WILD WAVES ON LAKE OTTSJÖN
Just a few days back, I was gliding across glassy waters under brilliant sunshine on Lake Ånnsjön. Today offered the stark opposite. Yet far from a negative, it felt strangely fitting for this lake, framed by the immense Ottsjöberget and its untamed landscape. Pushing through the wind made for much harder paddling, but the magnificent scenery and moody atmosphere made it entirely worthwhile.
My windshield wipers were working hard as I headed toward Ottsjö on Wednesday morning. I launched from a shoreline and set off, only to realize a few meters in that I had to pause and pull on my shell jacket.
I was paddling into a headwind with a light drizzle, but I didn't mind at all. It only amplified the atmospheric feel. I followed the edge of the shore and made my way north.
As I pushed further north, the houses faded away and the surrounding wilderness grew wilder. Ottsjöberget emerged from the fog on my left, and it almost felt like I was in an adventure movie.
After a good hour or so, I reached the northern end of the lake. There was a nice stony beach there where I took shelter under some trees for a fika break. The wind had been blowing quite a bit on the way up, so taking a rest felt great.
On the way back, paddling became significantly easier with a tailwind, allowing me to catch a few waves along the way. Countless trees overhung the water's edge. While the dense foliage obscured most of the mountain views above, it was a wonderful ride nonetheless.
A bit worn out from all the running and paddling over the last few days, I didn't bother paddling down to Ridvadet and the southern part of the lake. 20 km felt like enough in the relatively strong wind. Crossing the lake over to Ottsjö, I caught a few awesome surfs on the way. Really good fun!
Looking back, it became a paddling adventure that will stay with me for a long time. It was wet, wild, and completely epic! A day where the raw elements really made the experience.