Nature is our home; tents are our places to sleep. Each person has their own two-person tent, meaning you have plenty of room to spread out and rummage through your belongings. Of course, couples or friends are welcome to share a tent if they want. Camping spots will be rustic, varying from completely wild camping to established camp sites with facilities. You will get to practice the Scandinavian tradition of summer bathing in the river some days; other days there will be a hot shower waiting for you. Drinking water will be carried by the group, we’ll refresh whenever possible.

Five days / five nights 

During the trip we supply the following:

• Kick ass guides
• SUP board: Yster ISUP 14’x 28” Linear. The ultimate touring board.
• Paddle: Yster SUP Paddle Variable 3-piece Full Carbon Soft Flex 86
• Leash: Yster SUP Leash 12’
• Additional luggage straps
• Personal floatation device: Spinlock ALTO Belt Pack 75N 
• SUPdriven Individual tent, 2-3 person size with 4000 mm water column. The tent is large for two persons.
• Inflatable insulated mattress.
• Yster SUP Expedition Dry Bag 60 – SUPdriven Expeditions Edition for your expedition gear to keep.
• Cooking gear
• Spade – for, you know…
• Meals
• Unlimited coffee and tea, drinking water.
• Photo documentation of unforgettable memories.

The following items are not included:

• Transportation to/from our start and end points.
• Sleeping bag (suitable to around 0C) and pillow (if desired)
• Personal belongings – see our recommended packing list.
• Waterproof day pack for your snacks, change of clothes, phone, etc.
• Snacks – our experience is that people are happiest meeting their own snacking needs.
• The Last Supper at a Ekshärad restaurant to celebrate our acheivement. The menu is varied and after the end of a multi-day expedition people usually are keen to cater for themselves.
• Alcohol – If you want to bring something to drink we remind you that Sweden strictly regulates the sale of alcohol, and you can only buy it in government owned stores. Meaning if you want to bring something with you don’t leave it to the last minute! On www.systembolaget.se you can find a store near you or alternatively you can buy something in duty free.

We will start and end in the village of Ekshärad on the Klarälven river. It is equi-distant from either Oslo or Stockholm.

You will travel by train or express bus to Karlstad which is a medium sized town beautifully situated where the Klarälven river empties into Sweden’s largest lake. Here you can find the routes for trains from Stockholm or Oslo (see www.sj.se/en) or for the express bus (see www.vybuss.com).

For the local buses from Karlstad to Ekshärad you can find the schedule here (www.varmlandstrafik.se) 

Do plan your travel in advance to make sure you time the connections as we are paddling in a remote location.

I certify that:

• I am able to paddle up to 20 km/day in flat water conditions, corresponding to 30 km on the river taking the current into account
• I am able to paddle 4 days in a row
• I can maneuver and control my board in varying conditions (such as side wind, small chop, rain, etc)
• I can paddle against a headwind for long distances
• I can paddle up to an hour without a break
• I am comfortable on my board for hours at a stretch
• I can easily move from standing to knee paddling as needed
• I mount and dismount my board with ease
• I am able to self-rescue if I fall off my board

Please note that if the expedition guides determine that you do not have the above skills and your performance becomes a hindrance to the expedition, you will be requested to leave the expedition at your own cost.

We arrive back at the launch campsite in the late afternoon and spend our last night together with a group dinner in Ekshärad. So the last day you are free to leave when you want, either taking some time to explore the iconic Swedish village of Ekshärad or hoping on the early bus back to Karlstad.

You should be prepared to paddle on average around 25 kms a day. We range between 17- 30km depending on the day and conditions. The river will give us a push of 2- 4 km/h.

You can leave any extra luggage at our base campsite. We have a locked storage where you luggage can be stored and collected at the end of the expedition when we return to the launch site.

The River Expedition provides a more rugged endurance experience perfect for people who may have already done a SUP expedition or two and is looking for a more challenging experience. It requires a good level of fitness and paddling skills and is suitable for the experienced paddler who is used to doing many hours on their board. We will paddle between 17-30 km a day on mostly flatwater conditions, at times against a headwind (but always with the current giving us a gentle push of 2- 4 km/h). You need to be prepared to SUP long distances many days in a row. Read the full requirements here.