By Mal Grey

It was the end of our first day in Glaskogen, on our first canoe trip to Scandinavia. We’d paddled the length of Stora Gla, a far bigger expanse of water than any of us had paddled before, and we were now camped on a perfect little island amongst the promontories of pine and heather clad scoured rock at the eastern end of the lake. Now, whilst Louise and Mark sat by the fire in camp, I was sat on a warm rock gazing out over an expanse of liquid rose gold, entranced. Across the water, in the last light of day, a lone canoe glided between distant islands. The strongest memory, though, isn’t only of this utterly gorgeous view, but of the total silence that came with it. I’ve sat and listened to the sound of nothing before, in the Highlands of Scotland, but never has that lack of sound been so heavy, so remarkable. And that has what has drawn me back several times again.

Mal Grey bio
Mal has paddled open canoes extensively throughout the UK, as well as on numerous trips to France and Scandinavia. He seems to be developing a strange love for trips that include portaging across hillsides, but is equally happy to find himself drifting on the quiet rural rivers of Surrey. As well as having written a number of articles for the Paddler magazine, Mal has his own blog, photo galleries and website at
www.wildernessisa
stateofmind.co.uk

Glaskogen – Water, wood, stone & fire

Glaskogen is a forest nature reserve in southern Sweden, not that far from the Norwegian border and Oslo. Here, the endless woodlands of Scandinavia are managed but still generally natural, and the landscape rolls gently, no great hills rise from the carpet of trees. It all sounds very samey. What makes it special, though, is the hollows and scrapes in the land, left by ice and erosion, that are filled with cold, clear water, with good trails or forest tracks between them. It is also, relatively easy to get to, for the central hamlet of Lenungshammar lies just a few hours drive from either Oslo or Goteborg. I’d flown in to meet my friends, who’d driven all the way from their home in southern France, handily bringing me a canoe and paddling gear. As they proceeded to look after me in camp all trip, they have become known as the butler and the maid.

A magical first exploration

On that first trip, we spent time on the big lake Stora Gla, before heading off into a series of smaller lakes to the east. Here we crossed our first Swedish portages. In Glaskogen, these can be as easy or as hard as you want them to be, really. There are ‘true’ portages between some lakes, narrow rooty trails meandering through the woodlands, but a lot of the lakes are linked by gravel forest roads, perfect for using canoe trolleys. Handily, even if you bring your own canoe, you can hire ridiculously over-engineered trolleys from the hire centre in the centre of the nature reserve.

Those lakes were linked by quite long trolley pushes, and it was rather wet at times. Each afternoon, though, we would arrive at one of the numerous laavus, or wind shelters, which dot the landscape at strategic points. These are excellent places to stop, for each has a fire pit and normally a long-drop loo nearby. In the reserve itself, they are also normally provided with a large pile of split firewood. You are not, though, permitted to forage for your own wood in the nature reserve itself, though outside a respectful and sustainable approach to firewood collecting is fine. For three days, we travelled through the woods, pushing trolleys as much as paddling, and looping back round to the southernmost point of Stora Gla. Here, as the wind was rising, we quickly paddle up the shore a few kilometres to another of the laavus, in a great position on the eastern shores.

Of course, when you’re paddling on lakes, some of them large; Stora Gla is almost 10km long and not far off as wide; then sometimes, the wind is going to get you. Here we were stuck for a couple of days, with whitecaps on the lake, but basically good weather. Far from being down about it, we just enjoyed living in the woods, walked through forest that goes on for ever, making you feel very small, and simply sat around the lake side watching and listening to the natural world. There is something almost hypnotic about sitting on these shores, just soaking in the atmosphere of the north, that seems to be the same wherever you are in the world.

If you’re on a deadline, though, you need to build in some spare days, and to amend your plans to take advantage of the calm moments to move across the open water. On this occasion, that meant an early start to escape, and the next morning we were up at first light to make a couple of kilometres crossing into more modest winds, so we could then hug the shore later as the winds built up again.

That first trip was only four years ago, yet now seems quite a distant memory. For our experience has built up, and our expectations changed, with the harder and more remote trips we’ve done since. What then seemed like tough 4km portages, now seem like pleasant enough walks through the woods pushing a canoe on wheels, after other trips where we’ve been carrying across boulder fields, dragging across moorlands, or walking for a full day through remote Norwegian woods with canoes on our heads.

