ANàRJOHKA EXPEDITION
AnARJOHKA EXPEDITION
This page is for those who want to get inspired and do the same.
The Anàrjohka National Park is not the mest known area. Its mostly because its quite difficult to get there, unless you live in the area by Karasjok or Kautokeino. You can get there by helicopter, but its mostly a thing only local hunters do and before It was posible to fly a waterplane there, but the local pilot saddl died. The roads to the park itself is quite bad as well, and most of locals dont want to drive there either unless your lucky. So in order for me to get there, I was left with the choise to go by foot 30-40 km and paddle my way in from the river of Karasjok.
Planning:
It took me a year to plan this expedition. It started as a 30 day plan trough one of Norways untouched and remote wilderness, but then it got reduced to 16 days due family. Heading straight for the best part the river of Karasjoka and try to reach the border of Øvre Anàrjohka National Park. I had three goals in mind: Go packrafting. Fish, and lastly be alone in the wilderness at the very best Norway have to offer. The Anàrjohka National park is located 66 degrees north in the county of Finnmarksvidda and with border to Finland.
Two month before heading up north I had five sponsors, a route to go to, the plane tickets, most of the gear needed. Reading all of previous books from a outdoors celebrity named Lars Monsen, inspired me for a similar trip. Also another well known man named Robert Mood, also been there, has been giving me tips for a similar trip. To get to park is difficult, and due to the amount of time i will use the time I had surrounding Finnmarksvidda area, that is north to Øvre Anàrjohka and try to reach by the boarder instead to spend the days there before rafting back up Karasjoka river.
" I had three goals in mind: Go packrafting. Fish, and lastly be alone in the wilderness at the very best Norway have to offer."
Øvre Anàrjohka west part, seem to have the best fishing areas where most of the trout can be found. The east part on the other side have for the most white fish instead, such as Pike (Gjedde) or graylings (Harr), witch I have never fished before. I was hoping for big trouts in some of Norways most untouched wilderness, so I was heavly relying on fish meals here and so I needed to have disipline. But because you never know, I was preparing my self to problaby eat mostly rice, potato mash, soup and rations I had planned on taking. A man can survive three weeks without foot, but it is important to have energy to get home specially in areas that are new for you, and not stress around taking stupid chances. So what gear and food I bringed in would clearly play a major role in trips like this. I dream about untouch wilderness, I dream to actually live in the moment not beeing disturbed by anything other than me, and the great wilderness. You can find this tip journal at the blog, but lets talk about gear and planing:
Food rations are consisted mainly of carbs, fat I had on the body. And nature would provide me with protein. My wife and I made some J&D proteinbars for this expedition this is mostly for the cofee break. About 11300 grams of food is ration for an 16 days expedition, that includes breakfast, lunch, dinner and coffee hour and emergency ration. Mostly is home made, because dehydrated meals are expensive. I have made a separate video here
(cooming soon)
Finnmarksvidda is well known for its big mosquitos, and from experience back in the army I wasent taken any change so I decided to add the Thermacell MR450. It may look big, but its actually quite lightweight, It goes on gass patron, so is important to remember that on airport on the way up. But I found a better solution, that is to buy fuel and gass at the nearest store in Alta (Sport 1) Apart from this a 50 % deet roll may do the job on protecting, just be careful on bleaching clothing with it.
(bilde)
Footwear & Clothes. I was thinking on getting new light shoes for the trip. But reading some books & blogs I quickly realize that high leather shoes is problaby the best choise on a area sorrounded with many swamps (myr). And my Hunter boots from the armed forces still going quite strong. Though they are not the apropiate Packraft shoe, so I will bring the neopren diving shoes as well and as a camp shoe. These dosent take any space. As for clothing I went for Fjellraven Keb trousers a summer shorts and a rain and down jacket.
"Home". Other crucial gear is where you are going to sleep. A good tent is then very important, I have slept in many tent across the year, and anyone dosent comes as robust, well designed and lightweight as the NorTent of Norway Products. I was kindly sent the "Vilja" Prototype where I whave tried couple of times before this trip. This is a silnylon all season tent with good, easy setup and nice air flow. Also because I didnt take much space I went for the Amok Tarp also in silnylon for rapid deployment for those sunbreaks, wind or rain. I brought Amoks insulated long and wide "Fjøl" pad as well, because its comfortable. The expedition Omni Lite Ti and Heavy Cover Ti Canteen a most have, for preparing food with. Then was a little bit unsure about a summer sleeping bag but I took the top quilt in d not to be cold up north.
