Paddling the Sjoa Playrun at low flow

Paddling China Hole on Sjoa Normal

Getting to grade 3 is a noble pursuit, and there are not many sections of whitewater that can beat the Sjoa Playrun in Heidal, Norway.  

Whether the Sjoa River is at 25m3 or 100m3 (you can find the flow of all whitewater sections on the “RiverApp”) the lines are pretty much the same, only the features are bigger or smaller. The Sjoa Playrun is an incredibly safe section of whitewater compared to most other rivers. This is because there are very few places you can get stuck on, washed under or dangerous holes to be stuck in. It is for this reason that it is a very popular rafting section with 1000s of happy tourist rafting down this beautiful and fun section every year! Of course the Sjoa Playrun is much more fun in a kayak, though, but kayaking requires some level training so that you can navigate the rapids and roll back up if you tip upside down – it is totally worth the effort though!  

Just be aware that when the Sjoa River is in flood even the Sjoa Playrun can become very dangerous for inexperienced kayakers and I would say it becomes a grade 4 instead of a grade 3 just because if you do swim, water will be moving fast, it will be very powerful and you can get sucked down by the river features, plus it could be difficult to get to the side. We always recommend paddling with others, taking safety training seriously and always paddle rivers that match your skill level.  

Here is a short video of me paddling the Sjoa Playrun section at low flow (about 25m3) with voice-over. Excuse my mumbly New Zealand accent!  

 

Quick run down of main rapids

 

First rapid – Golf Stream 

Golf stream is your first rapid after putting in at Harlaug Bru. To avoid the large hole on river left make sure to stay in the middle of this rapid. Keep your boat straight, paddle hard, boof if necessary and roll up if you tip over. There is nothing downstream for a few 100m so you have lots of time to enact a rescue or roll up! At the top of the rapid the water does push left, so you will need to angle your boat back right if you want to make the middle line.  

Second rapid – Hay Stacks  

Stay in the middle of the river for this one if you want to avoid the big features. The river does head left before this rapid so make sure to head left with the flow and then stay in the middle. At the top of this rapid there are some ledge holes on river right so you can decide whether you want to go through them or stick right and then head left afterwards.  

Third rapid – Chocolate Canyon  

Stay middle through first part and when you get to the big rock in the middle head to the left. Then it is just middle line all the way through – enjoy this spectacular gorge!  

Fourth rapid – Devils Elbow  

The river will make a big turn to the right a few 100m after chocolate canyon, you can’t miss it. Here you want to start on the left and head right as the river turns. By doing this you will miss all the big features. There is a hole at the end that can get quite big at high flows.  

Fifth rapid – China Hole  

There are rapids in between devils elbow and China hole but they are insignificant and can easily be scouted from your kayak. China hole comes after you pass under the only bridge you will pass under throughout the entire section. The line down China hole is centre left, so not in the middle of the river and not hard left – centre left! There is a big hole (AKA Chine hole) in the middle and small yet sticky and powerful hole on the hard left. Don’t worry the line is wide in between and you will have time to see and adjust your course as you near the rapid – slow is fast.   

Sixth rapid – the new man-made ledge holes  

So this road is quite new and is man-made. It comes straight after China hole or at least 200m afterwards. Just head hard left to avoid the 3 ledge holes and then keep heading left to take out at the soccer field by Sjoa Rafting.  

 

 

Kayaking Sjoa Normal Section

“Catch you on the water!” 

Cool guys, hope you got value from our video and description. At Mad Goats we teach Introkurs Elv and Grunnkurs Elv and we run guided tours in Heidal on the Otta River, Lågen River and of course the Sjoa River. Visit us at Mad Goats Sjoa, where we have a hot tub, sauna, camping and most of all good vibes and top-quality kayaking instruction!  We also recommend taking your Rescue 3 training with Rescue 3 Norway if you plan to become a whitewater kayaker, even if you only plan to paddle on grade 2. 

 

 

 

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Public Sauna Session – Jeløy, Moss

Self-service floating sauna on the central Moss waterfront. Our sauna sessions are 2hrs during weekdays and 2.5hrs in the weekends. Public sauna sessions are great places to relax, hang with friends or meet new ones. Regular sauna use and ice bathing has been scientifically proven to be very good for your health, increase your energy levels and improve your sense of wellbeing. We hope to see you in the sauna soon!

2-day Whitewater Kayaking or Packrafting Våttkort Beginner Course (Grunnkurs) – Sjoa, Norway

Join us up in Sjoa for two days of fun and learning on world famous whitewater rivers and get your våttkort. On this course you can choose to be in a kayak or a packraft. Packrafts are more stable and lighter to carry, making them the ultimate adventure watercraft, whereas kayaks are more agile on the river, making them better for playing on waves and for paddling harder whitewater. However, the techniques used to paddle both are very similar, which is why we can combine the two courses! Whatever you decide, you will get the opportunity to try both a packraft and kayak if you wish - “catch you on the water!”

Guided whitewater kayak and packraft tours in Sjoa, Norway

Mad Goats run guided kayak and packraft tours on the Lagen River, which is graded from 1-2. This means it is a beginner friendly whitewater paddling tour. We recommend you have attended the 6hr våttkort introkurs with us before joining this tour, but if not that is ok and we will make sure to put you in a packraft, which is much more stable than a river kayak. Hope you are fired up for an incredibly beautiful and exciting adventure on one of Norways most pristine rivers!

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