The Lelången Loop

That first trip was wonderful, one of my favourite memories, an eye-opener to the joy of living outdoors in Sweden’s ultra-fresh air. The following year, we planned to return, but this time we fancied something a little more adventurous. To the south of the big lakes of Stora and Övre Gla, lie a series of lakes based roughly around the central lake and hamlet of Lelången. It possible to link these lakes into a circular route, using both trolley and carry portages to make a more energetic trip. This could be done in perhaps four days, but we prefer to enjoy time just being there, so decided on a full week. To make things easier, by now I’d bought an Ally 15DR folding canoe, which had proven its worth by a trip to Knoydart by train from the south coast of England. Not only could I fly with it, but it is also much lighter than many canoes to carry on your shoulders. This time, Mark and Louise would be joined by Rob, as it seemed wise to add more staff to my crew when we’d have to carry stuff on our backs.

Now, we’re not know for travelling light and with Mark and Louise having made the long trip from France with a van, there seemed to be no excuse not to have a fair amount of ballast – of the wine variety. However, we didn’t really fancy carrying a week’s worth from day one… so a cache was left hidden in the woods near our half-way point. I even took a compass bearing or two to make sure we could find it again! Our trip then started with a 400m ‘proper’ portage, carrying all our gear and canoes through pine-scented woodlands, down to a beautiful sheltered lake, clad in waterlilies.

A pleasant paddle down a long thin series of lakes took us under a road through a tight tunnel, and out onto Lelangen Lake itself. An hour or so down this and we found a lovely campsite, with a laavu, perched on a pine-clad promontory high above the lake. Subtly different to the sites on Stora Gla, the views were less extensive, for tall trees dominated the shores, but it seemed less visited and more isolated.

Our next portage, using trolleys, took us to a lovely island-studded lake, Ösjön. Here we stayed for two nights on a wonderful little rocky headland, though pitching the tents took a bit of thought as getting pegs in wasn’t so easy. Each evening, we were treated to a stunning moonrise over the lake, reflected in the perfectly calm water.

From here, our way ahead looked tougher. First, we’d have to find the portage in a maze of islands and bays. From there, a series of small lakes and increasing portages would take us into the next series of lakes. This was the first time we’d really attempted longer carries, and the trolleys were more burden than aid for these, given that they weighed 8kg each and the trails were too rough to wheel them! Each portage was slightly more efficient than the last, but all were fuelled by Non-Stop chocolates, a bag of which seems to last forever.

We spent a night in a woodland clearing, before continuing onwards across more small lakes, now linked by smoother forest roads, before settling on Norra Tvängstjärnen for a couple of days rest. Here we found a lovely wild camp, where an arc of sandy beach lay beneath a lovely flat spot in the trees. This was a magical spot for a rest day, pottering around and simply enjoying being there with good friends. These are the days you remember on these trips, just as much as the actual paddling.

Eventually, we carried on back towards Stora Gla, via a more open lake, Nedre Tvängen, and another trolley portage. This was a lovely lake, with numerous rocky islands, many of them complete with little cabins as it lies just outside the nature reserve. Fabulous places to spend time in the summer I should think. A last night at a final Laavu was filled with laughter and camaraderie, as we made our way steadily through an enormous pile of logs and finished off all our food and, of course, the ballast. The Lelången Loop had been a tough trial at times, but what a place to travel through with, and even sometimes in, a canoe.

A holiday in Glaskogen

The next Scandinavia trip was much more adventurous, a 12-day linear route across the Swedish-Norwegian border from Rogen to Røros which has been previously described in The Paddler magazine. That was a big step up, so this year, we decided on something a little less energetic and serious. Rob and I, other plans having fallen through, decided a week back in Glaskogen would be the perfect antidote to hectic work lives. This time Mark and Louise couldn’t make it, so it was just us and our folding canoes, making our way via different flights to Goteborg before squeezing bags and boats into a hire car and heading for Lenungshammar again.

