SUP Norway - Third Stand Up Paddle Expedition in 2024 - Part 1 - Pre-Expedition

It had been four years since I last visited Norway, and the world saw some huge shifts after COVID. The dynamics of travel had changed, with one of the changes affecting me being the increased flight costs. On the personal front too, I relocated to Kuwait in 2022, and travelled to more than 10 countries after moving there. To take a break from travelling and still quench my desire to explore, I  decided to go to Norway again.

I mailed Titus on April 2nd, 2024, expressing my interest to join the expedition once again. There were quite a few challenges for this particular trip in June - my resident visa and passport were on the verge of expiry, and I needed at least a one-year validity for the Schengen visa. I continued with the paperwork even after I booked the tickets, as the prices were soaring with each passing day. Finally, at the last minute, everything was sorted.

I booked all my tickets on Qatar Airways.  I would be leaving Kuwait on the 13th of June. to Doha, then to Oslo. The Doha airport was very huge, and while moving from one flight to the other, during the electronic gadgets checking, I lost my brand new, expensive Sennheiser headphones. I noticed it after I was seated and the flight was ready to take off. I immediately dropped a message to the Qatar terminal controlling team, and although they responded quickly, the headphones were gone forever. It was very upsetting, however, I had to move on.

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. But this didn’t feel different, in fact it felt very familiar; it was homecoming of sorts. This time it was a transition from the spring to the summer season, so while travelling I could see the glaciers melting and breathtaking glacial lakes. In June, the midnight sun is a natural phenomenon in Norway, and thus the sky was lit up all round the clock. Also, this was a peak travelling season, as people from all over the world come to see the fjords, clear waters, and experience the long days.

I landed in Bergen at 10 am, and having 5 hours for my bus to Gudvangen, I went on a little city tour. I went to the park, did some shopping, headed to a KFC out there and went to a cafe where I had my first beer in ages. Kuwait being a dry nation, it was quite a while since I had had one. There, I had a good chat with the owner, a gentleman from Srilanka. What amazed me in Bergen was the number of electric cars. For its low population, Norway’s utilization of EVs is quite high globally.

On the bus, the natural beauty of Norway unfolded on the roads - well, it’s the peak season for a reason. Around 5:15 we crossed Voss, the connecting point to Gudvangen, where we saw a carnival in progress. It was a beautiful sight to see, people with kayaks and SUP boards hanging out in the backdrop of the picturesque lake.

I reached Gudvangen camp at 7:00 pm. There I met Aman, an Irish paddler who works in Northern Norway as a SUP guide. He had a strong Irish accent that would sound curt, but he was like a jackfruit - sweet and honest on the inside. I was amazed to see how the SUP Norway developed. It has expanded with multiple guides, expeditions throughout the year at all seasons, and concurrent expeditions at once. There was a new caravan, new equipment, and new faces - it was like seeing my hometown slowly develop through the decades as people upgraded their lifestyle.

This got me thinking about the development of SUP in different countries, especially in the West, and its still-emergent state in India. There are definitely undeniable socioeconomic and sociocultural factors impacting the scaling of SUP in India, but we have to start somewhere. The idea behind Kollidam Gratitude Festival and Kollidam Mini-Expeditions was inspired by SUP Norway, and reinforced by my multiple expedition experiences. We need to make the ecosystem for SUP in India more conducive for it to reach a wider segment of people.

Titus, Aman, and I went for a walk to the Gudvangen starting point. I treated them to a very good dinner. By 8:30 pm, we reached the camp, and I made a comfortable bed where I drifted off to sleep.

15th June

I woke up to a light and pleasant drizzle. This time I had taken my One-Plus phone with me, so the photos were amazing - what I saw with my eyes was exactly what was captured on the screen. The view from my tent was ethereal - the white rocks of anorthosite against the waterfalls that were extra resurgent after the rains. I explored Titus’s new caravan like a child exploring a new toy car. The inventory and SOP was extremely streamlined; it was very professional. I got hold of the Nærøyfjord book, and was reading it, reminiscing about the last time I held it in my hands. 

At around 12:30 pm, I started sorting the expedition food, sleeping bags, and the gear. Titus and I left to Aurland by 2 pm. It was always a joyful experience with Titus; he has a natural warm aura about him. Also, he would treat me like a younger brother. Despite all his achievements and decorations, he is such a humble and honest person, I learn a lot from him with every interaction. We took the Flåm tunnel to reach Aurland, which was the administrative village of the Aurlandfjords. From Aurland, the view of Undredal was amazing. This time, I had brought my 360 degree camera for the expedition, and so I captured everything to my heart’s content. We went shopping for some items in our inventory  that weren’t available at Gudvangen. 

We got our stuff with military precision and were done shopping in like fifteen minutes. We then came to Undredal, where we met another Kiev Brady, an expedition lead, along with his girlfriend. We inflated their Tandem board, took a few pictures, and we parted ways - them to the wild camp opposite to our regular wild camping site, and us heading back to Gudvangen.

There was a common area opposite to the wild camping, which was used as a place to rest usually by local fisherfolk. It had been refurbished since the last time I came; there was a  wooden cot, antiques, an old radio box that was reminiscent of Kattur in Thanjavur, my hometown. Funny how I am reminded a lot about my hometown even continents away from home.

Kev and I instantly hit it off; he was a very positive person. Going to expeditions such as SUP Norway, you meet a lot of expedition leads who bring their own flavour of leadership to the team. As you keep meeting many such people, your leadership style evolves beyond your closed circle to international standards, and that’s how you sustain as a good leader. Me being in Kuwait with a limited number of holidays; coming to SUP Norway was a big trade-off for me, but things like this make it worth every moment.

We reached base camp by 8:45pm, and I retired for the day. The expedition would start the next day.