Egen Tomte.

Julafton 18;30 Har väntat på Tomten men han kom inte. Så det blev att själv stå framför en stor spegel och se hur han kunde ha sett ut. En Jul utan Tomte är ingen Jul, men kvällen räddades. Jag undrar dock vem som åt upp risgrynsgröten ute vid vedboden.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

We wish all our friends, costumer, relatives a very fine Christmas and a good New Year. The weather at Risviken is warm, no snow and no ice on the lakes. From yesterday the nights will be shorter and the days longer, so we are moving in the right direction, happy us all.

The picture is from Christmas 2012, a good winter lots of snow and cold but the two Santa made a stop outside our door.

Waiting for winter .

Right now the first of December we have short days. There is no snow and no ice on the larger lakes. Sunset in the early evening show a fantastic scenery colour from bright blue to yellow and red, It’s only a few minutes but nice to see. We are waiting for snow and cold weather so we can start the ice fishing and tracking some more wolfs and other animals in the surrounding.

A good news is that there are several families who want to come to our Wilderness Cabin BOCKUDDEN  already in this month and for early spring fishing in April and the month of May next year.  So waiting for snow we have fire going on in our timber house, nice and warm.

Dance with the Wolfs!

Today I went for tracking too an area not too far from Nordmarken Canoe Center in Risviken. Saw track of a wolf pack and could follow the track ca 1000 meter on the road. Call the authorities and people from there will come up to morrow to see what’s going on. I recon there was 4-5 wolf in the pack. On several places there have been track of “playing around” and the snow was hard packed.

I am thinking of going back tomorrow to haul with the pack and it´s full moon tomorrow night.

A Control on Sunday track from 7 Wolf was found,

Alternative to tent on canoe tour.

There are many ways to stay overnight in the Canoe area. You can use tent, hammock or just a tarp. Real canoers are using the canoe as a ”tent”. After more than 60 years as a canoe man with many nights spend on tour (my work) I have never got rain on my sleeping bag. I have had a little fire near the canoe bivack to make food on and to give some atmosphere and light. Spending the night in a tent you can hear the nature but can’t see anything. This photo is from a tour in Nordmarken a few days ago on our son´s late summer tour.

The Brits are back to Base Camp

After some fine days with sun, no wind and warm temperature in the water these 4 Brits return to Nordmarken Canoe Center after some very good days on tour. They had some complains about the approved camp sites on seven of them, they visit there was no fire wood at all. One of them work as Ranger in a Nature Preserve Area and mention, we pay for the service in the area but with no firewood special in the autumn there can be a problem, pay for a thing that no exists. They hope this was only temporary situation on the DANO area. They mention that they will return next autumn to a tour again.

End of season

Now almost end of the canoe season I’m wondering what a paddle could tell me. How many times dipped deep in the clean water in Nordmarken. How many strokes against heavy wind on the free water on narrow lakes. How many times taken a rest against a tree at camp and wondering where to go next day. If a paddle could tell me the story I have been listening to it.
Now every paddle have been smooth with sandpaper and then painted with fine oil and standing in the sun waiting to next season and again on tour with folks who can handle a paddle and have a good time in Nordmarken canoeing. They need a rest realy.

Another repeat businesss at Nordmarken Kanot Center

These four gentlemen from England have been our guests before. One 5 times, one 4 times, one 3 times and one is here for the second time. They are now out for a week in the DANO canoe area and are real canoe and wilderness folks, so they will bake bread, live with mushroom, berries and some food from the shop also. Do some fishing, and yesterday some guys came back and have got 3 fine pike and other fish and had an excellent fishing. They came via Rygge Airport to us but the bad thing is that Rygge Airport will close down the end of October this year. Also bad for our costumer, our company and the tourism in Värmland.

I do hope that international flights will go via Gardermoen for our guests in the future with low price budget so folks can come to us to a good price for all involved in wilderness tourism.

Riktigt dåligt.

Vad är det för vansinnigt mode som sprider sig på APPAR, Facebook, Datorer och annat.  Ljusblå bakgrund och ännu ljusare text, dessutom liten text. Jag tror att både reklam folk och andra som producerar detta skall tänka om. Man måste kunna läsa utan svårighet Jag är varken färgblind eller behöver glasögon men vill gärna läsa viktig information utan svårighet för ett onödigt mode.

