Norwegian Mountains - Route Descriptions

The route
(Click for larger image)

With Anne's bad knee and my aching hip, this afternoon was dedicated to naval activities. With gorgeous weather and a fjord reflecting like a mirror, a kayak trip would be just perfect. Anne has her kayak, but I don't own one just yet, so the old "Hawk" would have to do for now. After discussing where to go (while driving), we ended up at Eiksund. I had a vague hope about reaching Yksnøya (not to be confused with Uksenøya outside Ålesund), but time would show.

While inflating the rubber boat, a wheeeee sound came from the outer chamber valve. It was definitely leaking air. This was seriously disappointing, and I tried to fix the leak by using sports tape. That didn't work, but at the same time, it seemed that the sound was worse than the actual leak. I could at least row along the shore and pump in some more air when it started to run low.

Once seaborne, we headed over to the Eika (island) side, and the boat seemed to hold up quite well. I wanted to demonstrate what a rubber boat was good for, and rowed as fast as I could. But Anne cruised past me with minimal effort. I could swear she was yawning too...

Heading out from Eiksund
(Click for larger image)

As we rounded Eika's northeast side, the water wasn't mirror-ish anymore. It was a bit bumpy, and I couldn't keep up even when Anne was going slow. So for the combination of progress and exercise, she towed me for a little while. After having done 1/3 of the distance along Eika's southeast shore, we had to decide on what to do/where to go. Yksnøya was definitely within reach, even if chamber #3 was running low on air. We agreed to cross the strait and have lunch on Yksnøya. Plus some vital refuel of air...

Anne and Liahornet
(Click for larger image)

Arriving on Yksnøya, Anne warmed up a prepared dinner while I headed out for the island high point. Walking in the turf terrain was dreadful, and when I reached the forest, there were spider webs absolutely everywhere. By the time I reached the high point (marked by a fallen trignometric point), I was itching on the border of insanity. I felt I had spiders crawling all over me. I couldn't get back to the shore fast enough, and when I eventually did, dinner was ready.

Dinner on Yksnøya
(Click for larger image)

With fresh air back in chamber #3, we agreed to continue all the way around Eika. I was now accustomed to the wheeeee sound, (more fearing a POFF...) and could really enjoy being out on the water. The sun was setting and the colours were stunning. Everything was just beautiful, and now I really, really look forward to get my own kayak. Next year...

The sun is setting
(Click for larger image)

On Eika's west side, the waters got more interesting with shallow channels. My right arm had begun to ache, and I looked forward to return to Eiksund (which I could see somewhere in the distance). This was (by far) the longest trip I've made in the Hawk, and we returned to Eiksund point 8:10pm - 3,5 hours after heading out. Anne figured that I had done 20,000 strokes in total. (10,000 meters with 0,5 meter progress per stroke). Which most likely explains the blisters inside my palms...