Sjoa
Encyclopedia
The Sjoa river provides the outlet from lake Gjende
at Gjendesheim in the Jotunheimen
mountains of Norway
's Jotunheim National Park
. It flows eastward into the Gudbrandsdalslågen
river via the Heidal
traditional district
in the Gudbrandsdal
.
South of the village Randsverk it flows through Ridderspranget — a ravine
named after a Norwegian myth.
"catarafts", on 24 July 2010; the level of the river was at the time 10 centimeters above a safe level (for rafting), has been claimed by a national newspaper).
There are several companies offering rafting, kayaking, riverboarding and other activities in Sjoa and the surrounding area.
Some parts of the river are impossible to raft. Some parts are blocked by large rocks which the river flows underneath. These areas are considered "death traps" by the local commercial rafting providers.
Gjende
Gjende is a lake in the Jotunheimen mountains in Norway's Jotunheimen National Park. The proglacial lake shows typical characteristics of glacial formation, being long and narrow—in length 18 km and in breadth 1.5 km at the broadest point with steep walls...
at Gjendesheim in the Jotunheimen
Jotunheimen
Jotunheimen is a mountainous area of roughly 3,500 km² in Southern Norway and is part of the long range known as the Scandinavian Mountains. The 29 highest mountains in Norway are all in Jotunheimen, including the very highest - Galdhøpiggen...
mountains of Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
's Jotunheim National Park
Jotunheim National Park
Jotunheimen National Park is a national park in Norway, recognized as one of the country's premier hiking and fishing regions. The national park covers 1,151 km² and is part of the larger area Jotunheimen...
. It flows eastward into the Gudbrandsdalslågen
Gudbrandsdalslågen
The Gudbrandsdalslågen river flows through the Gudbrandsdal of Norway.The Gudbrandsdalslågen begins in the lake Lesjaskogsvatnet , which lies in Lesja municipality in Oppland. Lesjavatn is the only lake in Norway which has two outlets; they flow into two of Norway’s more famous rivers...
river via the Heidal
Heidal
Heidal is a valley and parish within Gudbrandsdalen valley, in the county of Oppland, Norway.-History:Heidal parish was separated from Vågå as a separate municipality of its own on January 1, 1908. It was merged with the municipality of Sel on January 1, 1965.Heidal is a side valley of Gudbrandsdalen...
traditional district
Districts of Norway
The country Norway is historically divided into a number of districts. Many districts have deep historical roots, and only partially coincide with today's administrative units of counties and municipalities. The districts are defined by geographical features, often valleys, mountain ranges, fjords,...
in the Gudbrandsdal
Gudbrandsdal
The Gudbrandsdalen is a valley and traditional district in the Norwegian county of Oppland. The valley is oriented in a north-westerly direction from Lillehammer at Mjøsa, extending 230 km toward Romsdal...
.
South of the village Randsverk it flows through Ridderspranget — a ravine
Ravine
A ravine is a landform narrower than a canyon and is often the product of streamcutting erosion. Ravines are typically classified as larger in scale than gullies, although smaller than valleys. A ravine is generally a fluvial slope landform of relatively steep sides, on the order of twenty to...
named after a Norwegian myth.
Rafting, kayaking and fishing
The river is used for kayaking, rafting and fishing. 13 deaths have occurred in the river, from 1989 to 2010 (including 4 deaths involving a group of tourists in various inflatableInflatable
An inflatable is an object that can be inflated with a gas, usually with air, but hydrogen, helium and nitrogen are also used. One of several advantages of an inflatable is that it can be stored in a small space when not inflated, since inflatables depend on the presence of a gas to maintain their...
"catarafts", on 24 July 2010; the level of the river was at the time 10 centimeters above a safe level (for rafting), has been claimed by a national newspaper).
There are several companies offering rafting, kayaking, riverboarding and other activities in Sjoa and the surrounding area.
Some parts of the river are impossible to raft. Some parts are blocked by large rocks which the river flows underneath. These areas are considered "death traps" by the local commercial rafting providers.
External links
- Sjoa Raftingsenter NWR Rafting and riverboarding in the Sjoa area.
- Heidal Rafting White Water River Adventures in the Sjoa River in Norway
- Sjoa Rafting White Water River Adventures in Norway.
- GoRafting.no White Water River Adventures in the Sjoa River
- / Sjoafestivalen Festival in and by Sjoa