Dates: June 21-28, 2008
Starting Place: Sortland Strand Hotel
Airport: Skagen Stokmarknes / Sortland (30 minutes shuttle from Sortland)
Price: $2,800 per person
Latitude: Sortland 68°N
Day 1: Welcome to Scandinavia and Sortland, Norway! Our trip starts at 7:00 p.m. at Sortland Strand Hotel. Lodging is included tonight. We will meet you in the lobby at 7 p.m. (dinner is not provided this evening). Please contact us if you need assistance or if your travel schedule does not get you into town until later this evening.
After introductions and an evening snack we will make sure everyone has all the necessary equipment for our adventure. Please read through the Equipment List for recommended clothing. At this time we will also show you our route on the charts and maps.
Day 2: After breakfast we'll drive a couple hours west through some very spectacular country. The road curves through fjords and over lush hillsides, sometimes it even goes through the mountains. This area is known for it's storybook charm and picturesque farms clinging to the hillside. We will travel to Kråkberget (Crow Mountain) where our kayaks are waiting for us.
At Kråkberget we will help you become familiar with the kayaks and equipment. For participants with little or no paddling experience we’ll cover the basics of safe and fun sea kayaking. This includes kayak anatomy, getting in and out, basic paddling strokes, wet-exits, basic rescue techniques, injury prevention etc. People with kayaking experience can help with the basics or we can help you further hone your own technical skills. Your leaders will also demonstrate a capsize and assisted rescue so everyone is familiar with our procedures.
Before we start paddling, our luggage will be loaded onto a motorboat and transported to Skipnes. Our paddle time to the small village of Skipnes and the trading post is a couple of hours. You’ll be amazed how quickly you’ll pick up the necessary skills for comfortable and enjoyable sea kayaking in this beautiful and dramatic coastal environment.
Upon our arrival at Skipnes we’ll leave the kayaks down by the dock and walk up to our lodging. These rustic and traditional fishermen quarters have been renovated with modern conveniences and will serve as our home for the next five nights. Our breakfasts will be served by our staff along with some of the dinners as well. Our staff will create healthy and creative international meals. A few dinners will be enjoyed at the local pub. Most of our lunches are picnic style buffets served in the great outdoors.
Over dinner we'll look at the nautical charts and plot our upcoming paddling adventures.
Day 3 to Day 6: After a hearty breakfast we’ll venture out on our day trips. There are many choices in this area. We might paddle or hike north up to the Tinden Trading Post which is in the process of becoming a UNESCO World Heritage site.
A longer paddle trip brings us to Skogsøya Island where we might see reindeer roaming the beach if we are lucky. This island is very special with an old homestead and a mile of sandy beach. We may also circumnavigate Tindsøya Island which will provide us with a view of the small nearby communities and island groups.
If the weather holds we’ll paddle to some enormous pelagic bird rookeries to view puffins, cormorants, pigeon guillemonts and sea eagles. This trip would take us out to the exposed side of the islands. The weather, our groups paddling abilities and interest level will dictate our travel decisions. We return to Skipnes every late afternoon where a hot shower and a nice home cooked meal awaits us. This way we have the best of both worlds, rain or shine!
In the evenings you will have time to cruise this car-free Arctic paradise. You can explore Tindsøya by foot, pick blueberries and cloudberries (also known as “Arctic Gold”), or enjoy a beer at the local pub.
We have added a day to this great adventure in order to provide more choices. There might be a day you rather go fishing or explore the island by foot. If you want you can paddle every other day and every other day kick back or do some hiking. The local postal ferry service also takes passengers so a day trip to some of the nearby communities for some sight seeing is a great option to paddling or hiking.
Day 7: This morning we’ll offer a shorter day paddle around the islands or if the weather allows, you might want to work on your technical paddling skills. If you have an interest in learning how to brace, do the Eskimo roll, perform an assisted rescue or do the paddlefloat self-rescue we will gladly help you learn.
After lunch we’ll pack up our personal gear so the motorboat can bring it back to Kråkberget. Then we’ll launch for the last time and paddle back to Kråkberget. From here we’ll drive back to Sortland and our hotel. In the evening we’ll celebrate with a banquet dinner in a local restaurant. Dinner and lodging tonight is included in the price.
Day 8: Breakfast and a final group photo will mark the official ending of our trip. Please do not plan on departing Sortland until this morning.
General Information:
Travel Insurance: We recommend that you protect yourself from unforeseen circumstances while traveling. The Travel Guard "Protect Assist" insurance plan protects you in the event that you have to cancel your trip for a variety of reasons. It covers you for everything from your cancellation to Trip Interruption, Travel Delay, Lost, Stolen or Damaged Luggage, Baggage Delay, Medical Expenses, Emergency Medical Transportation and more. This plan is ideally suited for adventure travel.
Pre- and post-trip accommodations: We recommend EDMONDS TRAVEL outside Seattle. They specialize in travel to Scandinavia. “KJ” is our primary contact person, she will help you book tickets. Call: 1-800-261-3868. Email: kj@edmondstravel.com
Weather: The coastal weather of Arctic Norway can bring strong winds and rain. Count on clouds and drizzle for at least half the time. Sunny days will be a welcome exception. Here the average temperatures range between the low 50's to 70’s. The coastal weather of Sweden is usually warmer and sunnier than Norway, but be prepared for some strong winds or heavy rain. Summer temperatures in Sweden can reach into the 80's. At times, the elements can prohibit us from paddling or hiking but not from enjoying these spectacular places. Good rain gear and footwear will also enable us to explore the mountains, forests, coast and villages by foot. The weather in the mountains is variable like in most mountains. One day can be warm and sunny with the next being windy and drizzly, it’s even possible to see some snowfall.
Currency: Each Scandinavian country has its own currency. Exchanges can be made at banks, airports, train stations and most hotels. Scandinavian currency is not interchangeable between countries as each has a different exchange rate value. Major credit cards are widely accepted throughout Scandinavia. Sweden and Denmark are part of the European Union but have chosen not to use the Euro. Norway is not part of the EU. Travel checks are not used in Scandinavia. The banks will charge a stiff fee if you want travel checks cashed.
Language: English is Scandinavia's second language and is almost spoken fluently throughout. We encourage you to take advantage of the opportunity to speak the native tongue. Phrase books and dictionaries are a great help. All our staff are bilingual and speak English as well as Norwegian or Swedish.
Last minute assistance: If you need assistance shortly before departure or while traveling to Scandinavia, you may call the following number for Crossing Latitudes in Sweden: 070-670 11 53 (within Sweden) or 46-70-670 11 53 (from outside Sweden). Please leave your name, a message and a number where we can reach you.
We are looking forward to our adventure together!
Crossing Latitudes, Inc.
420 West Koch Street
Bozeman MT 59715, USA
USA:1-800-572-8747
Europe: +46-70-670 1153
www.crossinglatitudes.com
