Elevate your paddling skills to new heights on the breathtaking Sjoa River in Norway!
Whether you’re aiming to master big-volume techniques, refine your creeking abilities, or enhance your river-running prowess, we offer individually tailored challenges in a low-consequence environment—the perfect setting to safely push your limits. Imagine styling your lines on one of the world’s most beautiful rivers, preparing you to step up to new whitewater adventures with confidence. Nestled in Norway’s historic heartland of Gudbrandsdalen, the Sjoa (pronounced “Shoo-ar”) is a paradise for any whitewater enthusiast.
As Gene17Kayaking’s summer home for over a decade, our guides know every eddy, wave, and ripple. They’ll lead you to the exact spots you need to develop and fine-tune your skills. From this ideal training ground, we’ll venture out to the surrounding national parks, where a variety of pristine whitewater awaits. Tackle everything from technical mountain streams to exhilarating big-volume wave trains—you’ll find all the excitement you could wish for.
Along the way, we’ll provide the opportunities and expert guidance to advance your paddling, plus chances to indulge in some of the world’s best baked goods. Join us for an unforgettable journey where adventure meets mastery. With Gene17Kayaking, you’re not just learning—you’re experiencing the thrill of Norway’s stunning waterways while immersing yourself in its rich culture. Don’t just dream about the ultimate kayaking adventure—live it with us on the Sjoa River!
New to the Sjoa? Get to know the river, the season and the logistics before you book.
Read our complete river guide →Your week
Arrival day. Settle into Sjoa and meet the rest of the team
Hit the water! After a quick gear review and boat outfitting session, we’ll go for a chilled out paddle on the Sjoa. It’ll give us the chance to look at how you’re paddling and find out what you want to work on
Today is a technical skill review and the chance to set some goals for the rest of the week. We’ll head to a more challenging section of the Sjoa and introduce you to some of the key concepts of dynamic river paddling.
A day out in Lom, on the Lower Børve with a late afternoon stop at the famed Lom Bakery
An all-day trip to the Lora. This classic run starting with alpine whitewater, that drops into a gorge of pool drop fun
The big day out. We’ll head to a classic pool drop river and put your new skills to the test, whilst looking at group awareness and river running techniques
Norwegian classic. We’ll head for something with fun drops, scenic surroundings and world class whitewater. The ideal finish to a perfect week
Departure day: We'll give everybody an individual debrief before heading off.
What's included
What the price does include:
Guiding and Instruction†Location Transport & River shuttles
Use of a full spec whitewater kayak** from a locally sourced fleet based on 35€ per day per kayak.
† Our Coaching/Guiding Only solution, is simply that, our first rate excellent Coaching & Guiding, and assistance with river shuttles.
* There is a frequent yet irregular bus and train service from Oslo to Otta. We collect from Otta Bus/Train Station from 1800-1900 on the day of arrival, and drop off for 1000 on the day of departure. An airport shuttle from Oslo to Sjoa is NOT included with ANY of our Norway Trips & Adventures, as the direct public transport link is straight forward and easy to undertake.
** Gene17 has a small yet excellent selection of kayaks for a range of different sized paddlers, & these are available on a first come, first served basis ONLY
What the price does not includeAccommodation
Visa fees
Flight
Airport Shuttle
Bar bills
Travel & Boat insurance
Tips
Can I rent a kayak & paddle in the destination?
In all our destinations we have developed great partnerships with local kayak rental outlets. We will help you secure a kayak of your choice. If you do not wish to travel with your own paddle, we have a handful of high end Werner Paddles all with straight shafts and 45ºR feather. We also have some breakdown split paddles that can be made into 0º & 45ºL feather. All available upon request. Note all equipment whether from a rental station or Gene17Kayaking is offered on a first come first served basis.
Note: with good notice we attempt to secure the hire of a kayak from a local source. Still we can not guarantee the use of locally sourced kayak, which will in part depend of notification before booking and local availability at the time of booking.