The wilderness red gold.

I had a day off from Nordmarken Canoe Center and spend the time collecting berries in Glaskogen. Great for the winter, with moose meat around the fire. Fine weather but a bit windy on some places. No sign of the wolf pack to day.

Närgången älg.

I ett par dagar har vi haft en kviga runt huset. I dag strax innan mörkret var den ca 20 meter från oss vid vedboden. Lite mörkt för en bra bild.

Another repeat business

It started with two people who came on tour several years ago. Last year they took two friends with then and to day another two people total six person, they will be out for 8 full days in the canoe area Nordmarken. The forest is now full of fine berries and mushrooms and only a few people out on tour so they can really enjoy the tour and nature.

Get fast to canoe area in Nordmarken.

Late summer in Sweden, but very good weather like what someone call” Indian summer”. September is normally a very fine period for canoeing and good fishing start now.  We got guests from England via Stansted and Rygge Airport. It takes only a few houers from Rygge to us at Nordmarken´s Canoe Center in Risviken near Årjäng. Some come to us via Bus and some hire a car and can start there canoe tour after some hours. I do hope that Rygge Airport will be in operation in the future.

 

 

Back again , WOW !

These four gentlemen have been our guests since middle of the eighties and have visited us at Nordmarken canoe Center more than 10 times the last years. One was also here with his family some weeks ago.

The weather was not so good to day, so I took them to a remote starting point so they fast could find on of the wooden shelters on one of the more 110 approved camp sites in  Nordmarken. It’s always good to come to camp sites and use the shelter instead of setting up tent in heavy rain. This is one of the advantages to pay the nature fee and use the different camps. There is also environment toilet, fire pit and fire wood on these camps sites.  The weather forecast shows that the weather will be very fine tomorrow and we are pleased that sun will shine in the canoe area.

It can only be better -or?

Some people cover missing experience with equipment and other missing equipment with experience. One of these two Guys have been here at Nordmarken Canoes Center nine times and have participate in several WEISS training both summer and winter from basic training to extreme survival.
His friends have also been here before to practice out some different equipment and himself. This time they will be out for several days without almost nothing, No food, no sleeping bags, no tent, or tarp etc. but only some different equipment to test, to have in a Bugout bag in the future.

Strong programme but that’s the situation in a real survival situation, you can’t take what you want, you have to deal with what you have and use your experience learned during a lot of days and night in the nature, in different weather condition, both sun, rain, snow and cold.

In a bad situation never give up, it can only be better!

Familj gudstjänst i naturen.

På söndag eftermiddagen 21/8 var det en familj gudtjänst på Nordmarkens Kanot Center i Risviken. Det var Svenska Kyrkan i Nordmarken som bett att få komma hit för denna aktivitet. Ortsbor från tätorten och grannar kring Risviken mötte upp. Ett 30 tal samlades runt lägerelden och efter själva gudstjänsten har vi ordnat en tipspromenad med en del kluriga frågor angående kanot, fiske och allemansrätten. Det blev också korvgrillning och en del av nyanlända ortsbor hade med sig knyte som speglade deras matvanor respektive hemländer. Barnen provade på kanot och först i kvällningen avslutade en del denna kombinerade friluftseftermiddag.

20 days on tour WOW.!

This family with the youngest boy age 4 year has been out 20 days in the canoe area DANO. They have been in almost every lake and have uses canoe wheels to paddle in lakes where there is almost nobody on tour. 
During this period they had 3 days with too much wind so the used an indoor “camping” at one of our colleges. Great when parents take there young ones out on tour and introduce them to outdoor life. I was told when they came back to Base Camp in Risviken at Nordmarken Kanot Center and are looking forward to another year in the area.

Thank you to all of you.

I am like cheese or whisky, get better and better every year. No, steps are shorter and not so often as before, but the spirit for nature, canoeing and bush craft is still there even if I got 84 years of age this day. I will say a great thankyou to all mail, phone calls, visit and memories from friends, families, colleges and costumer.

