Kayaking in the Norwegian fjords

It was billed as ‘two days’ relaxed paddling in the Norwegian fjords’, but as I came to discover during the course of the weekend, my idea of relaxed paddling was somewhat different…

I’d been kayaking a few times before, had enjoyed it and kept pace with those around me, even when things didn’t quite go as smoothly as I’d like (such as the time I went kayaking in Vietnam’s Halong Bay).

So when I saw the trip advertised, I thought it sounded like an incredible opportunity – a couple of days’ kayaking in Norway, a country I’d long been wanting to visit.

Lulled into a false sense of security by the notion I needed no experience, I had visions of serenely paddling through the fjords at a relaxed pace, stopping regularly to admire the views and take some photos.

Instead I spent hours paddling furiously without a break in the pouring rain, desperately trying to keep up with the keen kayakers ahead. It was not particularly fun, and definitely not serene…

I arrived at Bergen Airport just after lunchtime one day last June, where I was picked up alongside a coachload of fellow kayakers.

Bergen is one of the rainiest cities in Europe. It rains for around 239 days a year on average, which means if you plan a three-day trip to the city, chances are it will rain for two of those three days.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, when I arrived in Bergen, it was grey, cold and very, very wet.

My fellow kayakers and I clambered onto our coach and were driven to our base for the night, the town of Vossvangen.

Situated on the edge of lake Vangsvatnet (above) in western Norway, Vossvangen is known as the ‘gateway to the Norwegian fjords’.

Arriving in the town, we checked into our lakeside hostel and after making my bed, I set off for a walk through the town’s rainy streets to stretch my legs and see the sights (above).

Passing the funicular that takes visitors to the top of Mount Hanguren, I strolled around the town centre, which is home to shops, cafés and restaurants, as well as Voss Church (above), an attractive 13th century stone church.

After stopping for a light supper (a baked potato with prawns), I made my way back to the hostel via the lakeside path (above), where I spent the rest of the evening getting to know my fellow travellers.

The next morning, the rain had temporarily abated so I took the opportunity to run down to the lake to take in my scenic surroundings (below).

Back on the bus, we were driven to our kayaking centre in Gudvangen at the bottom of Naeroyfjord, where we safely stored away all but our must-haves for our overnight camping trip.

We clambered aboard a minibus and then set off on a short drive to our starting point, the pretty village of Undredal on the edge of Aurlandsfjord.

At Undredal, we changed into our kayaking kit (wetsuit, wetsuit shoes, life jacket) and were assigned our kayaks. I was put in a single kayak.

We set off on the water and once I got the hang of the kayak, I was relieved to find I was holding my own and doing a decent job.

Out on the water, the rain started falling again. The low-hanging cloud meant we couldn’t fully see our surroundings, which was a shame, but what we could see was beautiful.

I was amazed by how quiet it was on the water. Aside from the occasional boat or hut that looked like it was only accessible from the water, there were few signs of human life.

It’s rare to find places these days that still seem to be unspoilt by humans, but the fjord was calm and peaceful.

We paddled for an hour or two, then stopped for a picnic lunch on the edge of the fjord.

Before setting off again, a few people who were lagging behind in the single kayaks were swapped with some of the stronger kayakers in the double kayaks.

I was deemed to be doing an okay job in my single kayak and told to carry on, which left me pleasantly surprised as I’ve always been terrible at any kind of sport. So far, so good.

We set off along Aurlandsfjord again, but as we got closer to the point where it meets Naeroyfjord, I began to come unstuck and found no matter how hard I paddled, I was starting to struggle to keep pace with the kayakers up front.

I made it to Naeroyfjord, still close-ish to the rest of the group, but as we began to paddle down the fjord, I found it harder and harder to keep up.

My entire body – from my legs to my core to my arms – was aching and while everyone else was taking breaks and snapping photos, I was still paddling furiously behind without a break in a bid to stay close.

After a couple of hours, as the gap between me and the others grew larger, our kayaking guide paddled up alongside me and announced he was going to tow me from here on in because there was a risk we wouldn’t make it to the campsite.

Tow in place, I kayaked the rest of the way to our campsite on the shores of the fjord in tandem with our guide.

At our campsite, we pulled our kayaks up onto the shore (above). There wasn’t much at the campsite, just an area where we could set up an awning with a campfire and a wooden hut on the edge of the woods that served as a toilet.

Having set up camp and got a good fire going, we huddled under the awning as the rain was still pouring and settled down for dinner.

The following morning, I was awake bright and early, and relieved to find the rain and cloud had cleared, leaving spectacular views of the fjord (above).

After breakfast, we took down the tents and packed our things into our kayaks. Our instructor decided to switch kayaks again and I was to kayak back to our base at Gudvangen with him in a double kayak.

We set off down the fjord, hugging the shoreline and this time, I had a far more enjoyable experience.

It was incredible kayaking at the front of the group, paddling through the serene, picturesque water in the sunshine.

As we made our way back to Gudvangen (above), I finally felt at one with my spectacular surroundings.

If I learned one thing from the fairly disastrous trip, it’s that while I enjoy kayaking, I should stick to just paddling for an hour or two. I was not built for multi-day kayaking trips, however enticing they may sound.

And Norway is as delightful as everyone says – when it eventually stops raining!