East Finnmark

 I am very sad to announce that we have to stop paddling for this time. The reason, very short is an inflammation in my right arm that came after only 3 days of paddling. No matter how careful I paddled, it only got worse. So for the next weeks to come, I will need a lot of rest to get better, and that cannot be combined with further paddling. Bjørn and Audun will also stop at this point, but we may be back some other time to continue where we stop now. On one side I'm very sad. I have been preparing and looking forward to this amazing 6 weeks+ of paddling for a long time. On the other hand, quitting is the only sane thing to do at this point. But what a great trip we have had as long as it lasted. We had 10 days of camping out in the most remote area Norway has to offer. Lots of beautiful paddling also.

First of all, East Finnmark is a very remote and very densely populated area. The country is amazing. The landscape is spectacular and the sea is great. At this time of the year the sun never goes down.

The paddling is often demanding. You have to watch the forecast for wind, waves, ocean swell and currents all the time. Not always easy when the cell phone coverage is absent. You end up timing the paddling in little "windows" that at the best match up with some of the few landing sites the country offers. We often ended up paddling in the night, and slept whenever we needed to.

Some of the most spectacular things that meets your eye is the wildlife. Seabirds are numerous, all sorts. Reindeer at the landing sites and lots of whale and seal encounters at sea. We had quite a few dinners composed from vegetables and fish caught from kayak or in inland lakes.

Our planning proved itself good and sensible - we took no risk larger than we could handle and made good progress - 230 km. in about 7 paddling days. Quite a few hours were spent waiting for the wind to ease. That is part of the game in any kayaking trip, but even more likely to happen on this part of the coast. 

The company worked very well also. We planned well together, paddled well together and did all the practical work setting up camp, cooking, fishing etc. together. The spirits were high and there were lots of good humor in the air all the time. 

With good help from Bjørn's sister, we got a home transport arranged from Berlevåg - huge thanks! And thanks for now to Finnmark - I hope to see you soon again. And a huge thanks to my good companions, Bjørn and Audun who are just the best - paddlers, outdoor guys and friends. Thanks for your patience, tolerance and good attitude.

Group photo taken on the amazing 3-seater on Makkaur lighthouse where we spent almost 2 days waiting for the wind to ease.