The Canoe Trip: 7-day canoe trip through one of Scandinavia's most unspoilt nature reserves
We want a week of paddling on the Swedish lakes immediately, right? Travelbase with The Canoe Trip comes to the rescue to realize that dream with the 7-day canoe trip in the Värmland region. So you go with you during the trip buddy (you need two people, because the canoe is designed for two people) to discover the Swedish lakes with minimal resources.
That means enjoying - with a capital G - the unique views. Anyone who thinks that it is just about enjoying peace and quiet is wrong. Of course you sleep every night on the most beautiful islands or hidden places in the forest and you are provided with transport, materials, a food pack, routes and instructions. But it is also hard work and up to you for your survivalskills to test...
The Canoe Trip is organized on various dates from June to September.
Your canoe trip will last 6 to 7 days and departs and ends in the basecamp (where you can play the best games) in Värmland. And then you are, trust us, a real experience richer. In Värmland you can hear the wolves howling at night (yes, we said wilderness) and at nightfall you can see moose drinking by the water. Snack on the side, because during The Canoe Trip you cook your own meal over the campfire or in your cooking set for 7 days. You certainly don't have to play hunter and gatherer yourself, because in... food pack there is enough food to survive.
Do you want to play hunter and gatherer? Halfway through the week you can rangers find something somewhere in the woods along the route survival tricks to learn. And if you find it a bit long in a floating boat: on the last day you can choose to exchange your canoe for a mountain bike. And of course you don't have to paddle all day anyway, you can take a refreshing dip in the lake in between.
None buddy for The Canoe Trip? No problem! People who have not found a travel partner in their own area can post a message on this Facebook group: The Canoe Trippers.
Convinced? Us too. Then we can now move on to the practical matters. You will receive a map with a recommended route that evenly divides your paddling days. Extra fun: you can deviate from the day route. The organization recommends unique places to camp, but ultimately it is entirely up to you whether you spend the night here or prefer to choose your own private island (wild camping is allowed in Sweden!). Each route can be followed for beginners to advanced users and can be adapted with extension loops and... shortcuts.
And then the question remains how to get to Värmland. By plane, train, bus or car. It's up to you.
In the active flow? Then we don't want to deprive you of this. Because have you ever heard of Pack rafting? The relatively new sport is very hip and came from Alaska. They came up with a clever solution for this hikes in nature reserves with lots of water. A practical solution, yes, but also a really fun one. Bee packrafting so you go with a super light one raft that fits easily in the backpack (a packing power so) on the road. This allows you to alternate walking paths with rivers to cover greater distances. By the way, it's also a nice form slow travelling. Give it a try? We say do it. Travelbase organizes two-day Packraft Trails in the Ardennes (Semoy) and the Biesbosch (nice, because you don't have to leave your country). And in addition to the micro-adventures in the Netherlands, Belgium and France, Travelbase also organizes a week-long expedition in Slovenia where the packraft trailers travel through the Triglav National Park and raft on the crystal blue Soča River.
During the two-day trip you will spend a night (or longer if you want) on it basecamp in between days. It basecamp is a basic camping along the river, at the same place where you arrive and depart. Your own stuff drop you here, which will then be exchanged for the backpack (included) with you packing power. The Packraft trail runs almost all year round (except the coldest winter months).
