Fjord Norway is a wet dream if you are dreaming of white water kayaking!
Kayak in Voss can be really spectacular, but there are plenty of beginner-friendly places as well!
Photo: Nils-Erik Bjørholt
If we talk density and variety of great rivers for white water kayaking, Fjord Norway is worldclass. Great mountain areas accumulate a lot of snow during winter, that melts down all summer. If you add the rain in late summer and fall, you get a long season of running water, drained by rivers running through beautiful round valleys created by glaciers over millions of years.
• Do also read: Sea kayak guide to Fjord Norway!
• Check out companies offering kayak adventures!
There are several companies offering beginners courses, and experienced kayakers may want to hire a guide to get a safe introduction to the many opportunities in the region. Most famous is probably Voss, surrounded by white water pearls such as the Raundalen River, Stranda River and Myrkdalen River. You will find a lot of different challenges, anything from Bulken Wave - on of the most perfect surfable wave in Europe (if the waterlevel is right), to technical creeks, slides and big waterfalls nicknamed things like Moneymaker and Nosebreaker. Places such as Jostedalen in the Sognefjord area and Jølster do also provide good kayaking, and in the last years lots of great rivers have been explored nearby Volda in the Sunnmøre mountains. There is also great kayaking in Rauma, nearby Romsdalen - known to be the perfect basecamp for any outdoor adventurer - easily accessible from Oslo by train or car. Do always plan your kayaking trips cautiously, and talk to locals or hire a guide to get good advice.
An online white water guide for Norway is possible to buy in local bookstores or on Amazon.com