You are all in my memories and do I hope to see all, or at least some of you on the free water, around a camp fire, build up with dry wood.
Keep our nature clean and dip you paddle in fresh water, build up you camp on safe places and don’t hurry.

 Thank you all.

Preben M

9 insentive days.

After 9 intensive days the group from JEUNESSE & SANTE with 35 participants went home to day and will land in Brussel late this evening.

Weather from almost storm, to days with heat and sun, was the situation for the group. The days with canoeing and climbing were calm and sunny so we had luck. Lucky us also with 35 people on Base Camp in Risviken and heavy rain, is not a good because some of the young kids don’t have experience in camping in rain. But with some extra assisters we all made it and it’s a happy group going home after these days full of wilderness activities. I think the 5 instructors from the organisation are a bit tiered, making food, shopping, activities and a lot more, but they did very well.

 

Better with some sun!

Finally some fine weather instead of storm and rain as the two last days. Our group for Belgium had a fine day with Mountain Bike and cliff climbing in sunshine and no wind- Almost everybody of the 35 people in the group made it to the top ca 25 m up.

Very well done and our guides was very pleased to work with this young folks. But 7 hours of securing the climbers is hard work for the one in charge of security, well done. Respect to the group for following our rules. Thank you.

Bad weather, so what?

Half storm, big waves, some rain a 35 people from Belgium who want to go canoeing for some days. They are here at Nordmarken Canoe Center for 10 full days.  There will be other programme as Climbing, Mountain Bike, Wilderness skills, Bushcraft and some Wilderness games as well.

We do need sun and no wind to let the group having a good time, but we can change the program to fit in to the weather situation, no problem.

At the same time we have a TV crew from Canada making a TV program about canoeing and water sport in Värmland. They also have some slight problem with the weather, but even that we can handle with good help from VISIT VÄRMLAND.  The TV program is a part of the IDA Project to get Värmland better known in Europe. They started about 0600 this morning to get some good pictures from the nature around Nordmarken and Risviken. Now they took off for new places to film.

At least a dozen tours in Nordmarken.

The father in this group started canoeing at Nordmarken Canoe Center in the beginning of the 80 – ties. This year back again after at least a dozen tours in Nordmarken and he will be back in late August with the 3 friends who are coming back year after year, We are pleased to have them back for a new tour to one of our special places. Where, is a secret, only we know and tell a few? So it is.

En vanlig dag på jobbet.

Två entusiastiska pojkar har genomfört en kanottur med sin far. Den ena 8 år den andra 10 år gammal. Vid hemkomsten förklarade 8-åringeni detalj hur de hade paddlat, övernattat och om andra upplevelser. Kul när ungdom får ett fint intresse för att paddla kanot  och friluftsliv.

Call 112 in case of emergency.

This scout group has been our guests eleven times before. Different people during all these years but one woman was her when she was 8 years old and still coming back.

They have always good tours with extreme good discipline on our equipment. But this time they had some problem on tour. First one member got a bad back and we have to call in help from 112 with rescue boat from Fire Brigade and Ambulance and transport to hospital in middle of the night. All work out with high standard of professionalism. Next morning another member of the group had the same problem and this time Fire Brigade had to open some road there was closed with chain. After a while an ambulance came to their camp and took the patient to the hospital. I´m thinking of Murphy’s Law. Very nice that the rescue system work with 100% and a bit more, it’s secure for our guests and other people in the area, but sorry that we had to engage it two times during a 24/h period. A great honour to both fire Brigade Bengtsfors for boat rescue and Fire brigade Årjäng for open up closed road and ambulance people from Årjäng.

Resect, and thank you from us at Nordmarken Canoe Center and the Danish group.

The Seven Samurai.

Six against one was the idea. Six females and a young boy on tour in Nordmarken. It all started on one of our “secret” points. They made a very good tour and came back in perfect style and have had a good tour. The last kilometres the got wind from  the back and paddle a bit too long, but came to our Base Camp in good time to hand over canoes to the next group. Some of the younger in the group had a funny Hamburger smile, and I was told they will go the nearest hamburger joint and the way back. Well done all of you and its nice to see that one of the women have been here before on a survival training with, I was told minimum of equipment.

