I looked down my chart, out towards the sea, back down my chart and once again out to sea. - Oh my, how was I ever going to figure out which island is which? It had been quite some time since I'd paddled in Sweden. The myriad of islands and skerries in front of us all looked the same. Then I saw something break the horizon line - a lonely light house stood proudly anchored on a rock the size of our house back in Bozeman, Montana. After another quick glance at the chart I started to notice several light houses and something we Swedes call a "Kummel."

A kummel is a navigational aid, more specifically a 15 foot high pile of rocks painted black and white. Long before the time of kummels, the Vikings built huge fires to guide their ships through these rocky waters. While sea kayaking we encountered several of the bays that provided shelter for these ancient war and trading ships. Occasionally, we happened to camp in meadows containing rock formations from 9th and 10th century Viking homes.

In the summer of 1996 my husband Tim and I ventured out on three different paddling expeditions in Scandinavia. We were scouting for future trips for our newly founded company, Crossing Latitudes. Our first trip was among the VesterŒlen islands in northern Norway. This dramatic archipelago is located at latitude N69 and is often referred to as the "Islands Kingdom of the Norwegian Sea." Thanks to the warm waters carried by the Gulf Stream, the climate here is far milder than in other regions of similar latitude. The midnight sun, a hundred miles above the Arctic Circle, provided us with continuous daylight. We gladly left our flashlights at home. Surrounded by tundra and steep glaciated peaks, our camps were often on remote sandy beaches.

The VesterŒlen islands are dotted with small fishing settlements steeped in a maritime culture dating back to the Viking era. Along our route from Stokmarknes to ¯ksnes, we met friendly local people who invited us in to their homes when the weather got nasty. During one particularly wet windy day we paddled into a remote outpost called Tinden. Here we met Skjalg (pronounced Shelk), an 82 year old fellow who has been welcoming seafarers here for over 60 years. Drinking tea and telling stories with him made our sea kayaking journey through this wild and vibrant archipelago an unforgettable experience.

Our second trip was in the S:t Anna's archipelago south of Stockholm in Sweden, my homeland. We started from Tyrislšt, a small guest harbor where one can rent sea kayaks and row boats. Extremely warm and sunny weather forced us to eat a larger than normal quantity of ice-cream before launching. S:t Anna archipelago is a paradise to first timers and experienced folks alike. Close to the open Baltic sea, the outer islands and rolling swells are only a couple of hours of paddling away. Numerous granite islands offer unlimited camping possibilities. This is also a weekend sailing mecca. The water on the east coast is less salty than the west coast and far more enticing for swimming than the Arctic . Onto Jelly fish land!

Skagerrak is the north-eastern part of the North Sea extending northeast between Norway and Sweden. We paddled for two weeks through magnificent granite islands forming a maze-like archipelago. Owing to an unusually warm month of August, the shores were invaded by jelly fish by the thousands. Luckily the ratio of stinging to harmless jellies was 1 to 30. In some protected bays where the jellies had gathered, getting in and out of our kayaks was like wading through a sea of slime. After a few days this was no big deal as we all became experts at spotting red stinging ones.

Our trip started in Gšteborg, the second largest city in Sweden. Long ago an intricate system of canals, designed by the Dutch helped Gšteborg become a major European shipping center. We happened to be here during the Gšteborg Summer Festival. The parks, cafe's and sidewalks along the famous "Avenue" were all crowded with people celebrating Gšteborg's 350 year anniversary. Our senses were bombarded with live music, art shows, sports-events and spontaneous street performances. A one hundred meter long table was set up with "all you can eat" shrimp, crayfish, smoked mackerel and other goodies from the Swedish sea. This was an excellent way for us to fill our bellies before enduring the rigors of our outdoor adventure.

From Gšteborg we traveled north to Marstrand. This beautiful island community dates back to the early 1200's. It's skyline is marked by the 17th century stone fortress of Carlsten, built to ward off Danish invasions. We took a guided tour and learned about the incredible conditions the prisoners had to endure while constructing the fortress. You only ate if you were healthy enough to work all day while the infermed were left to die. We were very glad to be 20th century visitors. Here in Marstrand we had the pleasure of meet Reidar, co-designer, builder and owner of the Swedish sea kayak, "The Caribou", a sleek yet stable single with British lines. We enjoyed paddling the Caribous for two weeks among the rocky islands of the Skagerrak sea. Reidar had a great boat trailer for getting the kayaks to and from the dock. This was a flatbed moped with an integral kayak rack. This is one of the few motorized vehicles allowed on the island of Marstrand.

Our goal was to paddle the 100 nautical mile stretch between Marstrand and Stršmstad. Once again we were blessed with exceptional great weather and could paddle among the outer islands and experience the vastness of the open ocean. Many afternoons, in search of ice-cream and cold beer, we would pull into small fishing villages and relax. Places like Smšgen, KŠrringšn and the Koster islands are a must to visit for any paddler. Here we took advantage of local markets and cafes for fresh food from the sea and garden. Our shrimp and smoked mackerel dinners sure tasted better than ordinary Mac n' cheese.

1996 was a great summer in Scandinavia and we have continued to run trips, expeditions and courses over there. The west coast of Sweden, "jelly fish land", is still my favorite area but that's probably because I grew up there and have great memories from childhood. Arctic Norway is spectacular of course and we are always looking forward to our trips there. In 1999 we are expanding and will offer a Wilderness Sea Kayaking course in the VesterŒlen islands with focus on the technical skills, outdoor living skills, leadership/fellowship and first aid. We also continue to go to the Arctic Sea Kayak Race & Ramble and our '99 Exploratory Expedition will venture out the northern Lofoten Islands and fjords. Join us!

For a free brochure or information on paddling in Scandinavia please call Crossing Latitudes 1-800-572-8747. E-mail us at: info@crossinglatitudes.com or visit our Website: www.crossinglatitudes.com Lena Conlan

Sweden

A lot of places suitable for sea kayaking are mentioned in the article above. If you prefer the east coast, the Stockholm archipelago is beautiful, with its 2400 islands!, as is the LuleŒ archipelago. Sweden also offers a wide range of white waters with its many sea systems. To rent canoes, get expert help or join guided tours, you can contact one of the many canoe centers located all over Sweden. They are all approved by the Swedish Canoe Alliance (they provide an annual brochure with addresses to all centers) that sets equipment and professional standards. Among the approved centers you will find Silverlake Canoeing located in popular Dalsland, where the lakes are clear and clean with potable water, the wildlife is stunning and where there are also many permanent camping areas are. Fšllinge Hotagabygden is another canoe centre, located by the waters of HŒrkan. You can canoe from the source of HŒrkan in Norway, through lakes and along some white waters all the way down to Lit, where HŒrkan flows into the mighty InlandsŠlven. For further information: Svenska Kanotfšrbundet, website: www.svenskidrott.se/kanot/ Silverlake Canoecentral Dalsland tel:+46-(0)531-12173 fax:+46-(0)531 61711 Fšllinge Hotagabygdens Canoecentral tel: +46-(0)64540058