It had been four years since I last visited Norway, and the world saw some huge shifts after COVID. After a long seven-hour flight, I landed in Oslo at 7:20 am on the 14th of June. I had yet another flight to catch, this time a short one from Oslo to Bergen. I reached Gudvangen camp at 7:00 pm. There I met Aman, an Irish paddler who works in Northern Norway as a SUP guide. There was a new caravan, new equipment, and new faces. The expedition would start in two days.

On July 23rd, 2016, along with a couple of friends, I travelled to Kumaon from Gurgaon, to paddle in the Sattal lakes. Sattal literally means Sat Tal or seven lakes. The lakes are an interconnected system of seven freshwater lakes. The waters were glassy, with a turquoise hue to it, adding to its mystic feel. I immediately inflated my paddleboard and entered the waters.

Norway, Scandinavia. The land of the Midnight Sun. And not very long ago, a distant dream. I have always loved Norse mythology, and have...

Part 2 of the story of how Kumaran Mahalingam, a Chennai-based Geologist, paddled at the highest lake in India, setting a new record in Standup Paddle Boarding.

Part 1 of the story of how Kumaran Mahalingam, a Chennai-based Geologist, paddled at the highest lake in India, setting a new record in Standup Paddleboarding.