Saint Anna Archipelago, Sweden
58°25'03.1"N 16°57'13.5"E
A week of self guided kayaking and wild camping.
Every day of an adventure is a day of learning and discovery, and none more so than the first day.
The first discovery was how much “stuff“ it’s possible to fit in a Kayak. The second thing, as with any sporadic activity, was relearning how to Kayak in a straight line and without falling in; and the third involved various weird and wonderful elements of wild camping to round out a great start to our adventure.
Nonetheless, turns out all that wasn’t too difficult, so off we went…
The elements provided the usual variety that you often discover in Northern Europe, from torrential rain though to warm sun and crisp blue skies. Nevertheless, we paddled through all this, soaking in the changing scenery as we travelled from empty islands into the open waters, through fishing towns, and back to our own secluded area to transform into our home for the evening. Our only company for the journey being the birds flocking to the protected areas, other kayakers, and the occasional speedboat (hold on tight), it provides a very peaceful environment for escaping the often monotonous day to day routine.
There are so many islands, it seemed to us far more likely that we would be alone rather than encountering others. After “docking“ our kayaks each day, it became increasingly easy to make our overnight spots feel homely with just a tent, a big tarp, and our temporary life in boxes. The forest floor became our kitchen, the rocks our dining room, and the bushes our toilet. Over time, the process of moving our home around also became a swift process as we mastered the art of packing and unpacking our water-going Tardis.
All in all, the most memorable part of the journey though will remain the feeling of arriving somewhere new, settling in, and watching some pretty spectacular sunsets with just the sounds of nature to keep you company. Tack, Sverige.
We booked our trip through Do The North, and had a wonderful experience. And of course, we requested 2 separate kayaks, because one single one would have been far too stressful…