebook provides information to make kayaking in Norway much easier. In order to find the right information as quickly as possible, you need to know where to look and that what this chapter is all about is. This book seeks to be your travel companion through Norway and will give you an insight into the Norwegian culture whilst also providing helpful tips for an inspiring journey. Numerous pictures hopefully get you even more enthusiastic about kayaking: If not, maybe one of the anecdotes from our guest authors will. Let us remind you however of the dangers lurking in every river and latent in each and every one of us. Overestimation of one's abilities and pure Ignorance are probably the most frequent causes of accidents. Have a great time on the river, share experiences with your friends which you will remember a lifetime, but never forget: you are responsible for your own actions and you act for yourself and for nobody else! Why English/German? This book was published on a shoe-string budget. Low-volume publications inevitably mean high print costs and we were therefore forced to publish in two languages in order to address an adequately sized market. German readers need just a basic knowledge of English In order to understand captions and info boxes. We trust you will understand. How do I get my information as quickly as possible? The maps The maps give you an initial topographical overview: the map of Norway on the last page shows the different areas described in this book, the area maps (on the first page of every chapter) give you an overview of the area's rivers and a sketch of each river can be found at the end of every river description. The info box If you want to have a closer look at a river you should have a look at the info box which is always at the beginning of each description. Classification: This describes the difficulties of a river according to the white water scale explained on page 50. WW III-IV (V, X) for example stands for difficulties between class three and four, but there is at least one rapid of class V and even one which is impassable. The difficulties relate to the water level specified. With higher levels a river usually becomes more difficult. Level: This is designed to give you an overview of the approximate volume of water required in cubic metres per second (m3/s). Here are a few figures for comparison: Normally 9 m3/s of water flow into the Eiskanal in Augsburg, Germany. For the Oker in Germany's Harz region the figure is 7 m3/s, for the Vøringsfossen in Hordaland, Norway, approx. 25 m3/s. The Huka Falls in New Zealand are good to kayak when the volume of water is between 70-90 m3/s. Length: Represents the distance between put in and take out and is measured in kilometers. Time: Approximate time taken to paddle from put in to take out. It is a mean value which can vary greatly from one group to the next. A smaller well-harmonized group which knows the river will be much faster than a bigger one which needs a lot of time to physically check the route and take appropriate safety measures. Season: This section names the best month when the chance of finding an optimum water level is high. Of course, water levels can rise to an optimum level at other times too, particularly after heavy rainfall. Similarly, they can sink to a manageable level after a cold and dry period. »Water levels in Norway« on page 55 provides background information on this and an overview of all rivers can be found on page 236. Put in: get on the river Take out: get off the river Good to go: How much water is necessary, when is it too much? When is the best time to go, where do you find the water-level indicator? All information about the water level can be found here. Tip: A tip is always just a tip! Discovering tranquillity There are surprisingly many facets to Norway, a country full of contrasts. Barren and blooming, flat and rugged, grey and colorful. Norway is characterized by fjords cutting deep into the earth, huge mountain ranges and remote plateau, glaciers, roaring rivers and innumerable lakes. Almost two thirds of the country are covered with rocks and ice between which precious melt water roars endlessly down into the valleys. When looking at the globe you will discover that the southern ice-covered tip of Greenland lies at the same latitude as Norway's capital Oslo; a good third of the country lies north of the arctic circle. Since Norway is one of the most northern countries in Europe, it is perhaps hard to believe that it is the ultimate destination for paddlers. We owe this to the Gulf Stream, a warm ocean current from the Gulf of Mexico, which has a moderating effect on the climatic conditions. It promotes vegetation and a more favorable climate which prevents the northern Atlantic coastline of Norway from being permanently covered by ice. Norway is also characterized by remote farmsteads, cozy little towns and only a few big cities. Whereas other countries proclaim their zest for life, Norway only hums -quietly but constantly. Norwegians are typically somewhat reserved, but very friendly. In terms of size, Norway and Germany are almost identical, but whereas statistically 218 people share one square kilometers of land in Germany, in Norway it is only 12. Initially only an insider's tip, the past few years have seen Norway take off to become the non-plus ultra Whitewater region in Europe. Canoeists travel to Norway from all corners of the globe just to paddle in the land of the Vikings. The following pages take a closer look at Norway and introduce you to the country and people. The country of contrasts Norway has been shaped by thousands of years of cold, changeable weather and the warm hearts of Its citizens. The country is precipitous and yet beautifully gentle - like fire and ice. Mighty mountain ranges and storm-swept plateaux take up large parts of the country with green valleys hiding in between. The Skanden, a Scandinavian mountain range which makes its way from the south to the north, has peaks which are an average of approx. 500 metres above sea level. The Norwegians call a mountain range Fjell, plateaux which stretch between peaks are Vidda. It is here where the world takes a rest - nestled between rocks covered with red and green lichen, moss, hardy undergrowth, eternal snow fields and ice-cold lakes (Vatn). Here too, the routine of our everyday life dissolves Into tranquillity and slowly vanishes before our eyes. Fjords are huge Inlets which can mainly be found along the west coast of Norway. Here the sea traverses the mainland like veins in a body and its powerful natural force has a huge influence on people's lives. In some areas, the fjords make such efficient use of the mountain ranges that there is almost no space left for man. Millions of years ago Norway was a vast expanse of undulating countryside. High and relatively flat, it was traversed by gentle river valleys. During the last Ice Age, the surface froze and became gradually encrusted with ice; huge glaciers formed. When the earth's surface warmed up again, the ice began to melt and move downhill. Single solid blocks of ice carved deep grooves in the rock to form valleys stretching from the interior of the country to the sea and which, today, lie up to 1,300 metres below sea level. Ice and snow decorate the country in greatly varying amounts providing paddlers with the lifeblood they need in summer: water in the river bed. A large proportion of the snow is locked away in massive glaciers called Bre, which are permanently on the move and amongst the biggest in Europe. Because average temperatures in Norway are lower than in the Alps, the Norwegian glaciers push down into much lower regions. According to official statistics, there are 1,627 glaciers covering an area of 2,609 square kilometres. This corresponds to an area roughly three times the size of Greater Berlin. Animals and plants The effects of the Gulf Stream and the fact that the north and south of Norway are longitudinally so far apart mean that there is a broad range of vegetation: it is lush in coastal regions and barren in high altitudes. Whilst coniferous and mixed forests are to be found in this boreal region, the further north one travels, the more coniferous trees such as spruce and pine gain the upper hand. Plants which prefer warm conditions are mainly to be found at lower levels and close to the coast. Above the treeline - which is at a lower level than in the Alps - mosses and lichens are the winners of the biological battle to survive. The very extensive wooded areas provide habitat to innumerable animals, the most of which we have no chance of seeing, at least not in the wild. It is only on stickers or road signs that we see Norwegian national symbols like the elk. You will be lucky to sight a real elk (Eg) and get a picture of it; best chances to do so are in the evening. A fully grown bull elk weighs up to half a ton, its antlers span up to three metres in width.