The weather forecast was a little less stable this year, so we kept out plans flexible. Strong winds would dominate the first half of the week, so we planned a “half a Lelången loop” in the opposite direction to the previous trip, as this would be more sheltered than the open water of the main lakes. What a joy it was to be once more heading off across clear waters, beneath towering walls of pine and fir, knowing that we would soon be camped in that land of silence.

This trip was much more of a holiday, the portages seemed pretty easy really, even the 3.5km one, almost all being trolley pushes. We’re getting used to it, I guess, and I suppose most folk wouldn’t see that as a holiday at all! My main memory of the first few days is of camp life, relaxing back into tripping mode, and enjoying explorations of the woods between paddles. We used some of the campsites we knew from before, though some of the route was new to us. The only difficulty this year was dodging squally showers on most afternoons, as well as a constant moderate wind which occasionally became too strong for paddling.

Halfway through the week, we started heading back to Lenungshammar, for the forecast was looking better. Normally, we’d paddle to the end of Stora Gla from there over a day or so. However, with windy spells still forecast this might lead to being wind-bound just before we had to fly home. Our cunning plan, then, was to drive a surprisingly long way round to a put in at the eastern end, and head off from there.

Stora Gla is, as previously described, a large expanse of open water. At the eastern end, though, a series of islands and peninsulas make up a magical area to explore, each made of scoured rock now clad with a cap of heather, birch and pine. There are many sheltered bays and plenty of wind shelters scattered about in some wonderful positions. Leaving the hamlet of Dammarna, we headed into this maze of islands, and in just an hour or so we were set up at a perfect camp, with a Laavu looking out towards the west, yet sheltered by outer islands from the prevailing winds. This would be home for the rest of the trip.

A sunny day was too windy to paddle, whitecaps racing across the outer lake, but we were content enough. That evening, we were rewarded with a fabulous sunset, and the forecast looked good for the next day.Getting up at first light, we quietly made our way to the water, saying little. The bay was a mirror, a perfect lake of liquid mercury in which the world was reflected. We slipped silently out from the shore, and spent a very special hour just paddling and exploring, each of us in our own world. The reflections were outstanding, the water miraculously clear, and the colours of the heather and grasses vibrant in the first light of the day. To top it all, the haunting calls of black throated divers echoed around us. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Having returned for a lazy breakfast, later we went for a longer paddle, out round the bigger islands, dots on the huge great expanse of the lake in perfect conditions with barely a breath of wind, or a ripple on the water. Finally, a week of being patient with the weather, and adopting our plans to make the most of it, had brought us the reward of one of the best paddles I can remember on our final day.

Information

How to get there

Fly to Oslo or Goteborg and hire a car. A few hours drive on easy roads, the last part being gravel, and you can be there. Rob and I each have folding Ally canoes, though you can hire. Drive the long way round through the low countries, Germany, Denmark and across to Sweden. Lenungshammar has a large campsite, which is the perfect base for your first night.

Currency:

one krona (SEK) = 100 öre

Time zone:

GMT +1

Hire

The Glaskogen Nature Reserve is centred on Lenungshammar. Here you can hire canoes, trolleys, buoyancy aids and paddles. The only problem is that the canoes are heavy aluminium Linder canoes, similar to the better known Grumman and you wouldn’t want to portage these on anything except the trolley routes. Also, you can’t kneel in them and solo paddling isn’t a good option.

Camping

You need to purchase a ‘permit’ to camp in the nature reserve. This gives access to the wind shelters, long-drop loos and wood stores throughout the park. It works out about £6 a day I think, each, though there are ‘family’ discounts which they have been happy to apply to a group.

Food

There is a small shop at Lenungshammar, but it really is only the basics. It also, sometimes, sells gas, but not always! We tend to buy fresh food for the first two to three nights, then move onto mostly dehydrated main meals. We prepare these ourselves in the weeks before trips. I say we; I do nothing of the sort as the butler, the maid, or Rob have so far kindly fulfilled this role and I do the fresh bit. All this is backed up with things like pancakes or bannock cooked on the fire. Swedish supermarkets such as ICA are very well supplied with everything else you need, though to get the best choice shop in one of the larger towns. If you come in through Norway, wait until you’ve crossed the border before shopping to save money. Supermarkets only sell weak beer, if you want wine or spirits you must use well-stocked government shops but watch the opening hours.