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A Solo Packrafting Journey in the Swedish Fjälls
Seeking the self-reliance of a solo packrafting journey into the Swedish fjälls, Rachel Murray treads the fine line between safety and adventure.
The sound of rushing whitewater crescendos quickly. As I paddle around the bend, the calm river transforms into a playground of multiple channels, chutes, and drops. I take out at the bank to scout a possible line from the safety of the shore. Everything looks runnable, but not without the safety backup of other paddlers. Alone and far from civilisation, I am acutely aware of every risk factor – and in this context even the most minor river feature seems threatening. I settle on paddling the first entry rapid and portaging the rest. If things go awry, there will still be time to self-rescue (though I’ll need to be prompt) before the real drops begin.
I relaunch my packraft back onto the water, secure my thigh braces, and take a last look at my line before peeling out into the flow. Waves lash my face and soak my drysuit. Confidently, I charge through the rapid before eddying out at the first moment possible, then get off the water to hike my fully loaded packraft downstream, bypassing a few more serious rapids. With the river gradient expected to considerably increase again up ahead, I get back in my boat and paddle just a few hundred more metres to complete the first packraft section of my journey.
Half an hour later, back on land and changing into hiking gear, it hits me. What am I doing out here alone? Is this safe? A light mist from the river sprays across my face. I watch the water tumble through a series of rapids, then disappear over a roaring 15m drop just meters from where I had taken out. I had been so composed all morning, so confident in my decision-making. But suddenly, I begin to feel uneasy.
What if I had missed my takeout eddy just before the waterfall? I knew in advance that the river would drop off; should I have eddied out earlier? Was my line through the small boulder garden too risky?
I don’t even want to think about what could have happened. I finish packing away my wet gear and set off on foot towards the cloud-shrouded mountains, quietly relieved to say goodbye to the river behind me.
https://www.sidetracked.com/fjall-finding/