As we were canoeing and cycling on the trip we had to sort our kit out so we would have the right kit at the right time and not take anything we didn’t need. Being in canoes meant that we wouldn’t have to carry any of our kit so we could afford to take a bit more so we would be comfortable. The other important thing to consider was that all our kit need to be thoroughly waterproofed in case we capsized. I had everything in a large heavy duty dry bag and all the really important items such as my sleeping bag and change of clothes were in separate dry bags within the main one. This way I could be 100% sure that I would have somewhere dry to sleep and a dry pair of clothes when we got to camp.

The first day started off really well; the weather was great and there was no wind however it changed really quickly. It started to hail and snow and a very strong head wind appeared. We decided to land on a beach and revaluate the plan for the day. We decided to stay close to the west side of the fjord and hop in and out of the various peninsular that ran down the side. As the wind was coming from the south we were able to find some shelter most of the time. We eventually reached a beach that was 2km from our original intended camping spot and decided to stay there for the night. The weather changed yet again and the sun came out and the wind died of completely so we set up camp on the beach and got comfortable. We used the canoe and a basha to make our shelter and also some of the debris that we found on the beach.

On the morning of the second day we woke up to such a brilliant morning, however the sun didn’t reach the beach until just before we got onto the water to make our way to Evje. Once the sun was up it became very warm and as there was no breeze the fjord was like a mill pond. The rest of the day was very easy, in fact it got a bit tedious at point because the fjords are so big that it feels like you aren’t making any progress at all.

When we got to the moving water I felt like I wasn’t being pushed enough as I had already canoed on higher grade rivers but it was a good experience to coach the other people on the course who hadn’t done any paddling before.

The closer we got the Evje the colder it became and there was rain on the horizon so we landed and emptied the canoes as quickly as possible then got ready for the white water rafting. The rafting was great fun apart from when the guide nearly tipped the raft over whilst surfing a wave. Two of us fell out but luckily I was able to hold onto the ropes around the side.

After staying in a cabin for the night we got the bike and started the short trip to the climbing area. After a short warm up the instructor gave us a few tips on how to use the gears most effectively but after that we just found out which ratio was best for us. I managed to find a good speed to stick to that meant I could still talk to other people. The best thing about cycling is that we got to see various small Norwegian villages that we wouldn’t have seen otherwise.

When we got to the climbing area we set up camp so we would have somewhere dry as rain had been forecast. It was good to observe another instructor setting up the climbing and abseiling as I saw another different way of doing it that I hadn’t seen before. Even though it was quite a warm night we had to go to bed pretty early as it started to rain really heavily. It was lucky that we had prepared to campsite well otherwise we might have been flooded.

The final day was quite relaxing apart from being tiring due the not having cycled that far before. Around Vennesla I started to get a bit fatiqued however my bike chain broke so I had to get the bus back to Kristiansand.

One of the main learning points for me was about how to make a good shelter out of a tarp and your canoe that can keep you dry in the wind and snow.