Leira paddling on Constitutional Day

On the 17th of May, streets in Norway are filled with people celebrating Norway’s constitution, signed in Eidsvoll 1814. It is packed with young kids walking parades singing songs, hangover high-school graduates that will take their exams in a couple of weeks after a month of partying, and two kayaks on one car in Oslo. After all, there anything better, than going kayaking with two british lads more interested in whisky than liberty? (damn imperialists)

We went to Leira, a creek only 15 minutes away from Oslo Airport Gardemoen. It is a short run, but does have some holes you want to know about before you go down there. We paddled it at around 24 m3, and the gauge is found here.

George is heading down Gåfossen in Leira

It starts easy, and quickly gives you a tastes of long slides and nice lines. In then picks speed, and after a slide with big consequences if you swim, you get to the highlight of the day: Gåfossen. Its a slide/drop combination for about 30 metres (not vertical), spitting you out in a nice wavetrain at the bottom where you can look back at your conquest. Action on movie after 15 seconds.