Well done Danish scout´s

Large canoe groups in the DANO Canoe Area is not a good idea. We had a group with 36 people on tour. Some in the group have been our guests before and have listened to us, to go out in smaller groups and so they did in, with 3 different groups and 3 different routes. The new group for taking care of the DANO Canoe Area want to have groups with fewer participants and we at Nordmarken Canoe Center are very pleased that out guests accept this initiative. Well done.

I´m getteing old!

Time again for more than 20 times at Nordmarken Kanot Center. The father took his son on tour several times starting in the early nighties. Back again years after years. This year the father took his grandsons on a charter tour with the whole family. Getting a bit soft now a days and use Hotel and a Hut in town, and I understand that, but they have done more than 175 overnight in the canoe area and that’s about ½  a year on tour. Deep respect.

Very good planning with small children

This family wanted to go on a week tour but realise that the kids was too young. So they made a very good solution. They stayed on our Base Camp for a week and made shorter tours every day with the kids. One evening I took them on a tour to see moose and I even called on wolf and got an answer.

Today they left for going back to Schweitz.'

Back again for tour number 13. Wow !

Back again for a week tour with family. The father has been on tour minimum 12 times before at Nordmarken Canoe Center for real wilderness tours. We are always very happy to see “old Costumers” on tour.

Warning for forest fire.

Right now 21/7 there is an extreme risk for forest fire. We will remind all paddlers in the canoe area Dalsland - Nordmarken DANO that it’s only allowed to have open fire at the approved campsites.

So be careful when you are out there and remember you are guest in the nature and all land and forest is private owned by local people.

 

Back to civilisation !

We have had 41 people from a school from Itzehoe. They have been for a wilderness tour in Nordmarken. One evening they heard a wolf pack hauling on the other side of the lake where they had their camp. The full moon made the adventure even bigger. They left this early morning with the camp and equipment in very good order. They took off with a local bus company and will be home after 12 hours.

Back again for The Duke of Edinburgh Award

After a break last year 2015 The Rainford Gymnasium is back again for the seventh time in Nordmarken. They are doing the Duke of Edinburgh Award a hard programme with more than 80 kilometres paddling in 4 days. The participant is planning the canoe expedition during a year with economy, traveling, food supply and a report of the stay in “The Real Canoe Country” Nordmarken.

As usual all did extreme well with good help at a professional staff who follow the group voluntary the whole time. Respect.

 

Not Mount Everest, but!

Two of the instructors at Nordmarken Canoe Center in Nordmarken got a new group today with 21 people for climbing at the “Tower”. Almost everybody came to the “summit”, Very well done student from Itzehoe Gymnasium.

Wilderness hike

 

A youth group from a Gymnasium School have been out on canoe tour for several days. Today a short break at Base Camp, recovery and preparation for a wilderness hike around Nordmarken Canoe Center. This is the light weight pack for 21 people. Dehydrated food and other light weight stuff in the pack.

Long time no see.

There have been a lot of activities the last weeks. We have groups from Denmark, Germany and England on tour and different activities, Canoeing, Climbing and Mountain Bike Tours. To avoid large groups at the same camp, we try to make smaller groups, good for the guest and good for the nature.

We are right now in the middle of the peak season so there is not too much time to be at the office to write down on the Facebook, Blogg and other social media, but so it is, costumers first.

 

Return to Base Camp.

Back to Base Camp Risviken at Nordmarken Kanot Center after a fine 12 day tour in Nordmarken.

This couple have been here before several times and normally they stay some days at our Base Camp before take-off and also a day or two after a tour.

They had a fine tour with a lot of sun but one night here was heavy rain storm but the stay overnight in one of the wooden lean to shelters. Almost empty of other canoers in the area was the feedback report from them.

The Seven Samurais still alive!!!

The Seven Samurais on canoe tour
The leader has been here 4 times before. This time with six other friends. They had a deal that they want to arrive to Base Camp in Risviken at 10 O´clock, the last day, just before a heavy rain will start. But they cane 15 minutes earlier but just hitting the shore heavy rain started, They got real wet but all “survived” of the seven Samurais.

Its never to late!

En far med sina 3 ungdomar har under en vecka bott på vår Base Camp. Gjort kortare och lite längre turer dagligen men återvänt på kvällen till sin lägerplats En kväll tog jag familjen med på en Älgsafari men tyvärr såg vi endast flera rådjur

Men under gårdagskvällen ändrade sig deras tur. På vägen söder om Nordmarkens Kanot Center såg de först en fjorlårs älgko och strax efter en fin älgko med två små ljusbruna kalvar.

De fick en fin bild på den första men kon med kalvarna var för snabba bort från vägdiket. Vi tycker det är mycket trevligt när våra gäster får lite extra upplevelse.

Getting soft? or.

To be out in the nature, on canoe tour or just hiking in the wilderness is OK. Depending on your capacity and experience you will almost have a nice adventure. But sometimes it can be rainy, cold and windy and you would like to be at home. It´s OK to get a bit soft sometimes and take short cut if you like. We can help you with our Bed and Breakfast at Nordmarken Kanot Center if nature works against you and you like to have it comfortable for a day or two. Just tell us.

Kontroll av lägerplatser.

Under ett par dygn har vi haft 4 elever från Malungs Folkhögskolas Fjäll- och Vildmarks ledarutbildning ute på kanottur. Syftet var dels att rekognosera för grupper från denna skola och liknande utbildningar om kanotfärd i Nordmarken kan bli ett inslag i utbildningen. På vårt uppdrag gjorde de också inspektion på ett antal fasta lägerplatser vad angår ordning, renhållning, ved och de miljötoaletter som finns på de godkände lägerplatserna. Allt var i god ordning och fick av deltagarna ett gott betyg. Rent och snyggt på lägerplatserna.

DANO området har ju numera en ny styrelse och det har satsats en hel del både tid och pengar för att få en högre och bättre standard just på lägerplatserna, men även på information, nytryck av karta och snart en App. som just behandlar hela Dalslands Kanalområdet.

Winter is comming !!!

Heading for winter. Shortest night – and the longest day was yesterday. Now days will be shorter and nights longer. But nature is waiting for visitors the next couple of month. Canoeing, Hiking, Bushcraft, Wolf and Moose Safari is still to come. Early this morning on our special road, when the normal is closed there wear lots of interesting animal to see. A moose calf was standing just beside of our car.

So we at Nordmarken Kanot Center is prepared to help people to enjoy nature when is are as best.

 

Äntligen lite regn,

I mellan 6-7 veckor har vi haft riktigt fint väder. Bra värme, mycket sol och oftast vindstilla med andra or ett perfekt kanot väder. Men nu har det kommit lite regn i ”The Real Canoe Country” Nordmarken vilket vi är tacksamma för. Skogsbrandfaran har varit stor, men nu blir det lite blött i markerna så risken minskas men man måste ändå vara mycket försiktigt och endast elda på de fasta DANO lägerplatserna. Det verkar på långtidsprognosen för väder, att den riktiga sommar värmer återvänder om ett par dagar och givetvis hälsas det med glädje.  

Sorry, road closed some more days.

7/6 the road from Årjäng to Risviken is closed. Same from Risviken to Årjäng. If you come from Svensbyn in the north on E18 and drive south to UDDEN 2 KM you can see a paddle with our sign on. Same if you come from the south via Skifors and Krokfors you will see UDDEN 2 km and our paddle. Drive from that sign 12 km to you see our sign KANOTCENTRAL and the companies sign.

I do hope that folks will let it stay until 7/7 when the road will be open again.

Danger in nature, forrest fire.

Yesterday 2016 06 14 started a Forrest fire north of Lennartsfors. The reason for the Forrest fire was an illegal camp fire. It´s only allowed so far making small fires at the DANO camp sites.  The one who make camp fire on other places then the DANO camps can be fine for doing that.
We who lives here in the canoe area DANO want to have our nature green and fine and not burned down because some canoers make fire that started large Forrest fire.
So no fire on other places than the approved DANO Camp´s
Happy that we had no guests ín that area.