"I dream about untouch wilderness, I dream to actually live in the moment not beeing disturbed by anything other than me, and the great wilderness."
The ride is the "Rogue" from Kokopelli. This is an expedition packraft rated for up to class 2 whitewater with a deck. It weights 3,4 kg and can be packed small. The Rogue has Nylon 210D TPU single tube, Double reinforced seam tape, V-Tape reinforcement on floor. A ripstop kayak stile comfortable seat. D7 Valves. Strong Kevlar 840D TPU Floor. Can handle up to 180 kg. UV and age durable and resistent, Lower temperature and snow weather capable, Its a fishing/hunting raft, and whitewater expedition ready, Very proud of the ride though I should have ordered one with TZIP for more pack room and easy deflating. The guys at Packraftnorge.no though send me a pump that can help both with packraft and the "Fjøl" pad. Its imprtant to have a good vest where you can store fish gear easy. Last but not least are some patch aids, you know just in case you get a monster pike and it drives you down the worste whitewater rapid and puncture the packraft, and you fail to capture all the action on screen...
Camera gear is very important to bring as well as I want to document the trip of lifetime. The newest addition to the gear was some Gobe filters, that can both add protection to the lenses, and some film creativity. Telezoom 100-300 mm lens I bought second handed is just the perfect size and weight for filming wildlife or other things my 25 mm cant capture. Thats the great thing about Micro Thirds Fours gear is the size, price, batteritime and result it gives. Though It not be as good in stills as the full frames, I really prefer MTF instead. I was going to bring the Insta 360 as well because it really dosent takes space. After a lot of research I went for the Insta 360 choise to spice up the footage. Thing is, it is great for filming when you are Packrafting, and there is some cool things I have never seen before here. The Spark drone was on a maybe, due is not allowed to film on a National Park. But because I wasent going for the two routes I originally planned for I decided to bring it with me, due I was going to film only outside the national park. A drone is kinda a sensitive and not very important thing to take with you, but. the good thing about the Spark is that is small and compac. Batteries I will charge on a solar panel. Also memory cards was possible the most expensive thing you dont really want to use money on, so borrow more from a friend a hardcore videographer,
Fishing Gear. Also one of the most important thing for this trip. My rations relays on getting fish for the trip, so its not much and it could be I could go one or several days without a meal because you never know, and Im not a very good sport fisherman, but I have learn a lot the last couple of years. A good fishing rod is important, and so the technique, and so the knowlogde on how to get fish and lastly what you use to catch fish. Up here there are two things that is going to be new for me: 1. Big fish 2. Spieces I have never cought before. So a good mix between worms and lures may be the best option. Having a packraft is also a plus thing to have, but dont bring big rods on it. I had by experience bringing to big rods for packraft to handle them, so I a good telescope rod may do the job easy, and a crappy one just in case I loose one rod. A knife for my fishing would be a leatherman due to pliers, and I think I need to get me a extra knife for this trip due to woodworking and getting a bonfire every night. One of my sponsors Ben & Lois Ordford made me A Customize Woodlore in stainless steel.
Security. Some when you travel to new places you should very much take all the precautions that you can. Listening to the locals in some occation may be a good thing. Or to those who have done a similiar trip is a smart thing. Its more of a thing to be a little critic to you and your plans that avoids getting you into trouble. Though it is you that mostly is in charge. If you are traveling alone you need to be critic to yourself in some points, of you are traveling with others either you need to knpw who you travel with to avoid possible conflicts or plan togheter. Now because Im traveling alone the ones who are going to know about my plan are both my friends at home and family. Then leave room to say that I will problaby be around this area at this time and go around some checkpoints at a good map before leaving. The other thing I recommend is to get a GPS device, in this case my phone is the GPS with already loaded maps from an official app I know it works and you can trust (Norges kart) and my watch as second GPS device with planned routes. This is as essential as a good map and a good compass. Third is the Spot Connect I will use to tranfer the waypoints with a check before you go off cell phone grid. The Spot Connect it may be the only thing that you can use to get help for youre in big trouble. As for me I have a special page at my website where my closes one can check on me on trips like this. I dont really bother getting a sat phone but yeah if you have one use it. Make sure you have all the paperwork such as passport, plane tickets, fishing license, insurance, money on you as well.
Apart from this you can actually find a more detailed packing list I try to follow. Some items may not be with me and others do. Anyway its a good thing to make your own list because you dont really want to forget crucial things out there for your own, and it could vary from mine. The rest of the trip I will post in blogg posts instead, the post are both in Norwegian and English for the special ocation:
This trip was Sponsored by:
