18 square meters of freedom.

Here are moose and beavers good night: With two km / h, it can be on a raft in Sweden wonderfully with the whole family to relax - at least until the selbstgezimmerte vehicle on a sand bank stuck.

 

"You always need a good first sentence," says my son, Jan. "Writing: Oh God, it just comes to us!"

Such phrases Jan films knows that he looks when he and his brother alone at home. Films in which people of monster waves and killer bees will be prosecuted or have to flee before extraterrestrials. Since our raft near the village Osebol stored, about 100 kilometers north of Väner, Jans is set for our team to five winged word.

Actually, one of the rafting trip contemplative types ever. It is progressing, without doing anything to them. Provides direction and pace of the water, and this has happened in our case not in a hurry: Only about two kilometers per hour to pay us the Klarälven, the longest river in Sweden, in far extensive loops through the wooded hills of Värmland.

We sit there and watch him to be, hour by hour. Counting the beaver castles on the shore, follow the overtaking formations of ducks or look after fish, for a fraction of a second from the dark water jump. Only now and then, a team member of zest for action yet. Intervenes in the food box, and retrieves the cookware to prepare tea or a can Köttbullar - those meat balls to the children nor the last visit to the Ikea restaurant are familiar with.

FOUND IN ...

GEO Special No. 2 / 2009

Sweden

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Published in GEO Special 2 / 2009 "Sweden"

Your editor has Floßabenteuer Johanna Romberg for the current GEO Special durchstanden Sweden. The booklet was published on 1 April 2009, other topics: A look behind the scenes of the royal family, bestselling author Håkan Nesser said the Swedish thriller boom and a summer house-owner, tells of her personal Bullerbyn.

And then it happened. Whenever're all concerned about the hob geschart have a steaming plate in hand, full of confidence that the raft in the next half hour his way alone place. A tree appears on whose branches as a barrier over the water tower. Or a sand bank, identified in a pair of geese in the middle of the water seems to stand. We are still a good 50 meters away from the barrier, far enough to avoid. Actually.

Jan and his friend Robin plunge the four-meter-long Stakstangen into the water. But the lane is too deep. Photographer Ralf and my second son Jacob after paddling forces, port and starboard. But the flow is stronger. My cheer cause only that they still be more to pull and the raft is spinning. Rods and paddles in the hands, balance us bow to stern, encounter with the heads of wooden beams, curse, yell, wring their hands.

During the day, drift, night camp

But the raft holds unerringly course. Even a few seconds, then it is under our feet crunch ugly, is a powerful Weidenast with full force against our Deckzelt crash. Even 30 meters. Even ten. OH GOD, IT JUST COMES TO U.S. TO!

That it would be an adventure, we knew before. But that's not what a.

The itinerary read like a guide for the perfect family vacation together to build a raft and four days Klarälven walks, mountain biking, so clean that it made him even water to the tea maker can draw. During the day, to drift, in the evening on a meadow on the shores tents - somewhere where there are moose and beavers to say good night.

The description is not failed, that the adventure could be exhausting. From the "enormous power of water" was the speech, and that wood is hard and tons heavy. It was stressed the need to ensure meaningful regular meals, as well as to the usefulness of rain gear, insect repellent and, last but not least, work gloves. We have taken note of everything you need wrapped. But what's really on us, we guess, than we in a cool August morning on the shores of Klarälven stand, about 50 kilometers north of our destination Gunnerud.

Before us are three truck loads tree trunks, each in three-meter long pieces zersägt. The have the thickest amount of telegraph poles. The thin, are not much more slender. There are other potter Bautrupps next to us, including families with small children. I see that some fathers, the sight of the wood pile faces get tense, and I'm glad that I have four men at my side had: a veteran, experienced wildlife photographers, two 15-year-old friends, only to burn in their everyday lives mostly untapped body forces operation, and a ten-year-olds, who always complains that it is not for the adults take fully.

Now strikes Jacob, my younger son, with glowing eyes on the work gloves. "Go, Mama," he says, "I take the thick end, you take the thin!"

Bandages, wrap, knot, lashing

We roll tree trunks into the water to the six dozen in total. Three layers of our raft strong, so we are on the top later dry foot can move. But first we need to above the knees into the cool water to rise to the principal of: bind, wrap, knot, lashing. On the eve Instrukteurin had shown us how to about 200 meters of rope around the trunks winds that they do not slip into being - and yet at the end of the trip with a few back into a loose pile of drift wood can be transformed. An ingenious system. But - as it worked the same?

The instructors are just next door with the Bautrupps employed. But fortunately, we have Robin. Jans camping experienced friend has a capacity to us in the course of the trip will still often benefit: He brings objects by mere in-the-Hand Take functioning. Recalcitrant ropes obey him as verkantete tent poles, burning gas stove lazy, Bitchy small electrical appliances.

"The strap across the top," says Robin. "Nee, the other way. To the ordinary rum and then nee .... Let me, I do that already."

ON TO ONLINE blogs

Stockholm: Island City at the end of the world (27.01.2009)

Paddling in Scandinavia: Always on the shore along (09.07.2008)

Lock trip through Sweden: Schipper as the fairy tale writer (23.07.2008)

After about six hours, the raft ready. It measures 18 square meters, one half is covered with a tent. Some extra-thick tree trunks serve as a railing, the backrest, Solarium and fishing stool in one.

We are, except with several Seekisten fully Proviant, spare ropes, a dinghy and a weather-resistant map, with a range of good advice equipped. "If, sand banks out!", We have the instructors eingeschärft. "Pay attention to overhanging branches! Addiction necessarily a warehouse, before it gets dark!" This may be no problem, we think. What is in this gentle waters have unexpected happen?